C-DOT Partners with IIT Roorkee and IIT Mandi to Develop ‘Cell-Free’ 6G Access Points

New Delhi: To develope Indigenous technology, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a premier Telecom R&D centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) for the development of ‘Cell-Free’ 6G Access Points. This collaborative effort aims to advance the next generation of mobile communication technology.

The agreement, signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme, is designed to provide funding support to domestic companies, Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions involved in the technology design, development, and commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions. This initiative aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, significantly contributing to bridging the digital divide across India.

Traditional mobile networks use cellular topologies, where each cell is serviced by a single base station, as seen in 4G and 5G networks. In contrast, ‘Cell-Free’ Massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) technology eliminates the concept of cells and cell boundaries by deploying several access points (APs) across a vast region to serve multiple user devices simultaneously. This ensures ubiquitous connectivity, eliminates dead zones, enhances signal strength, and significantly boosts data speeds, offering an exceptional user experience even in densely populated areas.

The 6G project will focus on developing APs for the upcoming 6G radio access networks. It also aims to contribute to the 6G standardization activity, drive commercialization, generate intellectual property rights (IPRs), and develop a skilled workforce to support the emerging 6G landscape.

The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT; Dr. Abhay Kumar Sah, principal investigator from IIT Roorkee; Dr. Adarsh Patel, co-investigator from IIT Mandi; and Dr. Pankaj Kumar Dalela, Director of C-DOT.

At the event, Dr. Sah and Dr. Patel affirmed their dedication to advancing next-generation communication technologies, aligning with the Bharat 6G Vision launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. They expressed their gratitude to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and C-DOT for the opportunity to collaborate on this research, emphasizing that it bolsters efforts to enhance cutting-edge research capabilities and infrastructure in the telecom sector.

Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay underscored the key role of indigenously designed and developed technologies in meeting the specific communication requirements of India’s diverse population, reaffirming the commitment to “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” He also highlighted the potential of generating IPRs in the 6G domain and emerging technologies in the area of 6G.