The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D Centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has forged a consortium agreement with leading industry partners to bolster India's telecom R&D capabilities.
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Collaborative 5G RAN Development
According to the official release, the collaboration includes Lekha Wireless Solutions Private Limited, Signaltron Systems Private Limited, Sooktha Consulting Private Limited, and Resonous Technologies Private Limited. The primary objective of this partnership is to jointly develop a Disaggregated 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) Solution.
This agreement marks the second initiative under the 'C-DOT Collaborative Research Program 2022 (CCRP-2022)', aimed at promoting innovation and fostering cost-effective indigenous telecom products and solutions. The maiden agreement under this program was previously signed with VVDN Technologies Private Limited and WiSig Networks Private Limited to pursue the development of a 5G Open RAN.
The collaboration aims to create an O-RAN-compliant disaggregated 5G RAN solution that can effectively operate in the FR1 and FR2 frequency bands, catering to both public and private 5G networks.
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C-DOT's Role in the Partnership
C-DOT will play a pivotal role, acting as a business incubator and facilitator, providing essential funding and infrastructure support for critical activities such as testing, interoperability assessment, field trials, and Proof of Concept (POC). This strategic approach is envisioned to accelerate the availability of domestic 5G RAN products, offering a competitive edge to the Indian telecommunications industry.
Speaking at the momentous agreement signing ceremony, the CEO of C-DOT lauded the immense potential of Indian R&D and emphasized the significance of a collaborative approach that harnesses technical strengths across the industry. He expressed optimism that this partnership would be a driving force towards India's self-reliance in the 5G space, fostering the growth of more telecom players in the Startup-MSME ecosystem.
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The development of indigenous, commercially viable, and industry-grade deployable 5G RAN solutions is expected to ignite healthy competition, bolster Indian intellectual property, and position India as a leading global supplier of affordable 5G solutions.
During the agreement signing ceremony, esteemed representatives were present, including the Founder and Director of Lekha Wireless Solutions; the Founder and Director of Signaltron Systems; the CEO of Sooktha Consulting; and the CEO of Resonous Technologies. Directors of C-DOT also graced the occasion.
The outcome of their combined efforts is expected to yield indigenous capabilities, significantly contributing to the digital transformation of the country and ultimately paving the way for global recognition.