State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is poised to become the testing ground for India’s telecom startup ecosystem and domestic original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to assess the feasibility of their solutions within a sandbox environment. The introduction of the ‘BSNL PoC (Proof of Concept) policy’ by the government aims to facilitate the evaluation and development of indigenous telecom technologies by Indian startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within a plug & play network sandbox environment. This policy also outlines provisions for testing Indian products for interworking and scalability.
Under the policy framework, BSNL will provide a sandbox environment to applicants for testing their products within a fully operational telecom network setup. Once the products/solutions have demonstrated their efficacy, they can be deployed within networks. Additionally, the policy seeks to expand BSNL’s sourcing base for products and solutions. Although the policy mentions BSNL conducting proof-of-concept (PoC) trials for various network elements from different OEMs, it does not specify them.
According to RK Bhatnagar, director general of Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (Voice), BSNL’s deployment decisions are contingent on successful trials rather than solely on the basis of being Made in India. Private telcos, on the other hand, have the freedom to procure equipment as they see fit. However, BSNL is keen on evaluating the viability of Indian solutions through PoC trials. Despite efforts, the telecom startup ecosystem has faced challenges in securing commercial contracts with established telcos due to intense competition from larger vendors. Startups often struggle to progress beyond the trial stage or achieve widespread deployment of their solutions. Moreover, raising funds for telecom research and development (R&D) remains a significant hurdle for startups, hindering their ability to enhance competitiveness. A consortium-based approach, as suggested by Bhatnagar, could offer better outcomes, bundling devices, 5G core, radio, backhaul, and applications from various players to be offered to telcos. Currently, BSNL is deploying indigenous telecom gear from the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-led consortium and ITI Limited for its commercial 4G services, with the network poised for future upgrades to support 5G coverage through software enhancements.
