Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced a tender for the deployment of 5G services in Delhi, inviting bids from network providers and equipment manufacturers to establish indigenous 5G in a standalone (SA) architecture across 1,876 sites.
The initial rollout aims to cater to 100,000 registered subscribers and will coincide with the launch of fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband services.
In a departure from its 4G strategy, BSNL plans to implement a ‘5G-as-a-Service’ model for its 5G offerings in Delhi. This model will shift the financial burden of capital expenditure (capex) and operational expenses (opex) to the selected bidder, as outlined in the tender document.
As per the tender, BSNL intends to utilise the 900 MHz and 3300 MHz frequency bands for delivering 5G SA services throughout the designated areas. The tender specifies that the chosen bidder will be responsible for planning, designing, supplying, deploying equipment, and managing the operation of the 5G network within the licensed service area (LSA).
To facilitate this rollout, BSNL plans to collaborate with two service providers in Delhi, a primary provider responsible for deploying one 5G SA core and a 5G-RAN using up to two original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and a secondary provider who will also deploy 5G-RAN equipment from up to two OEMs. Additionally, any necessary upgrades to existing BSNL towers for accommodating 5G antennas will fall under the responsibility of the selected bidder.
Regarding revenue sharing, BSNL will compensate selected bidders based on earnings from both FWA and mobile 5G services. The eligibility criteria state that bidding companies or consortia must have an average annual turnover of at least Rs 500 million over the last three financial years up to the financial year 2024 (FY24).
