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Tag: Airtel

  • Report: Airtel touches One million 5G Users mark

    Report: Airtel touches One million 5G Users mark

    In less than 30 days since the service’s commercial introduction, Bharti Airtel has registered more than 1 million unique 5G customers on its network, all the while growing its network in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur, and Varanasi.

    Airtel
    credit: economictimes

    “These are early days but the response from customers has been very encouraging. Our network is being built every day even as all 5G devices are now capable of working on the Airtel 5G Plus network barring a few exceptions which should also be done in the coming weeks. We will continue to advance our network with a vision to connect the entire country,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO, of Bharti Airtel.

    As it builds out its network and completes the rollout, Airtel is introducing 5G services in the eight cities in stages. The telco started conducting 5G trials in 2021 and was the first provider to introduce 5G on a commercial scale in the nation.

    Until the rollout is more extensive, customers with 5G devices will be able to utilize high-speed 5G, which the firm refers to as Airtel 5G Plus, on their current data plans.

    Gopal Vittal, the chief executive of the second-largest carrier in the nation, stated on Tuesday that Airtel would maintain its current 5G and 4G pricing for another six to nine months before deciding whether to set distinct 5G tariffs. Only a small portion of users of local carriers chose premium 5G contracts, he claimed, in nations like the US, Thailand, and South Korea where 5G was priced differently from 4G.

    Some devices already support 5G. Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and RealMe devices were now ready for providing 5G services to the carrier. “Samsung and One Plus will also be fully ready in the next couple of weeks. Apple soon thereafter. This cannot be said with alternate technologies where many devices will deliver either an inferior experience or simply not work on 5G,” he said.

    Airtel
    credit: economictimes

    In addition, Vittal called for additional tariff increases to encourage the deployment of 5G networks and the adoption of digital technologies, while also warning against the industry’s low return on capital employed (RoCE), which is currently at 8% due to low consumer prices and is, in his opinion, unsustainable.

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  • Airtel launches IoT services for Automobile Makers

    Airtel launches IoT services for Automobile Makers

    The dual profile M2M eSIM in Bharti Airtel’s “Always On” Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solution, which enables an IoT device to remain connected to the networks of two telecom carriers, was introduced on Friday in India.

    According to a statement from Airtel, the solution meets with the AIS-140 standard put in place by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and developed by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) (MoRTH).

    The company continued by saying that the solution is “ideally suited” for automakers, vehicle monitoring companies, and any other use cases where equipment operation in remote areas need constant communication.

    According to the release, top businesses including telematics provider Lumax ITuran, fleet technology provider Loconav, and provider of vehicle monitoring systems e-Trans have already tested and chosen Airtel’s AIS-140 solution.

    Airtel
    credit: economictimes

    For tracking, safety, and security purposes, the AIS-140 standard specifies necessary standards for connectivity and GPS tracking capabilities for devices in all passenger-carrying buses, private fleets, and other public transportation vehicles.

    According to Airtel, with the help of its GSMA-compliant platform, API-based eSIM lifecycle management, Airtel IoT Hub, and adherence to the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) M2M rules, the company hopes to take the lead in this industry over the next years.

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  • Airtel CEO states that his company will be the first Telco to launch 5G in India

    Airtel CEO states that his company will be the first Telco to launch 5G in India

    Sunil Mittal, the chairman of Bharti Airtel, claimed that Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio accelerated the rollout of 4G networks and forced Bharti to catch up. However, Airtel would now be the first telco in India to introduce 5G services in eight cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Bengaluru.

    “We had started 4G in India, but Mukesh’s (Jio) gave tremendous speed to countrywide 4G proliferation and forced us to run fast to catch up, and today Airtel will become the first telco to launch 5G services in eight cities,” Mittal said at India Mobile Congress on Saturday.

    He added that Airtel would deploy 5G services across most cities by March 2023 and across the country by March 2024. “Airtel teams are working very hard to roll out 5G services speedily across India.”

    A staggering Rs 43,084 crore worth of 5G airwaves were purchased by Bharti Airtel in the recently completed auction. The 5G data rates it hopes to offer could be up to 30 times quicker than 4G.

    Since Airtel entered the telecom industry exactly 40 years ago following its first experience with push-button phones in Taiwan, Mittal said it was truly a proud time for Airtel to be the first telco to debut 5G in India.

    Airtel
    credit: economitimes

    The CEO of Bharti said India is fortunate to have a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is well-versed in and appreciative of cutting-edge technology. “It’s my belief that there is no global leader like Mr Modi, who both understands technology and knows how to use it for a country’s economic progress.”

    Considering that India still imports billions of dollars’ worth of telecom equipment, Mittal said that he had previously been dubious of the country’s plans for domestic production. However, he now feels that the conditions are in place for India to genuinely emerge as a hub for the production of electronics worldwide.

    Mittal said the advent of 5G wireless broadband technology would drive creation of 5G use cases and give a boost to entrepreneurial spirits. “It’s my belief that 5G will lead to the creation of numerous use cases, pave the way for thousands of brilliant entrepreneurs and also create dozens of unicorns in India.”

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  • Airtel XSafe Home Surveillance Solution launched in India

    Airtel XSafe Home Surveillance Solution launched in India

    Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of XSafe, an end-to-end, easy-to-operate home surveillance solution. It comprises a range of Wi-Fi-based advanced cameras designed to make sure customers are connected to their homes even while they are away.

    Bharti Airtel entered into the home surveillance market with XSafe with products starting from ₹2499 and subscription of ₹999 a year for unlimited cloud storage.

    Airtel XSafe Home Surveillance Solution launched in India

    Airtel XSafe

    Airtel Xsafe uses advanced cameras that enable motion detection, allow you to have a chat with people at your home from wherever you are and provide a 360-degree view of what is happening in your home through the Airtel Xsafe App. The App will provide real time alerts should the camera detect any concerning movement.

    As part of the newly launched surveillance system, Airtel is giving three cameras that can be installed at home or office to keep an eye on everything that’s happening there. It includes two indoor cameras and one outdoor camera along with range of WiFi plans that can be bundled with it for a smooth surveillance system.

    Airtel XSafe Home Surveillance Solution launched in India

    “We constantly listen to our customers, and post-pandemic a lot of them have expressed concerns about the well-being of their loved ones while they are away from home. Xsafe is the perfect solution for these customers. It is an easy-to-operate, end-to-end home surveillance solution that allows customers to keep an eye on their loved ones. It will also allow them to talk to those at home from wherever they are through a two-way communication system in the camera,” said Vir Inder Nath, CEO, Homes, Bharti Airtel, in a statement.

    Airtel Xsafe comes with an array of Smart features, including person detection, full-HD video recording, cloud storage, motion detection, built-in alarm, and simultaneous viewing. The three cameras under the Airtel Xsafe service are- a sticky camera and a 360-degree camera for indoor, and an active defence camera for outdoor. 

    Airtel XSafe Home Surveillance Solution launched in India

    As of now, the Airtel Xsafe is available in 40 cities across the country, including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, and Kolkata. Interested customers can book Xsafe either via the official Xsafe website or the Airtel Thanks app. The sticky cam is priced at Rs 2,499, while the 360° cam is for Rs 2,999 and the active defence cam is for Rs 4,499. Customers can pay an annual subscription charge of Rs 999 and get free 1-month subscription for the first time.

  • Jio, Airtel and Vi looses customers due to higher prices

    Jio, Airtel and Vi looses customers due to higher prices

    According to experts who analysed the most recent customer data released by the industry regulator, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) all lost active users in July 2022 as a result of rising mobile service costs following tariff increases implemented by operators last winter that resulted in some deactivations.

    In July, the active user bases of Jio and Airtel fell by 1 million apiece, to 382 million and 356 million, respectively. Vi lost up to 1.7 million of these customers, bringing the total number of active mobile users to 217 million.

    However, Jio has continued to top the market for active users with a 37.7% share, while Airtel and Vi had respective active user market shares of 35.2% and 21.4% in July, according to data compiled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

    “Industry-wide active sub-base has dipped by 4.3 million, month-on-month (vs a dip of 0.2 million in Jun’22 and +2.8 million in the past six months),” ICICI Securities said in a note, analysing data put out by Trai.

    Vi’s decline of 1.7 million active subscribers, it continued, highlighted the cash-strapped telco’s continued inability to compete with Jio and Airtel on the 4G services front and its impending challenges moving forward once the top two carriers launch 5G services, even though the active user base had shrunk across operators in July.

    “The significant active user losses reflect the impact of high inflation and costlier mobile services, which is likely to have forced many low-value users, particularly in the rural markets, not to recharge and deactivate their SIMs,” said another analyst at a leading global brokerage.

    Jio
    credit: economitimes

    Motilal Oswal, though, said that the pace of industry-wide 4G user additions continued in July at a healthy 5.7 million, similar to June 2022 levels. “Jio reported 2.9 million 4G user additions, followed by Airtel (2.6 million), while Vi’s 4G user base saw no change.”

    However, Jio added more new wired broadband customers in July than Bharti Airtel, despite the latter maintaining its market dominance in this regard.

    In July, Airtel added 0.14 million wired broadband users, bringing the total number of users of its fixed broadband service to 5 million. In consequence, Jio had 0.11 more customers sign up for JioFibre in July, bringing the total number of people using home broadband to 6.3 million. The number of wired broadband subscribers at the government-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) increased by 0.01 million in July, bringing the total to 3.9 million.

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  • Jio Satellite Communications Ltd is looking to launch Satellite Internet Services

    Jio Satellite Communications Ltd is looking to launch Satellite Internet Services

    The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently granted a critical permit to a Reliance Jio subsidiary, allowing it to launch high-speed broadband from space services.

    A letter of intent (LoI) has been issued by the DoT to Jio Satellite Communications Ltd (JSCL), a Jio company that had sought global mobile personal communications by satellite services (GMPCS) licence earlier this year. After Bharti Group-backed OneWeb, Jio’s satellite division is the second business to gain DoT approval to provide broadband services via satellites.

    Jio
    credit: economic times

    Jio Space Technology Ltd., a joint venture held 51:49 by Jio Platforms (JPL), the parent company of Jio and owned by Mukesh Ambani, and SES, a major satellite communications firm, was established earlier this year to provide broadband services in India via satellites. To deliver Satcom services within the nation, Jio Space Tech is building a sizable gateway infrastructure in India. The company will deploy multi-orbit space networks, which combine geostationary (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellations.

    With Jio, Bharti-backed OneWeb, Nelco, a Tata group Satcom firm, and Canada’s Telesat all aiming to introduce satellite broadband services in India, competition in this still-emerging market has increased. The second-largest communications market on the planet is also of interest to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

    According to experts, India represents a significant new market for broadband from space services with a near-term yearly revenue possibility of over $1 billion. As many rural areas in India still lack cellular or fibre connectivity, E&Y projects that the country’s satellite services market will increase from zero in 2017 to $4.7 billion in 2025. This is because over 75% of rural India’s population still lacks broadband access.

    Jio
    credit: economic times



    According to the regulations, Jio must accept the terms and conditions once an LoI is issued and provide bank guarantees (BGs) to DoT totalling Rs 1 crore before the GMPCS licence can be granted.

    However, the DoT official, companies can begin offering satellite services if there is clarity regarding the spectrum allocation for satellite communications. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will provide recommendations on the subject, which the government is awaiting.

    Given the popularity of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, DoT is considering modifying the way satellite companies currently provide VSAT services utilising delicensed KU band spectrum. Trai has already received a request from DoT for advice about the cost of KU/KA bands. The DoT plans to auction off the spectrum needed for these services.

    According to a DoT official, access spectrum is needed by satellite operators to serve their nationwide client base. The Supreme Court’s 2012 judgement mandating that these airwaves only be sold to the highest bidder highlights the need for access spectrum allocation by auction.

    Jio
    credit: economic times



    In addition, satellite communications are highly helpful for delivering broadband services in isolated, hilly, and difficult-to-reach areas. Additionally, when conventional communication is hampered due to a disaster, it is the sole means available for establishing communication. According to experts, broadband rates of 200 Mbps to 300 Mbps are possible due to the abundance of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

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  • Mittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel’s shares to expand their holdings in Airtel

    Mittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel’s shares to expand their holdings in Airtel

    Sunil Mittal, the chairman of Bharti Enterprises, is acquiring a 3.3% stake in Bharti Airtel from his Singapore-based partner Singtel for about $1.6 billion (Rs 12,895 crore).

    Mittal Family Increases Stake in Airtel

    Within 90 days, the share purchase should be completed through the promoter arm, Bharti Telecom. The effective stake held by the Mittal family in Bharti Airtel, which is currently 23.88%, would rise to 25.56%, while Singtel’s stake will decline to 29.7% from 31.38%. The purchase of the shares will be paid for by the Mittal family taking on debt.

    Mittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel's shares to expand their holdings in Airtel
    credits – business-standard.com

    The Bharti group and Singtel have been working together for more than 20 years. The Singapore-based communication technology company is selling a portion of its ownership to raise money for future 5G capital expenditures and other expansion plans.

    With 50.56 percent and 49.44 percent stakes, respectively, the Mittal family and Singtel are co-investors in Bharti Telecom, the promoter holding company of Bharti Airtel. Furthermore, the Mittal family owns 6.04 percent of Airtel, and Singtel owns 14. percent, respectively.

    Word from Singtel and Mittal

    Singtel said in a statement that after this deal, it is anticipated that the Singtel group will effectively possess a 29.7% share in Airtel, with a market value of S$22 billion (Rs 1.26 trillion). This consists of a 10.5% direct stake and a 19.2% indirect share through Bharti Telecom.

    Mittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel's shares to expand their holdings in AirtelMittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel's shares to expand their holdings in Airtel
    credits – business-standard.com

    Reflecting on the development, Mittal stated that Bharti Telecom will continue to be the main vehicle to hold the majority of the shares in Airtel following this Inter-Se transaction. As part of their agreement, Bharti Enterprises and Singtel would endeavor to gradually equalize their respective effective stakes in Airtel. According to the Bharti group, the share acquisition would be adjusted to maintain a manageable level of debt.

    Arthur Lang, Singtel’s group chief financial officer, said that the value of the shares in their regional partners has increased significantly over time as long-term strategic investors and partners, but has not been adequately represented in the share price. This first-ever sale of Airtel shares aims to close that gap by demonstrating the substantial value of the holdings in the company. Their capital management strategy includes taking advantage of monetization opportunities as well.

    In 2000, Singtel made a $400 million investment in Airtel, which at the time was the single-largest investment made by a foreign investor in the telecom industry. Two years later, the company was listed on the stock exchange.

    Investment Bets from Other Companies

    Other foreign businesses, including Maxis, Telenor, and Sistema, were less fortunate with their investment wagers and were forced to write them off. The Tata-Docomo partnership also failed, and the Japanese firm eventually left India as a result of a payment disagreement.

    Mittal family purchases 3.3% of Singtel's shares to expand their holdings in Airtel
    credits – inventiva.co.in

    Entrepreneur and former CEO of Airtel Sanjay Kapoor credits Singtel’s success to its investment strategy. Singtel was present in India during the 2G fraud, the introduction of Reliance Jio, and the hyper-competition brought on by the overnight admission of 12 carriers.

    However, Singtel has been a persistent and patient investor in Airtel, growing its stake in the business over time. According to Kapoor, this is a result of the partners’ relationship, which is founded on trust, transparency, and good governance.

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  • Bharti Airtel stocks on the rise after Singtel Deal

    Bharti Airtel stocks on the rise after Singtel Deal

    According to a filing with the market, Bharti Telecom and Singapore’s Singtel have agreed to buy a 3.33% share in Airtel for $1.6 billion (about Rs. 12,800 crores).

    Bharti Telecom, headed by Sunil Mittal, is one of the companies that promote Bharti Airtel. Singtel is a shareholder in the promotional arm as well, though.

    Airtel
    credit: Bharti Airtel

    While the benchmark Nifty50 index rose 0.4% today (August 25), Airtel’s shares increased by over 1.2% in early trade. In Singapore, Singtel’s home market, shares increased by about 2% as well.

    For more than 20 years, Singtel has owned a portion of Airtel.

    To narrow its emphasis on its core activities, Singtel has decided to reduce some of its shareholdings in the second-largest telco in India. The company plans to invest the money from this sale in 5G and other home market expansion projects.

    With Singtel owning the remaining 49.44% of Bharti Telecom, the Sunil Mittal family owns 50.56% of the company. Before the deal, this promoter arm owned a 35.85% interest in Bharti Airtel.

    The Mittals owned a 24.13% interest in Bharti Airtel before the transaction, while Singtel retained a 31.72% share.

    Airtel
    credit: Bharti Airtel

    Following the transaction, Singtel’s ownership of Bharti Airtel would drop to 29.7%, valued at just under $15.8 billion (or around Rs. 1.26 lakh crore).

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  • Airtel to launch 5G with new Equipments deal worth $2.5 billion

    Airtel to launch 5G with new Equipments deal worth $2.5 billion

    In order to begin deploying the next generation networks in August, Bharti Airtel has agreements in place with the Swedish company Ericsson, the Finnish company Nokia, and the South Korean company Samsung for the provision of 5G equipment over a multi-year period.

    While the alliance between Ericsson and Nokia has been in place for a while, Samsung is a more recent addition, while Huawei and ZTE have been explicitly excluded from participating in India’s second-largest telecom company’s 5G installations.

    Although neither the telco nor its partners made clear the details of their individual agreements, persons with knowledge of the situation told ET that the three agreements with the corporations together have a combined worth of almost $2.5 billion. 90 percent of the contract value was shared by Ericsson and Nokia, with Samsung receiving the balance.

    Ericsson will roll out 5G networks for Bharti Airtel in 11 circles, including Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.

    Airtel
    credit: Airtel

    Nokia in 9 circles, including Mumbai; and Samsung in 2 circles, Punjab and Kolkata, out of the total 22. The implementation of 5G radio access network equipment is covered by all three contracts.

    Inquiries from ET regarding the deals went unanswered by Bharti Airtel.

    Following Bharti Airtel’s participation in the recently finished 5G auctions, where the telecom giant won the right to use 19867.8 MHz of spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz bands for 20 years by paying Rs 43,084 crore, the 5G equipment sales have been announced.

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  • India 5G Spectrum Auction is entering its 4th Day with Bids of atleast $19 billion

    India 5G Spectrum Auction is entering its 4th Day with Bids of atleast $19 billion

    In the fourth day of a 5G spectrum auction on Friday, India had attracted bids worth at least $19 billion as telecom companies fought for the airwave rights required for next-generation networks in the second-largest mobile market in the world.

    One of the bidders for 5G airwaves was Reliance Industries’ (RELI.NS) Jio, along with rivals Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS) and Vodafone Idea (VODA.NS), as well as Adani Enterprises Ltd. (ADEL.NS), owned by billionaire Gautam Adani.

    By September of this year, the Indian government hopes to start rolling out 5G, which it claims can deliver data speeds around ten times faster than 4G.

    5G
    credit: reuters

    Jio is anticipated to be the first carrier to introduce 5G services in India. Jio is backed by global digital giants Facebook (META.O) and Google (GOOGL.O).

    Pressure has been applied to Airtel and Vodafone as a result of a price war that Jio started in 2016. Both companies have recently declared losses due to unpaid government spectrum fees, although recent increases in the cost of mobile data have gradually begun to assist Airtel in turning a profit.

    Early in July, Adani declared that it had no intention of entering the consumer market and instead intends to offer solutions for personal 5G networks.

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