Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced the soft launch of BSNL Quantum 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) in Hyderabad. This indigenous, SIM-less fixed-wireless-access solution delivers fibre-like speeds over 5G radio.

Key features include:

  • SIM-less architecture: Built on BSNL’s direct-to-device platform so the customer’s premises equipment (CPE) auto-authenticates, no physical SIM required.
  • Fully indigenous stack: Core, radio access network (RAN), and CPE designed and integrated by Indian vendors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
  • High speeds: Ameerpet recorded 980 Mbps DL / 140 Mbps UL with sub-10 ms latency—ideal for UHD streaming, cloud gaming and remote work;
  • Rapid installation: Self-install gateway reaches 85 per cent of Hyderabad households under existing BSNL tower grid; no trenching or fibre pull required.

Following is the road-map after the soft launch:

  • Pilot expansion: Bengaluru, Pondicherry, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Gwalior and Chandigarh pilots will go live by September 2025.
  • Tariff reveal: Introductory plans at Rs 999 for 100 Mbps and at Rs 1,499 for 300 Mbps.
  • Enterprise edge-cloud: The same 5G SA core will support network-sliced, service level agreement (SLA)-backed links for MSMEs and smart-manufacturing clusters.

This is a controlled (“soft”) launch intended for customer experience fine-tuning; nationwide commercial roll-out will follow after field feedback. Commenting on the announcement, chairman and managing director, BSNL, said, “Quantum 5G FWA demonstrates how Indian engineers can create world-class connectivity. It is the first SIM-less, 100 per cent home-grown customised 5G FWA for BSNL. Hyderabad’s tech-savvy ecosystem makes it the perfect launch pad for our next-generation access portfolio. Today is only a soft launch, many more cities and feature upgrades will follow.”