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The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the leading telecom research and development centre under India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has entered into a consortium agreement with industry partners for a Disaggregated 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) Solution.
According to a press release, the partners involved in the project are companies that specialise in radio communication products and focus on providing radio access network solutions for 5G, LTE, and other related technologies.
Under the agreement, the collaborating companies will develop a disaggregated 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) solution that adheres to ORAN standards and can operate in both FR1 and FR2 frequency bands. It is intended for use in public and private 5G networks. C-DOT will serve as a business incubator and facilitator.
C-DOT will provide funding and the necessary infrastructure to support testing, interoperability assessments, field trials, and Proof of Concept (POC). By doing so, the centre aims to ensure the availability of alternative 5G RAN domestic products.
During the agreement signing ceremony, Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, said that there is significant potential for Indian research and development in the field of telecommunications. He emphasised the significance of a collaborative approach to leverage the technical strengths across the industry. The partnership will accelerate India’s self-reliance in the 5G domain, fostering the growth of telecom players in the startup-MSME ecosystem.
He added that the creation of an indigenously designed, commercially viable, and industry-grade 5G RAN end-to-end solution will introduce healthy competition in the market, enhance India’s intellectual property, and position the country as a prominent global supplier of cost-effective 5G solutions.
Both C-DOT and the consortium partners expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to the initiative. Their shared vision is to develop indigenous capabilities that will drive the digital transformation of the country, while also aiming for global recognition and reach.
This is the second agreement established under the C-DOT Collaborative Research Programme 2022 (CCRP-2022). CCRP-2022 was established to foster innovation and development of cost-effective indigenous telecom products and solutions. By bringing together stakeholders, the programme aims to achieve breakthroughs in the telecommunications sector and strengthen India’s capabilities in developing cutting-edge telecom technologies.
In May, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), a technical arm of DoT, signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an Indian product engineering and manufacturing company that works in 5G, networking, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
As OpenGov Asia reported, the MoU facilitates registered start-ups, innovators, and MSMEs working in Open Radio Access Network (ROAN) to test their products at the company’s existing labs for interoperability among ORAN components from different vendors. Components include the (remote) radio unit (RRU/RU), distributed unit (DU), and central unit (CU). Start-ups can also use the labs for radio conformance, protocol, and interface testing. Facilities are offered at a subsidised tariff, decided by both the MoU partners. The products offered for testing are certified by TEC. The testing certification intends to accelerate research, innovation, and domestic design and manufacturing.
The telecommunications markets are highly competitive and driven by technological advancements. The dynamic market demands, driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, advanced wireless communication, cloud computing, and quantum computing, are poised to fuel tremendous growth in the telecom sector. C-DOT is reshaping its strategy through partnerships with industry players to meet India’s diverse telecommunications requirements.
