Come March 2018, BSNL to begin 5G field trials
In an attempt to bring the latest innovation in communications to its users, telecom firm BSNL announced that it signed an agreement with American tech company Coriant. BSNL also stated that it will launch field trials for 5G services by the end of this financial year, March 2018. The deal will see the companies expand network infrastructure and services, reports said.
BSNL in talks with Nokia, L&T and HP
"We had interaction with Nokia last week. Next we are going to present about our requirements after which field trail concept is there. It should start before the end of this FY," said BSNL's Chairman, stating that they are in talks with L&T and HP.
How will the partnership help BSNL users?
BSNL is touted to have the largest optical fibre network, that spans over 7 lakh kilometers, reports said. Most smartphones are powered by 4G or 3G wireless technology in India, and 5G is yet to hit the telecom sector. 5G has a theoretical download speed of 10,000 Mbps, and implementing this service will enable BSNL's users run complicated internet applications.
Despite 5G trials, deployment still a distant dream?
"While the networking industry is working towards making 4G ubiquitous, we also need to future-proof 5G, which probably won't see deployment until 2019 or 2020 at the earliest. It will take that long as a completely new eco-system needs to form."- Paul Gainham, Juniper Networks.
