Introduction
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recently captured attention with the soft launch of its 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services in Hyderabad. At the heart of the announcement were two bold claims: the use of an indigenous 5G technology stack and a so-called “SIM-less” architecture. While these declarations suggest innovation and self-reliance, a closer examination reveals both opportunities and challenges. This article delves deeper into BSNL’s strategy, places it in context with private sector peers like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, and highlights what’s really at stake as India’s broadband landscape evolves.
BSNL’s Spectrum Position: A Competitive Weakness
At the core of any mobile broadband offering lies spectrum — the invisible resource that governs network speed, capacity, and coverage. BSNL has secured only 70 MHz of spectrum in the crucial 3.5 GHz band, which it is using for its 5G FWA rollout. By comparison, Jio holds between 100–130 MHz, while Airtel has a consistent 100 MHz across all circles. Furthermore, the 26 GHz millimeter wave band — which offers massive bandwidth — remains largely untouched by all operators due to high device costs and ecosystem immaturity. This limited spectrum means BSNL’s FWA customers will have to share capacity with its eventual 5G mobile users, unlike Jio and Airtel who enjoy a larger buffer. Given BSNL’s relatively smaller holding, its network could quickly get congested as traffic scales, especially in urban zones.
