BSNL Expects To Start 5G

State-run BSNL has urged the government to allocate it spectrum worth Rs 61,000 crore in the premium 700 Mhz frequency range as well as the medium frequency band for 4G and 5G services

The state-owned telecom firm BSNL expects to start field trial of 5G services by the end of this financial year, company's chairman and MD Anupam Shrivastava said today. "We had interaction with Nokia last week (on 5G). Next we are going to present about our requirements after which field trail concept is there. It should start before the end of this financial year," Shrivastava told reporters today. The state-run firm has started discussion with Larsen & Toubro and HP for end devices that will be required for 5G services. He was speaking on the sidelines of signing its knowledge sharing agreement on 5G technology with network firm Coriant. Under the terms of the agreement, Coriant and BSNL will cooperate to accelerate network architecture and service innovation for 5G services. "This (MoU with Coriant) is only knowledge sharing agreement. There are no commercials involved. We are at nascent stage. By this agreement, we will get to know more about 5G through this and other .