Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launches BSNL’s Indigenous ‘4G’ Service

BSNL’s Indigenous 4G Service to Help Deliver 1,100 Maharashtra Government Online Services to Villages – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Pune, Sept 2025 : Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated BSNL’s fully indigenous ‘4G’ technology-based service through video conferencing from Jharsuguda, Odisha. As part of the launch, 92,633 BSNL towers were inaugurated, of which 9,030 towers have been installed in Maharashtra. Through this, millions of people across the country, including the state, will get access to 4G technology, which will help deliver 1,100 online government services of Maharashtra to villages, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a programme organized at Sahityaratna Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe Cultural Auditorium, Yerwada on the occasion of the virtual inauguration of the 4G network by the Prime Minister. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse, State Minister for Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Bharti Airtel founder-chairman Sunil Mittal, MP Medha Kulkarni, BSNL Chief General Manager Harinder Kumar, and DoT Additional Director General R.K. Goyal were present.

CM Fadnavis said that the Maharashtra government is providing 1,100 citizen services online and through WhatsApp. Ninety percent of these are being digitized end-to-end. Citizens can now track their applications from home. The Service Guarantee Act is being effectively implemented, ensuring that people get services directly on their mobile phones. For this, connectivity is essential. Thanking Prime Minister Modi, Fadnavis appreciated the BharatNet initiative, which is bringing fiber services to villages, and congratulated BSNL.

He added that it is heartening that 92,633 BSNL towers are being launched, with 9,030 in Maharashtra alone. Through these towers, 24,680 villages across the country will be connected to 4G. Communication is vital for development. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had emphasized that connectivity was the path to progress, launching the Golden Quadrilateral and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to link villages through roads. In the 21st century, it is not just roads but digital connectivity that is crucial. Without mobile and internet services reaching villages, development cannot be delivered there. Under PM Modi’s leadership, 4G towers are now being set up in villages to achieve this.

Initially, only four countries — Finland, Sweden, China, and South Korea — had their own 4G technology. China was unwilling to share. Therefore, Indian companies joined forces to develop indigenous technology. With C-DOT, Tejas, IIT, TCS, and BSNL collaborating, India has become the fifth country to create its own 4G technology. India has always proven its capabilities when challenged, and this achievement reflects the nation’s knowledge, innovation, and enterprise, Fadnavis said.

“When the internet reaches villages, we connect them to the world,” he continued. Connectivity is essential for health and education. Farmers can get weather and climate information to prevent crop losses. Smart Villages can be built with better systems. Connectivity is crucial for industries, agriculture, and markets, bringing transparency and efficiency. Technology is impartial, and 4G connectivity is the medium to bring it to villages. These towers also have the capacity to be upgraded to 5G. With success in developing our own technology, India is ready to move a step ahead globally,” he added.

Eknath Shinde: BSNL’s Indigenous 4G Success Story Will Be Globally Recognized

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the moment is crucial for building a self-reliant and strong India. After the Industrial Revolution, this is the biggest campaign, and India has emerged as a global power in IT. BSNL is now profitable and moving forward. By developing indigenous 4G technology, India is progressing toward Digital India. What even the U.S. could not achieve, India has accomplished. Rural areas will especially benefit in education, telemedicine, tourism, and more. BSNL’s indigenous 4G success story will be globally recognized. This technology marks a new chapter for BSNL. Maharashtra will fully support Prime Minister Modi’s dream of a developed India by 2047, he said.

Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse said that PM Modi’s dream of self-reliance is being realized through BSNL. India developed indigenous 4G technology in just 22 months, creating a new global identity. India’s capabilities in networking, defense, space science, and IT are being recognized worldwide. Soon, the nation will advance to 5G and 6G. This network will cover rural and tribal areas, reaching 25,000 locations. Developing our own technology is crucial for national security, she added.

In his introductory remarks, BSNL’s Harinder Kumar said that 9,139 towers are being inaugurated in Maharashtra, including 2,174 under the Digital India 4G project. The state government has provided free land for 2,751 towers, along with electricity and right-of-way permissions. In the coming days, an additional 930 towers will cover unconnected villages.

MLAs Vijay Shivtare, Amit Gorakhe, Yogesh Tilekar, Jagdish Mulik, Hemant Rasane, and Bapu Pathare were also present.