Tata Motors Dials BSNL To Smarten Up Its Cars

Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) signed a machine-to-machine (M2M) communications deal with Tata Motors, under which the telecom company will supply embedded SIM cards to make the automaker’s car models ‘smart’.

It will be tried on models like the Tiago, Hexa and the new SUV Harrier. BSNL Chairman Anupam Shrivastava told that five lakh SIMs have already been provided, adding: “We have partnered for embedded SIM functionality. We will provide another 10 lakh in a year’s time.”

BSNL anticipates nearly 50 million M2M SIM cards, with 5G capability, to be sold in the next one year, mainly for auto and home automation. Shrivastava told the newspaper this could earn BSNL Rs 1200 crore annually in revenues.

The M2M technology basically ensures automated communication between two networked devices using sensors and applications. This technology is being used to develop smart cities, smart homes and healthcare. With respect to cars, M2M apparently creates an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem through which your appliances, machines and cars can be connected to the internet.

“Automotive and transport have been an early adopter of IoT and telecos are tapping the emerging revenue streams from fleet management, navigation and fuel management and positioning services,” Prashant Singhal of EY is quoted as saying, adding that telcos should tap into the USD 4 billion IoT ecosystem by 2021.―Moneycontrol