Sterlite beefs up broadband research

Fiber-maker Sterlite Technologies (BSE: 532374, NSE:STRTECH) says it will support its home country's Digital India initiative through three avenues. The company has opened a Center of Excellence (CoE) and announced an annual seed fund of $100,000 to help fund startups working on broadband deployment technologies. It also announced agreements on collaborative research in high-speed broadband with Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IIT Kanpur.

"Sterlite is uniquely positioned at the confluence of Government's vision of Digital India, Make in India, and 100 Smart Cities, and the initiatives announced today are aimed at furthering India's broadband research muscle," commented Dr. Anand Agarwal, Sterlite CEO. "Having delivered over 40% of India's fiber network, Sterlite is playing an integral role in National Broadband projects, as well as the backhauling of all data on 3G/4G/fixed networks."

The company says its new 35,000 sq. ft. CoE is the only such facility in India dedicated to fiber-optic broadband R&D. The facility adjoins Sterlite's integrated 20-million-kms optical fiber factory in Aurangabad.

Sterlite says a five-member panel will evaluate startups for the broadband access network seed fund. Meanwhile, the company's partnership with IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur will see the creation of multi-year fellowship programs and the awarding of grants to encourage collaborative research in ultra-high speed broadband.

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