Saankhya Labs, operating out of Bengaluru, has developed a chip the size of a postage stamp which boasts the ability to connect India’s rural population to the internet.
The chip, named Pruthvi, can power a system to use television White Space. TV White Space, or wasted spectrum between active TV channels, can be utilized to stream Internet to rural households. Saankhya Labs is using TV White Space because it is seen as the most preferred option for long distance communication.
“In the future, channel bonding/aggregation techniques will be used to increase the data speed beyond 30 Mbps or to increase the number of users that can be served by one base station. The time to put up the TV White Space network is also shorter compared to other options,” the company states.
Saankhya Labs is in talks with IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Hyderabad, and several firms to conduct field trials of their technology.
The Government’s Digital India programme is pushing technology firms and designers towards greater innovation so that the country may meet its ICT goals. The Pruthvi chip is representative of the country’s ambitious goals.
The growing demand for greater connectivity in India has been recognized. Innovative technology, such as the Pruthvi chip, provides greater access to Internet for rural communities. This is where the need is greatest.
