India's Airtel, TCS tap robotics to roll and build 5G based technology

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel and IT major Tata Consultancy Services partnered to build a 5G-based remote working technology using robotics, according to a press release from the digital communications solution provider. 

While both companies are operating the trials in Airtel’s 5G lab at Manesar, these solutions will allow remote robotic operations in possibly dangerous environments like mining, oil & gas fields, etc., the release said. 

The good news is that the testing of innovative use cases from Neural Manufacturing solutions suite on Airtel’s ultra-fast and low latency 5G network was successful. 

As such, Airtel was given a 5G trial spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications for technology validation. 

“Indian companies are looking to adopt indigenously developed technology for 5G. Airtel and TCS have joined hands for remote robotics operations using 5G. They have successfully conducted trials in Airtel’s 5G lab,” local reports said. 

The definition of a smart factory is that it’s a place where physical production processes and operations are combined with digital technology, smart computing, and big data to offer companies’ manufacturing and supply chain management. 

Airtel and TCS announced in June a strategic partnership for implementing 5G network solutions for India. 

In addition, Tata Group developed Open Radio Access Network-based Radio and core elements, as well as a unified telecom stack, while Airtel will test and deploy this indigenous solution as part of its 5G rollout plans in India. 

Going back to our main topic, Airtel has rolled out the #5GforBusiness initiative and is partnering with leading technology companies to demonstrate a wide range of enterprise-grade use cases using high speed and low latency networks. 

The two companies cooperated in testing 5G-based use cases from TCS’s Neural Manufacturing suite of solutions. Those types of solutions help manufacturers build smart, cognitive factories which impersonate resilient and adaptive behaviors. 

“TCS successfully tested two use cases on Airtel’s 5G testbed – remote robotics operations, and vision-based quality inspection, demonstrating how TCS’ Neural Manufacturing solutions and 5G technology can transform industrial operations and significantly boost quality, productivity and safety. The demonstration was done at Airtel’s 5G Lab in Manesar (Gurgaon),” the release noted. 

Randeep Sekhon, CTO at Bharti Airtel, said, “The 5G ecosystem will open limitless possibilities for enterprises to enhance productivity and serve their customers even better with digitally enabled applications. We are delighted to work with TCS as our strategic technology partner to start testing real-life 5G applications of the future. This also offers tremendous learnings across the value chain and lays a solid foundation for future application roadmap.”