BSNL is preparing an indigenous 5G rollout, an official said at IMC 2026, after the state-owned operator's 4G network finally began delivering results. The announcement, reported by TelecomTalk, marks the next stage in a long-running effort to modernize India's state carrier with homegrown technology.

The statement places a clear marker: BSNL believes its 4G foundation is now stable enough to support a move to 5G. That is a significant shift for an operator that has spent years trailing its private rivals, Jio and Airtel, in both 4G coverage and subscriber momentum.

What did the official announce?

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, the BSNL official said the company is "gearing up" for a 5G rollout built on indigenous equipment. The context for that claim is the government's push, under the Atmanirbhar Bharat program, to reduce dependence on foreign telecom vendors.

BSNL's 4G network, deployed with domestically developed technology, is now performing as intended, according to the official. The operator has previously relied on a consortium including TCS and state-owned C-DOT for its 4G core and radio equipment.

The official framed the 4G results as proof that the domestic technology stack works, clearing the way for the 5G upgrade.

Why the 4G milestone matters

For BSNL, a working 4G network is a prerequisite rather than an achievement in itself. Private competitors launched 4G years earlier and have already moved well into 5G, leaving the state carrier to play catch-up in a market with some of the world's cheapest data tariffs.

An indigenous 5G build would let BSNL skip some of the vendor procurement delays that slowed its 4G deployment. It would also align the operator with government policy favoring local manufacturing across the telecom supply chain.

The commercial question remains open. BSNL has lost subscribers steadily to private operators, and a 5G launch alone will not reverse that trend without competitive pricing and reliable service quality.

What comes next?

No timeline for the 5G rollout was given in the report beyond the preparations described at IMC 2026. The operator's next steps will likely depend on how quickly its 4G network sustains performance at scale, and on government approvals for spectrum and funding.