Trai & Samsung’s public safety broadband network pipedreams

Despite a global move to open, dedicated broadband networks for rescue efforts, India still relies on a fragmented, archaic system that allows for just voice. India’s telecom regulator wants to change this, but will debt-ridden telcos play ball?

Samsung is encouraging the Indian government to modernise its public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) network

While countries like South Korea and the US have shifted to nationwide broadband networks with Samsung’s help, India lags behind

India’s telecom regulator has already suggested spectrum—two blocks in the 800 MHz band—for the same

Telcos, however, are reluctant to play ball. Saddled with a collective debt of over $56 billion, they aren’t keen on additional expenses

When it comes to natural disasters, India is one of the worst affected countries globally. Not just financially—where it’s among the top five worst affected—but also in terms of human casualties. In the recent monsoon flooding that affected multiple Indian states, over 1,600 people lost their lives.

With countries increasingly prone to natural disasters in an increasingly climate change-affected world, prevention may not be possible. Mitigation, however, absolutely is. Take rescue operations. Brave as these efforts are, they’re far from as effective as they could be.

This was the case a team of executives from Samsung’s Bengaluru-based research institute made at the recently concluded India Mobile Congress (IMC) held in India’s capital, Delhi.

AUTHOR

Pratap Vikram Singh

Pratap is based out of Delhi and covers policy and myriad intersections with the other sectors, most notably technology. He has worked with Governance Now for seven years, reporting on technology, telecom policy, and the social sector.

View Full Profile

Others tell you what. We tell you the ‘So What?’

Read articles that decode the most significant shifts happening around business, technology, startups and healthcare. 1000+ articles for subscribers of the India edition. 150+ articles for subscribers of the Southeast Asia edition. Plus premium newsletters that help you make sense of the world around you.

So much journalism in India is superficial.

Articles are generic, almost cookie-cutter in their approach. And they don’t provide enough context on the issues they cover. The Ken is different. I don’t always agree with everything they say but I appreciate their commitment to publishing deeply reported narratives and investigations. Their reporters find new ways to analyze tech among other industries. And that’s always worth a read.

Sid Talwar / Co-Founder and Partner / Lightbox Venture Capital

As entrepreneurs, we thrive on being in the know at all times.

A personal subscription to The Ken was a no brainer. But as startup founders, this isn't enough. Team members also need to be in the know, for everyone handles customer-facing responsibilities and an ecosystem change that impacts customers also impacts us

Kiran Jonnalagadda / Co-founder / HasGeek and Internet Freedom Foundation