The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued guidelines to set up private captive networks for enterprises along with the copy of the application. The guidelines have been issued following the approval by the Union Cabinet recently. [caption id="attachment_164452" align="alignnone" width="880"] Source: DoT[/caption] Why it matters: Private Captive Networks (PCN) may be instrumental in helping companies leverage advanced technologies to automate and roll out industry 4.0 standards. The decision, however, may also end up pitting telcos against enterprises. What is a private captive network: It is a local area network that uses 3GPP-based network spectrum, to create unified connectivity and a secure means of communication within a specific geographical area, as per Business Standard. The network is not for public use and is only meant for companies which procure the licence for its use. What are the ways to set up these networks: The guidelines lay out the following ways in which companies can set up a PCN— Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) with a licence can provide private networks as a service to an enterprise by using network resources (such as network slicing) over its public network. They can also establish an isolated PCN for companies using the IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum acquired by them. On the other hand, companies can obtain the spectrum on lease from telcos and establish their own isolated network. They can also obtain spectrum directly from the DoT and establish their network. What will be criteria for enterprises: The Union government will issue a licence under…
