Forget 4G. BSNL set to launch 5G services by March 2018 to counter JIO

The Government owned BSNL is set to launch their 5G services by the end of this financial year. BSNL is in talks with Nokia, Larsen and Toubro and HP for end devices that will be required for 5G services. BSNL also signed a MoU with network firm Coriant for laying the foundation for innovation in network architectures and services leveraging 5G, IoT, Software Defined Networking/ Network Functions Virtualization (SDN/NFV), and mobile edge computing technologies.

"We continue to focus on bringing our customers across India the latest innovations in communications technologies that enrich their personal and work lives," said BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava.

He said that BSNL owns largest optical fiber network, which can provide highest data speed, in the country to the tune of over 7 lakh kilometer.

"5G represents an enormous leap forward in capacity and throughput speeds, and we are pleased to team with our long-term technology partner Coriant to tap into these capabilities and explore real-world use cases for next-generation services and applications," he added.

Coriant Chairman and CEO Shaygan Kheradpir said that the company will share its experiences on 5G technology with BSNL specially on network design.

"We look forward to our joint work and the opportunity to help BSNL fast track development toward a 5G and IoT future and bring the value of these technologies to India and its citizens," said Shaygan Kheradpir, CEO and Chairman, Coriant.

After the successful implementation, BSNL is planning to experiment its services by starting the free trial of its 5G services by the end of the current financial year.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com