Pruthvi: A Chip to Connect Rural India to Internet Technology


BENGALURU: A chip of size of a postal stamp has been designed in Bangalore which is said to have the potential to connect rural India with Internet technology. This brilliant innovation is pursued by the likes of Facebook, Google and Microsoft, reports ET.

The tiny device has been named Pruthvi and it would power a system that can use television White Space that would channelize Internet to scores of rural houses. Saankhya Labs is the creator of this brilliant small chip that would take the initiatives of digitalizing India to the next level. 

"World over regulatory authorities are using or planning to use this spectrum for their respective connectivity programmes. India can take the lead in both technology and the markets for TV White Space-based broadband delivery.

And how long can the government not push the envelope... It's got to be expedited sooner than later," said Parag Naik, CEO and Cofounder of Saankhya Labs.

Saankhya Labs was founded by Naik, Hemant Mallapur and Vishwakumara Kayargadde in the year 2007. The chip designed by them would power a system called Meghdoot can access the existing TV White Space bandwidth available in India to connect the rural area through wireless broadband. The wasted spectrum between active television channels is called the TV White Space and it is utilized to transmission over the air with the aid of towers and rooftop antennas. Firms like Prasar Bharti are known to use this TV White Space spectrum.

The system Meghdoot would use the base station and user-side modem to beam out Wireless Rural Broadband at 400 to 800MHz using the wasted spectrum.

This Wireless Rural Broadband technology is estimated to have a range of 10-15km considering the height of the tower and antenna used for transmission. The more the length of the antenna, the longer will be the range. 

Trials wills be soon carried out in collaboration with IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Hyderabad. Trials are also likely to take place at Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with Microsoft.

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