In a first of its kind partnership, state-run telecom carrier BSNL and Tata Motors have partnered to transform cars into smart-cars.
BSNL’s 5G SIMs will be used for this purpose.
How will it work?
BSNL-Tata M2M Partnership
For the first time in India, an automobile company, Tata Motors and a telecom company, BSNL has decided to strike a partnership for utilizing 5G network.
This is called the Machine to Machine partnership or M2M partnership, wherein BSNL will provide 5G SIMs to Tata Motors.
These 5G SIMs will be used in Tata Tiago, Nexon, Tigor cars, and make them ‘smartcars’. As per some reports, even the newly launched Harrier SUV will be empowered with these 5G SIMs.
BSNL has already delivered 5 lakh 5G SIMs to Tata Motors, and 10 lakh more such SIM cards will be delivered in the next few months.
BSNL Chairman Anupam Shrivastava said, “We have already partnered with Tata Motors for embedded SIM functionality. Five lakh SIM cards were already provided while another 10 lakh will be supplied in a year’s time”
How Will This 5G Partnership Work?
These 5G SIMs will be integrated into Tata Tiago, Nexon, Tigor cars, and make them 5G ready. Via Sensors and Applications, these 5G SIM cards will connect these cars with 5G network, and allow the car to perform futuristic operations, never seen before.
No, self-driving won’t be possible as of now, but a lot of activities can be performed: Real-time traffic updates, which will be directly transmitted to the dashboard, instant emergency contact by tapping one button, super-accurate navigation system, inter-linking of home appliances/mobile with the car’s 5G SIM connection and more.
This 5G connectivity and smartcar concept will help Tata to stay one step ahead of its competitors such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra, in offering inter-connected, 5G ready cars.
No other automobile maker has announced any 5G connectivity with their cars, yet.
BSNL’s 5G Expansion & Profits Plan
Although BSNL is yet to launch 4G services in India, they have some solid plans for 5G services.
They have already declared that they will be the first to offer 5G services in India, before any one else does.
This is the premise based on which they have partnered with Tata Motors, and offering their 5G services from now only.
It is expected that by 2020, full-fledged 5G services will be launched in India, and then only this concept of smart cars will be operational, practically.
Having said that, BSNL has calculated the financial aspects of 5G SIMs, and are ready to make money from it.
As part of the M2M partnership with Tata Motors, BSNL aims to sell 50 million 5G SIM Cars to automobile majors, in the coming days. With Rs 20 per SIM price, total of Rs 1200 crore revenues would be generated by BSNL, from selling 5G SIM alone.
BSNL plans to sell their 5G SIMS to automobile firms and home automation companies.
We will keep you updated, as more details come in.