With an aim to fostering international collaboration in telecommunications, SONIC Labs and the Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance Open RAN-related policy and technical developments. The agreement focuses on critical areas such as 5G Open RAN, Artificial Intelligence in 4G/5G, and broader telecom innovation.
The MoU outlines key areas of cooperation identified during discussions with various stakeholders in the UK telecom ecosystem. These include:
- Establishment of Joint Centres of Excellence dedicated to telecom cybersecurity, AI in telecom, and digital twins.
- Collaboration with British telecom operators to leverage mobile phone data for infrastructure planning, drawing from India’s successful implementation in metro route planning.
- Joint contributions to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the development of 6G standards (IMT 2030).
- Mutual recognition of testing laboratories and the establishment of new testing facilities.
- Collaboration on Digital Twins, focusing on standardization frameworks, privacy-enhancing technologies, and cross-sectoral data applications.
- Advancements in quantum communication solutions and enhancing the security of submarine sea cables.
- Promotion of India’s Indigenous 4G/5G telecom stack, developed by CDOT, to strengthen the global telecom ecosystem.
- Collaboration on space-based communication technologies (TN-NTN) between the UK and India’s Bharat 6G Alliance.
This partnership marks a milestone in strengthening India-UK collaboration in telecommunications, fostering innovation in Open RAN and next-generation networks, and reinforcing global standards for emerging technologies.
