IIT Roorkee, IIT Mandi, C-DOT collaborate to develop cell-free 6G network

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi (IIT Mandi) have partnered with the Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the leading Telecom R and D center under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, to develop "Cell-Free 6G Access Points".

According to the official press release, the agreement was signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. This scheme is intended to provide funding support to domestic companies, Indian startups, academic institutions, and research and development organizations involved in the design, development, and commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions.

As per the official statement, the aim of the TTDF scheme is to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, thereby playing a crucial role in bridging the digital divide across India.

Traditional cellular networks vs cell-free massive MIMO

As per the official notice, traditional mobile networks, such as 4G and 5G, use cellular topologies where each cell is serviced by a single base station to cater to mobile customers. In contrast, 'Cell-Free' Massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) eliminates the concept of cells and cell boundaries by deploying numerous access points (APs) across a large area to simultaneously serve multiple user devices.

User experience and benefits

Each user within the coverage area is supported by multiple APs, ensuring continuous connectivity, eliminating dead zones, enhancing signal strength, and significantly increasing data speeds. This approach provides an exceptional user experience even in densely populated areas.

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Focus areas

As per the official press release, this 6G project will focus on creating access points (APs) to support the upcoming 6G radio access networks. Additionally, it aims to contribute to 6G standardization efforts, promote commercialization, generate intellectual property rights (IPRs), and develop a skilled workforce to support the emerging 6G landscape.

Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT underlined the key role of indigenously designed and developed technologies in meeting the specific requirements of communication for our diverse country, reaffirming the commitment towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. He also said this will help us generating IPRs in 6G domain and emerging technologies in the area of 6G.

KK Pant, director of IIT Roorkee, said, " This partnership with C-DOT marks a pivotal step in our commitment to indigenous development of state-of-the-art telecommunications technologies. IIT Roorkee is proud to lead this initiative, which aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation and excellence in research. This collaboration significantly contributes to India's 6G vision and reinforces our position as a leader in technological advancements”.