The Steel Authority of India Limited's (SAIL) Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) to explore the potential of 5G, IT, telecom, and other wireless communication technologies in the steel manufacturing process. This project will include SAIL's Mines and Collieries, Central Coal Supply Organisation, and the SAIL refractory unit in Jharkhand.
According to an ANI report, the agreement makes SAIL-BSL the first public sector undertaking in the country to take such an initiative to set up a dedicated 5G network with the assistance of TCIL. This collaboration will pave the way for the application of fifth-generation mobile systems/information technology/telecom technologies in steel manufacturing. The Ministry of Steel released a statement on Friday evening regarding the partnership.
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According to the official statement, the partnership between SAIL-BSL and TCIL will offer innovative solutions to SAIL mines and collieries in Jharkhand, smart cities, and other domains besides the steel plant.
Alka Selot Asthana, Executive Director for IT and Telecom, said that TCIL has the expertise, experience, and resources to provide turnkey solutions for deployment, testing, commissioning, and maintenance of 5G/ IT/ Telecom technologies for SAIL-BSL.
This partnership with TCIL will enable SAIL-BSL to leverage the potential of 5G/ IT/ Telecom technologies to improve steel production efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance quality. The use of 5G technologies can also enhance the safety and security of the workers at the steel plant and its mines.
With the help of 5G technology, SAIL-BSL will be able to connect and control its various units and processes, including the blast furnaces, rolling mills, and other critical systems, in real time. This will enable SAIL-BSL to collect and analyse vast amounts of data from the steel plant and its mines, enabling it to make data-driven decisions to optimise its production processes.