A Delhi-based telecom startup called Velmenni has developed an in-house wireless backhaul point-to-point link to address the fiberisation challenges faced by telecom operators and internet service providers. The technology uses light to transmit data at gigabit speeds, offering an alternative to laying fiber, which can be costly and face various obstacles such as right of way issues and slow approval processes.

Velmenni’s Co-Founder and CEO, Deepak Solanki, stated that the startup is currently in the trial stage with multiple operators in India and abroad. They have conducted four commercial trials with Indian telcos and ISPs between 2022 and 2023, and have five more trials scheduled for the third quarter. Solanki revealed that Velmenni has secured a commercial deal with an infrastructure company to provide backhaul at a power plant using Li-Fi, without disclosing further details.

While Bharti Airtel and Google’s parent company Alphabet have partnered to deliver high-speed internet in rural and remote regions of India using laser beams (FSOC), Velmenni’s technology focuses on backhauling instead of consumer-facing applications. Solanki highlighted that the cost of LED bulbs, lack of chipsets, interoperability issues, and the need for an external dongle to connect to a Li-Fi access point have posed challenges to the adoption of Li-Fi in the consumer space.

Velmenni has received financial support from the Department of Telecommunications through the Digital Communication Innovation Square scheme. The startup has invested approximately $2.5 million in research and development over the past five years and recently secured a $1 million investment from Rosemerta Technologies. Solanki aims to raise a further $2 million in the next funding round.

Additionally, Velmenni has generated revenue by providing proof of concepts and selling their commercial product to the Indian Army for indoor solutions. The startup plans to reduce its reliance on sourcing crucial printed circuit boards (PCBs) from China in the future. Overall, Velmenni’s wireless backhaul technology offers a potential solution to the challenges faced by telecom operators and ISPs in fiberisation, especially in India where laying fiber can be particularly difficult. With ongoing trials and partnerships, Velmenni aims to establish itself as a viable business in the telecom industry.