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As of December 31, 2024, the number of 5G BTS (Base Transceiver Stations) in India was 464,990, up from 412,214 on December 31, 2023. This represents an addition of 52,776 BTS in 2024. However, this increase is relatively low compared to the number of BTS installed in 2023. In FY25 and the years following, telecom operators have already indicated plans to reduce their capital expenditures for 5G rollout and focus more on monetising the existing networks.
Earlier, the telecom companies added between 15,000 and 20,000 sites each month in 2022 and 2023, and occasionally even more. The total number of 5G BTS sites was 4,60,592 as of the end of October 2024. This number was 3,08,466 at the same period in 2023. Therefore, the 5G BTS rollout has increased significantly year over year.
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are beginning to profit from 5G. Both operators now offer plans with higher daily data thresholds of 2GB or more. Additionally, one of the strategies being considered by these private telcos is the expansion of Fixed-Wireless Access (FWA) services. Reliance Jio, which has deployed 5G SA (standalone), has installed the majority of 5G BTS in India.
Bharti Airtel has taken a more cost-effective approach by adopting 5G NSA (non-standalone) instead of building new infrastructure, which has a more immediate positive impact on cash flow. Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) is expected to lead 5G deployment in 2026, driving further BTS additions. VIL plans to begin 5G implementation soon and has indicated that it will increase its capital expenditures in the second half of FY25, which is currently underway As a result, VIL’s third-quarter results should show some improvement in capital expenditures as FY25 progresses.
In addition to testing 5G, BSNL plans to introduce it in a few places after hitting its goal of 1 lakh 4G BTS nationwide.The rapid expansion of BSNL's 4G services throughout India is paying off handsomely for the business. By mid-2025, the telco wants to have 100,000 4G sites in place.BSNL is expected to accomplish this objective soon, perhaps even before June 2025.
Furthermore, BSNL intends to start offering 5G services shortly, becoming the third telecom provider in India to do so. The business claims that its technology is ready for 5G already. Companies like Tejas Networks and C-DoT are contributing the required technology, and a consortium headed by Tata Consultancy Services is supporting the project.
One essential part of the infrastructure of the fifth generation (5G) mobile network happens to be a 5G Base Transceiver Station (BTS). It is essential for facilitating wireless communication because it links user devices to the main network. A BTS's main function is to make it easier for mobile devices, like smartphones and Internet of Things devices, to send and receive radio signals with the core network.
The 5G BTS is a component of a larger radio access network (RAN) architecture together with radio controllers, antennae, and occasionally remote radio units (RRUs).