The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) has signed an MoU with 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) to promote 5G mobile communications.

Under the deal, the associations will promote 5G across different verticals, particularly in the manufacturing and process industry, COAI said in a statement.

The three-year, not-for-profit MoU was signed with the purpose of bringing about cooperation with each other on issues related to 5G and its adoption for industry automation across sectors, it added.

Under the partnership, both bodies will identify topics of common interest and work to strengthen their relationship and foster closer cooperation on common agenda by joint participation in events, meetings, promotional activities and many other joint initiatives.

5G India Forum (5G-IF) is a collaborative body under the aegis of COAI, whereas 5G-ACIA is a working party of the ZVEI German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association.

“We truly believe that this partnership will be mutually beneficial and build on insights and learnings to shape industrial 5G mobile communications and technology effectively,” said COAI Director-General Rajan S Mathews.

“5G will have a significant impact on the way future factories and other production facilities are designed, operated and maintained. India is already an industrial powerhouse and manufacturing contributes to about 15 per cent of the overall GDP of the country with an estimated number of more than 2,30,000 factories,” said Andreas Müller, Bosch, and Chairman of the 5G-ACIA.

“The world is looking towards India — how it shapes its Industry 4.0 revolution — and high-performance wireless communication services as provided by 5G certainly represent a critical enabler in this respect,” he added.