The last time pilgrims thronged the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013, Indian telecom operators had been rolling out 4G for about a year and it was far from universally available. Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj arrives at a drastically different time, with 5G connectivity expanded to virtually every district in India, preparing for what will likely be the highest teledensity event in human history.
The Maha Kumbh is consistently ranked as the world’s largest religious gathering, and this year will be no exception, as the Uttar Pradesh government says it is preparing to host 40 million devotees over a 44-day period, with a average of almost 1 million devotees. per day, although some days like Makar Sankranti will likely see an increase that is a multiple of that number.
While the state government is used to most of the arrangements such a large gathering requires, this year the Union government and telecom operators are facing a unique challenge: millions of people gathering at one place, sometimes with more of half a dozen people in a single square. meters, and many try to use the Web during the pilgrimage.
Telecom companies “have been directed to deploy advanced technology and optimize networks to support the massive influx of people expected to attend the world’s largest religious gathering,” the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said in a statement.
“We have to design the system for maximum capacity,” said Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The Hindu in an interview on Wednesday.
“We did this during Ram Janmabhoomi,” Vaishnaw said, referring to the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya last January. There was also the experience of preparing for the G-20 Summit, he said, adding that the Mela was, however, “a much bigger challenge.”
“Over a hundred kilometers of additional fiber optics have been laid,” Vaishnaw said, adding that “each tower will have a higher radio configuration,” ensuring that the maximum data capacity that can be served in a given area is saturated.
“To meet the massive demand, 78 cells on wheels (transportable towers) and 150 outdoor small cell solutions are being deployed, ensuring seamless communication in busy areas,” the Department of Transportation said in a note.
No telecommunications service has ever been tested for the density levels expected at Mela and the laws of physics and the reality of the electromagnetic spectrum may mean that even if 5G coverage is widely available, networks may be too congested for pilgrims to Have a seamless data experience. all the time.
While everyone in a given location may not be able to make video calls at the same time for this reason, telecom operators have created “disaster management centers” to facilitate emergency communications, in close coordination with the local authorities.
“This will become a model for the world,” Vaishnaw said.
Published – January 10, 2025 01:35 am IST
