Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) indigenous 4G network, marking a major step in India’s push for self-reliance in digital infrastructure. The rollout has seen the commissioning of over 97,000 mobile towers across the country, built entirely with Indian technology. The PM unveiled this project in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The launch comes at a time when BSNL is celebrating its silver jubilee. It marks India’s entry into an exclusive group of nations, including Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China, that produce their own telecom equipment.
In Odisha, the project will connect 2,472 villages that were previously unserved. The coverage extends to remote areas, border regions, and left-wing extremism–affected zones. The BSNL towers are spread across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat and Bihar.
Nationwide, the government announced that the initiative will bring connectivity to 26,700 villages for the first time. Alongside the 4G stack, the Prime Minister also commissioned over 97,500 mobile towers, including 92,600 4G-enabled sites built at a cost of about ₹37,000 crore. These new installations are expected to serve over 2 million new subscribers.
The network is powered by a swadeshi 4G stack developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). Officials said the indigenous technology allows complete control over hardware and software and has been designed to enable future upgrades to 5G.
The government has also highlighted the use of solar power to run many of the towers, adding a sustainability dimension to the project. “The launch reflects India’s journey from dependence to confidence, driving employment, exports, fiscal revival and advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” PM Modi said.
This apart, the Prime Minister also unveiled India’s 100 per cent 4G saturation network through digital Bharat Nidhi, where 29,000 to 30,000 villages are connected in a mission-mode project.