Digital India Initiative: 4 Hi-Tech Products Including Solar Powered WiFi System To Be Launched By DoT
As part of the ongoing Digital India week (July 1 to July 7), Department of Telecom (DoT) will launch 4 highly advanced tech products, which will help the cause of Digital India, and enable Internet accessibility in the remotest part of India.
One among them is solar powered WiFi set-up, which promises to be a one of its kind in India.
Other products are: a long distance Wi-Fi system, C-DOT Next Generation Network (NGN) in MTNL Network and 100 Gbps OFC Link.
All these products have been designed and developed by Center for Development of Telematics (C-Dot), a premier research and development facility inside Department of Telecom.
Solar Powered WiFi System
C-DoT will use the existing National Optical Fiber Network, also called BharatNet and link it with the their own technology called Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) to provide Internet connectivity using WiFi in remotest parts of India.
Using solar power as an energy source, Wi-Fi hotspots can be installed on ATMs, buildings, cellular base stations and other such hubs to provide Internet connectivity. This whole solar powered WiFi set up has been especially created using 2.4 GHz and 5.8GHz bands, which are not used by telecom companies or armed forces.
Thus, powered by solar energy, the system can work without any consistent power source and can effectively provide last mile connectivity in remote rural areas.
Solar power has been one of the important areas of progress and expansion for the Indian Govt. They have already made plans to increase solar power generation to 20,000 MW by 2022. Recently, Softbank, Bharti and Foxconn pledged an investment of $20 billion in solar power projects across India.
This latest initiative of combining solar power with Digital India certainly sounds promising and exciting.
Other Hi-Tech Products for Digital India
Besides solar powered WiFi setup, C-DoT will also launch long distance WiFi system, wherein 100 MBPS Internet connectivity will be extended to those rural areas, which have telephone lines installed.
One major product to be launched by DoT is C-DOT Next Generation Network (NGN) in MTNL Network; which aims to convert the old TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) technology into the new and advanced VoIP technology. Once this is accomplished, all landline subscribers of BSNL and MTNL can used Internet as a medium to transfer files, use advanced services like video sharing and even cable network. This is part of MTNL’s plans to migrate 3.5 million landline subscribers to IP based network.
Lastly, DoT will announce plans to expand 100 GBPS Optical Fiber Cable link, also called D-DOT Suteevra, which will enable superior bandwidth, faster Internet and low power consumption across India.
D-DOT Suteevra will be the platform on which further Digital India initiatives can be based on, and expanded.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will inaugurate these services on July 6th as part of Digital India Week program.
