With deadly floods battering Nepal, India is stepping up efforts to modernize its public-safety and disaster-response networks.
However, the high cost of devices, confusion over whether to use dedicated spectrum or spectrum shared with telecom operators, and shortcomings in the network trials they conducted are among the key concerns the government is currently facing, according to officials and industry executives.
At a meeting with device and equipment manufacturers and technology providers, including Ericsson, Tejas Networks Ltd, Motorola Solutions Inc., Sepura Ltd and Zebra Technologies Corp., on Wednesday, the home ministry and department of telecommunications (DoT) asked them to keep handset prices realistic. The government officials said handsets costing ₹100,000 would not be viable.
Devices used for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) services—specialized communication networks used by first responders such as police, fire brigades and medical personnel—differ from standard consumer handsets and are designed to withstand demanding emergency operations.
The government has also sought the industry’s suggestions on which network architecture to deploy. The home ministry's directorate of coordination police wireless (DCPW) is currently evaluating three deployment models: a single telecom operator with dedicated spectrum; a single operator without spectrum; or a roaming agreement model with multiple operators, similar to the one used in France.
In France, PPDR services primarily use commercial telecom networks and spectrum, with priority access for emergency users, while dedicated government spectrum is used for tactical and emergency communications.
Samsung is also involved in discussions with the government, according to the officials.
“The plan is to currently have 500,000 handsets with Broadband PPDR capabilities and new technology. Today, we have 3.8 million police and CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel. In the time to come, we will definitely increase it to 1 million and later have a capacity of 3 million to 5 million,” a government official said on the condition of anonymity.
“The industry has suggested that a consultation should be done on device parameters, including security aspects, spectrum models, device and technology standards for better coordination and interoperability, among other things. The same is under consideration,” the official added.
A working group with industry representatives has already been set up to identify key requirements and expedite the project, the official said.
Mint's queries emailed to the ministry of home affairs, DCPW, DoT, telecom operators, and the equipment and device makers—Samsung, Sepura, Motorola—remained unanswered.
Tackling disasters
India is looking to modernize its public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) communication networks with enhanced broadband capabilities. The upgrade is needed as the existing infrastructure is largely fragmented, offers limited bandwidth or relies on ageing analogue systems primarily designed for voice communication.
The DoT and the DCPW, along with telecom operators—Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone Idea Ltd, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, and BSNL Ltd—have conducted proof-of-concept trials using telcos' spectrum at locations such as Amritsar in Punjab, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Mumbai for 87 test cases.
“Tejas Networks is actively engaging with relevant government stakeholders regarding the PPDR opportunity. Tejas has successfully participated in the PPDR trials conducted by BSNL in Amritsar and Port Blair,” the company said in response to Mint's emailed queries.
“PPDR is a topic that holds much interest for governments across the globe. With our global 5G experience, we continue to have discussions with governments on this subject," said an Ericsson Spokesperson, in response to Mint's queries.
Tejas is looking to participate as a networking connectivity provider for the PPDR network, it said.
The plan is to conduct pilot projects over the coming months, with a target of commercially deploying the network in 2027, another official said on condition of anonymity.
During the PPDR trials, first responders flagged several shortcomings. These included delays in data transmission, poor network coverage, problems with geo-fencing and network switching, and failures during priority and pre-emption tests. Agencies also reported issues with devices and applications, including poor audio quality, frozen video, limited video duration and inadequate user interfaces.
Handsets also experienced serious overheating and battery drain, with some devices losing up to 60% of their battery in an hour.
“BB-PPDR (broadband public protection and disaster relief) would be one of the very important milestones in managing communications during times of disaster in the country. However, we need to think beyond, not totally focusing on mobile infrastructure,” Pradeep Kumar Yadav, inspector general of police (technical services) in the Punjab Police, said at a critical communications event in New Delhi on Thursday.
In situations like earthquakes, mobile networks usually get cut off, Yadav said. In fact, Avinash Kumar, superintendent of police, communications, in the Andaman and Nicobar Police, also flagged the need for satellite-based communication services to address the region’s unique geographical constraints and network deficiencies.
“The proof of concept was largely successful. Yes, a few issues were noticed at some places, and a few test cases were also not met. But operators have assured us that they will be able to deliver,” a third government official, aware of the trials, said on condition of anonymity.
The spectrum question
The officials Mint spoke to noted that during natural disasters, like the one in Nepal, continuous operation from commercial telecom companies cannot be expected because the infrastructure completely goes down and ceases to function.
Therefore, the new PPDR network is expected to have backup solutions designed to minimize the mean time to restore communications. “To ensure true disaster resilience when primary networks are destroyed, the government is looking at international experiences and specialized, highly mobile infrastructure, such as collapsible towers on small vehicles, satellite-backed systems, and tethered drones equipped with base stations,” the first official cited above said.
To be sure, India has yet to give the go-ahead to satellite broadband service providers such as Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb.
“Following the proof-of-concept trials, telcos provided feedback that relying solely on a standalone 10MHz block might actually face constraints during severe emergencies, particularly when there is a high demand for heavy group video calling. Instead, the telcos want the government to leverage their existing commercial spectrum rather than entire new exclusive network for PPDR,” said a DoT official on the spectrum challenges.
On 15 January, Mint reported that the DCPW asked for a dedicated 10MHz spectrum in the key 700MHz 5G band, coveted for its ability to provide wide, reliable coverage. The band would be key for public safety networks because of a matured device ecosystem, lower deployment cost, and the band’s ability to travel longer distances and penetrate buildings with its signals better than the higher-frequency bands.
However, the spectrum in the band has already been allocated to different government ministries/departments/agencies. In fact, in the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP 2025), the DoT has allocated portions of the 800MHz band for broadband PPDR.
Even as operators told the government that using their spectrum could lead to faster deployment and nationwide coverage of a critical communication public safety network at a lower cost, government officials remain concerned that network congestion and capacity constraints during major emergencies could affect PPDR services.
Once the details and architecture are finalized, the government will compute the project cost and allocate the budget, the first government official said.