BSNL Plans to Introduce 4G Services in Patna by Year-End

Patna, the capital city of Bihar, can expect the launch of BSNL's 4G mobile service by the end of this year, according to Arbind Prasad, the principal general manager (PGM) for Patna telecom district. Prasad, who recently assumed the role of PGM in Patna, revealed that an advance purchase order has been placed with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for state-of-the-art 4G mobile equipment. The installation of the equipment is expected to take place between September and October this year. Prasad further mentioned that the newly acquired 4G hardware is upgradable to 5G through software modifications.

Presently, only 16 small towns in Bihar, including Bhojpur, Darbhanga, Bihar Sharif, Katihar, and Jehanabad, have partial coverage under the 4G network.

By the end of this year or the first quarter of the following year, BSNL aims to extend high-speed 4G network coverage to all districts, depending on the availability of equipment. Approximately 3,620 4G towers will be installed across the state, with around 900 towers designated for Patna alone, as stated by a senior officer in mobile operations. Furthermore, Prasad mentioned plans to erect 211 new towers in various locations within the capital city to ensure BSNL users have access to high-speed internet data. The sites for these towers are currently being finalized, and the 4G equipment will be installed on approximately 600 towers that currently provide 3G services.

BSNL currently has a mobile subscriber base of around 57.75 lakh in the Bihar (Jharkhand) licensing service area. In comparison, Bharati Airtel has 4 crore subscribers, Reliance Jio has 3.67 crore subscribers, and Vodafone Idea has 83.93 lakh subscribers in the same region.

While the Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnav had announced the launch of BSNL's 5G services in 2023, officials indicate that it may not align with the announcement due to procedural delays in procuring the 4G equipment.