New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India, has signed a strategic five-year agreement with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to establish an end-to-end optical network testbed for indigenous optical communication technologies.
Funded and supported by DoT, the optical network testbed will be located at the C-DOT Campus in New Delhi.
The facility will provide a critical real-world environment to accelerate the development, testing and commercialization of optical communication solutions developed by Indian startups and industry players.
The Optical Network Testbed is aimed at bridging the gap between lab-stage innovation and market readiness through testing and validation of indigenous optical communication technologies.
The agreement was signed on August 27, 2026, by representatives of DoT and C-DOT in the presence of Sh. Alok Shukla, Advisor (Technology), DoT; Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT; and Sh. Atul Kumar Singh, DDG (Networks & Technologies), DoT.
Optical Network Testbed to Strengthen India’s Optical Communication Ecosystem
The public-funded Optical Network Testbed project will primarily focus on bridging the gap between laboratory-stage innovation and market readiness.
The initiative is expected to accelerate the development and deployment of home-grown optical communication technologies while advancing the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and strengthening India’s capabilities in next-generation communication infrastructure.
By combining C-DOT’s mature, field-ready products across optical core, optical access and Quantum Security technologies, the Optical Network Testbed will function as a catalyst for the Indian telecom ecosystem.
The Optical Network Testbed will also serve as a platform for skill development and capacity building in advanced optical communications. Students, researchers, startups and industry professionals will have opportunities for hands-on training and exposure to next-generation optical networking technologies.
As a shared national resource, the End-to-End Optical Network Testbed will support innovation, testing, validation, skill development and commercialization of optical communication technologies.
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Two-Phase Plan for Optical Network Testbed
The technical blueprint for the Optical Network Testbed structures the initiative into two phases:
- Set-up Phase: Years 1–2
The first phase will focus on establishing the infrastructure required for the Optical Network Testbed.
This will include various elements of Optical Core, Optical Access and Quantum Security, along with third-party advanced test and measurement tools from trusted vendors.
The Set-up Phase will culminate in the formal rollout of the Optical Network Testbed.
- Operations and Maintenance Phase: Years 3–5
The second phase will focus on the sustained maintenance and operation of the OpticalNetwork Testbed. It will include direct technical support for ecosystem users and targeted educational outreach programmes.
Through these activities, the OpticalNetwork Testbed will provide continued support to startups, researchers, students and industry professionals working on advanced optical communication and networking technologies.
About C-DOT
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is a premier telecom technology research and development centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
C-DOT has consistently been at the forefront of developing indigenous, secure, standards-compliant and deployment-ready telecom technologies. Its work is aligned with national priorities focused on technological self-reliance and secure digital infrastructure.
