“BSNL and Ericsson will jointly develop a roadmap for 5G and Internet of Things applications as part of the MoU”
State-owned telecom player BSNL and Swedish telecommunication gear maker Ericsson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) over 5G and Internet of Things. The two will create a joint roadmap for the development of 5G and IoT in India, a joint statement to the media said. This new partnership with see BSNL and Ericsson develop “5G use cases, knowledge sharing on 5G technology concepts, industry and innovation trends including 3GPP standardisation progress.”
With this MoU, BSNL will leverage Ericsson’s 5G Center of Excellence at IIT Delhi to work on assessing the benefits of 5G in areas such as rural connectivity, connected healthcare, industrial automation, public safety, video surveillance, energy and agriculture amongst others. An Ericsson report estimates 10 million 5G users in India by 2023 and pegs the 5G-enabled digitisation revenue potential by 2026 at $27.3 billion (~Rs 2 lakh crores). Some 5G use cases envisioned by Ericsson include industrial control and automation, autonomous driving, safety and traffic efficiency services, hospital applications and medical data management.
Ericsson will also be showcasing its 5G applications at the Indian Mobile Congress, scheduled for October 25th to October 27th. The company will have on display 5G-connected drones, robotic arms, transport applications, etc.
Anupam Shrivastava, Chairman and Managing Director, BSNL, said, “Through this association with Ericsson, we intend to take the lead in the development of these new technologies [5G and IoT]. We will test, learn and develop use cases that will help us meet the diverse needs of our customers in the future. 5G will also help create the backbone on which Digital India initiatives will be delivered.”
Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Market Area, South East Asia, Oceania and India – Ericsson, said, “We are proud to partner with BSNL to work on use-cases and scenarios for application of 5G technology and how it will help realise the Digital India vision. As networks evolve towards 5G, we have the products and solutions as well as the expertise to help operators evolve seamlessly from 4G to 5G.”
