Ericsson and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have signed a MoU to jointly roll out a ‘5G for India’ program, conceptualized to fast-track realization of Digital India initiatives and aid application development for Indian start-ups and industries.
Under the partnership, Ericsson will set up a Center of Excellence with a 5G test bed and incubation center at IIT Delhi and use this facility to drive the development of the country’s 5G ecosystem.
In addition to hosting the Center of Excellence, IIT Delhi will conduct research and development to explore how some of the country’s challenges can be addressed with mobile technologies.
The first series of tests under this program are due to begin in the second half of 2017 and will place India on par with other developed countries in terms of 5G network and application deployment.
“The 5G for India program is a major step towards understanding the power of 5G technology and how it can help aid Digital India initiatives, including the development of smart cities,” said Paolo Colella, head of region India at Ericsson.
“The program 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, as well as products and services,” said Colella.