BSNL, Numaligarh Refinery Ink Pact For Secure 5G Captive Network

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a major step toward accelerating India's digital transformation and industrial modernisation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Communications on Sunday.

The MoU paves the way for BSNL and NRL to collaborate for deploying India's first 5G CNPN (Captive Non-Public Network) within the refinery sector, ushering in a new era of secure, ultra-reliable, and real-time industrial connectivity. This initiative is a pioneering step in leveraging indigenous 5G infrastructure for mission-critical operations, the statement explained.

This partnership between BSNL and NRL is expected to set the stage for replicable models across other industrial sectors, reinforcing the union government's vision for a digitally empowered and self-reliant Bharat, the statement said.

The MoU was signed during the 'Industry 4.0 Workshop' for Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance in Guwahati. The workshop witnessed participation from several senior dignitaries, including the Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises, CMD NRL, Director (Enterprise Business) BSNL, MD NRL, MD AMTRON, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and various CPSEs.

Discussions focused on empowering Central CPSEs to embrace transformative Industry 4.0 technologies, including 5G CNPN, Digital Twins, 3D Printing with AI, Virtual Formulation, AR/VR/MR, IoT, and Big Data Analytics, with a view to fostering innovation, efficiency, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The Secretary, DPE, praised the initiative as a shining example of the Government's 'Whole of Government' approach, underlining its potential to modernise India's industrial base, promote advanced skilling, and generate employment opportunities, particularly in the North Eastern Region.

CMD NRL stated that the integration of 5G CNPN will not only enhance operational efficiency and cybersecurity but also enable transformative technologies such as AR/VR-based training, Digital Twins, and real-time IoT applications. He called it a game-changing moment for India's refinery sector.

BSNL chairman and managing director A. Robert J. Ravi said, "This partnership exemplifies BSNL's commitment to empowering India's strategic sectors with next-generation digital infrastructure. The deployment of a dedicated 5G CNPN at NRL will mark a technological leap forward -not only in connectivity but in redefining how core industries can operate in the future."

He said BSNL aims to support Digital India by offering secure, robust, and future-ready communication infrastructure for CPSEs and other companies.

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