Larsen & Toubro Infotech, IIT Madras partner to innovate in 5G space

As part of this partnership, the two will promote research towards the development of a low-cost, low-frequency 5G network set-up for better connectivity in rural India

Larsen & Toubro Infotech, a global technology consulting and digital solutions company is partnering with IIT Madras, one of India’s leading research institutes, for collaborative research in the field of 5G. Through this collaboration, LTI and IIT Madras aim to innovate in the emerging 5G space and enable 5G frameworks validation, low-frequency RF deployments and use case testing with 5G testbed.

As part of this partnership, LTI and IIT Madras will promote research towards the development of a low-cost, low-frequency 5G network setup for better connectivity in rural India. The key objective of this effort is to create a 5G base station and single-box solution to enable rural connectivity. LTI will work closely with IIT Madras to design these low-cost base stations and networks for rural connectivity. LTI will also provide expertise for research capabilities and offer relevant infrastructure support for this initiative.

Nachiket Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board Member, LTI, said, “5G promises to facilitate the next level of innovation to build a smarter society, but it is important to ensure that these benefits reach every part of our country. LTI’s partnership with IIT Madras reflects our commitment to leverage this technology to connect people from remote parts of India in a better way.”

This project is part of LTI’s 1step CSR program and reflects its commitment to promoting research and innovation (SDG 9 - Industry, innovation, and Infrastructure). Through its support for the development of an indigenous 5G network, this partnership is also aligned with the Government of India’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative.

Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said, “IITM's 5G testbed project is an effort to encourage Indian startups and the industry to take an early lead in 5G. The goal of the project is to build a test bed that closely resembles a real-world 5G deployment.”