New tech to help telcos roll out cheaper services

BANGALORE: The evolution of cellular networks could translate to the concept of 'mobile gateways,'  which involves vehicular movement, according to Innoviti, a Bangalore based embedded solutions provider.

This next generation mobile network is based on the 802.11p technology, for which standards are still being defined, said Rajeev Agrawal, CEO of the consumer wireless products start-up.  

"We are trying to exploit an ad hoc network of vehicles on the road. Mobile networks, instead of connecting to a base station in the neighbourhood like it does now, will have access to a point in the vehicle, which will then connect to another vehicle in the neighbourhood," said Agrawal.  However, he said it would be too early to tell if this access point will be embedded in the control panel of a vehicle or adopt the after-market sales strategy.

Due to the short spectrum, the network will be more effective and will churn out higher bandwidth, he said. Low power requirement resulting in low battery consumption are other advantages of this technology.

For the cellular operator whose biggest concern is high investment in infrastructure, the mobile gateway would be a boon, as it will reduce capital investment. "Financially, it is very interesting for the cellular operators, as the access point is now purchased by the consumer. The concept of base stations will change. It will be committed to the back-end through DSL," he said. 

Lower capital investment for the operators would invariably result in the roll out of cheaper mobile services, he adds.

Still in the early R&D stages, Agrawal expects solutions based on this technology out in 2008 or 2009 in partnership with a cellular operator. 

In a recent development, Titan Industries has purchased a five per cent stake in Innoviti. The companies together plan to roll out watches and pens with certain built-in wireless features. The products will be launched in about 12 -18 months, said Agrawal.