C-DOT And RailTel To Expand Communication Network Across India

With the objective of expanding communication networks across the country, C-DOT, the premier R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, has joined hands with the RailTel Corporation as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

They signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Delhi campus of C-DOT with the aim of working together in the diverse areas of telecom with key focus on the modernisation and expansion of communication networks.

The MoU is expected to help both the organisations leverage each other’s expertise in their respective domains.

C-DOT has indigenously designed various cutting-edge telecom technologies in the areas of switching, optical, wireless, network management, security, and innovative solutions that are being successfully deployed in national networks including those of strategic importance.

RailTel, the telecom arm of Indian Railways, is one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in the country. It owns a pan-India optic fiber network of 60,000 route km covering several towns and cities and rural areas of the country.

With its pan-India high-capacity network, RailTel is working towards creating a knowledge society on various fronts and has been selected for implementation of various mission-mode projects for the Government of India in the telecom field.

Speaking at the event, C-DOT executive director RajKumar Upadhyay said that C-DOT is keen on aligning its indigenous telecom endeavours with the specific requirements of RailTel for meeting the overarching objectives of national development.

Upadhyay further said both the organisations have complementary strengths that will bring great synergy in meeting specific goals of modernising and expanding nationwide communication networks.

C-DOT brings its R&D expertise in designing state-of-the-art indigenous technologies and RailTel is a ready market for deploying these solutions. This will usher in an all-inclusive growth by achieving multi-modal infrastructure connectivity as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Gati Shakti programme.

RailTel CMD Puneet Chawla remarked that the synergy between C-DOT and RailTel will help in providing affordable broadband services to the masses in the rural areas by lowering the cost of equipment since all this will be “Make in India” using C-DOT’s home-grown technology.

Chawla said RailTel is also in the process of rolling out services under the PM-WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) programme.

PM-WANI is a scheme meant to increase wi-fi access throughout the country.

RailTel CMD said all this will strengthen the national networks and boost seamless connectivity which will strengthen the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

C-DOT has also developed indigenous solutions for LTE and hopes to utilise these solutions for rolling out services for the proposed LTE/4G network for Indian Railways for high-speed mobile communication corridor.