E-Paper
Now 5G Tech Lab at CoEP Tech University for skilling manpower for industry
The CoEP’s new 5G lab focuses on building skills and engagement in 5G technologies within the academic community facilitating undergraduate and postgraduate projects, and encouraging collaborations between academia and industry to develop 5G use cases
As part of the endeavour to skill manpower for industry by imparting up-to-date, practical education, the College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) Technological University has set up a state-of-the-art 5G technology laboratory which not only provides hands-on training in 5G technology but also gives students opportunities to get practical knowledge of industry problems through industry collaborations.
The CoEP Technological University has been awarded a 5G laboratory under the prestigious ‘100 5G Labs’ initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Professor Sunil Gangadhar Bhirud, vice-chancellor, CoEP Technological University, said, “This initiative aims to build competencies in 5G technologies for students and startups, further enhancing India’s position in the global digital ecosystem. The award was officially announced on October 27, 2023, during IMC 2023.”
Dr Vibha Vyas, head, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, said, “The evolution of cellular technology has been inevitable due to increasing user demands for higher data rates and mobility. From the inception of the 1G network with Martin Cooper’s Motorola DynaTAC prototype to today’s 5G advancements, every generation of technology has addressed growing consumer needs. With 5G, we are now transitioning to the next level of mobile connectivity, which will shape the fourth industrial revolution or industry 4.0.”
The CoEP’s new 5G lab focuses on building skills and engagement in 5G technologies within the academic community facilitating undergraduate and postgraduate projects, and encouraging collaborations between academia and industry to develop 5G use cases. Dr Radhika Joshi, nodal officer, 5G technology lab, said, “The lab will provide local access to a 5G test setup for startups and MSMEs, making Indian academia and the startup ecosystem ready for technology advancement. We have also proposed a plan for technological extension and standardisation towards 6G development.”
The department with the help of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) is also actively interacting with MSMEs in Pune and inviting them to use the lab for their product testing. Recently, some representatives from the defence sector, drone manufacturing and services, the automotive industry and a few other industries, visited the 5G technology lab and expressed their interest in working with the department. Moreover, the lab is also working on various social issues and in the water sector, Joshi said.
“The outcomes of this initiative will help explore innovative real-life solutions using 5G, IoT, AI-ML technologies, and create opportunities for revenue generation through 5G deployment,” said Dr Joshi.
Equipment and components for the 5G lab:
- 5G core, new radio evolutionary boards (SIM8262E-M2 5G)
- IMS solution, MEC, and application server
- IoT devices: gateway (RUTX50), variety of sensors with analytics software
- 5G drones, 5G XR (extended reality via AR/VR), 5G camera and accessories
- Indoor 5G CPE, network racks (24U), UPS, display units and switches
- Training and testing tools
Key objectives of the 5G lab:
- Training students and faculty in 5G technologies and facilitating the development of 5G use cases
- Enabling real-life problem-solving projects in areas such as precision agriculture, congestion-free transportation, and smart city applications
- Creating a knowledge-sharing platform for institutions, students, and startups to explore 5G use cases
- Building a database of domestic 5G vendors, devices, and successful 5G projects in domains such as health, agriculture, intelligent transportation, and industry 4.0
