State-owned Indian telco BSNL and local IT systems integrator Echelon Edge have reportedly landed a deal with Coal India Limited (CIL) to deploy a private 5G network at the Amlohri Open Cast Coal Mines facility in Madhya Pradesh.
According to a report from ETTelecom on Tuesday, BSNL and Echelon Edge are deploying a 5G Standalone network using 5G spectrum allotted to BSNL.
Echelon Edge said the private network is specially designed to handle the environmental and terrain-related challenges specific to the coal mining sector, and will support use cases such as video surveillance, asset tracking, IoT sensors for environmental monitoring, and remote monitoring using drones, as well as voice and data communications.
Other use cases in the pipeline for the project include a virtual reality model of the Amlohri Coal Mine, digital twin technology for load-haul dump operations, and a collision avoidance system using cellular-vehicle to everything (C-V2X) technology, the report said. The network will also leverage AI for improved traffic control to optimise haul-road crossings.
The project – which is backed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDI) – is scheduled to be completed next month, the report said.
“This project is a clear example of India's growing capabilities in technology, particularly in deploying 5G solutions for critical industries like coal mining,” said Echelon Edge founder and CEO Gaurav Gandhi in a statement.
BSNL first partnered with Echelon Edge to deploy private 5G solutions in 2023. BSNL also intends to roll out its own commercial 5G network for consumers based on indigenous 5G technology, but it’s been slow going, as the telco has been arguing over terms with potential vendors.
In the meantime, BSNL remains occupied rolling out 4G, which Echelon Edge has also been involved with. Last month, Echelon Edge joined a consortium led by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to integrate a comprehensive billing and customer care system with BSNL’s 4G network.
