DoT invites applications for setting up 5G ‘smart villages’

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced a call for proposals to design ‘5G smart villages’ by developing 5G network solutions for rural areas. The authorities invited applications to enable “the effective use of 5G aspects of Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) and Mass Machine Communication (mMTC), which will demonstrate the advantages of 5G connectivity.” This call for proposals has been launched under the Telecommunications Technology Development Fund (TTDF) program notified by the Government in 2022.

One area where DoT is looking for proposals is dividing the network to ensure secure transactions. In context, network slicing is a feature of 5G that allows telecommunications companies to create multiple virtualized subnets (each called a “chunk”) using shared physical wireless network infrastructure and shared computing resources.

As part of the network slicing proposals, DoT expects companies to develop a UPI prototype and implement parts of the 5G network architecture, namely Authentication Server Function (AUSF) and Policy Control Function (PCF) for secure network slicing operations. The AUSF authenticates users entering the 5G network, and the PCF provides policies (on network slicing, inter-carrier roaming, and mobility management) to other network functions. The purpose of creating these slices of the network is to enable secure financial transactions and minimize cyberattacks.

Debates on 5G network slicing and net neutrality:

In April this year, net neutrality advocates raised concerns that the U.S. draft net neutrality regulations would allow high-speed 5G lanes in dedicated slices of the network, provided telecommunications operators do not charge for it. It is important to note here that net neutrality advocates did not want a ban on network sharing. Some cases, such as a dedicated area for agricultural activities using remote-controlled tractors, cutouts for telemetry data, and surveillance of autonomous cars, are good reasons to isolate network traffic. Their main problem was the creation of fast lanes.

While the rules were ultimately changed to include a ban on fast lanes, the discussion raised questions about the application of net neutrality in the context of 5G.

In India, Reliance Jio had previously argued in response to the telecom regulator’s consultation on 5G that “stringent net neutrality and data pricing rules” needed to be addressed to comply with 5G requirements. It remains to be seen whether these arguments will be taken into account in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations on the 5G ecosystem.

Other suggested areas for proposals:

• A common Intelligent Village application system, which would be a unified platform on which applications could be hosted.
• Smart health operations such as ATMs and mobile health units that aim to make healthcare accessible.
• Wi-Fi hotspots via Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services. Fixed wireless access uses the 4G or 5G radio spectrum (the same used for mobile phone services) to provide wireless broadband connectivity between two fixed points. It can provide Internet connectivity in areas where terrestrial connectivity is nil or poor.
• Providing 5G connectivity in areas currently beyond coverage.

Why is it important:

Indian telecom operators have also mentioned several times that their 5G services are currently not monetized and do not generate additional revenue. “Except for some private 5G networks and some B2B (business to business) use cases that have modest revenue streams, there are still no core use cases,” Gotal Vittal, managing director of Bharti Airtel, said in one of the company’s earnings calls .

He also said that while 5G networks are currently being deployed, applications have not yet been developed that take full advantage of the features offered by 5G networks (high speeds, low latency and huge capacity). With the government unveiling its 5G proposal, telecommunications companies will have the opportunity to find greater utility for their 5G networks.

Who can submit proposals for 5G Smart Villages?

DoT invites applications from companies, start-ups, research and development institutions and academic institutions, individually or in partnership. Only Indian-based companies/start-ups (not subsidiaries of foreign companies) and Indian R&D/academic institutions are eligible to receive TTDF funds. The deadline for submitting applications is July 31, 2024.

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