Brief History -C-DOT..(IT HAS A WEBSITE)

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is the Telecom Technology development centre of the Government of India. It was established in August 1984 as an autonomous body. It was vested with full authority and total flexibility to develop state-of-the-art telecommunication technology to meet the needs of the Indian telecommunication network. The key objective was to build a centre for excellence in the area of telecom technology.

In the initial years, C-DOT triggered a telecom revolution in the rural India that was responsible for all-round socio-economic development. Rural India gained access to a whole new world of opportunities as they got connected globally. As part of its development process, C-DOT has spawned a wide base of equipment manufacturers and component vendors for the industry. The state-of-the-art R&D facilities at its Delhi and Bangalore campuses are comparable with the best in the world.

Within a very short span of time, telecom switching products ideally suited to Indian conditions started revolutionizing rural telecommunication in India in the form of small Rural Automatic Exchanges (RAXs) and medium size switches as SBMs for towns. This was followed by induction of higher capacity digital switches known as Main Automatic Exchanges (MAXs). C-DOT technology spread across the length and breadth of the country through its licensed manufacturers with very strong technology transfer methodology.

Nearly 50% of present fixed line infrastructure, after allowing MNCs entry into the Telecom Market is from C-DOT technology and that in itself is a testimony to the Centre achieving its objectives fully. That C-DOT engineers have been striving to add value through regular up gradation to the fixed line infrastructure is a tribute to the commitment of C-DOTians to the original cause.

Beginning the journey with digital switching systems, C-DOT has transversed the complex Telecom landscape, developing products in the area of optical, satellite and wireless communication from circuit switching technology of yester years, C-DOT has proven its expertise in ATM and Next Generation Networks. From a purely hardware development Centre it has diversified into development of Telecom software solutions like IN, NMS, Data Clearing House etc. and has journeyed from a protected environment of closed market to an open and competitive market.

While developing the RAX/MAX digital switches, C-DOT also evolved processes and procedures for manufacturing the switches in the Indian Telecom Factories and facilitated setting up of a strong Indian Manufacturing and quality vendor base. Comprehensive methods for transfer of the Digital Switching Technology were evolved for smooth transfer of the R&D products. C-DOT’s pool of talented engineers are sought after by many Telecom companies, including MNCs for the valuable expertise they gain by working on cutting edge technologies in the state-of-art laboratories of C-DOT. Over the years, C-DOT has come to be looked upon as a Centre of Excellence in Telecom; projects of National importance, such as Central Monitoring Systems for Telecom Security, are entrusted to C-DOT, by the Indian Government.

C-DOT has evolved, from a single mission oriented organization to an R&D centre, working on several important, cutting edge technologies. And, with the support it has been receiving from the Government, especially in Projects of National Importance, the Centre will strive to maintain its National relevance.

VISION
C-DOT to become world class telecom technology development centre
MISSION
To design and develop state of the art technologies, products and solutions
To meet the telecom needs of India, particularly of national importance in strategic sectors and rural areas
OBJECTIVES
Work on telecom technology products and services.
Provide solutions for current and future requirements of telecommunication and converged networks including those of national importance especially related to rural applications, strategic sector and security agencies etc.
Provide market orientation to R&D activities and sustain C-DOT as a centre of excellence.
Build partnerships and joint alliance with academia, industry, solution providers, Telcos and other R&D organizations to offer cost effective solutions.
Support Telcos and service providers in the introduction of new technologies, features and services by optimal utilization of installed networks, pilots and studies.
To strengthen the Indian telecom manufacturing base, by transfer of technologies developed by C-DOT.

Infrastructure

Offices
New Delhi Bangalore Kolkata
C-DOT Campus,
Mehrauli, New Delhi-110 030 Electronics City, Phase-I,
Bangalore 560 100
6th Floor, CTS Building,
F-94, Transport Depot Road.
Kolkata 700 088
Telephone : +91-11-26802856 Telephone : +91-80-28520050 Fax No. : +91-80-28528020
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Manpower


State of the art R&D Infrastructure
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools for Hardware and ASIC Design
Case Tools for development and testing of software
Captive Labs
Computing Center
State of the art design labs with latest tools
Pilot Production Plant




Manufacturing

C-DOT has already transferred the following technologies to various manufacturers.

Product/Technology No. of Manufacturers

265P RAX - Rural Automatic Exchange 14 (List)
SBM RAX 12 (List)
DSS MAX - Digital Swtiching Systems Main Automatic Exchange 12 (List)
NSE - 11 (List)
IVRS - 11 (List)
ATM - ATM Core Switch, Multiplexers and Interfaces. 1 (List)
TDMA-PMP - Time Division Multiple Access- Point-to-Multi-Point 6 (List)
ISD –16 VSAT - 2 (List)
256 AN RAX - Access Node Rural Automatic Exchange 8 (List)
HDSL Modem - 3 (List)
Enhanced IVRS (EVC) - 4 (List)
CSTM-1 - 3 (List)
IDR VSAT - 1 (List)
STM1-CPE - 1 (List)

Current Focus

C-DOT has realigned its efforts and defined its roadmap with a focus in the four major directions keeping in view the relevance and need in the present scenario. The major developmental schemes in these directions, for the 11th five year plan period are :

1 Projects of national and strategic importance for the following sectors :
a Rural Areas : The shared GSM Radio Access Network, which is currently under development, will give a fillip to business in rural India.
b North Eastern Region : The MAX-NG programme will breathe fresh life into the fixed line infrastructure and bring to people of NER, VoIP and Broadband services.


2 Projects for software intensive telecom solutions :
a NMS, which provides a common umbrella of management of a network equipped with products from diverse vendors.
b Data Clearing House services for roaming based on ASP model, which has become commercially operational.


3 Projects in the areas of hi-tech :
a Gigabit Optical Passive Network (G-PON) to bring broadband pipes to homes and SOHOs.
b Next Generation Network (NGN) products and services.


4 Futuristic study projects :
a One Number, which will aim to utilize a unique number like social security number, for a mobile personal number.
b Cognitive Radio
c Advanced Optical Network Technology


Achievements

C-DOT Technology based Systems from 200 Lines to 40,000 Lines Capacity in Operation
More than 30,000 C-DOT Exchanges totaling approximately 25 million telephone lines installed and operational in field
Deployed telecom equipment value of Rs. 7500 Crore
Significant technology transfer and royalty earnings
Technology development with low capital investment
Wide porfolio technologies, products and solutions
Created large reservoir of technical manpower in telecom
Established a technology transfer process for production by multiple manufacturers

Shabhash C-DOT – but don’t be a sarkari spy!


IndiaTechOnline Opinion

This week marks the 25th anniversary of C-DOT – the Centre for Development of Telematics -- an institution whose name and fame is inextricably linked with that of its charismatic first head, Satyanarayan (“Sam”) Gangaram Pitroda. If any one institution and one person can be said to have kick-started India’s telecom revolution -- they are C-DOT and Sam.

Indira and Rajiv Gandhi – and their then technology advisers, P.S. (“Aplab”) Deodhar and the Planning Commission’s science member MGK Menon -- had the vision to put their trust in Sam, persuade this whizz kid with dozens patents under his belt, to forsake a promising entrepreneurial path in the US and head an autonomous scientific body whose initial one point agenda was: develop an indigenous, state of the art digital telephone exchange in 36 months – with Rs 36 crores ( Rs 360 million) in the kitty. As Dinesh Sharma says in “The Long Road”, his exhaustive, recently published, history of Information Technology in India, “C-DOT became a resounding success. It not only developed a rural electronic switch tailor made for India but transferred the technology to several private manufacturers… a unique partnership in the technology history of India”.
Subsequent political machinations saw Pitroda sidelined – but happily he is back, doing what he does best – as Chairman of India’s Knowledge Commission. As he recalls this week “ “At that time India had 2 million phones for 750 million people”. Today nearly 500 million Indians ( out of a billion-plus population) have either a mobile phone or a land line connection. The revolution that C-DOT worked, improved and spread the network of fixed lines phones into the vast rural hinterland. The number of fixed lines dwindles every month, while 14 million new mobile connections were sold in the month of July alone. But that does not diminish C-DOT’s achievement or detract from the central role played by this Indian institution in empowering her people.
Ironically, C-DOT was in the headlines only a day before her actual birthday, August 25: Her current Executive Director P.V. Acharya confirmed that the institution would be working with government to help it monitor the telephone and Internet-fuelled communications of citizens. We quote Mr Acharya telling the Press Trust of India : “..Basically, it is about monitoring certain messages or conversations so that we can ensure security of the country….Our technology would provide an interface to ( the) operator of any service or technology and it will give them ( government) access to the messages traversing through their network".

We understand the legitimate anxiety that terrorism triggers off and the need for governments everywhere to arm themselves with the tools to fight it. But it is all too easy take a sledge hammer approach that tramples on the basic freedoms of their citizens.

Almost coincidentally, last week, we received from Panos South Asia, a link to a report from Freedom House, a non partisan, US based think tank, called “Freedom on the Net” a global assessment of Internet and mobile phone freedom in 15 countries . India ranks 6th among the 15 – the first four are rated “ free”, while the next seven are classified as “partly free”, while the last four including Iran and China are “not free”. (http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/specialreports/NetFreedom2009/FreedomOnTheNet_FullReport.pdf ). The interest for us, is that freedom has nothing to do with development or poverty… Brazil and South Africa are rated free.
As C-DOT crosses her silver jubilee, we salute the institution and the people behind her contributions to the nation. But we also add a word of caution: You will always be remembered for the technology you created to empower millions of Indians with the ability to communicate. Please continue along this path – don’t sink to the level of a sarkari spy master.
- Anand Parthasarathy / Aug 25 2009