Connectivity woes delay Bengaluru Safe City Project rollout

Bengaluru: Bengaluru's tech-savvy police force is encountering obstacles in rolling out the second phase of the eagerly awaited Safe City Project (SCP), funded under the Nirbhaya scheme.

Back in 2021, the Bengaluru police partnered with a private automation company for the Rs 661.5-crore initiative, which involves deployment of AI cameras and the establishment of related infrastructure to bolster public safety.

The chosen company enlisted a state-run telecom firm to oversee operational aspects. Although Bengaluru became India’s first city to complete the project's initial phase in March 2023, the commencement of the second phase, initially slated for December 2023, has been fraught with challenges.

During the first phase, 4,800 out of the planned 7,500 AI-equipped cameras were installed, with the remainder earmarked for deployment in the subsequent phase.

These cameras transmit live feeds to the video wall room at the police command centre via an optical fibre cable-based network provided by the telecom provider. However, the company encountered technical glitches and external constraints in ensuring seamless network functionality.

Aerial cables

Following a string of electrical accidents in the city, the Energy Department mandated telcos to remove all aerial cables, transitioning to underground infrastructure.

Consequently, the government-operated telecom company had to revamp its connectivity routes, mentions a senior police officer overseeing the project implementation.

The police force has convened a review meeting to assess the project’s progress. "All the physical work has been completed. It is just the connectivity issue that is delaying the process. If the project progresses as anticipated, we are positive about starting operations by February-end," the officer told DH, requesting anonymity.

According to the officer, if the review found the telco's progress "unsatisfactory", they might bring onboard a different operator to complete the remainder of the project. 

Double circuit system

Raman Gupta, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), stated that collaboration with the automation company is going on to devise a "double circuit" model. This approach aims to mitigate operational disruptions arising from connectivity issues.

"We are looking at a loop sort of model where, if one side connectivity is lost, a backup connection could be activated," he told DH.