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The “C-DOT Alcatel Research Centre” will be inaugurated at Chennai on Friday. The former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, Dr. M. Karunanidhi will formally launch the Centre in the presence of Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communications & Information Technology, and Mr. Serge Tchuruk, Chairman and CEO of Alcatel.
The Centre, with an outlay of Rs.212 crore, of which equity will be Rs.106 crore (51% equity from Alcatel, a telecom major and global leader in broadband and wireless technology and 49% equity from C-DoT, a premier telecom R&D institution of Government of India) has been set up as a Joint Venture (JV) Company at Chennai. This Wireless Broadband R&D Centre, which is the first of its kind in the country, has come up within a record period of time with persistent efforts of Shri Maran and Mr Tchuruk.
This Centre, as a Global Research Centre, will work on broadband wireless solutions initially on WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology suitable for rural areas and will help in faster implementation of e-governance, e-education, e-health, e-agriculture and tele-medicine initiatives in the rural sector. The WiMAX technology, with a range of 25 Kms radius, will compete and complement the existing GSM Mobile technology with towers having range of 5 km. Radius. It will also be of help to business and individual interests in urban areas. The Centre will take the country to the category of leading nations in the research and manufacturing of next generation wireless technology. The Centre will also provide opportunities to more than 300 Indian professionals to take part in advanced global research facilities. The products thus developed will be marketed world wide.
It may be recalled that the Cabinet recently gave its approval to the above JV which included:
(i) Setting up of a Global Broadband Wireless Research Centre-CDOT Alcatel Research Centre – a Joint Venture of Alcatel CIT, France and C-DOT to be located at Chennai. The Company will be a Private Limited Company initially with a shareholding of 51% from Alcatel and 49% from C-DOT;
(ii) Providing C-DOT a grant of rupee equivalent of Rs 52 crore to make equity investment in the aforesaid JV Company over a period of 3 years (Rs. 13 crore 2005-06, Rs 26 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 13 crore in 2007-08);
(iii) Providing a loan to C-DOT over 4 years for a maximum amount of Rs 52 crore (Rs 13 crore per annum from 2006-07 to 2009-2010) for giving shareholder loan to JV; and
The following benefits are likely to accrue to the country:
v Global research centre for futuristic mobile and broadband wireless system to meet the growing demand of converged broadband & mobile services.
v Faster implementation of e-governance, e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, and tele-medicine initiatives
v Research, product development and manufacture ahead of many others in the next generation wireless technologies
v Opportunity for Indian manpower to take part in the advanced research in communications technologies
v Help the Indian industry to manufacture solutions based on WiMAX and related evolutionary technologies
v Image building for C-DOT in international telecom market
The Centre will provide the second and third level maintenance support; Future research and development on new wireless broadband solutions and services for India and the world wide market; Incubation centre for new technology bricks such as Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) devices, Meshed Networks, Advanced Smart Antennae and enabling technologies for next generation Broadband Wireless Access networks
The Centre will start its activities with WiMAX Customer Premise Equipment based on IEEE 802.16e Standard and Customization of Base Station. The activities will be steered in phases based on individual projects.
RM/AMA- 060905 CDOT & ALCATEL
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