In order to serve the fast growing needs of the Indian market for broadband connectivity, Alcatel and the Centre for the Development of Telematics
(C-DOT), the Indian Government’s telecom technology development centre, have announced a joint venture to design and develop products related to broadband wireless. In fact, the Indian Union Cabinet approved the joint venture within five months of the signing of the MoU between the two companies, typifying the Government’s commitment to e-governance and other IT initiatives in rural areas. The new company, called CDOT Alcatel Research Centre, will be 51 percent owned by Alcatel and 49 percent by C-DOT.
The Chennai-based joint venture company will be a global research and development centre for broadband wireless products with a primary focus for rural, urban and suburban Indian markets, in compliance with the country’s broadband requirement and spectrum allocation. This includes the end-to-end architecture and the radio access network based on Alcatel WiMAX 802.16e.
It is envisaged that the joint development of the latest broadband wireless technologies will facilitate the industrialization and volume production of the WiMAX solutions in India, thus helping the telecom-manufacturing sector. This will include the integration of the systems in the core network, the applications platform and the customer terminals adapted to the specifics of the targeted markets, as well as the piloting and showcasing of newly developed technologies through the setting up of a technology reality centre.