State-owned Indian telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has started 5G trials in the country.
Telecom Talk reports that the tests have been confirmed by India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
BSNL is working with the Centre for Development of Telecommunications (C-DoT) to test the technology.
C-DoT is also providing the network core for BSNL's 4G network as well, which can also be used for 5G.
BSNL is still pushing to launch 4G services in India, with the technology set to go live next month.
The company has deployed 25,000 4G towers across India, in regions including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Western Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
Earlier this year, the company said it was aiming to roll out 100,000 4G base stations across the country, though this has been set back until March 2025. It expects to hit 80,000 stations by the end of October.
It was reported last month that the carrier will roll out 5G within six to eight months of hitting its March 2025 pan-India 4G rollout deadline.
Last year, BSNL ordered $1.83 billion worth of infrastructure equipment and software from IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for the deployment of its 4G network.
The telco also signed a $900 million purchase order with Indian vendor Tejas Networks last year for the supply of equipment for its 4G and 5G rollout.
At present, the telco only commands a 7.4 percent market share, with 86.3 million customers as of May. The delay of its 4G rollout has seen the company lose subscribers.
India's 5G race has been dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Both carriers launched their respective networks in October 2022. Cash-strapped Vodafone Idea (Vi) is currently in the process of securing equipment for its network.
