The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT Hyderabad to collaborate on joint research, contributions, and development of India-specific standards in advanced telecom technologies.
The two institutions aim to strengthen India’s engagement in the International Telecommunication Union–Telecommunication standardisation sector (ITU-T) study groups.
Further, the scope of the MoU includes studies and technical inputs on network architecture, signalling, and protocols for 4G, 5G, and narrowband-internet of things (NB-IoT); joint research on open radio access network (O-RAN) and network disaggregation with emphasis on open interfaces and orchestration; and exploration of architecture and enabling technologies for 6G. It also covers standardisation activities in third generation partnership project (3GPP) and other forums, as well as research on non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), high-altitude platform systems (HAPS), and integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
Additionally, the collaboration aims to advance the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) vision by strengthening indigenous research, design, and manufacturing in telecom, developing India-specific standards, test frameworks, and homegrown solutions to reduce import dependence.
