Bengaluru,ย Jan 22: The Indian Open Source for Mobile Communication Networks Consortium made a new open source, public release of its software platform that would allow organisations to build and run their own Private 5G networks. Designed for factories, campuses, research institutions and startups, the platform would allow users to deploy Private 5G networks that promise faster, more reliable and secure connectivity than Wi-Fi or public mobile networks at a lower cost.
The platform is named Agartala 0.4.0, continuing IOS-MCNโs convention of using Indian city names to reflect its national, open-source character. This the fourth open-source milestone that is mature enough for pilot deployments of Indiaโs homegrown Private 5G platform. Validation tests prove end-to-end latency of under 10 milliseconds and downlink throughput of up to 600 Mbps per gNB, making it suitable for early pilots and enterprise trials.
The IOS-MCN is being developed by a consortium led by IISc Benagaluru, IIT Delhi, C-DAC, with funding from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technologyย Government of India. Agartala 0.4.0 marks a decisive step towards industry-grade, deployable Private 5G networks built on an open-source platform.
Powering Indiaโs Private 5G Ecosystem
Spokesperson from Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development said;
โFSIDโs objective is to ensure that research-led programmes translate into deployable infrastructure. IOS-MCN demonstrates how publicly funded, open-source platforms can create long-term national capability. Agartala 0.4.0 moves this effort from development to validation, enabling pilots that will enable future deployments.โ
Agartala 0.4.0 positions IOS-MCN for early pilot deployments led by ecosystem partners, with installations planned to commence in the second half of 2026 across multiple sectors.
Niral Networks, which builds indigenous telecom and networking solutions, has proposed an Intelligent Village pilot. It stated
โAgartala 0.4.0 provides the foundational technology that enables Private 5G deployments for rural and semi-urban environments. We will leverage IOS-MCN stack to deliver real-world analytics and digital inclusion solutions through initiatives like the Intelligent Village Pilot and Smart Village Connectivity Program.โ
Coral Telecom, a long-standing telecom systems integrator working with large public-sector and critical infrastructure clients, has proposed Private 5G pilots for Indian Railways and disaster-management applications for the National Disaster Management Authority. The company said:
ย โThe Agartala 0.4.0 release enables us to design and deploy Private 5G pilots for highly demanding, mission-critical scenarios. Our pilots planned for 2026 will leverage IOS-MCNโs open architecture to validate resilient and secure communication networks.โ
Techphosis, which develops secure technology solutions for defence and strategic applications has proposed a Network-in-a-Box pilot for defence applications. It said;
ย โAgartala 0.4.0 demonstrates the readiness of open-source, ORAN-compliant platforms for defence use cases. The Network-in-a-Box pilot, planned for the second half of 2026, aims to validate rapid, secure, portable and reliable Private 5G deployments for defence communications.โ
Mashmari, which focuses on digital learning and last-mile connectivity solutions for public education programmes, has propoed a Remote Learning pilot for Anganwadis in Haryana. It added โThe IOS-MCN Agartala 0.4.0 release is a major milestone, paving the way for cost-effective digital connectivity, including Private 5G, to bridge last-mile gaps for education and essential servicesย such as Women and Child Development (WCDD) Haryanaโs Digital Anganwadis, where connectivity has delivered remarkable gains in worker motivation, joyful learning, and community confidence.โ
W4S, which works on drone-based systems and connected infrastructure, has proposed Private 5G deployments to support aerial platforms and low-latency communications. The company said:
ย โIOS-MCN Agartala 0.4.0 provides a strong technical foundation for designing Private 5G networks to support drone-based applications. We will leverage IOS-MCN to explore low-latency and high-reliability connectivity for aerial platforms used in surveillance, disaster management, and connected infrastructure.โ
Together, these proposed pilots, spanning rural connectivity, railways, disaster response, defence, education, and drone-enabled networks, underscore IOS-MCN Agartala 0.4.0โs readiness to transition from platform development to industry validation and deployment starting in 2026.
READY TO DEPLOY
Agartala 0.4.0 is now publicly available on GitHub, reinforcing IOS-MCNโs commitment to open development, transparent governance, and community-driven innovation. For further details, please visitย https://ios-mcn.org.
The IOS-MCN Consortium gratefully acknowledges contributions from the OpenAirInterface, SD-Core, and ORAN-SC communities, whose collaboration continues to accelerate Indiaโs open telecom journey.
