Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) became the first body of its kind in India to get the nod for a private 5G network, as it eyes smart operations, cargo tracking and general digital transformation benefits.

A statement from the country’s official press agency explained the port authority, in Goa, was issued with a Captive Non-Public Network (CNPN) licence for the network last month with preparatory work already underway to help deliver the project.

It is apparently the first major port operator in India to secure the authorisation and the “first government autonomous body” to do so.

MPA has already issued a request for information to identify systems integrators and manufacturers for the project and appointed a consultancy firm to create a detailed plan.  

Its move aligns with a focus from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote “digitisation, process optimisation and improving operational efficiency across the maritime sector”.

As with most projects of this type, the network is expected to deliver high-speed, low latency connectivity.

The authority anticipates this could “support operational requirements” while providing “greater control over network management and the handling of operational data”.

Potential use cases cited include automated logistics and cargo tracking, drone-based surveillance and management of port infrastructure.

“The adoption of these technologies is expected to support improved operational visibility, more efficient cargo movement and better coordination of port activities,” the statement added, noting as the project progresses it could provide reference points for ports elsewhere.

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Telefonica Tech unveiled a platform for the smart management of water meters aimed at local authorities and customers in the utility sector, highlighting benefits for billing and flagging irregularities.

The system, developed in-house, provides data and analysis from meters to identify trends, usage and remotely monitor the status of devices.

Telefonica noted it is compatible with meters from a range of manufacturers and integrates with its IoT connectivity platform Kite which, among other things, facilitates security and automation for “deployments involving thousands of geographically distributed meters”.

The company’s director of IoT Dario Cesena said: “The digitalisation of the water sector requires tools that are simple, efficient and capable of transforming data into useful information for day-to-day management”.

He added with the latest launch it was “taking another step forward in our mission to be the best gateway to digital technologies by helping water management companies and public authorities to optimise resources and move towards smarter and more sustainable water management.”

The move is the latest by the operator group targeting the utility sector with IoT technology including projects in Spain and Germany with water companies.

A study by GSMA Intelligence released in April 2026 cited smart utilities as one of the main sectors contributing to an expected a boost in enterprise IoT connections in the years to 2030, alongside smart building deployments and manufacturing.

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