Guwahati on Monday hosted the Proof of Concept trials for India’s Broadband Public Protection and Disaster Relief (BBPPDR) network, a key initiative aimed at building robust mission-critical communication systems for public safety and disaster response.
The trials were chaired by Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Assam Police.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam Police, the Department of Telecommunications and the Central Reserve Police Force, along with other Central Armed Police Forces, participated in the exercise.
Representing the Ministry of Home Affairs were K. Elamurugan, Deputy Director; Ankit Adjariya, Assistant Director; Vivek Gupta, Assistant Director; Sunil Kumar, Assistant Director; and Kunal Pal, Communication Officer.
Other participants included Biraj Das, Senior Superintendent of Police (Communication), Assam Police, who serves as the State Nodal Officer for the BBPPDR project in Assam; Md. Sadeque Ali Ahmed, Senior Superintendent of Police, State Fire Service Organisation; Naveen Kumar, Director, Department of Telecommunications; and Y. N. Rai, Commandant, CRPF.
The exercise focused on assessing the operational readiness, interoperability and effectiveness of the BBPPDR network in enabling seamless communication during emergencies and disaster situations.
A Dispatcher Console was set up at the conference hall of the Office of the Additional Director General of Police, Fire and Emergency Services in Guwahati.
As part of the trials, officials conducted training and briefing sessions and distributed MCC handheld devices to various disaster response agencies, including police, fire and emergency services, NDRF, SDRF and central forces. Telecom service provider Airtel supported the network during the trials.
The BBPPDR project aims to create a nationwide integrated broadband communication network based on advanced technology to enhance coordination among first responders and improve the country’s emergency preparedness.
The successful conduct of the trials in Guwahati underscores the collaborative efforts of central and state agencies to strengthen secure and resilient communication infrastructure for public protection and disaster relief.
