Sterling Infotech

Sterling Infotech is a Chennai based infotech company promoted by C Sivasankaran, a non-resident Indian. Sterling is in the business of mobile and satellite communication in India. Other companies in the group include Srinivas Cellcom (offering cellular services in Tamil Nadu), Sivasat TV Communications, and Dishnet Ltd. (internet services including dial-up access, leased line and ISDN services).

Dishnet has been a recent prominent venture of the group and has taken the ISP world by storm with its pricing and services strategy.

Sterling group has launched its private Internet service under the name ETH which stands for Education To Home. Sterling has also promoted a trust under the banner ETH Research Laboratory to create and provide the content for all its services, including Dishnet, and the proposed DTH (Direct-to-Home) services.

One of its first projects is the development of educational content and the promotion of comprehensive educational environment through information technology. ETH Research Labs will create quality education content which will be disseminated through IT media such as internet, set top boxes, DVDs, direct-to-home services through cable network, etc.

ETH has formed ‘Yashnet’, a network of schools and teachers to connect 20,000 schools in Maharshtra, in collaboration with the Yashwantrao Pratishthan. The Pratishthan will provide ground level support, such as networking of schools, infrastructure, teacher training, etc, while ETH would provide the technological support, content and connectivity. Initially the focus will be to impart curriculum-based education for classes IX to XII, where students, particularly those from the under-privileged schools can gain access to quality education. This concept is to be extended further, eventually leading to the creation of a virtual network school/university.