Context:
In a significant move towards bolstering India’s capabilities in next-generation telecommunications, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has agreed with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, in collaboration with IIT Jammu, to develop a “Wideband Spectrum-Sensor ASIC Chip” aimed at improving spectrum utilization.
- This partnership is part of the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) initiative, launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India.
- This scheme, designed to fund Indian startups, academia, and R&D institutions, is a crucial enabler for designing, developing, and commercializing telecommunication products and solutions.
- It aims to enable affordable broadband and mobile services, playing a significant role in bridging the digital divide across India.
Key Features of the Initiative:
- Objective: The project’s core objective is to develop an advanced wideband spectrum sensing (WSS) algorithm and efficient hardware architecture to optimize spectrum utilization, especially in rural India. By detecting under-utilized spectrum or “spectrum holes,” the technology will enable better broadband delivery in underserved regions.
- Technology Development: The project will focus on designing communication algorithms that are hardware-friendly and capable of scanning a wideband spectrum (beyond 2 GHz) for detecting and utilizing the under-utilized bands (or white spaces).
- Hardware Design: The initiative will also involve the development of efficient hardware architectures for the spectrum sensor. The key requirements include:
- Short sensing time
- High data throughput
- Enhanced hardware efficiency
- The resulting technology will be emulated in the Field-Programmable Gate-Array (FPGA) environment before being used to produce an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chip, which will play a crucial role in improving spectrum efficiency in communication networks.
- Use of Cognitive Radio Technology: The project aims to demonstrate a wideband cognitive radio module capable of operating in the 6 GHz satellite band (5.925–7.125 GHz).