By next year, India could see a few 5G field deployments: Abilash Joseph, VVDN Technologies

VVDN Technologies, an original equipment manufacturer (ODM), is constantly engaged in the expansion of its local manufacturing for 5G equipment for the local as well as global telecom operators. Going forward, it is believed that importing finished 5G and WiFi products might be difficult and hence VVDN is paving the path for local designing and manufacturing.

Speaking with Abilash Joseph, Director, 5G & Data Center, VVDN Technologies, shares his thoughts with Voice&Data on India’s 5G dreams and how his company is well placed as the pioneering domestic telecom equipment maker to make 5G a reality for India.

Few excerpts: 

Voice&Data: As the company’s name is coined VVDN – the acronym for Voice, Video, Data, Network – how does the company cater to each of these verticals through its ODM?

Abilash Joseph: VVDN offers an end-to-end product that includes engineering, cloud, application, and manufacturing services under the ODM umbrella. Company’s offerings resonate with the name Voice, Video, Data, Network (VVDN) as it works and focusses on all the innovative technologies and solutions that converge within these 4 areas. VVDN’s 5 major business units include 5G & Data Center, IoT, Vision, Networking & Wifi, Cloud & Apps.

VVDN’s 5 major business units include 5G & Data Center, IoT, Vision, Networking & Wi-Fi, Cloud & Apps.

VVDN has dedicated best in class Audio Labs, Video Labs, Wireless (5G and Wi-Fi), and IOT labs where R&D is being done which ensures that the company is able to deliver as per the customer and market needs. Major solution offerings including 5G Telecom Equipment (5G/4G RAN), Wi-Fi Access Points, Vision-based Driver Monitoring Solutions, Security Surveillance Cameras, IoT Personal & Asset Trackers, voice-enabled Trackers, Smart Speakers are an example of few solutions designed, developed and manufactured by VVDN.

Voice&Data: From hardware engineering to software engineering, VVDN has developed an array of services and products. What is the company’s broad vision for India’s telecom sector?

Abilash Joseph: Telecom in India, despite the stress, is making all the efforts to step up the 5G rollout plan. Definitely the need is to do some efforts towards creating a home-grown ecosystem reducing dependence on imports, locally developing India specific use cases, and bring cost-related advantages to Indian Telecom Operators.

Moving forward in that direction, VVDN has invested heavily in the 5G space wherein the focus today is on the 5G RAN with plans to extend it to 5G core in the future. The vision is to support various telecom equipment manufacturers as well as operators to provide them with the technology and designs to help them speed up their field trials with the in-house manufacturing infrastructure and design expertise.

We anticipate that next year India could see some field deployments as the entire 5G ecosystem is working together, however, there could be some delays as well owing to spectrum auction.

We anticipate that next year India could see some field deployments as the entire 5G ecosystem is working together, however, there could be some delays as well owing to spectrum auction by the government. But overall we have a very positive outlook towards Telecom 5G sector in India

Voice&Data: Wireless communication devices and equipment have undergone a massive transformation in the last few years. In your experience, how have you seen these systems change for better and how will the future look like bringing a disruptive change?

Abilash Joseph: Over the past few years, openness of RAN famously known as oRAN has brought a considerable positive disruption in the market - a disruption that will help RAN innovations get to market sooner. The industry by large has embraced oRAN with all the complications attached to it.

Open-Radio Access Network (oRAN) will deliver open fronthaul interfaces, in which multi-vendor DU-RRU interoperability can be realized along with high throughput and very low latency. With the introduction of oRAN technology, the market has considerably open to various players.

Telecom operators now have a choice from not just buying equipment from the legacy players but from others too which has definitely pushed the competition.

Telecom operators now have a choice from not just buying equipment from the legacy players but from others too which has definitely pushed the competition. VVDN has developed very first oRAN Fronthaul IP in the 7-2x split option which will help in interface simplicity, transport bandwidth scalability, interoperability, lower RU complexity, and function symmetry.

Open architecture and interfaces will be required to create technological advancements that can help Telecom Operators to cater to the increased demand in data consumption. The digital transformation will load the networks and to handle it, the industry needs to put efforts to transform the networks.

5G transformation is the best example to see how future requirements of humans and machines will be handled through open architecture, network element virtualization, and defining of multiple logical networks on top of the same physical infrastructure. High Speed and Low latency are the advantages that 5G will bring for the users and will accelerate the cloud business activities.

Voice&Data: VVDN has pioneered into manufacturing of equipment for 5G. How is the company contributing to India’s pathway to 5G adoption and deployment?

Abilash Joseph: VVDN’s investment in the 5G space is focussed on R&D, design, development, IPR creation, and manufacturing. Today, VVDN has pioneered in 5G Network infrastructure solutions and IPs which are instrumental in developing custom solutions around CU/DU, Radio Units, Small Cell, Fronthaul IP, eCPRI to CPRI Gateway, Layer Split Hub, Layer 1 Acceleration Card.

VVDN’s initiatives are aimed towards keeping India in the 5G race by helping telcos and equipment manufacturer to accelerate time to market.  

VVDN’s initiatives are aimed towards keeping India in the 5G race by helping telcos and equipment manufacturer to accelerate time to market.  VVDN plans to mass-produce the 5G equipment at its own manufacturing facilities including Macro RU, SmallCell, DU & Fronthaul gateway.

Voice&Data: How is the company supporting telecom operators in the functioning of the networks and especially at times like this COVID-19 Lockdown that has increased stress on networks?

Abilash Joseph: The current COVID situation has definitely created a lot of stress all over and the business resilience is being tried like never before. Such times call for robust telecom infrastructure.

VVDN is the ODM partner for a lot of Telecom Network Equipment Infrastructure Providers and is continuously supporting them by completing the ongoing design and development of various projects and releases. By following strict guidelines outlined by the local authorities, the dedication of work from home by employees is helping execute the business at hand.

We are proud to share that business from the design services side continues at full strength with minimal impact to our current ongoing activities with our current customers.

As from the manufacturing side, the production capabilities are functioning at approximately full capacity. The company’s plan always included the safety of employees and clearance from respective authorities. In summary, VVDN started working with full operational capabilities by June onwards, with the consideration of certain “work from home”.

VVDN has shipped more than 100,000 Wi-Fi Access Points from its manufacturing facilities to multiple telecom service providers in India during the COVID which has not only ensured continuity in their services but also has helped in proving a self-reliant ecosystem from VVDN to deliver a complete “Make in India” strategy.

Voice&Data: VVDN has expertise in cloud technologies, how is this technology helping Indian communication service providers? How can these companies leverage cloud to handle critical operations?

Abilash Joseph: The telecom industry is undergoing dramatic changes and enormous challenges with the ever-growing increase in data consumption and demand. Telcos are under stress to reduce costs and increase agility— we believe the cloud can play an important role in achieving these objectives.

Today VVDN supports organizations by deploying tailored cloud strategy meeting their business objectives. The present scenario reflects to cloud management of IoT end-user devices but going ahead the next generation of networks will demand a virtualized cloud environment.

With 5G, network functions virtualization is extending to Radio Access Networks from Core Network. VVDN will extend its cloud services and expertise helping operators to transform their networks as per the future technological requirements.

Voice&Data: Could you outline the company’s future roadmap (2020-2022)?

Abilash Joseph:  VVDN’s vision is to continue moving ahead in future with emerging new wave technologies – including 5G, AI/ML, Telecom Grade Wi-Fi Access Points, 5G Network & Wi-Fi Cloud Development, as we aim to be the premier ODM out of India focussing on DESIGN and MAKE in INDIA. In this respect, VVDN will be focussing on capturing the new opportunities and further strengthening our position in the industry by being an important and integral part of the ecosystem.

Given the COVID situation, VVDN is working relentlessly to adopt the new normal of the world and plans to weather the challenge and lie ahead by adopting and adapting the new approach and strategies towards business execution. One thing that would remain constant and consistent is that for VVDN its customers will always remain the focal point of its vision.