Strengthening self-reliance and international influence, TEC and IIT Hyderabad unite on 6G, AI and global standards to push ahead in future telecom innovation.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad to boost India’s role in future telecom development and global standardisation. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday to support joint studies, research and technical collaborations in advanced communication technologies.
The agreement aims to advance work on emerging fields, including 6G networks, artificial intelligence in telecom systems and non-terrestrial connectivity. Both organisations will focus on developing India-specific standards and test frameworks to improve domestic innovation and reduce reliance on imported technology.
The collaboration will address several priority areas. These include mobile technologies such as 4G, 5G and narrowband IoT. Joint technical studies will examine network architecture, signalling and protocol improvements. Research on Open RAN systems will look at open interfaces, software-based controls and network disaggregation.
Work on 6G will explore architecture, enabling technologies and India’s role in key global standardisation bodies such as 3GPP. Satellite-linked communication and high-altitude platform systems will also be studied to support non-terrestrial networks and integration with ground-based infrastructure.
Furthermore, another focus will be on health and safety standards. The organisations plan to work on specific absorption rate requirements, policy compliance tools and studies on exposure levels in different environments.
The MoU was formalised at IIT Hyderabad. Officials present included senior leaders from TEC and the institute’s leadership team.
TEC said strengthening domestic research and design is essential for India’s digital future. The partnership supports greater Indian engagement in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other international forums that shape next-generation rules and specifications.
Officials said the initiative aligns with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat goals. It is intended to boost secure communications infrastructure, improve manufacturing capabilities and build technologies tailored for Indian needs.
