Telecom Lead India: The Centre for Development of
Telematics (C-DOT) in association with BSNL, is celebrating the
completion of 25 years of C-DOT RAX at Kittur, Karnataka and
its up-gradation to MAX-NG for NGN services, on August 7, 2012.
The main function would be held simultaneously at C-DOT
Centers – Delhi, Bangalore and Kittur through Webcast and would be chaired
by Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and IT, Sam Pitroda,
Adviser to the Prime Minister on PIII in Delhi and Members of C-DOT
Alumni & BSNL Senior Officials in Bengaluru and Kittur.
The C-DOT exchange at Kittur will be upgraded to MAX-NG
to offer NGN services. NGN refers to an all IP network which gives great
operational advantages to the operators and subscribers alike. The up-gradation
program will bring VoIP and other broadband services to the aging fixed line
infrastructure, comprising of its MAX / RAX switches.
C-DOT has also developed NGN, GPON which will build
broadband pipes to homes, SOHO’s and multi-dwelling units. C-DOT in all these
years has been on the technology forefront and significantly contributed to the
Indian telecom network digitization, bridging the digital divide between the
rural and urban, establishing strong telecom manufacturing infrastructure and
employment generations. For the next two-to-three years, C-DOT is focusing on
design and developing systems which are of strategic importance to the country.
The greatest advantage of RAX was that it was designed
for Indian conditions of high ambient temperatures, dust and unreliable power.
It required no air-conditioning. It was based on contemporary digital switching
technology with microprocessor based controllers and had no moving parts, which
gave it immunity against dust, the bane of electromechanical Strowger and
Crossbar exchanges in India. Named 128 P RAX, it was a tiny 128 ports
switch. It had only analog trunks to connect it to a larger exchange in a
nearby city. It could cater to a total of 80 subscribers and had 24 analog
trunks to connect to the city exchange. But in villages with practically no
telephones, 80 was a big number. There must be a large number of villagers who
made or received their first ever call through C-DOT RAX.
128 P RAX extended connectivity, including STD, ISD to
rural areas. 26 manufacturers went into RAX production. RAX-a-day program was
started by DoT which grew to something like 32 RAXes a day. By March 1993, more
than 10000 RAXes had been produced. Other developing countries evinced great
interest in RAX and exports to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh followed.
