The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had earlier issued guidelines for the establishment of captive non-public networks (CNPNs). These guidelines allow enterprises to set up their own captive, private 4G/5G networks by either utilising the spectrum assigned to the telecom service providers (TSPs) or through the direct assignment of spectrum, thereby ensuring secure, high-reliability, and low-latency connectivity tailored to specific operational requirements.
Certain frequency bands were initially proposed for direct assignment of spectrum to CNPN licensees. However, DoT observed that there was a lack of device ecosystem in the frequency band identified for CNPN.
Further, during recent analysis, it was observed that device ecosystem for CNPN is mostly available in IMT bands and 5G technology has also considerably advanced with different use cases. Also, system integrators are keenly interested in establishing CNPN based networks.
Accordingly, the DoT has now launched a module on Saral Sanchar portal to assess a fresh demand for spectrum in various prospective frequency bands and carry out a demand survey, to identify the prospective frequency bands for the direct assignment of spectrum for CNPN-based services.
Furthermore, the eligibility criteria for direct assignment of spectrum shall be governed by the CNPN guidelines dated June 27, 2022. Enterprises having net-worth more than Rs 1 billion, willing to set up CNPNs by obtaining spectrum directly from DoT and system integrators interested in establishing CNPN networks for such enterprises are invited to participate in this exercise. The details can be submitted on the portal from July 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025.