5G BTS Added to Lakshadweep in October 2023

DoT (Department of Telecom), marked a notable accomplishment that , two 5G BTS were deployed in October, enabling customers to enjoy 5G in Lakshadweep. Known for its immaculate white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and abundant marine life, the Lakshadweep group of islands is located in the Arabian Sea off the southwest coast of India.

A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connects the islands of Lakshadweep to the rest of the country, as per Bharti Airtel's September announcement that all districts have access to Airtel 5G services. Small satellite dishes or antennas are used in VSAT, a satellite communication system, to enable two-way data transmission.

The tropical islands region saw the introduction of 4G services in 2019 by Bharti Airtel, which was the pioneer to do so. High-speed mobile access was made available to this well-liked tourist destination with the launch of Airtel 4G in Kavaratti, Bangaram, and Agatti islands.

In September and October, there was a notable increase in the number of 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) that operators in India were deploying more than 47,000. Previously, reports detailed a spike of 60,000 5G BTS between July 2 and August 28. According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), 47,316 BTS have been installed in all states and Union Territories in just the last two months.

The most 5G BTS additions occurred in Uttar Pradesh (6,772), followed by Maharashtra (5,915 BTS), Bihar (4,903 BTS), Rajasthan (4,112 BTS), West Bengal (3,474 BTS), and Gujarat (3,287 BTS) for the time period under consideration. Manipur, on the other hand, saw no 5G BTS additions. During that time, eight new 5G BTS were added to Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep saw the arrival of its first 5G BTS.

Only two carriers in India, Airtel and Jio, have 5G service available at this moment. They are working quickly to build up their networks and finish the rollouts on time. According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)'s latest revision, 99 percent of India is covered by 4G networks, and 5G is rolling out as one of the fastest worldwide.