New Delhi, October 25: The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) and International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-Hyderabad) to undertake joint studies and collaborative research.

The partnership with IIT Hyderabad aims to develop India-specific standards and test frameworks, explore future network technologies such as 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), and enhance India’s participation in ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union – Telecommunication Standardization Sector) Study Groups.

“The partnership creates a formal framework for TEC to work closely with IIT Hyderabad on next-generation telecom and standardisation activities,” an official release from DoT said.

This MoU aims to accelerate indigenous R&D and increase India’s influence in global standardisation processes by strengthening India’s contributions to global standardisation bodies such as ITU and 3GPP.

The collaboration with IIIT Hyderabad aims to develop India-specific standards and test frameworks, explore future network technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Smart Cities, and Quantum Communications, and enhance India’s contributions to ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union – Telecommunication Standardization Sector) Study Groups.

This partnership aims to accelerate indigenous R&D and increase India’s influence in global standardisation processes by strengthening India’s contributions to global standardization bodies such as ITU and 3GPP.

“The collaboration will further the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by strengthening indigenous research, design and manufacturing in telecom – developing India-specific standards, test frameworks and home-grown solutions that bolster national self-reliance, secure critical communications infrastructure, and reduce dependence on imports,” said the press release.

TEC, the technical arm of the DoT, formulates technical standards, specifications, and conformity assessment requirements for telecom equipment and networks in India, ensuring interoperability, quality, and alignment with global best practices. TEC represents India in international fora such as the ITU-T, ITU-R and coordinates National Working Groups for global standardization activities.