NIXI Marks 23rd Foundation Day with Four New Digital Platforms to Strengthen India’s Internet Ecosystem

• Foundation Day Highlights New Digital Tools and Growth of India’s Internet Ecosystem

The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) today celebrated its 23rd Foundation Day, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, members of the internet community, academia, and technology experts to reflect on India's digital journey and discuss the future of internet-led growth.

A key highlight of the celebrations was the launch of four new digital initiatives by the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and Chairman, NIXI. These included the IX Portal, myIRINN Portal, .IN Auction Portal, and an AI-Powered WHOIS Screening Platform. The portals are aimed at enhancing user experience, improving operational efficiency, bringing transparency and strengthening monitoring and verification processes across India's internet ecosystem. The AI-powered WHOIS screening platform will help enhance domain name security and strengthen the detection of suspicious websites hence strengthening India's .in domain space.

The event also recognised and felicitated organisations and stakeholders whose contributions have helped strengthen India's internet ecosystem and accelerate the growth of the country's digital infrastructure.

Addressing the gathering, Shri S. Krishnan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and Chairman, NIXI, said –

As digital technologies become deeply integrated into our daily lives, building trust, resilience and security across the Internet ecosystem becomes increasingly important. NIXI has played a vital role in strengthening India's Internet infrastructure while enabling greater participation in global Internet governance discussions. Together, we must continue working towards an Internet that is safe, reliable and accessible for all."

Shri Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region, said –

As India’s digital ecosystem continues to expand, it is important that we strengthen our participation in global Internet governance and standards discussions. Initiatives such as the NIXI Fellowship Programme are helping build a new generation of leaders who can contribute meaningfully to shaping the future of the Internet. NIXI has played a significant role in advancing India’s digital journey, and I am confident it will continue to strengthen the country’s position in the global Internet community.

Shri Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY, added –

As India strengthens its position in the global digital landscape, it is essential that we actively contribute to Internet governance and standards discussions. Through initiatives such as the NIXI Fellowship Programme, funding support for projects in Internet technologies, and fellowships that enable participation in forums such as the IETF, we are helping build the next generation of Internet leaders who will shape a secure, inclusive and resilient digital future.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Devesh Tyagi, CEO, NIXI, said –

The internet’s next phase in India will come down to three things: trust, innovation, and making sure people from every part of the country can take part. Going forward, it’s not only about getting people online. It’s about giving citizens, businesses, startups, and institutions real chances to grow in a digital-first world. At NIXI, we’ll keep working to build an internet ecosystem that backs innovation, encourages people to work together, and creates lasting value for the country.

Over the past 23 years, NIXI has played a significant role in supporting India's internet ecosystem. Today, it manages over 39 lakh+ .IN domain names, operates 79 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) across the country, supports domain registrations in 22 Indian languages, and continues to drive IPv6 adoption, which has reached approximately 78.34% across India making it one of the global leaders in IPv6 adoption.

As India continues its journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047, NIXI remains committed to enhancing internet resilience, and enabling a secure and inclusive digital ecosystem for citizens, businesses, and institutions across the country.

About NIXI -

The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. NIXI plays a critical role in strengthening India’s Internet infrastructure by facilitating efficient exchange of domestic Internet traffic, managing the .IN and .भारत (.Bharat) country-code top-level domains, and promoting adoption of Internet services across the country. Through its initiatives, NIXI supports a secure, resilient, and inclusive Internet ecosystem aligned with India’s digi

Starlink’s India Liftoff Stalled by FDI Rules and Security Concerns

Starlink’s India launch remains stalled as the government weighs foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals and national security clearances. While the company has reportedly cleared some security hurdles, final authorization from the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) and the Union Cabinet is still pending, leaving its commercial rollout uncertain.

Starlink, the satellite broadband arm of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been seeking entry into the Indian market to provide high-speed internet services, particularly in rural and underserved regions. The company already holds a global license but cannot operate in India without spectrum allocation and FDI approval.

According to The Hindu BusinessLine, Starlink has recently met the security requirements set by law enforcement agencies. The next step involves review by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), which is expected to convene soon. If approved, the proposal will move to the Union Cabinet for final clearance before Starlink can begin operations.

Reports from The Economic Times highlight that India’s government is scrutinizing Starlink’s investment proposal under FDI rules, citing national security concerns amplified by global geopolitical tensions. Authorities are cautious about foreign satellite operators due to risks of data interception, misuse of equipment, and vulnerabilities in emergency communications. India’s FDI policy for the space sector has been liberalized since 2024, allowing up to 100% foreign investment in satellite operations through the government approval route. However, sensitive sectors like telecom and space remain subject to strict compliance with guidelines from ISRO and the Department of Space.

In September 2025, Starlink received its trial spectrum clearance from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to launch satellite internet services trials. 

However, the license alone wasn’t enough to begin operations. Starlink still needed:

• Spectrum allocation for satellite communications, which is a separate regulatory process.
• FDI and security clearances, since satellite internet falls under sensitive telecom and space sectors.
• Cabinet-level approval after review by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC).

So while the DoT trial license was granted, the government continued to scrutinize Starlink’s ownership structure and compliance with India’s FDI rules. Security agencies also raised concerns about potential misuse of equipment and risks to data sovereignty.

Starlink’s entry was expected to accelerate rural broadband expansion, bridging connectivity gaps in remote areas. The delay, however, benefits domestic competitors such as OneWeb (Bharti-backed) and Reliance Jio’s satellite ventures, which are positioning themselves to capture market share while Starlink awaits clearance. The case also sets a precedent for how India will regulate foreign satellite internet providers, balancing the promise of advanced technology with concerns over sovereignty and security.

In summary, while Starlink has made progress on the security front, its India launch hinges on FDI approval and Cabinet-level clearance. The government’s careful approach underscores the strategic importance of satellite communications in India’s national security framework.

From Mumbai to Kolkata: Starlink to Establish 9 Gateway Stations Across India

Starlink is gearing up for its satellite internet debut in India by establishing nine gateway earth stations across key cities. This infrastructure is crucial for enabling high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband access nationwide—even in remote areas with limited mobile coverage.

Key Highlights

• Cities targeted: Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, and others
• Purpose: These stations will serve as ground infrastructure to connect Starlink’s Gen 1 satellite constellation with users across India
• Spectrum access: Starlink has applied for 600 Gbps capacity and received provisional spectrum clearance to begin testing
• Regulatory status: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allowed Starlink to import 100 satellite terminals for testing
• Launch timeline: Full-scale rollout expected by late 2025 or early 2026

Gateway Station Deployment Overview

Feature	Details
Number of Stations	9 planned across major cities
Cities Identified	Mumbai, Noida, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, and Kolkata among others
Purpose	To connect Starlink’s satellite constellation to India’s terrestrial internet backbone
Spectrum Clearance	Provisional approval for 600 Gbps capacity from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
Terminal Imports	100 satellite user terminals approved for testing (not commercial use)
Launch Timeline	Commercial rollout expected in late 2025 or early 2026
Regulatory Status	Awaiting full licensing under India’s new satellite communication framework

Strategic Implications

• Rural Connectivity Boost: Enables coverage in remote and underserved areas, bypassing the need for fiber or mobile towers
• Competitive Landscape: Starlink will compete with Bharti-backed OneWeb and Jio’s satellite JV with SES
• Security & Sovereignty: Government monitoring for compliance with national security and data localization norms
• Tech Stack: Gen 1 satellites use Ku-band; Gen 2 may introduce laser interlinks and higher throughput

This move positions India as a major market for Starlink’s global expansion, potentially transforming connectivity for underserved regions.

Last month, Starlink received trial spectrum clearance from the DoT to conduct tests at its Navi Mumbai terminal. Starlink has applied for high-capacity spectrum (600 Gbps Spectrum Request) to support its Gen 1 satellite constellation.

The company has received approval to import 100 satellite terminals for testing purposes. Services are expected to begin by early 2026, pending final SATCOM licensing and spectrum allotment.

Govt of India, MeitY Organizes 2-Day Event on Universal Acceptance Day to Promote Multilingual Internet for Digital Inclusion in India

• Government of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) organizes two-day event on Universal Acceptance Day to promote multilingual internet for digital inclusion in India
• India was the flag bearer this year to promote and promulgate Universal Acceptance for digital inclusion.
• Being celebrated globally, this inaugural UA Day was aimed at driving efforts for inclusive and multilingual internet.
• Adoption of UA in India can add another 500 million broadband users to add value to the digital economy, promote startup ecosystems and generate employment opportunities.
• Next 1 billion internet users are likely to come from non-English speaking countries, heightening the importance of multilingual internet, noted experts.

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), a non-for-profit company, under the aegis of the MeitY, successfully organized a 2-day event (27-28th March) on Universal Acceptance Day to drive collaborative efforts for an inclusive and multilingual internet in India.

Elaborating on the importance of Universal Acceptance, Bhuvnesh Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary, MeitY said, "India is home to more than 18,000 dialects. As we move from one city to another, pronunciation and ways of speaking change completely. The country has the most internet users but it must be noted that language barriers also make it a base of the largest numbers of non-users who do not speak English. It is very important that we not just provide internet services but also create emails and websites in native languages. Providing a multilingual internet user interface is crucial for bridging the current digital divide. Through Universal Acceptance, we can connect with non-internet users and promote digital inclusion across the country and the world.”

Various experts who engaged in thought-provoking sessions during the event noted that the next 1 billion internet users are likely to come from non-English speaking countries, heightening the need towards achieving a multilingual internet to make it accessible for all. Additionally, adoption of UA in India can add another 500 million broadband users which can add value to the digital economy, promote startup ecosystems and generate employment opportunities in the country.

Addressing a session during the event , Tripti Sinha, ICANN Board Chair said," The Internet is a powerful tool for equalizing access to information, but its full potential cannot be realized until it becomes multilingual. It is also important to include multiple genders in this initiative."

In her address during a session, Sally Costerton, Interim President and CEO, ICANN, said "The Indian government can lead the way in promoting multilingual internet systems, similar to their efforts in the financial sector with Unicode. This move will enable more people to access the internet in their native languages, making it easier for them to communicate and access information. It is also important to have top-level domain names in local languages and scripts and ensure that the multilingual systems are safe and secure to use."

India, which is fast-turning into a digital economy, has been chosen as the flag bearer this year to promote and promulgate Universal Acceptance for digital inclusion. The event was a serious effort to initiate thought-provoking, meaningful and result-oriented dialogues to raise awareness, break the language barriers and make the internet accessible to a larger population and bring every citizen in the ambit of economic progress.

Dr Ajay Data, UASG Chair said, "I am very thankful of NIXI, MeitY and ICANN to support and make UA Day a reality in 42 countries.UA is a solution to multilingual issues. It ensures that all valid domain names and email addresses can be used equally by all internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems, regardless of script, language, or character length. This is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive internet that caters to the needs of all users."

“This is an important moment in Indian history, because we want to lead conversations on Universal Acceptance. India is the perfect example of diversity & I can't think of a better nation to lead the dialogue on Acceptance, inclusivity & bridging the digital divide. Internet needs to be made inclusive to enable women to get online, use digital tools & services, and contribute to the global economy. UA is the 1st step towards a safe, secure & accessible Internet. UA is going to be about bringing the next billion users online and there will be three things that will be essential in bring and then keeping them online: acesss to devices and data at affordable rates, local language content, and capacity building through digital and cyber literacy” Said Dr Subi Chaturvedi, Global SVP & Chief Corporate Affairs & Public Policy Officer, InMobi speaking at the inaugural panel of global UA day.

The country is home to the most internet users in the world however, it also houses a large-base of non-users who do not speak English. Acknowledging the high importance and urgent need of inclusive internet, the event hosted policy and decision makers, government officials, thought-leaders, industry experts from India and across the globe who deliberated on building multilingual internet, including emails and websites in native languages to bridge digital divide, connect non-internet users and promote digital inclusion.

The first-of-its-kind initiative registered the participation of dignitaries including Bhuvnesh Kumar- IAS, Additional Secretary, MeitY, Abhishek Singh- President & CEO- NeGD, MeitY, Edmon Chung- Board Director, ICANN, Ajay Data - Chair UASG,Tripti Sinha- ICANN Board Chair, Sally Costerton- CEO, ICANN, Jia-Rong Low- Vice President & MD, APAC, ICANN, Anil Kumar Jain- CEO, NIXI, Asha Nangia- Scientist G (MeitY), T Santhosh- Scientist ‘E’, Internet Governance Division, MeitY, Nitin Wali - Senior Director of Stakeholder Engagement, ICANN, and others who shared their views with students, developers, researchers, content creators, participants and guests.

It hosted engaging sessions and workshops on relevant and important topics such as “Socio-Economic aspects of UA and Multilingual Internet and its impact on public policy’, ‘Technology enablement for universal acceptance - challenges and mitigation’, ‘Introduction to Universal Acceptance (UA),’ ‘Making your website Universal Acceptance ready: Way Forward’, ‘Universal Acceptance work in India’, ‘Importance of UA for multi-cultural society in India,’ and others.

Universal Acceptance means building a technical environment to allow computing devices, operating systems, browsers, social media or e-commerce to accept instructions in local language other than English and ensure valid domain names and email addresses, regardless of script, language or character length. India has set a target of becoming a USD 1 trillion digital economy soon and it is important for the country to widen the cover of digital inclusion with UA.

Achieving it can ensure every Indian has the ability to experience the full social and economic power of the internet by choosing domain name and email address in any language that best aligns with their interests, business, culture, language, and script.

Celebrated globally on 28th March, this inaugural UA Day was organized by UASG and ICANN and it successfully engaged and mobilized top technical and language communities, companies, governments and DNS industry stakeholders to better understand the benefits of UA and how they can make their systems UA-ready. It was reported that more than 40 countries participated in celebrating 1st Global UA day.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a non-profit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world. For more information please visit: https://www.icann.org/

About NIXI

NIXI is a not-for-profit organization under section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, and was registered on 19th June, 2003. NIXI was set up for peering of ISPs among themselves for the purpose of routing the domestic traffic within the country, instead of taking it all the way to US/Abroad, thereby resulting in better quality of service (reduced latency) and reduced bandwidth charges for ISPs by saving on International Bandwidth. NIXI is managed and operated on a Neutral basis, in line with the best practices for such initiatives globally. .IN is India’s Country Code Top Level domain (ccTLD). The Govt. of India delegated the operations of INRegistry to NIXI in 2004. The .INRegistry operates and manages India’s .IN ccTLD. To know more about NIXI and its other business units please visit: www.nixi.in

About the UASG

The UASG is a community-led initiative that was formed in 2015 and funded by ICANN. It consists of representatives from more than 120 companies, governments, and community groups. The UASG works to raise awareness of the importance of UA globally, provide free resources to organizations to help them become UA-ready and measure the progress of UA adoption. To learn more, visit https://uasg.tech/

Internet Usage Spikes in Villages: Expert

 

Jayesh Ranajan to inaugurate 2 Day Conference organised as part of the week long Indo Data Week

 

Hyderabad, November 17, 2020....India is among the top two countries globally on many key dimension of digital adoption. India is number 1 globally by enrolling 1.2 billion people in the world's largest unique digital identity program Aadhar said Siddhant Agarwal, Google Developer Relations while speaking in the Startup Master class on 'Building for the new billion users'.

 

The Master Class was organised on the day 2 of the ongoing week long 2nd edition of Indo Data Week organised by DAV Data Solutions from Hyderabad.

 

Speaking further he added India is number two globally behind China, in terms of 12.3 billion App downloads in 2018, 1.17 billion wireless phone subscribers, 560m internet subscribers, 354 million smartphone devices and 294 million users engaged in social media.

 

By the year 2025, digital could transform India's economy —Financial Services by 170 x with a growth potential of $ 170 billion, Job and skills 70x — with a growth potential of $ 70bn, Agriculture 70x—70bn; Education 50x — 50bn; Logistics  30x—$ 30bn and Retail 11.7x —& 35 bn, he pointed out.

 

He spoke about what is required to reach the next billion internet users?  With a half billion active users, Indian Internet is more rural, local, mobile-first than ever.

 

Accessing internet is key. So the product developers must keep this in mind and optimise their product for entry-level devices. Aarogya Sethu, the contact tracing app did some remarkable job by reaching out to those who did not have smart phone, said Siddhanth.

 

The second big issue is Data. Companies building products for the new billion users must come out with innovative solutions for data conscious users.

 

Siddhanth gave an example of how Vodafone-Idea Phone line with the Google Assistant helped people without data and internet connection with information. Companies must explore new ways to support connectivity.

 

He spoke about Facebook Discover which helped people browse the internet for free with the help of their partners.

 

Around the world, many internet users remain under-connected, regularly dropping off the internet when they run out of data. Discover is designed to help bridge these gaps, keeping people connected more consistently until they can purchase data again, he shared

 

He spoke about identity, accessing internet, voice and other related issues, tackling vernacular users and their issues how the Google Assistant has become more helpful in ordering food hands free and getting things done with the power of voice. He concluded that the time to build for next billion users is now

 

The master class was held aiming at startup's, mentors, investors, accelerators/incubators and their representatives.

 

The day long session was also addressed by Pratap Raju of Climate Collective on communicating startup or offerings , technical solutions better.

 

Deva P. Seetharam, Startup advisor spoke on managing risks in their entrepreneurial journey. Jonathan Talbot from World Startup also spoke

 

Later in the day, a Quiz program was conducted for school kids on Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Jayesh Ranjan is to inaugurate a  2 day conference as part of this week-long event.

 

Parvathy Krishnan informed that the two day conference will feature keynotes and panel discussions by delegates from governmental and public sector organisations such as World Bank, Pulse Lab Jakarta, Emerging Technologies Wing — Government of Telangana, National Health Authority — Government of India,  startups and innovation hubs, Impact Scientist, Knowledge Exchange Innovation Center Thailand, FluxGen Technologies, IroIro, and Khetee. There will also be speakers from research and academia  such as Jheronimus Academy of Data Science, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad, and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Industry will also be well-represeted with speakers from Microsoft Research India, OMRON Asia Pacific, Burnmark, APAC Prysm Group, and EnexisGroep.

Spurt in Internet Usage to Drive Digital Marketing in India - IAMAI

Delivering the keynote address at the 15th Marketing Conclave organized by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director, India Operations at Twitter India said, "There are 1.1 billion expected smartphone users in India by 2024, Internet users in rural India are growing at the rate of 35% and Indians at large are expected to consume 18GB data per day by 2024. He further added, “This evolution in the way people consume information and connect with one another has also inspired brands to take steps in a new direction. It has encouraged these advertisers to evolve beyond one-sided communication and move towards designing participation.”

The theme of the flagship event was ‘Age of MadTech’ and the discussions were centered around ‘Future of Marketing.’ The conference was attended by high-profile industry stalwarts who shared insights on the technology trends in advertising and marketing.

Speakers at the conference were of the view that digital was the way forward for brands to achieve the highest RoI, and also to build trust and enagage with the consumers. The speakers opined that this being the age of millennials, digital would play a critical role to capture and engage with that generation. This would also pose exciting challenges for brands to capture their imagination.

It is pertinent to note that the digital marketing landscape in India is growing phenomenally and expected to grow manifold in future. According to a DAN Report, as of 2018, the Indian digital advertising market was pegged at Rs 61,878 crore and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 10.62% till 2021 to reach a market size of Rs 85,250 crore. The conclave thus provided an excellent platform for attending delegates to network and engage with industry peers who discussed the latest trends of ‘martech’ and debated on ways to continue the growth momentum through innovative approach.

Commenting on the success of the 15th Marketing Conclave, Gaurav Chopra, Vice President, IAMAI said, “The conference is a great platform for aspiring marketers from various industries to discover the Age of MADTech. Experts from the marketing and advertising fraternity shared wonderful stories of how many brands have transformed/evolved with time using the right mix of marketing, advertising and technology. IAMAI strives to work with industry to push the envelope further for the betterment of the industry.”

The conclave was attended by high-profile industry stalwarts including Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director, Twitter India; Vivek Bhargava, CEO, DAN Performance Group; Anita Nayyar – CEO, India and South-East Asia, Havas Media Group; Prasanjeet Dutta Baruah – Business Head, Technology, Automotive, Facebook; Robert Hain, Senior Product Manager, IBM; Charles Ross, Asia Editorial Director, The Economist Intelligence Unit; Deepali Naair, Director Marketing India and South Asia, IBM and Sunder Madakshira, Head – Marketing, Adobe who shared their expert views on the changing marketing dynamics. The conclave acted as strong learning platform for delegates to understand the various new-age marketing trends and methods.

Some of the top brands who attended the conclave are Alt Balaji, Amazon, Asian Paints, Axis Bank, BookMyShow, Cipla, Dream 11, Eros Now, Godrej, GroupM, HDFC Bank, Hotstar, ICICI Bank, JioSavaan, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Marico, Nykaa, Pantaloons, Radio City, Red Chillies Entertainment, McDonald’s, SBI, Sony Liv, Star Entertainment, Tata Sky, Times Network, Vodafone Idea Limited, Yashraj Films, Yes Bank, Yatra.com and Zee5.

The audience - content creators, marketing and advertisement professionals, publishers, startups and digital marketers at the conference got the opportunity to experience and understand new-age marketing methods. Some of the highlights of the conclave were around discussions on trending topics (such as AI in Marketing, Importance of UI/UX in Digital Marketing, Data Driven Marketing, Marketing Automation), insightful keynotes, Debates and chats which was well-received by them.
About IAMAI

The Internet and Mobile Association of India [IAMAI] is a young and vibrant association with ambitions of representing the entire gamut of digital businesses in India. It was established in 2004 by the leading online publishers, and in the last 15 years has come to effectively address the challenges facing the digital and online industry including mobile content and services, online publishing, mobile advertising, online advertising, ecommerce and mobile & digital payments among others.

Fifteen years after its establishment, the association is still the only professional industry body representing the online industry in India. The association is registered under the Societies Act and is a recognized charity in Maharashtra. With a membership of nearly 300 Indian and overseas companies, and with offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, the association is well placed to work towards charting a growth path for the digital industry in India.

Visit: https://marketingconclave.in/

Digital Uttar Pradesh - Airtel Implemented State Wide Area Network (SWAN)

Bharti Airtel ("Airtel"), India’s leading telecommunications services provider, today said that it has designed and implemented a future ready State Wide Area Network (SWAN) for the Government of Uttar Pradesh as part of Government of India’s e-Governance initiative.

UPSWAN 2.0, which is one of the largest of its kind in India, was launched by the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minster Dr Dinesh Sharma.

Mr. Alok Sinha , Additional Chief Secretary (Commercial Tax, IT & Electronics) said: “Under the leadership of our Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi ji India is undergoing a digital transformation and empowering its citizens through e-Governance. Uttar Pradesh, which is India’s largest state, is making rapid strides towards becoming fully digitally enabled and ensuring that government services reach every corner of the state over a digital backbone. We are pleased to partner with Bharti Airtel in this journey and congratulate them on building this key network infrastructure."

UPSWAN 2.0 comprises of 885 Points of Presence (PoPs) across the state and is designed to provide secure, high-speed connectivity for delivery of Government services to citizens over a Closed User Group network. This modern network infrastructure now digitally connects all State Headquarters, District Headquarters, Block Headquarters & Tehsil Headquarters across Uttar Pradesh and empowers them to deliver Government to Government as well as Government to Citizen services in a quick and seamless fashion.

All State Headquarters will be equipped with upto 10 Gbps connectivity while District, Block and Tehsil Headquarters will have upto 10 Mbps connectivity. A dedicated Network Operations Centre has also been set up in Lucknow to monitor the network performance.

UPSWAN will enhance efficiency and enable seamless e-delivery of government services to citizens even in deep rural pockets. These include filing of applications for pension and financial aid, registration for employment, issuance of birth and death certificates, application for new/renewal of ration cards etc. It will also lay a robust foundation for building Smart Cities across the State.

Airtel has provided end to end solution for this large scale digital infrastructure including MPLS, Internet Bandwidth, Network Hardware Equipment, Security Firewalls, System Integration and Managed Services.

Mr. Ajay Chitkara, Director & CEO - Airtel Business said: “We are delighted to be able to contribute to the Digital India vision and partner with the Government of Uttar Pradesh in their digital transformation agenda. UPSWAN, which compares with the best in class networks, will be digital backbone for the state and help in building a truly connected Uttar Pradesh. On behalf of Airtel, I would like to thank the State administration for giving us this opportunity."

Airtel Business is India’s leading provider of ICT services with a diverse portfolio of services to enterprises, governments, carriers and small and medium businesses. It serves over 3000 Large and 500,000 Medium and Small enterprises with world-class services.

Airtel is a trusted solution provider for fixed-line voice (PRIs), data and other connectivity solutions like MPLS, VoIP, SIP trunking. Additionally, the company offers solutions to businesses Audio, Video and Web Conferencing. Cloud portfolio is also an integral part of its office solutions suite, which offers Storage, compute, Microsoft office 365, ecommerce package through shopify and CRM packages on a pay as you go model.

Along with voice, data and video, its services also include network integration, data centers, managed services, enterprise mobility applications and digital media.

Airtel Business provides ‘One solution, bill, support, face’ experience to customers. It also offer global services in both voice and data including VAS services like International Toll Free Services and SMS hubbing. Airtel Business’ strategically located submarine cables and satellite network enable its customers to connect across the world including hard to-reach areas and its global network runs across 250,000 Rkms, covering 50 countries in five continents.

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed home broadband, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G, 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 403 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2019.

Cisco, Google's 'gStation' to Roll out Public WiFi Across India starting with Bengaluru

US networking giant Cisco on Monday said it is collaborating with Google for its 'gStation' offering that provides access to free and high-speed WiFi at public locations across the country.

Under the partnership, Cisco is providing the network infrastructure and a pilot has been rolled out in Bengaluru. About 25 locations in the city are already live and another 200 locations will go live in the next 2-3 months. These locations include public spaces like bus stops, hospitals and government offices among others. Post that, it will be extended to 300 more locations in Bengaluru, and more cities in the country as well.

"This is a global partnership and India is the first country, where we are rolling this out," Cisco President (India and SAARC) Sameer Garde said at the Cisco India Summit 2019.

The development comes within a week after Cisco has signed an MoU with the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) to bring the benefits of digital technology including Internet of Things (IoT) and data science to farming communities in Kerala, as part of its Country Digitization Acceleration (CDA) programme.

The project is being rolled out in partnership with D-VoiS - an Internet service provider in Bengaluru. The next locations being looked at include outskirts of Delhi, and cities in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

"The success of digitisation and digital citizen services is closely tied to the proliferation of high-speed internet. The partnership represents a significant growth opportunity as the demand for public Wi-Fi hotspots is expected to go up by 100X over the next three years," he said.

In February this year, Google and Cisco had announced their global alliance.

According to a Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) report, an estimated 8 million additional hotspots need to be installed to create new market opportunities for infrastructure providers and internet service providers. Currently, India has only 52,000 WiFi hotspots.

"Solving for access is one of the core pillars of our 'Next Billion Users' strategy, and with gStation we have developed a best in class public WiFi solution that provides a seamless, high-quality broadband experience to users," said Sajith Sivanandan, MD and Business Head, Google Pay and Next Billion User Initiatives, India.

The proliferation of public WiFi in India can provide a significant boost to the government's digital ambitions of ubiquitous connectivity and digital inclusion, and serve as a complementary network for telcom companies.

According to the Cisco VNI report, nearly 59 per cent of internet traffic is expected to be offloaded from cellular networks to WiFi by 2022, wherein lies the tremendous opportunity for ubiquitous dispersion of WiFi.

Google, through 'gStation', provides WiFi services in public locations in partnership with various entities. In partnership with RailTel, it has provided WiFi access across over 1,000 railway stations in the country.

Apart from India, Google has taken the model to other countries like Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand and Mexico as well. PTI SR SVK

Govt to Release Ranking of States based on 'Broadband Readiness Index' Every Year

The telecom department plans to release ranking of states this year based on their readiness to build digital infrastructure and help them attract investments.

"This (Broadband readiness) index will help states in creating digital and high quality communication infrastructure, attract investments for creating next generation communication infrastructure, create institutional mechanism between Centre, state, local bodies and other stakeholders," Minister of state for telecom Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre told reporters.

He was speaking at an event, where the Department of Telecom (DoT) signed memorandum of understanding with Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) to develop a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) for states and Union Territories (UT).

The first estimate will be made in 2019 and subsequently every year until 2022.

"This is expected to give a big fillip because for the first time we are assessing what is the status of digital infrastructure and what is their readiness to roll out digital infrastructure in states.

"Its a very major step. We are looking at nine important parameters and none of these have been earlier assessed in a scientific manner. We never had a state-wise break up," telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan said.

The broadband readiness index (BRI) consists of two parts. Part one will focus on infrastructure development based on the measurement of nine parameters including availability of state policy on right of way and towers, adoption of national building code, percentage of mobile towers connected with fibre etc.

"Fibre is fundamental for extending broadband services and to make 5G a success story for India. Today, there are only about 20-25 per cent of mobile towers that are fiberised while 75-80 per cent of mobile towers are fiberised in countries like USA and Japan etc," mobile infrastructure industry body Taipa Director General T R Dua said.

The second part of the index will cover demand side parameters, which will be captured through primary surveys.

ICRIER Director and Chief Executive Rajat Kathuria said the broadband index will make states competitive as well as enhance cooperation.

India's Internet Services Sector Estimated to be $76.4 Bn Market by 2022

The Internet Services Sector in India is currently valued at US$ 33.8 billion and by the year 2022, it is expected to reach US$ 76.4 billion in conservative estimates, according to a report titled “Economic Impact of Internet Services in India”, published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). However, the sector has the potential to reach a value of USD 124 billion by 2022 if certain recommendation made in the study fructify.

By the year 2022, India is expected to become a country of 1.4 billion people. With the proliferation of affordable internet connectivity, the number of internet users in the country is projected to increase 1.6x times from 481 million to reach 762 million in 2022. Along with increased availability of internet connectivity, the number of smartphone users in India too is estimated to grow at 1.75x times to reach 526 million in 2022. On the technology and business side of the Internet Services, internet will fundamentally change the way the needs, aspirations and demands of the consumers will be addressed. Pivoting on that, the Internet Services sector is expected to witness plethora of changes in the future.

[caption id="attachment_126908" align="aligncenter" width="606"] The Internet Services sector size for 2017 and 2022 are inclusive of e-tail, fin-tech, food-tech, digital classifieds, digital advertisements, e-travel and ticketing, Edu-tech and digital entertainment sub-sectors Figures for e-tail is of GMVs. The market size in 2022 has been estimated considering the growth of existing sub-sectors in Internet Services. However, the market size in 2022 has the potential to grow even bigger, owing to rapid innovations and new sub-sectors emerging. Digital payments are not included to avoid double counting.[/caption]

The report suggests that the sector can reach its potential US$124 billion if certain critical factors are realized; such as forward looking and supportive government policies, better infrastructure for widespread internet connectivity, developed distribution network enabling better reach and connectivity to customers in Tier II/III cities for e-commerce, adoption of digital and advanced technologies across the ecosystem and offline sectors etc.

The report covers some of the identifiable internet services that have gained critical mass in the Indian economy such as e-tail, OTAs, Online Classified, Digital Advertising, Edu-tech, Food-tech, health-tech, Digital Entertainment (including online gaming), Fintech and Digital payments. Digital payments as a sector has been mapped but not included in the total estimate given the challenge of double counting, as it serves as a facilitator for many of the other services.

IAMAI stated that the numbers projected in the report are conservative estimates as several sectors like Agritech have not been included in the study because these sectors are yet to gain any critical mass that could be used as benchmark for future projections. Similarly, new technologies like IoT, AI, M2M that are expected to shape the future of internet services too have been kept outside the ambit of this study because the real impact of these sectors are difficult to determine at present. The association stated the in the coming days the internet service sector may witness sea-changes that can well inflate the overall numbers substantially.

The report also attempts to map the socio-economic impact of digital services in terms of livelihood generation and positive linkages it generates. The study concludes that employment generation from the proliferation of Internet services will be at three levels; with the primary level referring to direct employment generation in fields of Product Design and Development, Sales and marketing teams, Seller and Customer Management, operations such as warehousing, vendor logistics management. Secondary employment generation will occur in the forms of self-employment generation for sellers, cab drivers, utility service providers, content creators etc who will be able to avail livelihood via the online platforms.

The third or tertiary level of employment generation will be by allied industries in the ecosystem providing on-ground field support to the internet service providers like third party warehouse and logistics handlers, delivery staff (first mile and last mile connectivity), affiliate marketers, bloggers social influencers, business associates for lead generation and order logging, packaging services, etc. The internet sector is estimated to employ around 10 lakh employees presently and is estimated to create 12 million net jobs by 2022.

IAMAI stated that in course of the study the association tried to recognize the digitization of conventional sectors being enabled by the internet services that can have long run positive consequences for the Indian economy. There are currently around 51 million SMEs in India, which contribute approximately 37% of the manufacturing output, 46% of exports and employ 117 million people. It has been observed that digitally enabled SMEs generate 2x revenues as compared to offline SMEs, attributed to the access to a wider base of customers, newer geographies/markets, additional sales channel etc. However, presently only 2% of these SMEs are digitally enabled.

There is a conscious effort by government agencies and internet businesses to digitize SMEs, and this trend is expected to generate immense benefits. With advances in digitizing existing offline businesses, promotion of industry 4.0, digital on boarding of micro-entrepreneurs, etc the impact of the internet services can potentially be greater with newer service categories emerging in the near future.

The Association hopes that the report will help both industry and policymakers understand the emerging internet service sector better.

Link to the Report: The Economic Impact of Internet Services in India – https://we.tl/t-lH3r81Q7kB

India's Internet Services Sector Estimated to be $76.4 Bn Market by 2022

The Internet Services Sector in India is currently valued at US$ 33.8 billion and by the year 2022, it is expected to reach US$ 76.4 billion in conservative estimates, according to a report titled “Economic Impact of Internet Services in India”, published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). However, the sector has the potential to reach a value of USD 124 billion by 2022 if certain recommendation made in the study fructify.

By the year 2022, India is expected to become a country of 1.4 billion people. With the proliferation of affordable internet connectivity, the number of internet users in the country is projected to increase 1.6x times from 481 million to reach 762 million in 2022. Along with increased availability of internet connectivity, the number of smartphone users in India too is estimated to grow at 1.75x times to reach 526 million in 2022. On the technology and business side of the Internet Services, internet will fundamentally change the way the needs, aspirations and demands of the consumers will be addressed. Pivoting on that, the Internet Services sector is expected to witness plethora of changes in the future.

[caption id="attachment_126908" align="aligncenter" width="606"] The Internet Services sector size for 2017 and 2022 are inclusive of e-tail, fin-tech, food-tech, digital classifieds, digital advertisements, e-travel and ticketing, Edu-tech and digital entertainment sub-sectors Figures for e-tail is of GMVs. The market size in 2022 has been estimated considering the growth of existing sub-sectors in Internet Services. However, the market size in 2022 has the potential to grow even bigger, owing to rapid innovations and new sub-sectors emerging. Digital payments are not included to avoid double counting.[/caption]

The report suggests that the sector can reach its potential US$124 billion if certain critical factors are realized; such as forward looking and supportive government policies, better infrastructure for widespread internet connectivity, developed distribution network enabling better reach and connectivity to customers in Tier II/III cities for e-commerce, adoption of digital and advanced technologies across the ecosystem and offline sectors etc.

The report covers some of the identifiable internet services that have gained critical mass in the Indian economy such as e-tail, OTAs, Online Classified, Digital Advertising, Edu-tech, Food-tech, health-tech, Digital Entertainment (including online gaming), Fintech and Digital payments. Digital payments as a sector has been mapped but not included in the total estimate given the challenge of double counting, as it serves as a facilitator for many of the other services.

IAMAI stated that the numbers projected in the report are conservative estimates as several sectors like Agritech have not been included in the study because these sectors are yet to gain any critical mass that could be used as benchmark for future projections. Similarly, new technologies like IoT, AI, M2M that are expected to shape the future of internet services too have been kept outside the ambit of this study because the real impact of these sectors are difficult to determine at present. The association stated the in the coming days the internet service sector may witness sea-changes that can well inflate the overall numbers substantially.

The report also attempts to map the socio-economic impact of digital services in terms of livelihood generation and positive linkages it generates. The study concludes that employment generation from the proliferation of Internet services will be at three levels; with the primary level referring to direct employment generation in fields of Product Design and Development, Sales and marketing teams, Seller and Customer Management, operations such as warehousing, vendor logistics management. Secondary employment generation will occur in the forms of self-employment generation for sellers, cab drivers, utility service providers, content creators etc who will be able to avail livelihood via the online platforms.

The third or tertiary level of employment generation will be by allied industries in the ecosystem providing on-ground field support to the internet service providers like third party warehouse and logistics handlers, delivery staff (first mile and last mile connectivity), affiliate marketers, bloggers social influencers, business associates for lead generation and order logging, packaging services, etc. The internet sector is estimated to employ around 10 lakh employees presently and is estimated to create 12 million net jobs by 2022.

IAMAI stated that in course of the study the association tried to recognize the digitization of conventional sectors being enabled by the internet services that can have long run positive consequences for the Indian economy. There are currently around 51 million SMEs in India, which contribute approximately 37% of the manufacturing output, 46% of exports and employ 117 million people. It has been observed that digitally enabled SMEs generate 2x revenues as compared to offline SMEs, attributed to the access to a wider base of customers, newer geographies/markets, additional sales channel etc. However, presently only 2% of these SMEs are digitally enabled.

There is a conscious effort by government agencies and internet businesses to digitize SMEs, and this trend is expected to generate immense benefits. With advances in digitizing existing offline businesses, promotion of industry 4.0, digital on boarding of micro-entrepreneurs, etc the impact of the internet services can potentially be greater with newer service categories emerging in the near future.

The Association hopes that the report will help both industry and policymakers understand the emerging internet service sector better.

Link to the Report: The Economic Impact of Internet Services in India – https://we.tl/t-lH3r81Q7kB

In An India's 1st, SpiceJet Inducts Fleet of Aircraft Equipped with Onboard WiFi

In a first by any Indian aircraft carrier, budget airline SpiceJet has inducted a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which is equipped to provide on-board WiFi which will allow domestic flyers to surf the internet.

The airline however is waiting for the long-pending process of in-flight internet and once the regulatory and government approvals gets cleared the airline will start offering internet service to its passengers on board.

Besides being fuel-efficient, the aircraft is equipped with Satcom communication systems that will enable it to offer internet service on board once regulatory and government approvals are in place, the statement added.

On Friday, SpiceJet has inducted the first of its 205 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft it had ordered in 2017 for $22 billion.

It was in May this year when Telecom Commission had approved in-flight connectivity, facilitating both voice and data calls and data surfing in Indian airspace.

SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh said, "We are excited to take delivery of our very first 737 MAX 8. This is a huge milestone in SpiceJet’s journey. These new airplanes will enable us to open new routes, while reducing fuel and engineering costs, as well as emissions. The 737 MAX will dramatically reduce noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Passengers will benefit from a large number of premium seats and, for the first time in India, broadband internet on board.”

It is to be noted that in India, WiFi or calls in flights will not be free and the telecom department has left the pricing of these services to the airlines. The pricing could be part of ticket or charged separately to passengers.

For an instance Malaysian airline AirAsia charges about $2 for 3MB to use on roKKi Chats and $4.50 for 10MB for lightweight internet usage which doesn’t include YouTube/app downloads. roKKi is Malaysia-based provider of inflight entertainment & connectivity that offers WiFi access on selected AirAsia flights.

Source - Times of India, edreams.com

[Top Image - Travel3sixty.com]

ISRO To Bring 100+ Gbps Internet for Entire India By 2019

In 90s era very few people in India had access to internet and those who had, could seen hooked up on their telephone operating dial-up internet connection having bandwidth speed of few Kbps and then came Internet revolution where companies like Airtel, Hathway, Tata and BSNL started offering comfortable speed to users in India.

In 2016, it was nothing less then a bonanza when Airtel introduced 100 Mbps internet plan then in last year, an ISP made a milestone by introducing India's first 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection but those too are past now as the speed has now become unmatchable for ever growing internet users in India. India has the world's second largest internet user base yet the country's rank in broadband speed is 76th in the world.

Now in a latest development, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has said that India will soon enjoy more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the country in the next few years with the launch of three GSAT satellites before the end of next year.

As ISRO will launch GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 by end of this year and GSAT-20 will be launched by early next year. Notably, these three satellites are high throughput satellites and together they will provide more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the entire country which will help bridge the digital divide, said Dr K Sivan, chairman of ISRO, at an event.

GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. These multiple spot beams will cover the entire country.

A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated (sent by a high-gain antenna located on the satellite) so that it covers only a limited geographic area on earth. These new satellites, once operational, will be capable of providing high-quality internet, phone and video services

GSAT-11, which is heavier than GSAT-19, will be launched by the year-end and will use 16 beams. It will be able to transfer data at the rate of 13 gigabytes per second. GSAT-20, whose launch is set at the end of 2018, will use 40 beams. Each beam will have two polarisations, which will effectively make them 80 beams. So, GSAT-11 satellite will alone have data rate of 60-70 gigabytes/sec.

Few days back have reported about the same set of communication satellites which will also be a boon for rural Indian population to get high-speed bandwidth connectivity.

[Source - Times of India]

ISRO To Bring 100+ Gbps Internet for Entire India By 2019

In 90s era very few people in India had access to internet and those who had, could seen hooked up on their telephone operating dial-up internet connection having bandwidth speed of few Kbps and then came Internet revolution where companies like Airtel, Hathway, Tata and BSNL started offering comfortable speed to users in India.

In 2016, it was nothing less then a bonanza when Airtel introduced 100 Mbps internet plan then in last year, an ISP made a milestone by introducing India's first 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection but those too are past now as the speed has now become unmatchable for ever growing internet users in India. India has the world's second largest internet user base yet the country's rank in broadband speed is 76th in the world.

Now in a latest development, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has said that India will soon enjoy more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the country in the next few years with the launch of three GSAT satellites before the end of next year.

As ISRO will launch GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 by end of this year and GSAT-20 will be launched by early next year. Notably, these three satellites are high throughput satellites and together they will provide more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the entire country which will help bridge the digital divide, said Dr K Sivan, chairman of ISRO, at an event.

GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. These multiple spot beams will cover the entire country.

A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated (sent by a high-gain antenna located on the satellite) so that it covers only a limited geographic area on earth. These new satellites, once operational, will be capable of providing high-quality internet, phone and video services

GSAT-11, which is heavier than GSAT-19, will be launched by the year-end and will use 16 beams. It will be able to transfer data at the rate of 13 gigabytes per second. GSAT-20, whose launch is set at the end of 2018, will use 40 beams. Each beam will have two polarisations, which will effectively make them 80 beams. So, GSAT-11 satellite will alone have data rate of 60-70 gigabytes/sec.

Few days back have reported about the same set of communication satellites which will also be a boon for rural Indian population to get high-speed bandwidth connectivity.

[Source - Times of India]

India's Rural Population to get High-Speed Broadband Thanks to ISRO's Satellites

Indian space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will launch three more communication satellites to provide high-speed bandwidth connectivity to rural areas as part of the government's Digital India programme.

The announcement about this "Satellite-based Internet" was made during press conference post successful commercial launch of two UK satellites by ISRO, ISRO Chairman K. Sivan said, "The ISRO will launch three more satellites, which together will provide international level bandwidth speed."

Satellite-based Internet access is internet access provided through communications satellites. Modern consumer grade satellite Internet service is typically provided to individual users through geostationary satellites that can offer relatively high data speeds

The three satellites to be launched by ISRO are -- AGSAT 20, GSAT 11, and GSAT 29. AGSAT 20 will launched next year, while GSAT 19 has already been launched.

These satellites are special as they use multiple spot beams that will increase internet speed and connectivity. A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated in power so that it covers only a limited geographical area on the earth. The narrower the beam more is the power. These satellites will reuse “beams” (signals) several times in order to cover the entire country. In contrast, traditional satellite uses a broad single beam (not concentrated)to cover wide regions.

Sivan said that the space agency had planned a series of launches over the next six months. He said that there will be a rocket launch mission every second week.

Sivan also said earth observation satellites will also be launched in addition to the communication satellites.

In a separate development, Reliance Jio has has partnered with ISRO for providing high-speed 4G connectivity via satellites. This new platform based on satellite backhaul-based network will provide 4G LTE connectivity to remote rural locations. In satellite communication, 'backhaul' is used to mean getting data to a point from which it can be distributed over a network.

ISRO's geostationary communications satellite, GSAT-11, which is heaviest satellite that India has ever made, is yet to be launched but is already touted to revolutionize India's broadband connectivity. The Rs. 500 crore satellite weighing 4000-6000 Kg is said to be a boon for rural population in India as far as high-speed connectivity is concerned for them.

The GSAT-11 is equivalent to the combined power of almost all communications satellite sent into orbit by India. The heavy-weight satellite is like a constellation of 30 of the classical orbiting satellites.

GSAT-11 was planned to be launched in May 2018, it however got delayed after ISRO recalled it back to India from the launch site in French Guiana for additional checks weeks after ISRO lost communication to another communication satellite, the GSAT-6A, soon after its launch in March 2018.

The new launch date for GSAT-11 has been set to 30 November 2018.

In 2016, India overtook the US to become the world’s second largest internet user base after China, however India is still behind many Asian countries when it comes to internet speed. The number of internet users in the country is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018, up from 432 million in December 2016, according to a report from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Via ~ Zeenews.India.com, NDTV, Wikipedia, ISRO.

[Top featured image by NASA on Unsplash

Wi-Fi Services on Flights in India Gets Clearance

Data surfing, internet access via WiFi as well as in-flight voice calls will soon become a reality in India as the Telecom Commission on Tuesday has approved in-flight connectivity, facilitating both voice and data calls and data surfing in Indian airspace.

The implementation and operationalization of these services on flights in India will take about
3-4 months. At first, the telecom department will start the process of framing licence terms for in-flight connectivity (IFC) providers and then invite applications. Thereafter, airlines also need time to put equipments in aircrafts to provide such services.

“We will now have to create a separate category of licensees called in-flight connectivity provider. These will provide internet as well as voice services within Indian territorial airspace... in both domestic and international flights,” telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters.

Notably, these services are permitted with minimum height restriction of 3,000 metres in Indian airspace for its compatibility with terrestrial mobile networks.

However, the WiFi or calls in flights will not be free and the telecom department will leave the pricing of these services to the airlines. The pricing could be part of ticket or charged separately to passengers.

According to experts, the cost to the passenger may be on the higher side, initially

It is to be noted that In-flight connectivity is much more expensive than on-ground connectivity, which we use in our homes and offices. Most airlines charge based on use -- whether wifi is used on phone, tablet, or laptop.

The IFC service provider are permitted to use either Indian Satellite System or foreign satellite capacity leased through Department of Space or foreign satellites outside INSAT systems in the Indian airspace.

Gogo, a popular US-based IFC service provider that gives service to 17 airlines, offers a 'monthly airlines plan', valid on domestic flights in the US, Canada and Mexico.

According to Honeywell Aerospace, the global market for connected aircraft is pegged at $7 billion, and also forecast a rapid wifi adoption by nearly 25,000 planes by 2025.

The above development was first reported in Live Mint.

Wi-Fi Services on Flights in India Gets Clearance

Data surfing, internet access via WiFi as well in-flight voice calls will soon become a reality in India as the Telecom Commission on Tuesday has approved in-flight connectivity, facilitating both voice and data calls and data surfing in Indian airspace.

The implementation and operationalization of these services on flights in India will take about
3-4 months. At first, the telecom department will start the process of framing licence terms for in-flight connectivity (IFC) providers and then invite applications. Thereafter, airlines also need time to put equipments in aircrafts to provide such services.

“We will now have to create a separate category of licencees called in-flight connectivity provider. These will provide internet as well as voice services within Indian territorial airspace... in both domestic and international flights,” telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters.

Notably, these services are permitted with minimum height restriction of 3,000 metres in Indian airspace for its compatibility with terrestrial mobile networks.

However, the WiFi or calls in flights will not be free and the telecom department will leave the pricing of these services to the airlines. The pricing could be part of ticket or charged separately to passengers.

According to experts, the cost to the passenger may be on the higher side, initially

It is to be noted that In-flight connectivity is much more expensive than on-ground connectivity, which we use in our homes and offices. Most airlines charge based on use -- whether wifi is used on phone, tablet, or laptop.

The IFC service provider are permitted to use either Indian Satellite System or foreign satellite capacity leased through Department of Space or foreign satellites outside INSAT systems in the Indian airspace.

Gogo, a popular US-based IFC service provider that gives service to 17 airlines, offers a 'monthly airlines plan', valid on domestic flights in the US, Canada and Mexico.

According to Honeywell Aerospace, the global market for connected aircraft is pegged at $7 billion, and also forecast a rapid wifi adoption by nearly 25,000 planes by 2025.

The above development was first reported in Live Mint.

Best Broadband Connections in Hyderabad - A Detailed Comparison

In a matter of years, internet has started ruling our lives. We simply cannot think of spending even a day without internet connectivity. Today, internet is serving millions of users and is helping them in carrying out a multitude of functions throughout the day. Furthermore, it has become the universal source that offers easy access to information on just about anything to people at work, home or school.

Looking at how important internet has become, it is evident that the speed should be such that users have instant access to the desired information. Keeping the need in mind, some of the best internet providers like ACT Fibernet offer the best broadband in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and many other metropolitan cities of the country.

So, if you live in Hyderabad or have recently moved to the city and are looking for a broadband connection that is backed by superior technology and consistently offers high speed, you need to know a few basics. Here is a detailed comparison of the best broadband connections available in Hyderabad. Look!

ACT Fibernet – A metropolitan city like Hyderabad that has the highest number of smartphone users in India and a thriving youth culture, deserves nothing but the fastest internet service. Which is why ACT Fibernet offers highest speeds in the IT city and has successfully made it the first GIGA city in India in March 2017. With Gigabit speeds per second, every device connected to the internet receives superior speed regardless of the number of uploads or downloads happening on any other device. Furthermore, ACT Fibernet is a well-known name is Hyderabad for offering internet over fiber optics through their Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology. This technology can handle the speed of up to 1000 Mbps. With ACT Fibernet, a user gets value added services for endless entertainment. For movie buffs, ACT Fibernet subscribers also get access to popular OTT video streaming services like Hungama, YuppTV, HOOQ, FastFilmz and ALTBalaji.

Now, isn’t this something that we all want?

ACT Fibernet
Internet Speed	15 Mbps to 1 Gbps
Broadband Data	150 GB – 2000 GB
Technology	FTTH (Fiber-to-the-home)
Value Added Services	Hungama, YuppTV, HOOQ, ALTBalaji, FastFilmz

Airtel – Another internet giant offering its services in Hyderabad is Airtel, with their connection one can enjoy fast speed on all the devices. In addition, they also transfer the previous month’s unused data to the next month. For example, if you have 20 GB as previous month’s unused allowance and the per month data allowance you get is 150 GB, the total data available for usage in the current month will be 170 GB.

Airtel
Internet Speed	Up to 100 Mbps
Broadband Data	150 GB – 400 GB
Technology	Broadband
Value Added Services	Amazon Prime and Airtel TV

 

Hathway – In a country driven by the internet, Hathway offers lightening fast speed to all its users. With an aim to offer non-stop entertainment, Hathway bids area-specific deals that take user experience to an altogether different level. Offering their service on the newest technology – fiber, with Hathway you will never have to worry about the number of devices that are connected on your internet connection. With Hathway, seamless user experience is guaranteed.

Hathway
Internet Speed	50 Mbps
Broadband Data	20 GB – 125 GB
Technology	Fiber Broadband
Value Added Services	None

 

So, now that you have all the important details of the top three internet service providers in Hyderabad. It’s time that you evaluate your needs well and go for the ISP that offers above and beyond of what you are looking for, without burning a hole in your pocket. In our opinion, ACT Fibernet offers the best broadband in Hyderabad with so many amazing value-added services (VAS) and incredible speed that you will never have to compromise on entertainment.

Best Broadband Connections in Hyderabad - A Detailed Comparison

In a matter of years, internet has started ruling our lives. We simply cannot think of spending even a day without internet connectivity. Today, internet is serving millions of users and is helping them in carrying out a multitude of functions throughout the day. Furthermore, it has become the universal source that offers easy access to information on just about anything to people at work, home or school.

Looking at how important internet has become, it is evident that the speed should be such that users have instant access to the desired information. Keeping the need in mind, some of the best internet providers like ACT Fibernet offer the best broadband in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and many other metropolitan cities of the country.

So, if you live in Hyderabad or have recently moved to the city and are looking for a broadband connection that is backed by superior technology and consistently offers high speed, you need to know a few basics. Here is a detailed comparison of the best broadband connections available in Hyderabad. Look!

ACT Fibernet – A metropolitan city like Hyderabad that has the highest number of smartphone users in India and a thriving youth culture, deserves nothing but the fastest internet service. Which is why ACT Fibernet offers highest speeds in the IT city and has successfully made it the first GIGA city in India in March 2017. With Gigabit speeds per second, every device connected to the internet receives superior speed regardless of the number of uploads or downloads happening on any other device. Furthermore, ACT Fibernet is a well-known name is Hyderabad for offering internet over fiber optics through their Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology. This technology can handle the speed of up to 1000 Mbps. With ACT Fibernet, a user gets value added services for endless entertainment. For movie buffs, ACT Fibernet subscribers also get access to popular OTT video streaming services like Hungama, YuppTV, HOOQ, FastFilmz and ALTBalaji.

Now, isn’t this something that we all want?

ACT Fibernet
Internet Speed	15 Mbps to 1 Gbps
Broadband Data	150 GB – 2000 GB
Technology	FTTH (Fiber-to-the-home)
Value Added Services	Hungama, YuppTV, HOOQ, ALTBalaji, FastFilmz

Airtel – Another internet giant offering its services in Hyderabad is Airtel, with their connection one can enjoy fast speed on all the devices. In addition, they also transfer the previous month’s unused data to the next month. For example, if you have 20 GB as previous month’s unused allowance and the per month data allowance you get is 150 GB, the total data available for usage in the current month will be 170 GB.

Airtel
Internet Speed	Up to 100 Mbps
Broadband Data	150 GB – 400 GB
Technology	Broadband
Value Added Services	Amazon Prime and Airtel TV

Hathway – In a country driven by the internet, Hathway offers lightening fast speed to all its users. With an aim to offer non-stop entertainment, Hathway bids area-specific deals that take user experience to an altogether different level. Offering their service on the newest technology – fiber, with Hathway you will never have to worry about the number of devices that are connected on your internet connection. With Hathway, seamless user experience is guaranteed.

Hathway
Internet Speed	50 Mbps
Broadband Data	20 GB – 125 GB
Technology	Fiber Broadband
Value Added Services	None

So, now that you have all the important details of the top three internet service providers in Hyderabad. It’s time that you evaluate your needs well and go for the ISP that offers above and beyond of what you are looking for, without burning a hole in your pocket. In our opinion, ACT Fibernet offers the best broadband in Hyderabad with so many amazing value-added services (VAS) and incredible speed that you will never have to compromise on entertainment.