The Hindu Business Line : C-DOT Alcatel to roll out Wi-Max gear

The C-DOT Alcatel Research and Development Centre in Chennai is all set to roll out the world's first consumer premise equipment (CPE) for enabling Wi-Max-based broadband services by April 2007.

The research centre set up last year to work on Wi-Max technology is planning to roll out 10 million units a year from its manufacturing unit in Chennai.

Mr R. Poornalingam, Chairman, C-DOT Alcatel Research Centre Private Ltd, said: "We are awaiting the spectrum policy of the Government since the components used in the CPE is based on the frequency bands. We hope to launch the product by April 2007. This will be priced at about $100 a unit for the retail users."

Wi-Max is touted to be a fourth generation technology that offers data speeds higher than 3G services. The Government is betting big on this technology to push broadband penetration in rural India. The technology offers low-cost solution as an alternative to copper cables at the last mile.

Mr Poornalingam said that once the product was ready it would look at tying up with another company for marketing.

The CPE is required to catch the radio signals to transmit and receive data on a PC. On the spectrum issue, Mr Poornalingam said that ideally, the Government should allocate 700 Mhz or 2.5 Ghz frequency band for offering Wi-Max services.

The centre has capacity for 1,000 employees. French telecom equipment manufacturer Alcatel owns 51 per cent and the balance is with the Government owned C-DOT.

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