India Launches ‘Swadeshi’ 4G Network, Joins League of Nations with Indigenous Telecom Tech

PM Modi inaugurates BSNL’s 4G Stack, boosting India’s telecom self-reliance and rural connectivity

New Era for Indian Telecom: BSNL’s ‘Swadeshi’ 4G Stack Unveiled

India has officially joined the elite group of countries that manufacture their own telecom infrastructure with the launch of BSNL’s ‘Swadeshi’ 4G network, a significant step toward telecom self-reliance and digital empowerment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the indigenous 4G stack on Saturday during the silver jubilee celebrations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

India Joins Global Leaders in Homegrown Telecom

With this launch, India joins the ranks of:

• Denmark
• Sweden
• South Korea
• China

These countries have already developed and deployed homegrown telecom equipment, a feat now matched by India through BSNL’s fully indigenous 4G technology.

Key Highlights of the 4G Launch

• Inauguration of 97,500+ 4G mobile towers, including 92,600 BSNL towers
• Built using 100% Indian technology
• Infrastructure developed at a cost of ₹37,000 crore
• Cloud-based and future-ready, capable of seamless 5G upgrade
• Solar-powered towers: India’s largest green telecom cluster

Digital Empowerment in Rural India

According to the official statement, the ‘Swadeshi’ 4G rollout is a transformative move under the Digital India vision, aiming to:

• Bridge the digital divide
• Empower rural and remote communities
• Enable connectivity for over 20 lakh new users

“This will serve more than 26,700 previously unconnected villages, including over 2,400 in Odisha, especially in border and left-wing extremism-affected regions,” the statement added.

India’s Largest Green Telecom Cluster

The BSNL towers are solar-powered, reinforcing India’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure. This launch marks the creation of India’s largest cluster of green telecom sites, further aligning with global climate goals.

Mission-Mode Connectivity: 100% 4G Saturation

PM Modi also unveiled the Digital Bharat Nidhi initiative:

• Targets 29,000 to 30,000 villages
• Aims for 100% 4G saturation across the country
• Deployed in mission-mode for faster implementation