Nokia partners IIT-M to connect rural areas with broadband

Finnish telecom equipment firm Nokia on Tuesday said it has patterned with Indian Institute of Technology -Madras (IIT-M) to create solutions that will allow to provide cost-efficient broadband connectivity in rural areas using unlicensed spectrum.

As part of the three-year partnership, Nokia will fund and provide technological expertise for research at IIT-M's Center of Excellence for Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

The project will evaluate the option of using unlicensed spectrum to deliver cost-efficient, last-mile broadband connectivity to remote rural communities in India, complementing the government's National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) initiative, Nokia said in a statement.