LTTS, BSNL sign deal to deploy private 5G network for global enterprises

The spectrum will be provided by BSNL using a public land mobile network (PLMN) and isolated allotment. LTTS will deploy equipment, applications, servers, technology and software

L&T Technology Services on Monday announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to drive and enable global enterprises in their private 5G network deployments.

BSNL and LTTS plan to co-innovate and jointly bring to market private 5G connectivity solutions to accelerate digital transformation for enterprises, the company said in a release.

According to the agreement framework signed by both companies, the spectrum will be provided by BSNL using public land mobile network (PLMN) and isolated allotment. LTTS will deploy equipment, applications, servers, technology and software, and core for integrating devices/sensors within the customer's ecosystem.

This deal marks LTTS' foray into the 5G private network space. BSNL will be the official network provider.

Amit Chadha, chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of L&T Technology Services said, "This partnership is a perfect-fit offering to enterprises with complementary network & digital capabilities coming from both organizations."

In an announcement by LTTS, BSNL was quoted as saying, "This strategic partnership with LTTS will allow us to support global organizations in their digital transformation endeavours. 5G is the next Big Enabler which can positively benefit the lives of millions of end-users and we expect rapid adoption of private networks across multiple use cases and major industries."

According to International Data Corp (IDC), the global private 5G market is expected to exceed $8 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 35.7 per cent from 2022. India is seeing an increased need for enterprises seeing the need for deploying a Non-Public Network (NPN) due to faster connection speed and lower latency.

The Centre has decided against allocating spectrum directly to companies wanting to set up their own captive 5G networks. Thus they will have to buy the airwaves through auctions. Alternatively, companies can lease spectrum from telcos having 5G airwaves to create networks for enterprises or partner with them to set up networks for their own use.

LTTS has also partnered with Nvidia and open-source provider Mavenir in Europe for private 5G networks. In the US, it has partnered with Qualcomm.