Jio Leads in Real 5G Experience, Airtel Plays Catch-Up

Reliance Jio has successfully converted its wide 5G coverage into higher real-world usage compared to Bharti Airtel, largely due to its standalone (SA) 5G architecture, while Airtel’s non-standalone (NSA) setup still routes much traffic through 4G.

The finding is grounded in Opensignal's independent measurement of usage patterns and subscriber adoption data from FY25, showing Jio's SA rollout translates coverage into real-world usage more effectively than Airtel's NSA approach

Why Jio is Ahead in 5G Usage

• Architecture Difference
  • Reliance Jio: Uses standalone (SA) 5G, with a dedicated 5G core. This allows devices to fully utilize 5G speeds and latency improvements.
  • Bharti Airtel: Relies on non-standalone (NSA) 5G, which piggybacks on its 4G core. Devices may show a 5G signal, but much of the traffic still flows through 4G.
• Subscriber Numbers: As of Q4 FY25, Jio had ~191 million 5G subscribers, compared to Airtel’s ~135 million. That’s a 56 million user lead.
• Coverage vs. Experience
  • Jio dominates in coverage and availability, ensuring more users can access 5G consistently.
  • Airtel, however, often leads in download speeds and network experience, especially for video and gaming.

Comparison Table: Jio vs Airtel (5G Performance)

Metric	Reliance Jio	Bharti Airtel
5G Architecture	Standalone (SA)	Non-Standalone (NSA)
Subscribers (Q4 FY25)	~191 million	~135 million
Coverage	Wider PAN-India	Strong but less extensive
Conversion to Usage	Higher (direct 5G core)	Lower (traffic routed via 4G)
Download Speeds	Strong, >100 Mbps	Often faster than Jio
Video/Gaming Experience	Good, improving	Superior responsiveness
Network Reliability	Strong nationwide	Strong in urban clusters

Key Trade-offs & Risks

• For Jio Users: Broader coverage and more consistent 5G usage. But speeds may lag Airtel in certain regions, especially for high-performance tasks like gaming.
• For Airtel Users: Better peak speeds and experience in select areas. However, NSA architecture limits full 5G benefits, meaning users may not feel a dramatic difference from 4G.
• Market Implication: Jio’s aggressive SA rollout positions it as the mass-market leader in 5G adoption. Airtel’s strategy may appeal to premium users who prioritize speed and experience over sheer availability.

Elon Musk's SpaceX Inks Deal With Airtel to Launch Starlink Satellite in India

Bharti Airtel has signed a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch Starlink satellite internet in India. This partnership aims to bring high-speed internet to even the most remote parts of the country, enhancing connectivity for businesses, schools, health centers, and communities.

The collaboration will also explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel's offerings, utilizing Airtel's ground network infrastructure.

This move comes after the Indian government sided with Musk on the spectrum allocation issue, favoring administrative allocation over auctions. The deal is still subject to regulatory approvals for SpaceX to operate Starlink in India.

Airtel and SpaceX will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel's retail stores and providing Starlink services to business customers. They also plan to use Starlink to bring high-speed internet to rural schools, health centers, and remote areas.

Additionally, the Airtel-Starlink collaboration will explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel's offerings, utilizing Airtel's ground network infrastructure. This includes leveraging Airtel's expertise in the Indian market to enhance SpaceX's direct offerings to consumers and businesses.

By adding Starlink to its portfolio, Airtel aims to expand its coverage into regions with little to no internet. This will provide businesses and communities in remote areas with more choices for high-speed internet connectivity, thereby improving their digital experience.

Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting its significance in bringing next-generation satellite connectivity to India.

Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, emphasized the transformative impact Starlink can bring to the people of India and praised the collaboration with Airtel.

Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.  Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system.

Firefly Networks, A Wi-Fi JV of Airtel & Vodafone Idea (Vi) Sold to iBus Network and Infrastructure

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) have sold their entire stakes in their joint venture, Firefly Networks, to iBus Network and Infrastructure for ₹9 crore.

Key Points:

Stake Sale: Both Airtel and Vodafone Idea sold their 50% stakes in Firefly Networks for ₹4.5 crore each.

Firefly Networks: Firefly Networks was a joint venture between Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), established in 2014 to provide high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure across India. The JV was setup to counter Reliance Jio. It aimed provide high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure in urban centers, targeting locations like malls, hospitals, and educational institutions.

Projects: Firefly Networks worked on high-profile projects, including deploying Wi-Fi services in New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas.

iBus Network: The buyer, iBus Network and Infrastructure, specializes in delivering in-building solutions and last-mile connectivity. They act as a neutral infrastructure provider for telecom operators.

Deal Closure: The deal is expected to close within 30 business days from the date of execution of the agreement.

Financial Impact:

Airtel's Disclosure: Firefly contributed 0.0065% to Airtel’s turnover and 0.0007% to its net worth in FY24.

Vodafone Idea's Disclosure: Firefly added ₹5.5 crore to Vodafone Idea’s losses during the same period.

This transaction marks the end of a joint venture that began with ambitions to challenge other major players like Reliance Jio in the domestic Wi-Fi market.

Bharti Airtel Close to Acquiring Tata Play

Bharti Airtel is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Tata Play (formerly known as Tata Sky), India's largest direct-to-home (DTH) service provider. This move is part of Airtel's strategy to strengthen its position in the digital TV segment and boost its non-mobile revenues with bundled offerings.

The potential acquisition comes after a similar deal in 2017 when Bharti Airtel acquired Tata's consumer mobility business.

The digital TV market has seen a shift with users in tier 1 and tier 2 cities increasingly opting for over-the-top (OTT) streaming services on home broadband, while rural subscribers are moving towards cheaper alternatives like Doordarshan's Free Dish.

Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, is a Direct-to-Home (DTH) service provider in India. It was a joint venture between the Tata Group and News Corporation until 2008, when Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings acquired a 10% stake from the Tata Group.

Tata Play has been a pioneer in the Indian DTH market, introducing several innovative services and products that transformed the viewing experience for users.

Notably, Tata Play's net loss increases to threefolds for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. The company reported a net loss of Rs 354 crore. The Tata Group promoted DTH company's revenue from operations declined by more than 4% to Rs 4,304 crore, while expenses increased by 1.47% to Rs 4,761 crore.

The DTH company has been focusing on enhancing its service offerings and improving customer experience to stay competitive. Tata Sons currently owns a 70% stake in Tata Play, having acquired a 10% stake from Temasek Holdings in April 2024 for ₹835 crore ($100 million).

Bharti Airtel is also a significant player in the Direct-to-Home (DTH) market in India. As of December 2020, Airtel added about 485,000 customers in the DTH segment and logged a sequential revenue growth of just under 5%.

Airtel's potential acquisition of Tata Play is part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the digital TV segment and boost its non-mobile revenues with bundled offerings. This move would help Airtel compete more effectively with other players in the market, including Jio.

Airtel's B2B Arm and Cisco Launch Airtel Software-Defined (SD) Branch for Enterprise Networking Solutions

Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel (Airtel), and Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and security, today, launched Airtel Software-Defined (SD) Branch — a simple, secure, cloud-based, end-to-end-managed network solution for enterprises.

This new solution leverages the Cisco Meraki platform to provide centralized management, scalability, and robust connectivity across multiple locations.

The SD-Branch solution aims to enhance network performance, security, and flexibility, making it easier for enterprises to manage their network infrastructure efficiently. This is particularly beneficial for businesses operating in dispersed environments with distributed applications.

The Airtel SD-Branch solution, powered by Cisco Meraki, offers several key features designed to simplify and secure enterprise networking:

1. Centralized Management: Unified management of networks across LAN, WAN, and security from a single dashboard.

2. Intuitive Dashboards: Real-time analytics and insights into network performance, devices, and location data.

3. Automated Processes: Streamlined operations with automated network provisioning and management.

4. Advanced Security: Enhanced security features including malware protection, content filtering, identity-based firewall, and intrusion prevention.

5. High-Performance Connectivity: Robust connectivity solutions tailored to meet specific business requirements.

6. Scalability: Easily scalable to accommodate business expansion and changing network needs.

7. Cost Optimization: OPEX-based pricing model and shared resources to reduce costs compared to multiple vendor solutions.

These features aim to provide enterprises with a flexible, secure, and efficient network infrastructure, making it easier to manage and optimize their branch networks.

Airtel, Jio Increases Mobile Tariffs by 10–27%

Airtel and Jio, India's leading mobile service providers, have raised their tariffs by 10-27%, effective July 3rd. This marks the first major hike in mobile plans in over two and a half years.

Here's a breakdown of the increases:

Airtel: The hike ranges from 10% to 21%. To minimize the impact on budget-conscious consumers, they've assured a minimal increase of less than 70 paise per day on entry-level plans.

Jio: The increase varies between 12% and 27%. Jio has also introduced two new apps, Jio Safe and JioTranslate, which will be offered free to customers initially.

The recent increase in mobile tariffs by Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio is primarily driven by several factors. Here are some possible reasons:

• Rising Costs: Telecom companies face increasing operational costs, including network maintenance, spectrum fees, and infrastructure upgrades. To maintain profitability, they adjust tariffs periodically.
• Investments in 5G: Both Airtel and Jio are preparing for the rollout of 5G services. These investments require substantial capital, which may lead to tariff adjustments.
• The telecom industry is competitive, and companies often respond to each other's pricing strategies. When one operator raises tariffs, others may follow suit to maintain a level playing field.
• Inflation and Currency Fluctuations: Inflation affects operational costs, and currency fluctuations impact international payments for services and equipment.
• Regulatory Changes: Regulatory decisions, such as spectrum auctions or license fees, can influence tariffs.

It is to be noted that these are general reasons,and specific details may vary.

Consumers will likely experience increased monthly bills for their mobile services. The tariff hike directly affects the cost of voice calls, data, and other services.

Consumers may explore alternative telecom providers to find better deals. The competitive landscape will play a crucial role in shaping consumer decisions. Small businesses and entrepreneurs who rely heavily on mobile services may face increased operational costs, affecting their profitability.

Overall, the impact varies based on individual circumstances, usage habits, and financial capacity.

Airtel and Google Cloud Enter into a Long-Term Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Cloud Adoption and Deploy Generative AI Solutions

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) and Google Cloud have entered into a long-term collaboration to deliver cloud solutions to Indian businesses. The strategic collaboration will offer a suite of cutting-edge cloud solutions from Google Cloud to fast-track cloud adoption and modernization for Airtel’s customers.

In addition, Airtel will provide a suite of cloud managed services to its customer base of more than 2,000 large enterprises and one million emerging businesses. Through this collaboration, the two companies are targeting the large and growing Indian public cloud services market, which is expected to reach $17.8 billion by 2027, according to IDC.

The two companies will bring together their unique strengths of connectivity and AI technology to develop industry-leading AI/ML solutions that Airtel will train on its large data set. These unique solutions will drive greater value to Airtel’s customers and will include geospatial analytics solutions with advanced location intelligence for trend-spotting, predictive capabilities, market assessment, site selection, risk management, and asset tracking; voice analytics solutions for superior conversational applications trained across languages; and marketing technology solutions to forecast consumer behavior, perform tailored audience segmentations, and streamline content creation with high-precision contextual ads at reduced costs.

In addition to these offerings, Airtel has developed an end-to-end IoT solution designed for the utility sector that combines connectivity, Google Cloud services, and application software under one offering, enabling seamless, hassle-free, and faster deployment.

To power its cloud-based solutions business, Airtel has set-up a managed services center in Pune with 300+ experts who are being extensively trained to champion Google Cloud services and develop world-class tech solutions.

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO, Bharti Airtel, said: “As India accelerates its digital transformation, cutting-edge cloud and AI solutions will be at the heart and center of this change. We are happy to partner with Google Cloud and jointly address this market opportunity with secure and scalable Cloud solutions for government, enterprises, and emerging businesses. Together, we will also accelerate the deployment of gen AI in the country and unlock its potential to solve problems.”

Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud, added: “Our strategic collaboration with Airtel marks a significant milestone towards our commitment to accelerate cloud and AI adoption in India. Through this partnership, we aim to explore and build transformative solutions that can enhance Airtel’s customer experiences.”

Airtel will also leverage Google Cloud’s gen AI capabilities to transform its customer experiences and interactions across its offerings of mobile, broadband, and digital TV, and to streamline its internal processes and operations. Airtel will also extend these capabilities to its B2B customers in India and globally.

In a First, Airtel to Offer Connectivity 35 Meters Below River Hooghly

Airtel to offer seamless connectivity to commuters in India’s first underwater metro in Kolkata

Becomes the first operator to enable connectivity, 35 meters below river Hooghly

Bharti Airtel, one of India's leading telecommunications service providers, today, announced its pioneering initiative to deliver uninterrupted connectivity to metro commuters by deploying high-capacity nodes 35 meters below river Hooghly. Airtel has invested in the infrastructure ahead of the actual commercial launch of service, which is expected soon. This makes Airtel the first operator to deliver seamless connectivity through the 4.8km stretch in Kolkata’s East – West Metro corridor connecting Howrah Maidan with the Esplanade.

To facilitate this transformative service, Airtel has connected the 4.8- km stretch between Howrah Maidan, Howrah Station, Mahakaran and Esplanade stations through fiber. High-capacity nodes at each of these stations have been deployed for seamless connectivity allowing commuters to enjoy blazing 5G speeds, uninterrupted voice calls and data transmission that enhance the daily commute experience and allow customers to stay connected and productive through their travel.

Ayan Sarkar, CEO – Bharti Airtel West Bengal and Odisha, said, “Airtel is committed to pushing boundaries to better serve its customers. This initiative to provide under-river tunnel connectivity will certainly make a difference to commuters where they will get to access to High-Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more, along with enjoying the scenic stretch below river Ganga".

India's first underwater metro is an engineering marvel connecting Howrah to Kolkata and will be thrown open to the public soon.

Last year in April, the Kolkata Metro's first underwater metro network made history when trains ran, on a trial, through the Hooghly River. The 520-meter stretch of the tracks goes through a tunnel under the river at a depth of 32 meters below water level. The tunnel is part of the East-West Metro Corridor, which is 10.8 kilometers long and 5.5 meters wide.

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second-largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband and Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and CPaaS (Airtel IQ). For more details visit www.airtel.com

India’s 1st Anime Entertainment Channel 'Anime Booth' Launched By Airtel Digital TV and CMEPL

The exclusive VAS-channel presents uninterrupted anime content with a diversified segment for anime enthusiasts.

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider, is set to revolutionise anime viewing in India with the introduction of Anime Booth — a linear service of Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (“CMEPL”) available to Indian viewers in Hindi to begin with. Designed to deliver uninterrupted viewing of anime content, Anime Booth will provide an immersive and ad-free experience catering to the demand of passionate anime fans.

The service will be accessible through Airtel's DTH services, including Airtel Digital TV and Airtel Xstream TV, and, with a subscription cost of only Rs. 1.8 per day, will offer an affordable and accessible platform through which users will be able to enjoy their favourite anime series without interruption.

This exclusive anime channel will have an ever-expanding library with new anime series added on periodically.

On the Airtel Anime Booth you can stream all your favourite anime shows like Naruto, Kochikame, Sergeant Keroro, Naruto Shippuden, Black Clover, and Demon Slayer.

Commenting on the collaboration, Siddharth Sharma, CEO – Airtel Digital TV, said, "We are thrilled to unveil the introduction of Anime Booth, marking a ground-breaking collaboration with Sony and reinforcing our commitment to providing innovative and captivating content to our valued customers. Anime Booth signifies a revolutionary advancement in anime viewing within India, offering an exclusive, ad-free platform that underscores our dedication to enhancing the entertainment experience."

Leena Lele Dutta, Business Head – Sony YAY!, (CMEPL), had this to say, "In a world where creativity is limitless and entertainment rapidly evolves through innovation, Anime has captured a global audience and is witnessing a remarkable surge in popularity in India. To cater to this escalating demand, we are introducing 'Anime Booth' in collaboration with Airtel, with the aim of transforming and elevating the anime viewing experience for India's enthusiastic fan community.”

This collaboration highlights the commitment of both CMEPL and Airtel to offering innovative and varied content experiences to their extensive subscriber base.

Airtel's Nxtra to Procure 140,208 Mwh Renewable Energy for Its Data Centres

Commits to reduce its carbon footprint annually by ~ 99,547 tCO2e

Nxtra by Airtel, one of India’s leading data centre companies, today, announced a power-wheeling agreement with Ampln and Amplus Energy to procure an additional 140,208 MWh of renewable energy. With this, Nxtra has enhanced its existing commitment of reducing its carbon footprint through renewable energy sources annually by ~ 99,547 tCO2e.

As per the agreement, AmpIn Energy and Amplus Energy will set up captive solar and wind power plants of 48 MWdc and 24.3 MW, respectively for Nxtra’s data centres in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. The 25-year agreements are in line with Nxtra’s commitment to achieving its net-zero target of 2031 and further strengthen its credentials as India’s largest chain of green data centres in the country.

This is in addition to Nxtra’s multiple other interventions to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 100% by FY2031. As part of these interventions, Nxtra has accelerated the adoption of green energy across all its operations, put in place energy efficient infrastructure and processes and implemented sustainable business practices at its workplaces.

Ashish Arora, CEO — Nxtra by Airtel, said, “These new partnerships reflect our commitment to lead India’s green data centre space and fulfill our commitment to achieve Net Zero emission by 2031. The additional clean energy supply will increase our renewable energy share to approximately 70% in the overall energy mix for our core data centers. As we work towards building more capacity in coming years and gear up for Generative AI powered loads, we are fully cognizant of our responsibility towards environment and are prepared to mitigate the impact on climate”.

The details of the agreement are as under:

• Power plant in Tamil Nadu in partnership with Amplus Energy - 24.3 MW Wind + 28 MWdc Solar | 109,798 MWh | ~77,957 tCO2e annual carbon reduction
• Power plant in Uttar Pradesh in partnership with AmpIn Energy Transition – 12 MWdc Solar | 17,880 MWh | ~12,694 tCO2e annual carbon reduction
• Power plant in Odisha in partnership with AmpIn Energy Transition – 08 MWdc Solar | 12,530 MWh | 8,896 tCO2e annual carbon reduction

Nxtra by Airtel has the largest network of data centres in India with 12 large and 120 edge data centres across the country. It will invest over Rs 5000 crores over the next few years to build six new hyperscale data centres across key metro cities in India and expand its capacity by 2X to over 400 MW. For more details, visit www.nxtra.in

Airtel Prepays ₹ 8,325 Crores To DoT To Clear High Cost Deferred Liabilities for Spectrum Acquired in 2015

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, has announced that it has prepaid Rs. 8,325 crores to the Department of Telecom (Government of India) towards part prepayment of the deferred liabilities pertaining to spectrum acquired in auction of year 2015 which were at an interest cost of 10%.

In March 2015, Bharti Airtel won spectrum worth Rs 29,129.08 crore in the auctions but had paid Rs 11,374.7 crore. The upfront amount due was Rs 7,832.20 crore.

Airtel has made two rounds of prepayments of Rs 8,815 crore and Rs 8,024 crore in March 2022 and end-July 2023, respectively, leveraging much lower-cost financing avenues available to cut annual interest payouts. Before that in December 2021, Airtel had cleared all dues relating to spectrum purchases in 2014, by prepaying Rs 15,519 crore to the telecom department.

Since the start of this year, Bharti Airtel stock has risen close to about 15%, reaching an all-time high.

About Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud-based communication. For more details, visit www.airtel.com

Airtel Business to Power 20 Mn Smart Meters for Adani Energy Solutions with Its Smart IoT solutions

Airtel Business – the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers – today announced that it will power over 20 million smart meters for Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL).

Airtel, through its robust nationwide communications network will deliver reliable and secure connectivity for all AESL’s smart meter deployments. In addition, Airtel’s transformative smart metering solutions that are powered by NB-IoT, 4G and 2G, will help AESL to ensure real-time connectivity and uninterrupted transfer of critical data between smart meters and headend applications. The solution will also come powered with Airtel’s IoT platform - ‘Airtel IoT Hub,’ which enables smart meter tracking and monitoring with advanced analytics and diagnostic capabilities in addition to real-time insights and services that empower customers with enhanced control over their energy consumption. Adani Energy Solutions has an order book of over 20 million smart meters from the power utilities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, CEO - Airtel Business (India), said, “India’s smart metering programme is one of the most significant policy reform measures undertaken by the Government. These meters are critical building blocks for smart grids and fundamental enablers for the digitalization of the power sector. Airtel expects its NB-IoT technology to play a significant role in the Utilities space to connect and manage smart meters at scale with enhanced coverage, high reliability and security. We look forward to a long and fruitful association with the Adani Group, supporting them in their endeavours to digitize utilities”.

Kandarp Patel, CEO - Adani Energy Solutions Ltd., said, “India’s ambitious Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) is transforming the way we deliver power, and AESL is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution. Our partnership with Airtel marks a critical step towards realising the vision of a smarter, more efficient grid for all. This strategic tie-up leverages the best of both worlds: our deep domain expertise in the T&D sector and Airtel's robust nationwide network and comprehensive suite of IoT offerings, including NB-IoT and 4G LTE. This powerful combination will enable us to seamlessly deploy our current order book of over 20 million smart meters across India, empowering millions of consumers with real-time consumption data and control, while simultaneously driving down inefficiencies in the distribution network”.

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud-based communication. For more details, visit www.airtel.com/

Airtel Forays Into Smart Metering, Partners IntelliSmart for End-to-End IoT Solution for Smart Metering

Airtel Business enters into strategic partnership with IntelliSmart for powering up to 20 million smart meters

To offer end-to-end IoT solution for smart metering, including Cloud, Head End System and Analytics

Indian teleco giant Bharti Airtel has announced that it has formed a strategic partnership to power up to 20 million smart meters with IntelliSmart Infrastructure Private Limited, a leading smart metering and digital solutions provider. This marks Airtel’s foray into smart metering applications such as Head End System, Meter Data Management Systems along with Cloud and Analytics.

This is one of the largest such deal in the smart metering space in the country. It will significantly contribute towards Airtel’s fast-growing IoT deployment across sectors.

Airtel’s IoT proposition includes its proprietary platform the “Airtel IoT Hub” which will help the utility track and monitor these smart meters with advanced analytics while maintaining extremely high reliability augmented with telco grade security. Housed on Airtel’s own cloud network, the IoT hub will allow enterprise users the capability to connect and manage billions of devices and applications in a highly secure and seamless fashion.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan – CEO, Airtel Business (India) said about the venture, “We have further strengthened our market leadership as the largest IoT enabler in the country. IoT is one of the fastest-growing business segments for Airtel Business and, with this deal, we are now strategically positioned to play a pivotal role in driving the Govt. of India’s vision of digitising 250 million conventional meters to smart meters. As we connect the devices across the country on our platform, we will exponentially grow our current IoT market share of 55.4% (as on Q1 FY23-24).”

Anil Rawal – MD & CEO, Intellismart Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. had this to say, “India’s smart metering programme is one of the significant steps taken by the government to modernise the power distribution sector. Smart meters are critical building blocks for smart grids and a fundamental enabler of the digitalisation efforts of the power system. As we set forward to implement one of India’s largest portfolios of smart meters, we are relying on some of the most able and potent partners in the sector for various solution elements to support the successful deployment of our Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solutions. We are confident that the on-boarding of Airtel as a strategic partner will be a significant step towards our goal of creating strong associations to strengthen our infrastructure solution with a resilient and secure cloud-hosted cellular communication network.”

The Government of India has the ambitious vision of replacing 250 million conventional meters with Smart Meters in the next five years as part of the AMI initiative. Airtel IoT aims to play a pivotal role in enabling this vision of the government with its unique capabilities. Power sector digitisation aided by the Government of India's push to usher in transparency and consumer friendly measures in this sector will see innovation such as Smart Meters become commonplace.

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud-based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com/

IntelliSmart Infrastructure Private Limited is India’s leading smart metering and digital solutions provider. It is a joint venture of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), established with the core purpose of becoming the most preferred digital partner of the utilities. Our organisational culture is built on the core values of Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Sustainability, which influence our everyday endeavours and collective practices.

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and Airtel Launches WhatsApp Banking Services

Empower customers pan-India to access banking services on their mobile phones in just a few clicks 

Delivered on Airtel IQ, the messaging solution will augment the Govt.’s Digital India mission by enabling IPPB  customers across the country to seamlessly connect with their bank on WhatsApp 

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), in collaboration with Airtel, announced the launch of WhatsApp Banking Services for IPPB customers in New Delhi on Friday, enabling them to access banking services on their mobile phone.

The newly launched IPPB WhatsApp Banking channel will enable IPPB customers to seamlessly connect with the bank on WhatsApp and effortlessly avail a host of banking services, including doorstep service request, locating nearest Post Office and much more. In line with the ambition of the Government to bring digital and financial inclusion to citizens in their language, the Airtel – IPPB WhatsApp Banking solution is also working on to build multi-language support, enabling added convenience to customers, especially to those in the rural parts of the country to access banking services in their preferred language.

Airtel has been working with IPPB to deliver as many as 250 million messages per month to the bank’s customers many of whom are located in mofussil towns and tier 2,3 cities. The addition of the WhatsApp messaging will add to customer’s accessibility to connect with the bank on their fingertips, furthering Digital India mission of the Government, as part of which IPPB has been working tirelessly to deliver banking services in the rural pockets of the country.

Shri Gursharan Rai Bansal, CGM & CSMO – India Post Payments Bank said, “We are delighted to work with Bharti Airtel as our partner in driving digital and financial inclusion in India. We believe that financial services driven by technology have great potential and can go a long way in ensuring that the best financial products reach the farthest corners of the country."

Shri Abhishek Biswal, Business Head - Airtel IQ said, “Airtel IQ is a robust, intuitive and secure cloud communication suite. With the addition of WhatsApp messaging to the existing SMS and voice communication that we offer to India Post Payments Bank customers, we will further enable a two-way communication between the bank and their customers. We are delighted to continue our association with IPPB to contribute significantly in making banking services more accessible to tier2,3 cities in the country. We promise to continue delivering customer centric solutions that offer greater convenience to customers."

The IPPB and Airtel IQ are working towards further integrating a LIVE interactive customer support agent into the WhatsApp solution which will enable customers to access 24X7 support and get quick resolutions for their queries.

Airtel Announces Winners of First “Airtel IQ Hackathon"

• Gurgaon based Green Receipt declared winners, Frazor BFSI from Udaipur declared second runner up and Delhi’s Vizard info announced third runner up
• Winners selected from a pool of over 9000 entries received from Students, Corporates and Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s)
• Hackathon winners to work with Airtel on their product, engineering and GTM.

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider today announced winners of first ever “Airtel IQ” hackathon. Gurgaon based Green Receipt, Frazor BFSI from Udaipur and Delhi’s Vizard Info were declared winners by the jury. The hackathon was launched in September this year with the objective of identifying and building new- age business solutions across five key sectors of economy such as BFSI, Retail & Ecommerce, Travel and hospitality, Ed-Tech and Contact centre which can potentially improve livelihoods and contribute to the sustainable and economic growth of the country. 

The Hackathon received over 9000 entries confirming participation, from students, corporates and ISV’s. These were further shortlisted to 300 then to 23 in semi-finals from which 10 teams were invited to participate in a two-round finale.

The finale saw teams present their solution to a jury comprising Mr Vineeth R Nair, Director – IT, Byju’s, Ms Jigyasa Kishore, Chief Strategy Officer – Moglix and Mr Gaurav Agnihotri from Airtel.

The winners received a sum of Rs. 20 lacs as cash award and the best ideas amongst them are eligible to receive potential funding from Airtel’s Start-up accelerator program. All the participants can leverage Airtel’s core platform strengths of data, distribution, network and payments besides its partner ecosystem.

The Hackathon witnessed number of ground-breaking solutions aimed at solving real-world business and customer experience problems- from providing travel convenience, delivering English literacy curriculum to the students in the remotest locations of India, to enabling single-click payment of gas bills and others.

Speaking about the Hackathon, Mr Abhishek Biswal – Business Head, Airtel IQ said, “We are delighted with the scale and level of entries received in this hackathon. We are looking forward to working with all the participants- ISVs, developers to build innovative solutions. These robust, scalable solutions will help Enterprises, MSMEs to deliver world-class customer experience and further boost the ease of doing business in India.”

The Winners

• Green Receipt – Gurgaon, Category – BFSI & Retail
• Frazor BFSI – Udaipur, Category – CRM
• Vizard Info – Delhi, Category – Retail and Hyperpersonalisation

The hackathon is part of a range of projects Airtel has initiated with the goal of developing and enhancing India’s technology talent and it will become an annual feature going forward.

About Airtel: Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500M+ customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa.

Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments, and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, adtech and cloud-based communication. For more details, visit www.airtel.in.

Airtel Acquires Stake in Aqilliz, A Blockchain-based MediaTech Startup

Indian Telecommunication giant, Bharti Airtel ('Airtel'), has acquired a strategic stake in Singapore-based Aqilliz via its "Airtel Startup Accelerator Program".  Aqilliz is essentially a blockchain-enabled MediaTech startup offering a new age middleware technology for the media marketplace and create a more collaborative digital marketing environment.

Airtel has launched its Startup Accelerator Program in 2019, which seeks to support early-stage startups that will contribute to the growth of Digital India, by offering financial backing, networking, and mentorship.

Aqilliz has developed a patented hybrid blockchain platform called ‘Atom' that integrates differential privacy and federated learning on a distributed digital ledger. Aqilliz's Atom allows brands to create secure and consent-based solutions to engage with customers in a rapidly-evolving digital economy that's becoming increasingly decentralized. 

With this acquisition, Airtel will be deploying Aqilliz’s solutions across its Adtech (Airtel Ads), Digital Entertainment (Wynk Music & Airtel Xstream) and Digital Marketplace (Airtel Thanks App) offerings.

Whereas, Aqilliz will be able to benefit from Airtel’s online and offline distribution network, while giving us the opportunity to deploy our MAdtech offerings at scale to the conglomerate’s over 340 million retail customers and over 1 million business partners. 

Aqilliz has also co-created an NFT marketplace called 'WishWorld', a music and entertainment-focused NFT marketplace that enable fans to engage directly with celebrities in the metaverse. 

made for the entertainment and music creators. WishWorld enables avid fans to interact directly with their favourite creators, imbuing virtual experiences with real-world value.

Airtel, through its accelerator program, has acquired stake in Vahan, an AI-based job matchmaker between employers & job seekers.

SOURCE - Airtel.in

As Cyber-Threats Surge, Airtel XStream Fiber Launches ‘Secure Internet’ for its Customers

Easy-to-use tool provides real time protection against malware to all connected devices

Blocks unwanted content and websites when children are online

New Delhi, 6 July 2021: As customers in India spend more time online for Work from Home, e-commerce and entertainment, they are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. India saw 300% spike in cyber-attacks during 2020 as per data compiled by CERT-In. Around 59 percent of Indian adults have been a victim of cybercrime in the past 12 months, according to the sixth annual Norton Cyber Safety Insights report.

Online classes and E-Learning for kids, has brought the need for effective content filtering on the internet, to the forefront.

To solve these large emerging challenges for its customers, Airtel Xstream Fiber has launched a highly relevant online service - ‘Secure Internet’. It blocks malware (including viruses), high risk websites and apps in real time; by leveraging Airtel’s network security apparatus for all devices connected to the Airtel Xstream Fiber, through the ‘Wi-Fi’.

‘Secure Internet’ offers multiple security modes for varying customer needs, from remote working to online classes. With its Child Safe and Study Modes, customers can block websites and applications with unwanted, adult/graphic content not suitable for children, thereby providing much needed protection from online threats to a particularly vulnerable section of society.

Shashwat Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Bharti Airtel said: 

We, at Airtel, are obsessed with making digital experiences for our customers better and safer through innovation. Work and children’s studies have all gone online with the pandemic. Along with the speed and reliability of broadband, security is a now a key requirement for customers. Secure Internet is an easy to activate and highly effective solution for making internet, safer for our customers

The service is available for all Airtel Xstream Fiber customers, for a monthly subscription for Rs. 99/-. The subscription comes with a 30-day complimentary trial of the service; post which it is billed. The service is easily activated / deactivate through the Airtel Thanks app.

About Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 471 mn customers in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com

Mavenir and Airtel Demonstrate O-RAN RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) at Global O-RAN ALLIANCE Plugfest hosted by Airtel in India

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telco, together with Mavenir, demonstrated O-RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), at the recent Global O-RAN ALLIANCE Plugfest it hosted. 

The Global Plugfest, which was a first for the India region participation, showcased the growing maturity of the O-RAN ecosystem. The event allowed participants to integrate and validate conformance & interoperability of the solutions implemented based on O-RAN defined architecture & specifications to accelerate readiness of solutions for commercial deployments. 

The O-RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) demonstrated by Mavenir and Airtel makes use of advanced machine learning algorithms to optimize network performance. This demonstration showed RIC in action, ingesting configuration data and performance metrics from a demonstration RAN, and iteratively optimizing the configuration parameters to achieve improvement in key performance indicators. The target objective function is configurable by the operator, guiding the optimization process to meet potentially dynamically changing business requirements at runtime. Scope of demonstration also includes O-RAN O1 interface testing of Mavenir Non-RealTime RIC. 

Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO Mavenir, said, “We are excited to partner with Airtel in the first global O-RAN plugfest event that enables re-thinking of traditional network deployment models.” 

“We are delighted to partner with the global O-RAN community. Our engagement with Mavenir for this successful demonstration is yet another step forward towards building 5G systems with open network architecture,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO at Bharti Airtel. 

Kuntal Chowdhury, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Mavenir's AI & Analytics business unit, said, "Optimization of network configuration parameters in traditional network deployments is characterized by high cost, the need for expert technicians, and long delays as data is collected through drive-testing. Through the intelligent application of the latest machine learning techniques, we can dramatically reduce the cost and time required for network optimization at network deployment time and throughout the life of the network. Thanks to Airtel and O-RAN ALLIANCE for hosting this event." 

About Mavenir 

Mavenir is the industry's only end-to-end, cloud-native Network Software Provider focused on accelerating software network transformation and redefining network economics for Communications Service Providers (CSPs). Mavenir offers a comprehensive end-to-end product portfolio across every layer of the mobile network stack. From mobile core, mobile access/edge and mobile services, Mavenir leads the way in evolved, cloud-native networking solutions enabling innovative and secure experiences for end users. Leveraging innovations in IMS (VoLTE, VoWiFi, Advanced Messaging (RCS)), Private Networks as well as vEPC, 5G Core and OpenRAN vRAN, Mavenir accelerates network transformation for more than 250+ CSP customers in over 120 countries, which serve over 50% of the world's subscribers. 

Mavenir embraces disruptive, innovative technology architectures and business models that drive service agility, flexibility, and velocity. With solutions that propel NFV evolution to achieve web-scale economics, Mavenir offers solutions to help CSPs with cost reduction, revenue generation, and revenue protection. www.mavenir.com. 

About Bharti Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its mobile network covers a population of over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated telecom provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. At the end of September 2020, Airtel had approx. 440 mn customers across its operations. 

Airtel’s portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds upto 1Gbps, converged digital TV solutions through the Airtel Xstream 4K Hybrid Box, digital payments through Airtel Payments Bank as well as an integrated suite of services across connectivity, collaboration, cloud and security that serves over one million businesses. 

Airtel’s OTT services include Airtel Thanks app for self-care, Airtel Xstream app for video, Wynk Music for entertainment and Airtel BlueJeans for video conferencing. In addition, Airtel has forged strategic partnerships with hundreds of companies across the world to enable the Airtel platform to deliver an array of consumer and enterprise services.

Airtel offers India’s Best Video and Gaming experience

Also has the fastest download speeds and the best voice app experience 

Further strengthens Airtel’s position as India’s preferred smartphone network 

New Delhi, October 5, 2020: “Airtel remains the operator to beat” as per the findings of Opensignal’s latest India Mobile Network Experience Report. Airtel has won four of the top awards, including the Best Gaming and Video Experience, in the study which examined mobile network experience for top operators in 49 cities across India.

In today’s unprecedented times, mobile networks are playing an increasingly important role in keeping people connected, helping them work and study remotely. Video streaming and online gaming over smartphones have seen a massive surge as people stay indoors. Teams at Airtel are working round the clock to ensure that customers always get a world-class network experience and Opensignal’s findings are a validation of these efforts.

Airtel offers the best gaming experience: In its first ever award for gaming experience on mobile, Opensignal rates Airtel as the top network in India. Opensignal analysed how the multiplayer mobile Games Experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter to determine the impact on gameplay.

Airtel offers the best video experience: Airtel has topped Opensignal’s Video Experience rankings for the fourth time in a row and this time round it was the only operator to place in the Good (55-65) category for this measure of the mobile experience.

Airtel has the fastest download speeds: Airtel continues to blaze the charts when it comes to downloads speeds. It once again topped Opensignal’s download speed experience rankings with an average speed of 10.4 Mbps.

Airtel offers the best voice app experience: For the second year running Airtel has won the best voice app experience award in Opensignal’s study.

Says Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel: “Our mission is to serve quality customers with a world-class service experience and Opensignal’s latest findings reaffirm our razor sharp focus on network excellence. Especially during these unprecedented times when our customers need seamless connectivity for Work From Home, Online Education and Entertainment, Airtel has stepped up the game to deliver the best experience.”

For more details - https://www.opensignal.com/reports/2020/09/india/mobile-network-experience

Opensignal Awards - India Mobile Network Experience September 2020 report, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period May 01 – Jul 29, 2020. © 2020 Opensignal Limited.

Airtel, Google Cloud Partner to Boost Collaboration, Productivity and Digital Transformation in India

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest integrated telecommunications services provider, and Google Cloud today announced a partnership to serve the evolving needs of millions of Indian businesses in a rapidly digitizing economy.  

Starting today, Airtel will offer G Suite to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) in India as part of its integrated ICT portfolio. G Suite is a set of intelligent apps—Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar and more—designed with real-time collaboration and machine intelligence to bring people together and help them work smarter and safer.

This latest agreement will provide a platform for both companies to tap growth opportunities in India, which ranks amongst the fastest growing economies and has the second highest number of internet users in the world. Airtel serves over 2,500 large businesses and over 500,000 SMBs and technology startups across India.        

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel and Google Cloud have a shared vision of delighting customers with great products. India, with its growing economy and adoption of digital services, offers one of the biggest opportunities to serve customers with innovative solutions. We are pleased to further strengthen our deep relationship with Google Cloud and build products and services aimed at transforming Indian businesses."

Enabling digital transformation of Indian businesses 

India is currently witnessing a rapid adoption of digital services. Indian businesses are embracing digital tools and cloud based solutions to enhance agility and efficiency, and serve the evolving requirements of their customers. As per a recent report by NASSCOM, by 2022 the Indian cloud market could cross USD7 billion* and Indian Software as a Service (SaaS) market could top the USD3.5 billion* mark.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud said, “Indian companies are making a massive transformation to the cloud and we’re thrilled to partner with Airtel to support this transition. The combination of G Suite’s collaboration and productivity tools with Airtel’s digital business offerings will help accelerate digital innovations for thousands of Indian businesses."

Google Cloud provides organizations with leading infrastructure, platform capabilities and industry solutions, along with expertise, to reinvent their business with data-powered innovation on modern computing infrastructure. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently, modernize for growth and innovate for the future. Customers in more than 150 countries turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems.