The Indian Open Source for Mobile Communication Networks (IOS-MCN) Consortium has developed a new open source, publicly releasing its software platform to 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 release, named Agartala 0.4.0, is a continuation of IOS-MCN’s convention of using Indian city names to reflect its national, open-source character. This is the fourth open-source milestone that is mature enough for pilot deployments of India’s 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 Bengaluru, IIT Delhi, and C-DAC, with funding from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. Agartala 0.4.0 marks a decisive step towards industry-grade, deployable Private 5G networks built on an open-source platform.
What’s New in Agartala 0.4.0
Brings all key parts of a private 5G network into one integrated, easy-to-deploy software platform:
- Advanced Mobility: Xn, F1, and N2 handovers, cell reselection, and robust RRC idle mode handling
- Voice & Multimedia: VoNR and ViNR with full IMS integration
- ORAN-Compliant Disaggregated RAN with unified RAN support
- Network Slicing for enterprise and mission-critical use cases
- Service Management & Orchestration (SMO) with a unified dashboard
- RIC Framework: E2 interface implementation with near-RT and non-RT RIC support
- Precision Timing: PTP LLS C1 and C3
- Operational Excellence: PM counters across RAN and Core, extensive crash and assert fixes, and expanded test coverage
Powering India’s Private 5G Ecosystem
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, “Agartala 0.4.0 provides the foundational technology that enables Private 5G deployments for rural and semi-urban environments. We will leverage the IOS-MCN stack to deliver real-world analytics and digital inclusion solutions through initiatives like the Intelligent Village Pilot and Smart Village Connectivity Program.”
Techphosis, which develops secure technology solutions for defence and strategic applications, has proposed a Network-in-a-Box pilot for defence applications. It said: “Agartala 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.”
Together, these proposed pilots, spanning several sectors, underscore IOS-MCN Agartala 0.4.0’s readiness to transition from platform development to industry validation and deployment starting in 2026.
