Developed by a team headed by Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT Chennai and another team from Midas Communications, which was set up by ex-IITians, corDECT sounds promising.

While there is a raging debate on the technology and what goes into it, at a very basic level, it offers certain advantages that outstrips what exists currently.

For instance, using existing telephones, it can either be used to make a call or access the Internet - not both simultaneously. With corDECT, it becomes possible to make a voice call and transfer data simultaneously. Jhunjhunwala says that transfer rates could be as high as 32 kbps.

From a telecom service providers perspective, it brings down costs drastically. The system has been designed in such a way that the initial investment for the fixed part is very low. The larger component of the cost is factored into the subscriber unit which needs to be obtained only when the operator signs up a subscriber.

This makes it that much more easier to take basic telecom services across to the masses.

In terms of other WLL technologies being developed too, the IIT team claims a cost advantage. The total deployment cost to the line using this system ought to be in the region of Rs 14,000-18,000. As against this, inducting the rival CDMA would take prices through the roof by over 50 percent.

Critics argue though that there are constraints in the system. Coupled with attractive financing packages offered by CDMA vendors, most private operators have opted for the latter.

MTNL's inducting the technology though comes as a boost in the arm for proponents of corDECT. The philosophy behind the development of the system, Jhunjhunwala pointed out, is to take telephony to the masses at very affordable prices.

Speaking at the occasion, S Rajagopalan, chairman and managing director MTNL said that the organisation was contemplating moving into venture capital funding.

He said that they would identify academic institutes where similar technologies that could be deployed by the company are being worked on, and provide the requisite financing.

"There is no dearth of money. What we need are ideas," he said.