Govt target of 10K new 5G towers per week is far off, say industry sources

Industry executives say the availability of 5G radios, environmental conditions and approval process is dictating the pace.

A day after Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked telecom companies to install at least 10,000 5G towers every week, industry sources in the know said the government mandated target was difficult to achieve in the near future. However, they added the numbers should rise soon from the current 2,500 per week.

While the government is ready to help telecom companies scale up 5G infrastructure with whatever policy support they need, the speed of 5G roll-out needs to be maintained, Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.

“I have a small request for telcos. Now we are installing around 2,500 base transceiver stations (BTS)