C-DOT to launch new broadband technology for Digital India programme

C-DOT, the department of telecommunications' R&D unit is set to launch four new broadband projects next week, to push the envelope on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative. The technology will be launched by Minister of Communication & IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad on July 6, during the ongoing Digital India Week.

The four new releases will be a solar-powered WiFi system, long distance WiFi, 100GBps optical fibre cable, and a next-generation network (NGN) under MTNL.

The long distance WiFi system will be useful in providing internet connectivity to rural areas, capable of reaching upto 100MBps.  The solar-powered WiFi, meanwhile,works in the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands, which are exempt from licences, and is specifically designed for use in outdoor locations where there is no guarantee of continuous power flow. The new OFc cable is designed to improve the current net connectivity infrastructure in India, capable of transferring data across 50km without requiring a signal amplifier. Lastly, the NGN is a more cost-effective networking solution for broadband.