Nokia to deploy public safety equipment for BSNL
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Finnish gear maker Nokia Tuesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities in the public safety space as a joint initiative.
“Under the agreement, Nokia will become BSNL’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) technology partner for public safety projects. The collaboration will assist in advancing public safety standards in the country and supports the government’s Smart Cities Mission,” the Rajiv Suri-headed company in a statement said.
Finland-based telecom technology vendor, as per alliance, will provide its compact and deployable solutions using LTE technology for mission-critical communications to assist the service provider in its disaster relief efforts.
BSNL, being a public sector telco, plays a critical role in providing communications support in the events of natural disasters such as flood and earthquake, and during the recent floods in Kerala, it has introduced unlimited calling for the users within its network, besides war footing efforts to restore the network.
During a disaster situation, communications networks can be hampered, impacting relief and rescue efforts, while a reliable and robust LTE public safety system is critical in these situations to aid public safety workers, Nokia in a statement added.
“As a trusted telecom service provider, BSNL is committed to providing the best technology solutions for public safety professionals. Our technology partnership with Nokia is a crucial step in this direction,” BSNL chairman Anupam Shrivastava said.
BSNL, according to the Finnish gear maker, will leverage the Nokia ViTrust critical communications portfolio and Nokia Ultra Compact Network (UCN) that would help first responders more swiftly locate people and assist affected communities.
“We have been working closely with BSNL for more than 25 years and this agreement further strengthens our relationship. This is the first time our public safety solution will be used in India, and we are excited to leverage our ViTrust critical communications portfolio, working with BSNL to enhance public safety work and aid vital rescue operations,” JP Singh, Nokia customer team head for the Government Business said.
Finland-based Nokia is also working with the state-run carrier to implement the next level of industrial automation, leveraging 4G LTE technology to enable greater operational efficiency.
The two companies have already signed a network modernisation agreement to support the launch of 4G and Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in India’s western and southern circles.
