India Pioneers Next-Gen Telecom: C-DOT and IITs Unveil Revolutionary Spectrum-Sensing Project

The Centre for Development of Telematics partners with IIT Mandi and IIT Jammu to advance telecommunications technology via a wideband spectrum-sensor chip. The initiative aims to improve spectrum efficiency, enabling affordable broadband services, especially in rural India, under India's Telecom Technology Development Fund scheme.

In an ambitious move to bolster indigenous telecommunications technology, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has entered into a significant agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) and the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu (IIT Jammu). The collaboration is set to develop a cutting-edge 'Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC-Chip' designed to enhance spectrum utilization.

The Ministry of Communications has explained that this initiative falls under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme, which supports Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions. The project is pivotal for creating telecom products that enable affordable broadband services and aim to narrow the digital divide in rural areas.

Key features of the project include the development of a reliable, hardware-centric wideband spectrum sensing algorithm. This will allow cognitive radio users to identify and exploit underutilized spectrum 'holes,' facilitating greater spectrum efficiency. The undertaking will also produce efficient hardware architectures for these sensors, short sensing times, and increased data throughput.

(With inputs from agencies.)