Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad showcased its 5G product – Integrated Access Backhaul – to G20 representatives. The product drew tremendous response from the representatives, particularly from African and Asian nations, including Bangladesh which sought a pilot project entailing shorter towers instead of costly optical fibre networks for internet.
Representatives from the G20 event on digital economy visited IIT Hyderabad to learn about 5G and 6G-related products. According to the institute, the invitees hailed the concept as useful, particularly in countries that cannot afford the cost of optic fibre networks or lay fibres in remote areas. It added that a pilot project for the solution will be first conducted in India.
Internet Access Backhaul will cut cost of access by more than 50 per cent as compared to optical fibre network. 5G requires a broadband backhaul network in addition to base stations for radio coverage. A backhaul network is a transport network that connects base stations to the cost network through wired fibre topic cabling. Fibre is replaced with wireless network. When compared to fibre optic infrastructure, such networks help cover difficult locations such as villages and forests.
