Delhi-Based Telecom startup Velmenni Tackles Fiberization Challenges

An internal wireless backhaul point-to-point link has been developed by Velmenni, a Delhi-based telecom startup, to address the issues that telecom operators and internet service providers are facing with fiberization. By using light to carry data at gigabit rates, the technique provides an alternative to installing fibre, which can be expensive and encounter numerous challenges such right of way concerns and sluggish approval procedures.

According to Deepak Solanki, co-founder and CEO of Velmenni, the firm is currently in the testing stage with a number of operators in India and internationally. Between 2022 and 2023, they conducted four commercial trials with Indian telcos and ISPs, and five additional trials are slated to begin in the third quarter. Without providing any additional information, Solanki stated that Velmenni has a business agreement in place with an infrastructure firm to use Li-Fi to supply backhaul at a power plant.

While Velmenni’s technology focuses on backhauling rather than consumer-facing apps, Bharti Airtel and Google’s parent company Alphabet have teamed to deliver high-speed internet in rural and remote areas of India utilising laser beams (FSOC). Solanki emphasized that barriers to the adoption of Li-Fi in the consumer arena include the price of LED bulbs, a lack of chipsets, problems with interoperability, and the requirement for an external dongle to connect to a Li-Fi access point.

Through the Digital Communication Innovation Square programme, the Department of Telecommunications provided financial assistance to Velmenni. Over the last five years, the startup has spent about $2.5 million on R&D; most recently, Rosemerta Technologies invested $1 million in the company. In the upcoming investment round, Solanki hopes to raise an additional $2 million.

Additionally, Velmenni has made money by selling their commercial product to the Indian Army for indoor solutions and delivering proof of concepts for it. In the future, the business wants to rely less on importing essential printed circuit boards (PCBs) from China. Generally speaking, Velmenni’s wireless backhaul technology presents a potential answer to the problems telecom operators and ISPs are having with fiberization, particularly in India where laying fibre can be extremely challenging. Velmenni aspires to establish itself as a sustainable company in the telecom sector through continual experiments and partnerships.