Telecom push: BSNL enters 5G fixed wireless market with Hyderabad launch; plans expansion to six cities by September

State-owned telecom firm BSNL has entered the 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) space, launching its home broadband service in Hyderabad, the company said on Friday. The move pits BSNL against private sector giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which are already offering similar services using their 5G spectrum.“Quantum 5G FWA demonstrates how Indian engineers can create world-class connectivity. It is the first SIM-less, 100 per cent home-grown customised 5G FWA for BSNL,” said BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A Robert J Ravi. “Today is only a soft launch — many more cities and feature upgrades will follow.”The company said it formally launched the service on June 18 and plans to expand the pilot project to Bengaluru, Pondicherry, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Gwalior, and Chandigarh by September 2025, reported PTI.BSNL is initially offering the service at Rs 999 for a 100 Mbps plan and Rs 1,499 for a 300 Mbps plan. The FWA technology allows telecom providers to deliver wireless broadband by installing an outdoor modem at the subscriber’s premises, connecting to the nearest 5G base station. The solution bypasses the need for an optical fibre connection.