Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ericsson to fast-track the realisation of Digital India initiative. The Swedish communication technology firm and IITD will jointly roll out “5G for India” programme in this regard.
Under the MoU, Ericsson will set up a Centre of Excellence at IITD with a 5G test bed and incubation centre. Both the facilities will be used to drive the development of the country’s 5G ecosystem. The MoU is expected to place India at par with developed countries in terms of 5G network.
“The programme will focus on delivering research, innovation and industrial pilots that use next-generation 5G networks as an enabler. It will help initiate cross-industry research collaborations focused on the integration of ICT in industry processes, products and services,” Paolo Colella, Head of Region India at Ericsson, said.
The first series of tests is expected to begin in the second half of 2017 in India. Globally, limited deployment and 5G trials are expected to start by mid-2018 while commercial availability is slated for 2020.
