Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI), which is a global technology consulting and digital solutions company is partnering with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madra 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 test bed.

LTI and IIT Madras will promote research towards development of 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 network for rural connectivity. LTI will also provide expertise for research capabilities and offer relevant infrastructure support for this initiative,” an official statement said.

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 programme.

“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,” said Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras.