New Delhi: The Union Government has reported steady progress in strengthening India’s 5G ecosystem, with a focus on infrastructure rollout and research-led development. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said that 5G services are now available in 99.9% of districts, supported by the installation of 5.08 lakh Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) as of 31 October 2025.
To streamline telecom infrastructure deployment, the government has operationalised the GatiShakti Sanchar portal and updated the Right of Way (RoW) Rules, enabling faster approvals for small cells, line installations and the use of street furniture. The process for SACFA clearance has also been simplified to reduce procedural delays.
On the policy front, spectrum reforms introduced since 2022, including the spectrum auction for 5G, rationalised AGR norms, reduced bank guarantee requirements and the removal of spectrum usage charges for newly auctioned spectrum aim to provide regulatory predictability for telecom operators.
The government has also established 100 5G labs across academic institutions to support development of sector-specific use cases and prepare institutions for future 6G research. Together, these measures reflect an infrastructure- and research-focused approach to expanding India’s next-generation telecom capabilities while maintaining a neutral, data-driven perspective.