BSNL, MTNL to secure government agencies' network

Security is not something anyone would want to take for granted, and certainly not if it involves the security of the government agencies. Taking this further, state-owned telecom companies, Bharatiya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) will put together a secure network, which would basically see to it that the security of the parties using the network is not compromised. The network, in question, which is a Rs. 600 crore one, will house confidential details about several government agencies in the country. According to a report in the Times of India, security agencies were a part of the initial plan of security the network housing government agencies in India.

Securing what's confidential (Image source: Getty Images)

The report further adds that the telecoms themselves will be funded by the Centre to manage these networks on a non-commercial basis. After MTNL and BSNL manage to build their secure network, as many as 5,000 government agencies, placed either at the Centre or the states will have their confidential data secured. However, the report added that the telecom structure pre-existing in these structures would not undergo any changes, unless an emergency situation strikes. During such emergencies, the existing telecoms in these government agencies will move to the secured network for transmitting confidential data.

Neither will these secured networks overlap with any existing network, nor will be open to any private operator, the report added. The technology that would go into the making of this network is being sourced from telecom-research agency, C-DoT.