The system uses TV white space-bandwidth to provide wireless broadband.
By Sreejith Vallikunnu
Saankhya Labs, a Bengaluru-based technology firm, has designed a tiny chip called Pruthvi, which claims to have the potential to connect rural India with Internet.
According to Economic Times, a postal stamp sized chip powers the system that can use television White Space – or wasted spectrum bandwidth – to beam internet to scores of households.
At a time when the country is moving forward with ‘Digital India’ program, Saankhya Labs joins the likes of Microsoft, Facebook and Google, aiming to digitalize India to a next level.
The company has developed a system called Meghdoot, powered by its Pruthvi chip, which can utilize the existing TV white space-bandwidth available in India to provide wireless broadband to remote areas.
According to the company, TV White Space Communications is the most preferred wireless alternative for long distance communication. A single base station can reach households that are as far away as 10km – 30km depending on antenna height.
A single 8 MHz channel can provide a data rate of 30 Mbps, which can be shared by about 15 users (2 Mbps bandwidth per user) simultaneously. As the number of users increase, additional base stations with directional antennas can be used or more frequencies can be assigned.
“In the future, channel bonding/aggregation techniques will be used to increase the data speed beyond 30 Mbps or to increase the number of users that can be served by one base station. The time to put up the TV White Space network is also shorter compared to other options” – their website says.
“Regulatory authorities all over the world are using or planning to use this spectrum for their respective connectivity programmes. India can take the lead in both technology and the markets for TV White Space-based broadband delivery. And how long can the government not push the envelope. It’s got to be expedited sooner than later,” Economic Times quoted Saankhya Labs CEO Parag Naik as saying.
Saankhya Labs is planning to conduct field trials across the country in collaboration with IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Hyderabad. The company is also in discussions with Microsoft to do trials at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.
Saankhya Labs was founded by Naik, Hemant Mallapur and Vishwakumara Kayargadde in 2007.