India’s Industry 4.

0: The quiet revolution of smart machines I 70 `75

VOL 31   ISSUE 07   JULY, 2024
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30 Years
Connecting the Digital World

PCO, Internet, Email, Mobile Phone,30VoIP,

Fibre Optics, Microprocessor, Social
YEARS

30 Techs
Media & Messengers. Radio Frequency
Identification, Internet of Things, Big
Data, Machine Learning, Smartphones,
From analogue to digital dynamos,

Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence,

India’s communication sector has
evolved to shape the digital landscape

Robotics,WiFi,Satcom,VideoConferencing,
and boost the economy

Touchscreen, Mobile Applications, Small

Cells,UAV&Drones,NetworkVirtualisation, 36 40 64

Private LTE, SD-WAN & SAN, Metaverse, Fifth

“New media “Achieving an “We can smell
formats are O-RAN state is the fire during
expanding and still a long way its very early
diversifying ahead” stages”
Priyanka Kulkarni Carsten Brinkschulte
Yuki Shuto Peeyush Vaish the telecom Aranca Dryad Networks
Deloitte Asia Pacific Deloitte South Asia industry”
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30 Years
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 [CONTENTS]
INDUSTRY SPEAK
NEWS ANALYSIS
08 Orchestrating India’s
12 Apple’s AI gambit: Will it digital symphony
redefine privacy in tech?
10 Forging India’s digital heartlands
16 Telecom tides rise: Price
hikes to boost capital returns
60 Fibreoptics face-off as
EU duties challenge Indian
exporters

intervew

LOOKING GLASS
20 From analogue roots to
digital dreams
36 “New media formats are 40 “Achieving an
expanding and diversifying O-RAN state is still a
the telecom industry” long way ahead”
Yuki Shuto & Peeyush Vaish Priyanka Kulkarni

FOCUS
TECHNOLOGY 52 It is time to reset the telco button
43 Weaving the digital
tapestry of future networks
46 Ants and Zombies: IoT’s
hidden battles

REPORT
USE CASE 67 Race to the stars as satcom giants
64 “We can prepare for India launch
smell the fire
during its very 70 India’s Industry 4.0: The quiet
early stages”
revolution of smart machines
Carsten
Brinkschulte
06 Voicemail 07 Opening Note
REGULARS 74 News Bytes

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 Shubhendu
Parth
[Opening Note]

Of trials and triumphs in the tech ecosystem

In the dynamic and often unforgiving world of tech startups, the rise and fall of Koo, the Indian microblogging platform
once poised as a rival to global giants, offers invaluable lessons for industry leaders and decision-makers.
Koo’s initial success can largely be attributed to its strategic focus on linguistic diversity. By offering services in multiple
Indian languages, Koo filled a unique niche that global competitors had overlooked. This approach not only garnered
widespread user engagement but also significant endorsements from public figures, highlighting the strategic impact of
tapping into this unique market need. The success underscores the value of localisation as a potent market differentiator.
However, the platform’s journey encountered significant financial hurdles. The post-pandemic ‘funding winter’
drastically tightened venture capital flows, affecting Koo’s financial health. Despite securing USD 30 million in a notable
Series B funding round led by Tiger Global, the company struggled to achieve financial sustainability. This highlights
the importance of resilient financial planning and the need for businesses to diversify funding sources, not solely rely
on venture capital, and maintain robust cash reserves to buffer against economic fluctuations.
Koo also pursued strategic partnerships to stabilise and expand its operations, which presented its own set of
challenges. The unpredictable nature of social media and the risks associated with user-generated content deterred
potential partners, highlighting the complexities of such alliances. This emphasises the importance of aligning strategic
objectives and thoroughly assessing risks when forming partnerships, underscoring the critical need for sustainable
financial planning.
While Koo introduced technological innovations such as the Talk-to-Type feature and integrated ChatGPT to enhance
content creation, these advancements alone were insufficient to sustain the platform amid its other challenges. This
exemplifies that while innovation is crucial, it must be paired with solid business fundamentals. Leaders should ensure
that robust operational strategies complement technological progress.
Koo’s expansion into international markets like Nigeria and Brazil demonstrated adaptability, yet sustaining growth in
these regions proved challenging without consistent capital and strategic support. The fluctuating user engagement,
especially with changes in competitive dynamics like lifting Twitter’s ban in Nigeria, underscores the need for business
agility. CXOs must be prepared to pivot strategies in response to shifting market conditions, building resilient business
models capable of withstanding market volatility.
Ultimately, Koo’s founders emphasised the need for patient, long-term capital to build ambitious, world-beating products.
This long-term vision is essential for any enterprise aiming to make a significant impact. Leaders must cultivate a
strategic vision that transcends short-term gains, focusing on sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
The Koo debacle offers a rich tapestry of lessons for leaders in the digital and telecom sectors. Its journey underscores the
multifaceted nature of successful enterprise management, from the power of localisation and the need for sustainable
financial strategies to the complexities of strategic partnerships and the importance of innovation. By integrating these
learnings into their strategic playbooks, organisations can better navigate the challenges and opportunities in their
respective domains, driving sustained success and growth.
[email protected]

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[INDUSTRY SPEAK]
DIGITAL INFRA

Orchestrating India’s digital symphony

India’s digital evolution, fueled by affordable tech and AI, is transforming networks
with IP and Optical Convergence, crafting a harmonious future.

87% of users believe

IP/Optical Convergence
is crucial for
next-gen networks

By Amit Malik

P
owered by a significant drop in smartphone prices In addition, the growing adoption of Artificial
and mobility tariffs, the digital revolution is truly Intelligence (AI) tools by enterprises and individuals
redefining how Indians work, live, and entertain. is expected to propel the country’s digital economy.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 According to Statista, the AI market in India touched USD
further spurred the adoption of digital infrastructure, 4.1 billion in 2023. A NASSCOM and Boston Consulting
hastening the shift to online platforms. Group report indicates that India’s AI market is growing at
a CAGR of 25-35% and is projected to touch around USD
Over the last few years, the Government of India has 17 billion by 2027.
also devised several initiatives, including Digital India, to
promote a new way of life and doing business. The govern- This surge in digitisation and evolving consumer
ment is also spending heavily on building digital platform behaviour are fuelling unprecedented data consumption,
infrastructures (DPIs) and strengthening others, such as which demands a paradigm shift in the country’s
Aadhaar and Unified Payment Interface (UPI), to boost the communication networks. The growing popularity of
digital economy and socioeconomic development. videos, online gaming, e-learning, and remote work

IP and Optical Convergence refers to simplifying

optical (Layer 0) and IP (Layer 3) networks for greater
efficiencies and improved quality of experience.

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 [INDUSTRY SPEAK]
DIGITAL INFRA

Powered by automation and analytics, network

providers can use IP and Optical Convergence to
take advantage of emerging market opportunities.

has led to a massive increase in bandwidth demand, believe IP and Optical Convergence will be crucial for
which is impossible to address with the traditional their next-generation networks.
network approach.
Indian network providers can leverage the vast
In addition, the accelerated digital transformation of benefits of IP and Optical Convergence if they embrace
enterprises in the post-COVID-19 era is also changing the automation that allows them to plan better, control, and
market dynamics and pushing Indian network providers dynamically manage traffic flows. In addition, multi-layer
to explore new strategies to address skyrocketing network visibility and analytics are crucial to gaining
bandwidth demand alongside the desire for a low-latency network insights for improved management.
experience.
Taking a holistic approach to IP and Optical
A key strategy for ensuring a superior experience Convergence, network providers can consider coherent
is to move computing power from a centralised to a routing, which can combine purpose-built routing, leading
distributed network architecture. The traditional hub- to coherent optics and intelligent, flexible photonics—all
and-spoke network architecture is rigid and inflexible driven by cutting-edge, multi-layer operations.
and not designed to support next-generation distributed
services. In this approach, the access and aggregation However, evolving to multi-layer convergence
networks were developed separately to support different potentially requires considering an adequate building
types of service and Service Level Agreements. The load and thermal and cooling capabilities. Technology
traditional network architecture is inherently rigid, solutions are now available to support IP and Optical
presenting challenges when integrating applications Convergence with pluggable and performance-coherent
closer to access and aggregation zones. optics, as well as physically distributing a single node to
distribute thermal footprint spatially. Network providers
UNDERSTANDING IP, OPTICAL CONVERGENCE in India now have more choices when going from 100G to
Network providers are realising the benefits of IP and 400G to 800G and even to 1.6T.
Optical Convergence in optimising network performance
and ensuring high-speed and low-latency experiences As India advances and strengthens its position in
for their subscribers. It is emerging as an ideal solution the digital economy, network providers stand to gain
for Indian network providers to address the demands of a immensely by leveraging IP and Optical Convergence to
latency-sensitive AI-driven digital ecosystem. streamline operations, improve network efficiency, and
reduce operational expenses.
IP and Optical Convergence refers to simplifying
optical (Layer 0) and IP (Layer 3) networks for greater Powered by automation and analytics, network
efficiencies and improved quality of experience. While providers can use IP and Optical Convergence to take
the concept has been around for some time, it is gaining advantage of emerging market opportunities to grow
momentum only now, with technological advancements revenue and provide an exceptional network experience
and the right market conditions driving the adoption. to their subscribers. Coherent routing can also help
service providers simplify their networks to improve
Over the last few years, IP and Optical Convergence network performance and address the
have emerged as an intrinsic part of network providers’ growing expectations of digital users in
network modernisation and simplification plans. Network the cloud era.
providers worldwide are using it to enhance operational
simplicity and reliability while bringing down the total The author is the Vice President and Sales
cost of ownership. According to a study conducted by Leader of Ciena India.
Ciena and Heavy Reading, 87% of the surveyed providers [email protected]

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[INDUSTRY SPEAK]
DATA CENTRE

Forging India’s digital heartlands

As India’s tech sector thrives with IoT, 5G, AI, and ML, the rise of hyperscale and
edge data centres drives innovation and sustainable growth.

By Suresh Kumar Rathod

I
ndia’s technology sector is advancing at a remarkable Surging Demand for Hyperscalers
pace, driven by data-intensive technologies such as The increased penetration of data-intensive technologies,
the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Artificial Intelligence such as IoT, 5G, and cloud computing, among others, has
(AI), and Machine Learning (ML). This surge has increased the demand for sizeable and more solid data
dramatically increased the demand for data storage and centres. This has been pushed by evolved trends such as
heightened the focus on data security. Consequently, the hybrid working and the rapid usage of applications like
data centre industry in India is undergoing a significant Microsoft Teams or Zoom, among others.
transformation with the growth of different types of data
centres tailored to suit the requirements of various needs As more tech giants establish operations in the
of businesses and stakeholders. country and AI/ML-driven, data-intensive solutions that
require high computing power become more prevalent,
As the country cements its position as a digital hub the demand for massive hyperscale facilities will surge.
with a skilled technology workforce and an innovation These facilities are essential for supporting seamless
powerhouse for Proof of Concepts (POCs) and Centres data storage workflows.
of Excellence (COEs), major tech giants are establishing
Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and hubs. This influx As hyperscale data centres are set to boom and
has substantially increased the demand for data storage, thrive in India’s burgeoning economy, the question of
necessitating the development of more advanced sustainable power usage also arises. Hyperscale data
hyperscale data centres to accommodate the growing centres, which support big-data analytics, also consume
data volume. significantly more power.

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 [INDUSTRY SPEAK]
DATA CENTRE

To address this, there is a lot of focus on installing Boosting Edge Data Centres
effective systems to leverage renewable energy As trends like working from home, gamification, and
sources, along with energy-efficient solutions such streaming continue to grow and technologies such as
as liquid cooling systems and adiabatic cooling 5G enter the system, there is an intensified need for
systems, and maintaining an effective power usage speedy data processing. This phenomenon continues
effectiveness level. to be an impelling force in the rapid expansion of edge
data centres.

Contrary to hyperscale data centres, these smaller

facilities located near the sources of data processing
empower a greater speed of processing to support highly
advanced applications such as AI and ML while also
maintaining manifold cybersecurity, as they reduce the
risk of data breach and latency.

Driving Industry Advancements

Edge data centres, with their rapid data processing
capabilities, are becoming the backbone of critical
sectors such as healthcare, stock markets, banking, and
emergency services. They offer quick turnaround times
and robust data security.

This advancement fosters growth within these

In Brief industries, significantly boosting the economy and
contributing to India’s GDP, playing a crucial role in
• India’s tech sector is rapidly advancing, driven achieving India’s Vision 2047.
by IoT, 5G, AI, and ML, increasing the demand
for data storage and security. Enabling Tier 2 and 3 Market Growth
Since edge data centres are located close to their data
• Major tech giants are establishing Global sources, they are being established not only in Tier 1
Capability Centres in India, necessitating the cities but also in Tier 2 and 3 cities. This expansion is
growth of hyperscale data centres. supporting the growth of non-metros by creating business
opportunities and providing employment in semi-urban
• The rise in hybrid working and applications
regions, thereby boosting the Indian economy.
like Microsoft Teams and Zoom further fuels
the need for hyperscale data centres. As India’s technology sector continues its rapid evolution,
the demand for advanced data storage solutions and
• Hyperscale data centres, essential for AI/
sustainable practices in data centres becomes increasingly
ML solutions, are also pushing for renewable paramount. The growth of both hyperscale and edge data
energy and efficient cooling systems. centres not only supports the country’s booming digital
infrastructure but also contributes significantly to economic
• Edge data centres are expanding due to trends
development across urban and semi-urban areas.
like remote work and 5G, offering faster
processing and enhanced cybersecurity near This dynamic digital transformation underscores
data sources. the country’s pivotal role in the global technology
landscape, driving innovation and
• The growth of edge data centres in Tier 2 sustainability for a hyperconnected
and 3 cities fosters economic development world.
by creating business and employment
opportunities. The author is the President of Colocation
Business at CtrlS Datacenters.
[email protected]

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[NEWS ANALYSIS]
APPLE INTELLIGENCE

Apple’s AI gambit: Will it

redefine privacy in tech?
Apple’s bold
move into
Gen AI with
stringent privacy
measures sets
a new standard,
potentially
reshaping global
tech ethics and
user trust

By Vernika Awal

B
ack in November 2022, an application called from this story was the world’s third-most valuable
ChatGPT by a little-known organisation named enterprise—Apple. On June 10, this changed, potentially
OpenAI took the world by storm. Now, more reshaping the global AI economy.
than 18 months since the sunrise moment for
generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), the technology In a pre-recorded keynote, Apple Chief Executive
is on the verge of bringing billions of dollars into the global Officer Tim Cook and Senior VP of software Craig
AI economy. However, one company that was missing Federighi unveiled Apple Intelligence. As part of this

Adding context is crucial to a ‘good’ Gen

AI experience, making chatbot responses
exponentially better, personalised, and
more effective.

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 [NEWS ANALYSIS]
APPLE INTELLIGENCE

Central to Apple’s strategy is its

commitment to running AI features natively
on its devices, seamlessly integrating them
into the core Apple experience.

suite, Apple would offer all of the Gen AI features that How does personalised Gen AI work?
the likes of Google and Samsung have already talked Personal data is crucial to a ‘good’ Gen AI experience.
about at length since October last year. The novel bit While ‘good’ is subjective, consider this: chatbots
was not the features that Apple’s presentation excitedly on most platforms have been rudimentary. Often,
remarked about, but a unique approach that could put customers are repelled by the boxed, stereotyped
Apple in a position of advantage despite being late to answers that chatbots are pre-trained to offer by
the AI party. This, to be sure, is data privacy. their underlying algorithms. Adding personal context
to these algorithms can make chatbot responses
Mind the data exponentially better, more personalised, and
Apple’s announcement encompassed everything more effective.
Google’s Pixel 8 and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series had
already spoken about—and a few extra toys to play In Apple parlance, personal context involves
around with.With the launch of its next-generation collecting on-device metadata on how users operate
mobile platform, iOS 18, and on the latest ‘Pro’ iPhones, their smartphones. This can include wake-up time,
Apple AI will enable users to transcribe and record types of apps used at specific hours, prioritised
phone calls in real-time, auto-generate emails and notifications, Siri conversation context, and recognising
notes, create images through a ‘playground’ app or contact names in tandem with the photo library.
within other Apple apps, make custom emoticons, and
organise notificationsin a particular order for a user All of these data points towards a key concern.
based on their personal usage preferences. Sharing these data points with a cloud library and
linking them with third-party sources could be
Federighi, on stage at the Worldwide Developer devastating for user privacy.
Conference, reaffirmed that all of this is possible
because of ‘personal context,’ which its AI algorithms How Apple handles it
will develop over time. He emphasised that this personal To avoid data-sharing concerns, Apple asserts that
context will be stored solely on-device, with no remote no personal metadata is ever shared with remote
Apple server ever accessing the unique metadata of cloud servers. The company also underlines that the
each iPhone user. This user-centric approach ensures privacy claims of data sharing will be opened up for
that user data remains safe, enhancing the sense of third-party, independent cyber privacy audits. It also
value and ownership. stated that all metadata would be exclusively used
in locally run AI models—and would not tap larger
In hindsight, the move was crucial. Since databases on cloud platforms.
BlackBerry’s exit from the handset market, Apple has
been considered a stronger option in terms of user Federighi confirmed that Apple utilises a three
privacy. However, Gen AI has faced significant criticism billion-parameter ‘small’ language model for general
for being heavy consumers of private user data without queries across iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This model
clear disclosure. Apple’s announcement aims to address is tailored for general-purpose queries and use cases
this critical concern directly. Apple has explicitly designed for the iPhone. Third-
party apps will also contribute to the application
The key question, however, remains: did it address metadata collected by the algorithm in the long run,
the issue well enough? and the holistic user signature generated by each

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VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication 13 I
[NEWS ANALYSIS]
APPLE INTELLIGENCE

An extended version of Apple

Intelligence involves users to voluntarily
tap OpenAI’s ChatGPT, based on the
latest GPT-4o AI model.

Apple user is not shared outside of the siloed devices

in question.

Cybersecurity experts question Apple’s claims,

something that only independent audits will help resolve.
Further, an extended version of Apple Intelligence involves
users to voluntarily tap OpenAI’s ChatGPT, based on the
latest GPT-4o AI model. Towards this, Appleclaims its
deal with the Sam Altman-led company will ensure no
user data is shared with third-party entities. However, it
isunclear whether independent privacy audits on Apple’s
platform will allow experts to probe how OpenAI handles
Apple users’ data once they are shared through any device.

Further, Apple is yet to clarify what would happen

if an iPhone user with a pre-existing ChatGPT account
In Brief signed up through their Apple ID, also looks to integrate
their smartphone’s Siri with ChatGPT.If strict data
• Apple’s late entry into generative AI aims privacy siloes are maintained, this could be a tricky
to redefine privacy standards in tech. affair and operationally complex, even for OpenAI.

• iOS 18 introduces advanced AI features The impact of Apple’s move

Industry observers anticipate that Apple’s privacy
like real-time call transcription and
initiative will set a precedent for the entire sector. So far,
custom emoticons. both Google and Samsung have indicated that they collect
unspecified amounts of anonymised metadata from
• The company emphasises‘personal devices, which falls short of reassuring users compared
context,’ storing data solely on-device for to Apple’s stringent privacy standards.

enhanced security. Apple’s global footprint is substantial, encompassing

an estimated 1.3 billion iPhones and more than 1.5
• Apple’s approach addresses privacy
billion users, including iPads and Macs. With this scale,
concerns amidst criticisms of AI data Apple is well-positioned to expand the adoption of Gen
consumption. AI solutions beyond what standalone services have
achieved. Central to this strategy is Apple’s commitment
• Personalised AI relies on on-device to running AI features natively on its devices, seamlessly
integrating them into the core Apple experience.
metadata for tailored user experiences.
Whether other platforms will follow a similar path in
• The industry awaits independent audits to
handling Gen AI data remains uncertain and will unfold
validate Apple’s privacy claims. over time.

[email protected]

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[NEWS ANALYSIS]
TELECOM TARIFF

Telecom
tides rise:
Price hikes to
boost capital
returns
With telecom operators
raising prices by
10-25% across prepaid
and postpaid plans,
analysts projec a net
impact of USD 5.5 B
within a year

By Vernika Awal

I
n the last week of June, following the government’s The tariff hikes triggered by the three ranges between
latest round of 5G spectrum auctions, which fetched 10% and 25%, a fairly substantial amount. Even as
the government’s coffers just over USD 1.3 billion, each consumers expressed displeasure, the three companies
of the three telecom operators—Bharti Airtel, Reliance argued that raising the tariffs was key to increasing
Jio, and Vodafone Idea—raised their respective tariffs the average revenue per user and, in turn, ramping
across all prepaid and postpaid services for consumers. up profitability.

The tariff hike could generate USD 5.46 billion

in incremental revenue over the next 12 months
as users’ annual data plans start expiring.

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16 VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication www.voicendata.com
 [NEWS ANALYSIS]
TELECOM TARIFF

Telcos may see value generation in the

short run, but the trade-off could see a
not-so-negligible margin of users giving up
additional connections.

Before proceeding further, it is important to An analyst note published by Mumbai-based

understand why telcos have repeatedly stated that a new brokerage Axis Capital explained this, saying that the
tariff is important for their financial health. India’s telecom tariff hike could generate USD 5.46 billion in incremental
operators have long complained about a highly predatory revenue over the next 12 months as users’ data plans start
market that made the country one of the least expensive expiring. More importantly, industry sources and media
geographies in terms of the overall cost of data. reports pegged the ROCE average of Bharti Airtel and
Reliance Jio at just 9.5%, which the hiked tariff could help
The formal launch of Reliance Jio in 2016 mostly somewhat improve.
changed how telecom plans were priced, removing
charges and limits on outgoing voice calls and drastically Data from the FY24 earnings sheets show that Airtel
lowering the cost of mobile data. and Jio have cumulatively made capital expenditures
in upgrading telecom infrastructure for 5G, expanded
This led to a boom in the user base of India’s telecom coverage areas, and invested in procuring network
operators, coupled with consolidation of telecom spectrum from the Centre. The two telcos have also
operators. Data published monthly by the Telecom invested in setting up the Industrial Internet of Things
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) indicates that India (IIoT)-based business avenues, Airtel Business and Jio
had 1.01 billion mobile network connections as of the end Business. These expenses are to the tune of USD 18
of 2015, before the advent of Reliance Jio. billion, thereby leading telcos to seek various avenues to
make up for all the money that has been invested.
Bharti Airtel had the biggest market share in a market
with 12 recognised telecom service providers (TSPs), Why would it not affect in the short run?
with over 243 million users. Vodafone India and Idea For each telecom operator, the key for consumers lies
Cellular were the next biggest TSPs, with 193 million and in long-term plans. For instance, many prepaid users
172 million users, respectively. purchase plans with 12 months validity, which means
that once the new tariffs take effect starting in early
In comparison, TRAI’s latest data from April 30 this July, many users may not need to subscribe to a new
year indicates that 91.3% of India’s telecom subscriber plan immediately.
base is now under Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and
Vodafone Idea, a joint entity formed following the merger Analysts state that this could also lead to users giving
of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular in August 2018. up additional SIM cards in order to rationalise the cost of
communications within a household. “There will clearly
Overall, the market has grown 15.8% to 1.17 billion be some consolidation once the tariff hikes come into
users. Jio has 472 million users, followed by Airtel’s 387 effect starting in July. As a result, the impact on ROCE
million and Vodafone-Idea’s joint base of 219 million and profit before interest, lease, depreciation and taxes
users. To be sure, eight and a half years ago, Vodafone (PBILDT) will not see an immediate effect,” said a senior
India and Idea Cellular jointly had 365 million users. telecom analyst working with multiple telcos at a leading
Therefore, they lost 40% of their customers due to a lack consultancy firm.
of extensive network coverage, which both Airtel and Jio
presently have. The analyst, requesting anonymity since his
firm works with both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel,
Mandating Infrastructure Upheaval further added: “The incremental value generation will
This dynamic led the telcos to claim that a pricing hike undoubtedly happen, but the trade-off could see a
was inevitable. The key metric here is returns on capital not-so-negligible margin of users give up additional
employed (ROCE), which can only increase when telcos connections. Eventually, it remains to see if the tariffs
make key investments to upgrade their networks. make any sizeable difference.”

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VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication 17 I
[NEWS ANALYSIS]
TELECOM TARIFF

Users may start rationalising telecom

costs by the amount of data they
consume, which may also negate the
impact of tariff hikes.

Others have also questioned if the desired impact on

margins would have the kind of impact on investment
returns directly. A senior executive at one of India’s top
IT services firms said that ROCE for telecom operators
would depend on a myriad of factors.

“Take captive 5G networks, for instance. In this

particular space, it is difficult for any entity to force-
generate business value. 5G monetisation has been a
challenge for any networking and telecom services firm
around the world and remains the same in India. The key
reason for this is that the standard of 5G networks is not
as big a jump for the average user as 4G from 3G was,”
the executive said.

The executive further underlined that one key factor

In Brief that is contributing to the sustained growth of all telcos is
industrial network deployment. “This side of the business
• Tariff hike: Telcos in India raised tariffs by 10%
offers telcos good margins and also leaves IT firms with
to 25% after the 5G spectrum auction, aiming
a healthy telecom business for managed services. The
to increase revenue and profitability. consumer end of the business, however, remains highly
• Market dynamics: India’s low-cost data tricky,” the person said.
market, driven by Jio’s entry in 2016, led
Care Ratings, a market analysis firm, projected an
to a boom in users but required significant
expected uptick of up to 22% in PBILDT in FY25 itself.
investment. Users have countered that price hikes should have
• Consolidation impact: Following market ideally been more gradual and not led to an immediate
consolidation, 91.3% of India’s telecom jump of up to 25%, which was seen across all three
subscribers are now under Jio, Airtel, and operators last month.
Vodafone Idea.
Postpaid users, too, are expected to lower the
• Investment needs: Telcos need tariff hikes tier of service that they subscribe to potentially. The
to improve returns on capital employed two experts, citing this, added further that with the
(ROCE) and fund 5G and IIoT infrastructure proliferation and easy access to Wi-Fi services, a
downgraded postpaid plan might no longer impact users
investments.
the way it once would have.
• Short-term effect: Immediate impact on users
is minimal due to long-term prepaid plans; “Our data is freely and widely accessible, and
potential for users to reduce additional SIMs. even with the price hike, it does not get exorbitant.
However, users may start rationalising telecom costs
• Future projections: Tariff hikes may not by the amount of data that they consume, which may
have an immediate impact on profits; ROCE also negate the impact of tariff hikes,” one of the two
depends on factors like 5G monetisation and analysts added.
industrial networks.
[email protected]

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 6th
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[LOOKING GLASS]
30 YEARS OF TELECOM

From analogue roots to digital dreams

India’s telecom odyssey spans from a humble beginning to visionary
policies and relentless innovations as India strides toward a trillion-
dollar digital economy

By Deepak Maheshwari

C
ommunication is a fundamental human tenet. and the 20th anniversary of the Broadband Policy, it is
Historically, it was confined to the close vicinity, an opportune time to assess their impact and chart out
with smoke signals and drums being used for a policy roadmap for a digitally enabled Viksit Bharat by
relatively longer distances. Remnants of Kos 2047. Incidentally, this issue of Voice&Data magazine
Minars, or mile pillars, can still be seen along medieval also marks its 30th anniversary as a publication.
highways. Messages were also transmitted through
human interlocutors such as spies and friends and TURNING THE CLOCK TO 1994
through written messages carried by trained birds like Barely 30 years ago, in 1994, telecommunication services
pigeons and falcons. were beyond the reach of most Indians, catering primarily
to the upper socio-economic strata. About 100,000 public
Telecommunications modes and means have evolved call offices (PCOs) expanded access without ownership to
in tandem with advancements in transport, tourism, a broader populace.
trade, and technology. Electric telegraphy and telephones
were introduced in India within a decade of their global However, the eight million fixed-line connections
inventions in the nineteenth century. Even Internet remained concentrated in urban areas, even though
services began as early as 1986. every fourth village had at least one telephone—usually
a village public telephone or VPT. Unsurprisingly, with
As 2024 marks three decades of the National Telecom 2.5 million people on the waitlist, obtaining a telephone
Policy, the 40th anniversary of the Computer Policy, under the general category typically took a few years.

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 [LOOKING GLASS]
30 YEARS OF TELECOM

With the rapid convergence of consumer devices and

digital services, the time is ripe for a unified digital
policy integrating telecom, IT, and broadcasting.

FAST FORWARD TO 2024 government announced the first National Telecom Policy
Today, India has emerged as the world’s second-largest (NTP 1994) in May 1994.
communications market in terms of the number of
subscriptions. With one of the lowest tariffs for mobile This policy focused on ‘telecommunication for all and
data and reasonably good network coverage, Indians telecommunication within the reach of all’ while revising
consume the maximum monthly data. the Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-1997) targets. The
targets included providing telephone service on demand
Today, India has emerged as the world’s second- by 1997, covering all villages by 1997, establishing one
largest communications market in terms of the number PCO for every 500 persons in urban areas by 1997,
of subscriptions. It has one of the lowest tariffs for and introducing all value-added services available
mobile data and reasonably good network coverage, internationally in India, preferably by 1996.
much beyond the era when domestic voice calls were
billed based on duration and distance. Besides, a host In addition, the policy paved the way for the private
of digital services and applications have become sector to provide basic services, such as fixed-line
intertwined with daily lives and livelihoods, offering services. However, the corporatisation of existing
communication, information, entertainment, social operations and independent regulation recommended
media, games, financial services, e-governance, tele- by the TRC were conspicuously absent in NTP 1994.
education, and telemedicine. Moreover, the policy was silent on the Internet, which
was already generating significant curiosity and interest
REWINDING TO NTP 1994 despite being relatively new. Incidentally, Internet services
Following the 1991 economic reforms, world-class for the public were launched by VSNL in August 1995 and
telecom services were soon seen as a prerequisite to by private ISPs in November 1998.
improve India’s global competitiveness and attract
investment across the economy—both foreign and As DoT field units felt that private operators were
domestic. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) encroaching upon their monopoly, delays, and denials
was established as a separate entity from the former Post in providing interconnections and other facilities were
and Telegraph or P&T department, and it served as both rampant. Licensees began defaulting on license fee
the policymaker and the service provider. payments they had initially bid for, as the reality was far
different from the rosy revenue forecasts. They could
Local services in Delhi and Mumbai were transferred not meet their rollout obligations even in urban areas, let
to Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, while Videsh alone in rural ones.
Sanchar Nigam Limited managed the former Overseas
Communications Services. Both were under the direct The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
control of DoT. debuted in 1997 as a statutory regulator but faced
enormous resistance from DoT, leading to litigation
The government constituted a nine-member Telecom concerning its powers and jurisdiction. Clearly, the
Restructuring Committee (TRC) chaired by Mrityunjay achievements fell short by a considerable margin, and by
Athreya. Its three key recommendations were that 1998, private companies were on the brink of collapse. On
policymaking should remain with the government, all the other hand, 290,000 villages remained unconnected
telecom operations must be corporatised and gradually at the beginning of 1999. No wonder some experts
privatised while being subjected to competition from the subsequently termed NTP 1994 as a disaster.
private sector, and the establishment of an independent,
quasi-judicial regulator for the industry. THE GREAT SAVIOUR: NTP 1999
Demonstrating tremendous political will, the New
FIRST STEPS TOWARDS REFORM Telecom Policy, 1999 (NTP 1999) arrived like a breath of
In 1992, telecom licenses were granted for mobile, paging, fresh air and played a pivotal role in reviving the telecom
VSAT, and email services. As the policymaker, the sector. The fixed license fees were replaced by a variable

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VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication 21 I
[LOOKING GLASS]
30 YEARS OF TELECOM

The ‘Broadband for All’ vision in the National Digital

Communications Policy, 2018 bore an uncanny resemblance
to ‘Telecommunication for All’ in NTP 1994.
license fee computed based on adjusted gross revenue
or AGR, provided the mobile operators surrendered the
duopoly granted earlier in each license area.

Moreover, NTP 1999 brought about significant

structural changes. Besides offering greater clarity on
TRAI’s role, it recognised the convergence across IT,
media, telecom, and consumer electronics, emphasising
the need for a national information infrastructure using
digital technologies. It also proposed introducing the
concept of Universal Service Obligation (USO) through a
levy to address the needs of rural and remote areas.

IN BRIEF While the Convergence Communications Bill of 2001

lapsed in 2004, the USO Fund has been operational
• Echoes of history: From smoke signals for over two decades. Following the amendment of the
to pigeons, India’s early communication TRAI Act in 2000, the Telecom Disputes Settlement
and Appellate Tribunal or TDSAT was established. TRAI
methods were as inventive as they were
also became the regulator for Broadcasting in 2004.
foundational. Interestingly, two proposals from NTP 1994 took almost
• Tech revolution: India leapt into the a quarter of a century to materialise, respectively, in the
form of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and the Space
telecom age, swiftly adopting telegraphy
Policy, 2023. The corporatisation of DoT’s operations was
and telephones, setting the stage for future realised in 2000 with the formation of Bharat Sanchar
innovations. Nigam Limited (BSNL), ahead of the 2001 target.
• Anniversary reflections: 2024 marks three
THE FUTURE OF CONVERGING HORIZONS
decades of game-changing telecom policies, NTP 1999 was followed by the Broadband Policy of 2004
celebrating their transformative impact on and the NTP 2012. The ‘Broadband for All’ vision in the
the nation. National Digital Communications Policy, 2018, NDCP 2018
bore an uncanny resemblance to ‘Telecommunication for
• Telecom transformation: India’s telecom All’ in NTP 1994, with most targets set for 2022.
journey is remarkable, from 1994’s limited
and urban-centric services to 2024’s The need for a new policy is evident, especially
expansive and inclusive network. considering the aspiration for a trillion-dollar digital
economy and the increasing role of digitalisation in
• Game changer: The New Telecom Policy, every aspect of human life. Given the rapid convergence
1999 was a breath of fresh air, revolutionising of consumer devices and digital services, the time
the sector with innovative fee structures and is ripe for an integrated Convergence Digital India
Policy rather than dealing with telecom, IT, and
reforms.
broadcast separately.
• Unified future: As digital convergence
accelerates, a comprehensive Digital India The author is a public policy expert and a
Senior Consultant with the Centre for Social
Policy is essential to realise the vision of a and Economic Progress (CSEP), a think tank.
trillion-dollar digital economy. Views are personal.
[email protected]

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[cover story]
TELECOM INDUSTRY

30 Years
30 Techs
From analogue roots to digital dynamos,
India’s communication sector has shifted
seismically, reshaping the digital realm and
fuelling economic growth

By Pratima Harigunani

I
ndia has come a long way—indeed. There were telephone and Marconi’s first wireless communication
many ignition points and new paths that made the over the sea—the story of communication has
country’s communication technology landscape undergone many twists, turns, flips, and somersaults.
the way it is today. It is a journey of many beautiful,
exciting, and path-breaking decades. India’s story is no different. Just a few decades
back, the Baby Boomers would painstakingly wait for
First, there were signal flares. Then pigeons—yes, a trunk call to connect. And today, Generation Alpha
a proper postal system that originated in Serbia and will not forgive even a nanosecond delay for an app to
Persia. Then, papyrus rolls. Then, the 17th-century pop into action.
semaphore lines. Then, the 18th-century first trans-
Atlantic telegraph cable. From one thing to another, from Here’s a quick overview of 30 technologies that
Joseph Henry’s electric telegraph to Lee De Forest’s have shaped India’s telecom landscape in the last three
radio, from Morse Code to the walkie-talkie, to Bell’s decades and a glance at how far we have come.

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 [cover story]
TELECOM INDUSTRY

Public Call
Offices or
PCOs, often
humorously
compared to
the magical
wardrobes
of Narnia,
were once
the primary
communication
#1 PCO portals for
Ah! Those yellow boxes of Narnia’s land. You walk into one and then get immersed in a
much-deserved call—just by dropping a few coins in the slot. These Public Call Offices
Indians.
or PCO booths were a respite to many Indians who wanted to make local calls. They
supplemented the DoT’s International Subscriber Dialling (ISD) and Subscriber’s Trunk
Dialling (STD) in a good way by being accessible and affordable to the last mile and
remote parts. The owners of these booths worked on a revenue-share and commission
system. With the advent of landlines, cell phones, and the Internet, their presence and
use dropped significantly. As of a 2022 report from TRAI, there was a drop in all states
seen in various BSNL and MTNL PCOs, with a total dip of 12.14% to 50,188 PCOs.

#2 Internet
The world changed irreversibly when 1974 marked the emergence of the
Internet. When Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn came up with the Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which captured how data can
be broken down into smaller pieces called packets and how these packets
can be transmitted to the right destination, the way we even thought about
communication changed forever. More so with the refinement of the Transfer
Control Protocol in 1983—the initial prototype of which was the National (or
Galactic) Information Infrastructure.
Internet protocols and developments spread from the Defence Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the USA (ARPANET) to other parts of the
world and soon to India, too. The country did have an Education and Research
Network (ERNET), but that was confined to academic corridors. The Internet
started showing its first signs in 1986, but it took VSNL’s strong bet on it around
1995 to set it going here in a well-heeled way. Soon, cybercafes popped up all
over the country and private ISPs also began taking a concrete shape. With the
strengthening of cable internet, the IT Act in 2000, and the launch of sites like
Yahoo, eBay, and MSN, the country harnessed the ICT boom.

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[cover story]
TELECOM INDUSTRY

#3 Email
Ray Tomlinson may have the credits for email in a big
way. Ayyadurai may also be contending for the honour
Sabeer Bhatia,
here and could have done the groundwork for it. But in
India, it was Sabeer Bhatia of Hotmail fame who took all the an Indian
limelight on this. He made it easy and cool for web-based entrepreneur,
email around 1996 in India. And when Gmail came, millions of Indians got used to revolutionised
the indispensable role of email in both their personal and work lives. According to an
IAMAI-KANTAR report in 2022, there were 759 million active Internet users in 2022,
email
and 77% used it for communication. In 2023, the total active user number went up to communication
820 million. Today, email marketing and email-based business communication form a globally with
massive chunk of the online industry.
Hotmail in
1996, which
#4 Mobile Phone introduced
Somewhere in 1973, Martin Cooper placed web-based
a ground-breaking cellular mobile call to
email to
his rival at Bell Labs, Joel Engel. It had a
maximum talk time of 30 minutes, and this millions.
phone took a year for the battery to recharge.
This marvel took its time to travel to India,
but it did and did well. It took just one
call—the one made in 1995 between Union
Telecom Minister Sukh Ram and the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu.
It was enabled through Modi Telstra, a joint venture between India’s BK Modi Group
and Australian telecom giant Telstra, which later morphed into Airtel. A lot changed
for many Indians who were, till then, tethered to landlines. Some of us won’t even
remember those initial operators like Skycell, Usha Martin, BPL, and RPG—but a lot
of us do remember those lovely ads, especially Hutch’s cute pug, and how slowly, but
deeply, the cellphone became a core part of an average Indian’s life.

#5 VoIP
Voice Over Internet Protocol brought in a new system in the
2000s to allow phone calls to be transmitted over a computer
through Internet protocols. This erased the expensive nature of
long-distance charges and callers could use already-established
computer networks. When software engineer Brian Wiles worked
on NetFone, the world’s first Internet calling software, things
changed even more, setting a smooth path for the growth of
Internet calling, wherein players like Vonage took their strongholds
soon. In India, this space was subject to regulatory controls for a
long time. It took a lot of clarity and confidence for unrestricted
Internet Telephony to gain a footing here. It was opened up in a limited manner around
2022. A lot has been disrupted by the arrival of platforms like WhatsApp, for sure.
According to a Future Market Insights report (2022-2032), the VoIP services market in
India is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.3%.

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 [cover story]
TELECOM INDUSTRY

#6 Fibre Optics
Initially
introduced
in 1988,
fibre optics
dramatically
increased
India’s data
transmission
capabilities,
driving the
growth of the
Around 1930, Heinrich Lamm transmitted an image through a bundle of transparent
optical fibres. In 1997, the Fibre optic link around the globe (FLAG) sparked into service
Internet and
covering 28,000 km and offered GBPS. While in 1988, TAT-8 became operational as mobile services.
the first fibre optic cable in India, it took some time to gain ground—literally. But it was
worth the wait. India had been reliant on old-school and hard-core copper and landline
systems for many decades. Fibre has been embraced for its unique properties, especially
when even a tiny thread of fibre can carry as much voice traffic as thousands of copper
lines. This has allowed new capacity boosters and expansion possibilities for telcos.
Of course, the cost of laying subsea fibre still exists as a challenge. However, the road
towards fibre has been a strong and speedy one—once its advantages and respective
strengths were realised. There are both private Fibre-to-the-Home expansions and
government investments in fibre networks in progress. GlobalData estimates point out
that fibre optic lines could hold over 80% of the total broadband lines in 2028.

#7 Microprocessor
From Intel to India’s home-grown microprocessor Shakti, we
have covered a long road to getting better on the hardware front
in our journey to becoming an IT superpower. Interestingly, it
was an Indian—Vinod Dham—who rewrote the microprocessor
saga with the creation of the Pentium Chip and Flash memory
technology (an Intel-first with ETOX). He then moved to other
paths and, ironically, created Pentium’s rivals like K6 and played
significant roles at AMD and in a VoIP chip as well.
With a forward-looking policy and Production Linked
Incentive or PLI schemes, the Make-in-India movement, and
the rise of semiconductor ventures, India is now on a new road
of confidence in this area. Our chip market can surpass USD 55
billion by 2026, and there is serious interest and investment
coming from global behemoths like AMD, Micron, Applied
Materials, etc., now.

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TELECOM INDUSTRY

#8 Social Media
& Messengers VoIP was tightly
Some may call it nostalgia, some a life-
changing technology. But when Orkut came in regulated in
2004, the very concept of social online networks India until
was injected into the lives of innumerable Indians in
recent years,
a big way. The country never looked back at living only in the physical world then. It
soon moved to Facebook, then discovered Twitter, then Snapchat, and is now deep into but platforms
the alleys of Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat. In between, the country like WhatsApp
also saw the emergence and demise of its first desi social media platform, Koo. drastically
Today, Indians use almost every kind of social media available. From micro-
changed the
blogging sites and X to short-form media, Discord, and Instagram, Indians are fluent in
and habitual users of many kinds of social media and OTT communication platforms, game by
including social commerce. India has roughly 460 million social users today. making Internet
calls accessible.
#9 Radio Frequency
Identification
RFID has ushered in the advantage of using
automated identification technologies with non-
contact wireless radio frequency signals. Now,
when information can be digitally embedded
in RFID tags, the entire supply chain and retail
industry is embracing a new revolution. The
electromagnetic pulse is read from an RFID reader
device, and the tag transmits information, which
helps to recognise an inventory number and
travels back to the reader device. This number is
very useful and makes it easy to track inventory items. RFID has brought in a simple,
fast, and cost-effective way of inventory management for many businesses. According
to Allied Market Research’s estimates, the market size in India can touch as much as
USD 1864 million by 2030.

#10 Internet of Things

The IoT takes the RFID renaissance many levels further. It has unleashed the
power of Edge computing and redefined how businesses store perimeter
data, use it, and make decisions on it. IoT has brought in a network of
interconnected physical objects, devices, and machines, empowering them
with sensors and intelligence so that they can collect and exchange data with
each other and with central systems over the internet. These smart objects
can not only gather data fast and in real-time but also make decisions and
interact with the physical world and digital systems. This has brought many
use cases for Indian factories, mines, refineries, campuses, and a lot more.
As per Frost & Sullivan’s prognosis, the Indian IoT market can touch about
USD 9 billion by 2025.

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 [cover story]
TELECOM INDUSTRY

#11 Big Data

There was data, and then there was Big
Data. Once enterprises realised that they
The first mobile
were sitting on piles and piles of untapped
data that could be leveraged in a powerful phone call
way for business insights and actions, in India was
nothing stayed the same. Big Data became made in 1995
a new force for businesses. It changed the
way they looked at data, stored it, valued it,
from Kolkata,
and tapped it. Mordor Intelligence has observed big adoption in verticals like BFSI, retail, marking a
and Telecom here. And with the explosion of analytics and AI, a lot will be unlocked as new era that
we move ahead. The India Big Data Technology & Service Market was tagged at about
eventually led
USD 2.17 billion in 2024 and can shoot up to USD 3.38 billion by 2029.
to one of the
world’s largest
#12 Machine Learning mobile phone
markets.

If machines can learn how humans think, learn, organise information, and use it, what
else remains? This path has been started now by many AI innovators and players. And
it is making its way into enterprises with new use cases and possibilities. A report by
BCG-NASSCOM shows that India’s AI market is growing at a 25 to 35% rate and will
touch USD 17 billion by 2027. According to ResearchandMarkets, the AI market in India
stood at INR 472.73 Bn in 2020 and is expected to reach INR 2113.60 Bn by 2027.

#13 Smartphones
Ericsson planted its roots as a new device concept. And it was in 1995
when the call between Kolkata and Delhi made through cellular networks
defined a new way of life altogether for many Indians. Smartphones have
changed everything about communicating. From work to social media
to start-ups to digital economies to the India Stack, India owes a lot to
the rise and boom of smartphones. As per Counterpoint Research, in
Q1 2024, India’s 5G smartphone shipments captured their highest-ever
share of 71%. As per IDC, India’s smartphone market shipped 34 million
smartphones in 1Q24, with 11.5% growth YoY (year-over-year), making
it the third consecutive quarter of growth in shipments. We are already
on our way to 5G smartphones next. With 23 million 5G smartphones
shipped in the quarter, the share of 5G smartphone shipments increased
to 69%, up from 46% in 1Q23.

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TELECOM INDUSTRY

#14 Cloud
Computing
Cloud computing is not just a milestone in The Internet,
India’s IT journey; it is a big fork in the road. introduced to
It has unleashed a completely new way of India in 1986,
thinking about IT infrastructure. Enterprises,
once they came across the Cloud, began
was initially
to realise that not every workload and IT limited to
infrastructure was to be kept on-premise. Things like public cloud, hybrid cloud, and educational
private cloud changed the yesteryear legacy models to fast as-per-use models. With
and research
the on-demand availability of IT resources, businesses began discovering a new era of
flexibility and agility. Cloud’s real strength and power were completely unleashed when institutions
the pandemic broke out and forced many businesses to adopt a digital posture. The before
overall public cloud services market in India is at a strong level today and is expected to becoming
reach USD 17.8 billion by 2027, as per IDC. In fact, as per a NASSCOM report, the value
added from cloud has the potential to contribute USD 310-380 billion to India’s GDP in
publicly
2026, accounting for ~8% of GDP. available in
1995.
#15 Artificial Intelligence
Indian businesses are not behind
anyone in the world in embracing the
big wave of AI. Artificial Intelligence
and the power of algorithms, language
models, and machine intelligence are
being tapped in a bold and fast-forward
way by Indian enterprises. A report by
BCG-NASSCOM shows that India’s AI
market is growing at a 25 to 35% rate
and will touch USD 17 billion by 2027. As
projected by NASSCOM, AI adoption could add USD 500 billion to the country’s GDP
by 2025. Sectors like banking and financial services, consumer products and retail,
healthcare, and industrial and automotive could contribute about 60% of AI’s potential
value-addition of USD 450-500 billion to the country’s GDP by 2025. We are on a fast
super-highway here.

#16 WiFi
In an era where Gigabit WiFi and WiFi g and n are commonplace
terms, it is hard to imagine a time when WiFi was a novelty.
Wireless Fidelity was first developed by the IEEE (Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and the institute has
set standards for the Wi-Fi system over the years, evolving
from 1997 to the newest forms of 802.11. With an internet
penetration level that surpasses 820 million users now and
with the challenge of Internet shutdowns, these standards
have a new role to play in India’s digital strides ahead.

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#17 Robotics
Some still ardently believe that Indian engineers used
clockwork and water to power robots way back in the
Vinod Dham,
Medieval century. They were usually being experimented
with in research labs and academic institutes in India. But an Indian
over the last few years, robots have become prevalent engineer who
and pragmatic in a new sense. Robotics is a species of developed the
automation and intelligence that has been particularly
useful for the manufacturing terrain in India. Its role and
Pentium chip,
propellers are being tapped in healthcare, automotive, and other verticals. India ranks significantly
in the top ten as per data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). influenced the
The numbers on robot density and usage have also been very competitive compared to microprocessor
manufacturing leaders like China. The government’s impetus through Production-Linked
Incentive (PLI) schemes has been noted to help a lot here, as they subsidise companies that
revolution in
create production capacity in India in industries like automotive, metal, pharmaceuticals, India.
and food processing. We are set to see more robots around us as we move ahead.

#18 Satcom
India’s moonshots are no longer at the mercy of an
introduction now, especially after the big sprints
towards the dark side of the Moon and Sun that our
rocket ambitions have brilliantly showcased in the last
few months. It is a leap that goes way back to 1962 and
the passing of the Communications Satellite Act, along
with ventures taken by Indian scientists and ISRO
projects. As we make our mark in the world in space technology as well as in low-
cost, scalable, reusable, and affordable space tech, we have much to unleash for our
own businesses ahead, along with their massive contribution to the growth of VSAT,
ATMs, WFH, OTT, mobile banking, online education, and digital ecosystems. KPMG
augurs that India’s Satcom sector will reach USD 20 billion by 2028. As per an ISPA-
Nasscom-Deloitte report, satellite-based broadband connectivity in remote areas has
the potential to be around USD 263 million over the next five years.

#19 Video Conferencing

From 1936, when the world saw the first public videophone network, to the “Mod
I” picturephone sets in the 1960s, to Ericsson’s demo of the mobile video call
in 1999, the idea of a picture in a phone has been fiddled with in many ways.
In India, though, it exploded in a big way during the pandemic. This internet-
based approach to communication has brought in the magic of real-time and
synchronous communication and in-person meetings with new spurts recently.
According to IMARC, the India video conferencing market size can show a growth
rate (CAGR) of 13% during 2024-2032. It has helped business communication
and online education in a massive way. As per BlueWeave Consulting’s estimates,
the India video conferencing market size was estimated at USD 268.7 million in
2022 and may touch USD 622.5 million by 2029.

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#20 Touchscreen
The keyboard era was ruled by the likes of Nokia and
Blackberry. But as players like Apple changed the
Small cells,
idea of phone input through a touch-screen, a flurry
of possibilities and apps came out of that tiny box low-powered
called a phone. Today, the touchscreen forms a big cellular
share of the phone market in India and is helping networks, are
many industries and start-ups by bringing in the
enablers of speed, agility, and real-time interactions
revolutionising
to the fingertips of phone users. In the reckoning telecom with
of TechSci Research, the Indian touchscreen display market was about USD 5 billion expected
in 2023 and can grow at a CAGR of about 13% through 2029. This straddles many
deployments
areas beyond smartphones and tablets and goes to segments like automotive, retail,
interiors, kiosks, digital signage, education, utilities, telemedicine, and a lot more. surpassing 10
million by 2031,
#21 Mobile Applications driven by a
What changed between web-based and mobile
24-26% CAGR
apps was a simple but profound shift. The idea in India.
of personalised experiences and individual-
centric information became possible when
businesses started tapping mobiles for
the digital economy. As per a report from
Broadband India Forum, the amount of
money spent on apps is going up to USD
800 billion (Rs 64 lakh crore) by 2030.
It looks like app spending is likely to be
around 12% of the GDP. As of now, app
development revenue in India is
about USD 195 million, and there
is a lot of room for growth. The
top three segments are social media
apps (73%), messaging apps (63%), and
shopping apps (58%).

#22 Small Cells

When low-powered cellular access networks made their way into
the telecom landscape, many new capacity and revenue streams
began to be explored. As a miniature radio frequency form, small
cells have brought forth new deployment and expansion possibilities
for telecom operators and new user segments. According to the
Small Cell Forum forecast, the installed base of small cells grew by
15% between 2021 and 2022-end. By 2031, we might see small cell
cumulative deployments crossing the 10-million mark. Also, massive
Indian deployments will result in a CAGR of 24% in enterprise markets
and 26% in public (urban and rural).

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#23 UAV & Drones

The Indian defence areas have been using Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles or UAVs for a long time. However,
Network
their use for civilian and business purposes has gone
through many regulatory evolutions over recent virtualisation
years. As per some estimates, the Indian drone market is expected to reach USD 13 has
billion in size by 2030. The exploration of applications of drones has been growing revolutionised
strongly across many areas—from surveillance to e-commerce to education to
agriculture to mining and factory operations. Once more regulatory confidence and
telecom by
clarity get in place, drones can achieve new heights in the Indian business firmament. decoupling
hardware
from software,
#24 Network Virtualisation enhancing
The day networks rubbed
that Genie (which IT
agility and
resources have been tapping efficiency
ingeniously so far), a lot about and creating
network delays, congestion,
management complexity,
new revenue
and inefficiency changed. opportunities.
Once various components
and functions of the network
were shuffled in a smart way
with the power of software,
physical networks assumed
a new software-like agility
and ease of control. The magic touch of virtualisation made networks agile, fast, well-
sliced, and intelligent in an unprecedented way. Decoupling hardware from software
has poured in many advantages for telcos in terms of cost savings, problem resolution
speed, and network efficiency. It has also given them a new playground for exploring
new business segments and revenue streams, and many players are tapping this
direction vigorously and smartly.

#25 Private LTE

As we step into a new era of software, AI, and digital
levers, the reward for innovation is as huge as the
challenge of navigating it. Creating a dedicated network
for an individual use case or enterprise—that was unheard
of in the past. But today, many operators like Nokia, Tech
Mahindra, and Airtel are approaching this model with
serious work and investments. TRAI’s move into captive
private networks also unravelled a lot of discussions and
new paths in this area. A report pegs the number of such
networks to rise to about 14,000 by 2025. With the arrival of 5G, many new use cases
in agriculture, education, mining, automotive, manufacturing, logistics, etc., would be
ignited with Private LTE.

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TELECOM INDUSTRY

#26 SD-WAN & SAN

Adding dynamic capabilities, intelligence, and
more software in the realm of WAN and storage
SD-WAN
has also changed a lot for communication
infrastructure in recent years. High-speed, adoption in
dedicated, shared pools that are powered and India has
managed by software can be a game-changer modernised
for network efficiency and storage agility. They
also allow gains like smart routing of traffic
27% of
on networks, critical application prioritisation, easy network capacity expansion, enterprises,
and performance-based optimisations. As some estimates observe, about 27% of enhancing
enterprises have adopted SD-WAN in India, leading to modern, agile, always-on, and
network
real-time-ready networks.
efficiency
with smart
#27 Metaverse traffic routing
What happens when you combine Mixed Reality and real-time
(MR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality
(VR) and create a new form of highly immersive performance
world? And maybe add the fun of crypto, Non- optimisation.
Fungible Tokens (NFTs), virtual characters, 3D
gaming, etc., into the mix! You get a completely new
market with new commerce and creative avenues—
one that was about USD 65 billion in 2022 alone. It
can generate USD 5 trillion in value by 2030 (as put
by McKinsey). When over 15% of corporate revenue is expected to come from Metaverse
in the next five years, as per 25% of senior executives, India cannot afford to ignore
this zeitgeist. And it is not. A slew of start-ups and ecosystems have already started
popping up in this new terrain. As Deloitte noted, many large Indian corporations,
such as Infosys and Tech Mahindra, have set up metaverse subsidiaries. What’s
interesting to note is how India’s unique cultural propositions in language, religion, and
entertainment can give its metaverse offerings a distinct flavour. According to Market
Research Future, the Metaverse Market industry in India is projected to grow from USD
3.4 billion in 2023 to USD 45.9 billion by 2032.

#28 UrLLC & m-MMtc

5G has also paved the path for many new technologies and models,
like Ultra-reliable, low-latency communication. This taps the power of
low latency and takes the form of many novel use cases in remote
healthcare, autonomous transport, M2M communications, etc.
Massive machine-to-machine communication has emerged as a
distinct 5G use case and has taken off to carve its own niche in the
Indian telco space. With large-scale machine deployments, underlined
with low-power utilisations, this has unleashed a new set of industrial
applications. These would be very useful in driving the potential of
Industrial 4.0 in India.

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TELECOM INDUSTRY

#29 Fifth Generation

Hyped or not, new or done-and-dusted, 5G is one area that needs no introduction today.
As the new generation of cellular technology, this inflexion point really takes the story of
India’s 5G
Indian telecommunications many circuits ahead as it picks the baton from 4G and passes
it over to 6G. With its low-latency, high-speed, and real-time features, it may not only subscription hit
redefine telco experiences but also open up new segments like IoT and drones. India has 159 million in
already touched 159 million 5G subscribers, showing a penetration of 15%, as seen in a 2024 and is set
report by Bank of America Global Research. We are all set to grow stronger and deeper
here, with a level of 490 million subscribers (42% penetration) by 2028, as projected
to reach 490
in this report. Or even 840 million by 2029, as augured by other reports. There was a million by 2028,
30% jump in 5G customers in the first quarter of 2024, indicating 175 million pure 5G revolutionising
subscribers out of a total of 1,164 million total subscribers. This new era, unlocked in the
telco
country in 2022, is witnessing aggressive deployments by many operators. This will also
unleash completely new revenue models and customer segments like private enterprise experiences
capacities, digital revenues, and monetisation of AR/VR and gaming. and unlocking
IoT and drone
segments.

#30 RAN to xRAN

New approaches to RAN can bring flexibility to telcos—with the cost advantages and
heterogeneity of various components instead of monolithic structures. They are being
used to allow seamless interoperability among hardware and software from disparate
vendors. This way, RAN has moved from many points: centralised RAN (CRAN),
which allows multiple mobile sites to share equipment, to virtualised RAN (VRAN),
which supports scalability and network agility by decoupling network hardware from
software. xRAN is changing a lot in telcos’ flexibility with the availability of intelligent,
virtualised, and interoperable functions. Though nascent and at POC level in India,
Open RAN deployments are being explored in a serious way now.

The journey of communication technologies has been nothing short of spectacular, with historical leaps from
ancient signal flares to today’s sophisticated internet protocols. India’s narrative mirrors this evolution, transitioning
from traditional trunk calls to the instantaneous digital connections expected by today’s Generation Alpha. Over
the past three decades, thirty significant technologies have dramatically reshaped the landscape of Indian telecom,
reflecting a profound transformation from public call offices to advanced internet telephony and beyond.
From the ubiquitous PCOs that dotted the Indian landscape to the revolutionary advent of the internet, which
redefined global communication norms, India has seen exponential growth in its telecom sector. Technologies like
mobile phones, VoIP, and fibre optics have not only enhanced connectivity but also deeply integrated into the country’s
social and economic fabric. The evolution continues with the latest innovations in IoT and cloud computing, further
solidifying India’s position in the global digital ecosystem.

[email protected]

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[INTERVIEW]
TELECOM

YUKI SHUTO PEEYUSH VAISH

Partner & TMT Industry Leader, Partner & TMT Industry Leader,
Deloitte Asia Pacific Deloitte South Asia

“New media formats are

expanding and diversifying
the telecom industry”
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TELECOM

Yuki Shuto is the Asia Pacific TMT Industry Leader how this integration might shape the future of the
and Chief Strategy and Innovations Officer of Deloitte telecommunications, satellite, semiconductor, and
Consulting Japan, and Peeyush Vaish is the TMT related sectors?
Industry Leader for Deloitte South Asia. With expertise YS: Smartphone manufacturers are looking to
in semiconductors, new technologies, cloud, and offer satellite connections as an additional feature,
sustainability, the two industry veterans provided an encouraging existing users to upgrade and aiming to gain
enriching global perspective on the telecom, Satcom, and a more significant market share than competing models.
broadcasting sectors. They also shared insights into cloud Furthermore, integrating satellite and terrestrial mobile
sovereignty, data security, supply chain challenges, and networks could potentially bring new revenue to the
the impact of new media formats on consumer behaviour. telecommunications industry.
Excerpts from their interaction with Shubhendu Parth:
Deloitte predicts that more than 200 million
How would you describe the telecom, satcom, and smartphones capable of satellite services will be sold by
broadcasting trends in the Asia Pacific region? 2024. This also can potentially expand traditional satellite
Yuki Shuto (YS): The telecommunications industry is communications, primarily used for disaster response
advancing its efforts toward sustainability. Key initiatives and security purposes, into everyday use. For instance,
include phasing out copper lines and 3G networks, it is conceivable that one could use their everyday
transitioning communication construction vehicles smartphone during a disaster to access information on
to electric vehicles (EVs), and adopting 5G wireless the Internet or have voice communication via satellite.
equipment with energy-saving features like a ‘snooze
button’. Notably, Singapore has already discontinued its In light of the global semiconductor surge, what
copper wire network, and plans are underway to do the collaborative strategies are essential for market
same in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand by 2024. expansion in the region, particularly from an Indian
perspective?
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and Direct-to- YS: Given the demand for geopolitical supply chain
Device (D2D) technologies are gaining attention in the reconstruction, India is expected to expand its
satellite communication sector. NTN has been used as semiconductor production bases. However, considering
a complementary solution for mobile communication, India’s abundant software engineering resources, it is
particularly in areas difficult to reach with traditional only a matter of time before the need for production,
terrestrial mobile networks, and as an emergency contact hardware design, and development from the upstream
method during disasters. D2D, a newer technology, and software-embedded chips becomes apparent.
enables direct satellite communication with smartphones, Therefore, attracting global semiconductor companies
promising widespread future adoption despite current is expected to incorporate production capabilities into
deployment challenges. the supply chain and strengthen the sector through
comprehensive alliances.
For private use, both B2B and B2C applications
are being considered. IoT remote sensing and remote As the APAC region strengthens its supply chains,
operations are expected to progress significantly, could you elaborate on how resilience is built? Have
particularly in industries with activities in geographically you observed any notable lessons or takeaways
challenging locations, such as logistics, maritime, from India’s electronics sector?
construction, and energy. Peeyush Vaish (PV): Resilience is fostered through
diversification, technological innovation, and strategic
Integrating satellite and terrestrial mobile networks partnerships. In India’s electronics sector, there has
has the potential to unlock new revenue streams been a pronounced focus on local manufacturing, robust
across multiple industries. Could you elaborate on government support, and extensive workforce upskilling.

Telecom providers are packaging streaming

services such as music, movies, TV shows, and
podcasts, enhancing their appeal to customers.

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[INTERVIEW]
TELECOM

Smartphones will play a key role in satellite

communications, with increasing interest in
technologies enabling direct satellite links
on standard smartphones.
This synergy enhances supply chain agility and positions authentication devices. Their uses range widely, from
India as a pivotal player in the global electronics market. accessing websites and making payments to unlocking
India’s journey highlights the crucial role of adaptability cars and managing building entries. Additionally,
and collaboration in navigating the complexities of smartphones are expected to play a significant role
modern supply chain dynamics. in satellite communications, with growing interest in
technologies that enable direct satellite communication
What is your take on the tech innovation landscape on conventional smartphones. These devices will handle
in APAC and the level of interest global companies everyday and emergency uses, switching between them
have in partnering with Indian companies and seamlessly. Furthermore, smartphones are expected to
startups to make a regional impact? expand their functions as digital personal assistants,
YS: India offers a very attractive market for any industry, and becoming highly proactive and capable of involvement
collaboration with local startups is beneficial for advancing in all aspects of daily life through advanced data
the globalisation of multinational corporations. Many analysis functions.
global companies position India as the headquarters for
emerging markets, gaining insights for market penetration Cloud sovereignty and data security are crucial
in other countries through technical collaboration with concerns in today’s digital landscape. How do
startups and joint market expansion in India. This also telecom companies, especially telcos in India,
enhances their learning capabilities and helps export navigate these challenges to ensure data security
the excellent engineering technology of Indian startups and sovereignty in the cloud?
overseas. This compatibility makes it easy to build win- PV: In 2024, the world will generate 149 zettabytes
win relationships for global companies in other countries. of data. The cloud makes this scale of data creation
and processing possible. More data, increased
With the rise of streaming and podcasting, how do cybersecurity threats, and geopolitical tensions
you see entertainment integrating into the telco’s have increased demand for cloud solutions that can
value proposition, and what impact does this have operate locally.
on consumer behaviour?
YS: New media formats are expanding and diversifying Ensuring data security and sovereignty in the cloud
the value provided by the telecommunications industry. is a top priority for telecom companies in India. Telcos
Telecom providers are packaging streaming services are partnering with major global cloud service providers
such as music, movies, TV shows, and podcasts, to establish local data centres and ensure compliance
enhancing their appeal to customers. This means they with India’s data localisation laws.
are not just providing telecommunication services but
also playing the role of entertainment providers. These To enhance data security, telecom companies in
circumstances raise consumer expectations and generate India have adopted advanced data encryption and Zero
demand for new services and features, such as high- Trust Architecture to safeguard cloud-stored data. They
quality streaming experiences, personalised content use tools like Cloud Access Security Brokers to monitor
recommendations, and multi-screen viewing. and secure data interactions between on-premises
infrastructure and cloud services. Additionally, telcos
Smartphones are increasingly becoming the leverage AI and machine learning to identify anomalous
go-to device for various functions. Given their patterns and potential breaches, enabling real-time
expanding role in the digital economy, where are detection and response to security threats.
smartphones headed?
YS: Smartphones are set to solidify their position as [email protected]

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[INTERVIEW]
OPEN RAN

PRIYANKA KULKARNI
Manager – Telecom, Media and Technology Sector, Aranca

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OPEN RAN

“Achieving an O-RAN state

is still a long way ahead”
Priyanka Kulkarni, Manager – Telecom, Media and enables network orchestration, centralised processing
Technology Sector, Aranca, packs over 11 years of and flexible scaling, improving network efficiency,
experience in strategy consulting and business advisory. service quality and reliability. Virtualisation facilitates
She has supported Fortune 500 corporations, PE and VC the decoupling of hardware and software components,
firms, family investment offices, and leading technology allowing greater flexibility and easier integration between
startups on diverse strategic and tactical initiatives. different vendors. While these technologies enable the
Interacting with Pratima Harigunani, she dissects what disaggregation and innovation within O-RAN, they
makes Open RAN (O-RAN) a complex landscape even also introduce complexity and pose interoperability
after all the hype and hopes around it. Excerpts: challenges that must be carefully managed.

How would you describe the Open RAN scenario? What about Massive MIMO?
The O-RAN Alliance developed an ecosystem that Well, mMIMO technology significantly increases network
promotes interoperability between network software and capacity and performance. However, its implementation
hardware from different vendors. This eliminates reliance may require specialised hardware configurations,
on proprietary components, opening the door for smaller potentially hindering multi-vendor compatibility.
players to contribute to the construction of cellular
networks, a market traditionally controlled by a handful How tricky is interoperability for O-RAN, especially
of major equipment companies. at the distributed unit and central unit (DU-CU)
level and between DU and radio unit (RU)?
Considering the existence of single-vendor While allowing for interoperability is one of the key pillars
imperialism, is O-RAN really open? of O-RAN, it is also a critical challenge to overcome. The
The current O-RAN landscape is witnessing a rise three key components of gNodeB are the CU, DU, and RU.
in vendor acceptance beyond the traditional giants. Integrating and managing the intricate technicalities of
Companies like Mavenir, NEC, Parallel Wireless, Fujitsu, the key components to ensure seamless communication
Altiostar, and Airspan are increasingly gaining traction across these interfaces in a multi-vendor ecosystem
worldwide. While this could be a potential signal for while simultaneously adapting to changes for a tailored
change in the previously traditional vendor-dominated network configuration increases the system’s complexity.
market, single-vendor solutions are still expected to drive
the lion’s share of O-RAN revenues, as many operators How does this complexity pan out at the front-
still rely on traditional vendor solutions. haul level?
The front-haul specifications are another critical aspect
Single-vendor O-RAN solutions are likely to account of the O-RAN architecture. The new front-haul protocol
for 15–20% of overall RAN revenues in 2028, whereas optimised for mMIMO allows for better performance
multi-vendor O-RAN solutions are forecast to represent but continues to be dominated by traditional vendors.
just 5–10% of the total market. With the advancement in Standardising front-haul interfaces while ensuring
the 5G market, including considerations of 6G, and the bandwidth requirements between DU and RU is crucial for
current deployment state, achieving an O-RAN state is interoperability and multi-vendor participation in O-RAN.
still a long way ahead.
While O-RAN specifications strive for simplified
Do technologies like virtualisation, cloud RAN, etc., system integration, operators rely on skilled personnel to
help or hamper the cause of openness in RAN? customise and integrate them. The lack of professionals
There are always pros and cons to technology adoption. with the expertise to design and implement interoperable
Within the O-RAN ecosystem, a cloud-native architecture O-RAN solutions also poses a major hurdle.

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OPEN RAN

Single-vendor solutions will drive the lion’s

share of O-RAN revenues, as many operators
still rely on traditional vendor solutions.

Is the lock-in constraint more of a problem of What about India? Where does it stand?
hardware and software? In India, while operators such as Jio and Airtel have taken
The relationship between hardware and software in RAN steps to adopt O-RAN, progress has been slow, mainly
does play a role in the dominance of single vendors. due to the perception that it is still maturing. To push
Traditional RAN deployments often result in operators adoption, the Indian government has recently developed
being locked into using hardware and software from a the US-India Open RAN Acceleration Roadmap
single vendor, making it challenging to switch vendors in collaboration with the US, aimed at facilitating
or alter the network. This vendor lock-in is a form of interoperability and widespread deployment of Open
dominion that the close coupling of hardware and RAN products. This roadmap is also being looked at as
software can perpetuate. another effort to encourage Indian telcos to adopt and
deploy the technology.
However, the shift towards O-RAN fosters a more
open and collaborative environment. O-RAN allows What is your advice on pushing for the openness
product designers to select the best hardware and of RAN?
software solutions for them, leading to improved product When assessing RAN’s openness, it is crucial to
performance, innovation and cost-effectiveness. consider factors beyond technology, such as regulatory
frameworks, industry collaborations, and standardisation
Such flexibility is helping operators bring the efforts. Government support for O-RAN, like the legislation
innovation needed to provide new solutions and services in the US encouraging its deployment, plays a vital role
and successfully meet demanding 5G application in promoting openness. Then, ecosystem maturity is
requirements, such as those for smart cities, industrial important. The O-RAN ecosystem is still evolving. A
IoT, and autonomous vehicles, which have varying critical mass of mature vendors and readily available,
network requirements for performance, capacity, interoperable solutions is vital for widespread adoption.
and latency. Plus, Open RAN requires sustained commitment and
collaboration from operators, vendors, standardisation
What would you pick as examples of success and bodies, and policymakers to ensure the development and
failure in Open RAN? standardisation of open interfaces and specifications for
O-RAN initiatives are witnessing global momentum, with driving interoperability and innovation.
trials and deployments taking place in various continents,
including Africa, Europe, Asia (Japan, India, Thailand), and What about heterogeneity? Will it be good or bad,
the US. This signifies a growing interest in the technology easy or tricky?
across diverse markets. The risk that accompanies any open platform is that
of fragmentation. If vendors are not innovating within
Japan is one of the leading markets where operators common frameworks, very few developments will achieve
have partnered with multiple vendors for O-RAN the scale to address cost and performance challenges
deployments. For example, Rakuten Mobile has partnered convincingly. Common interfaces such as O-RAN
with over 20 vendors like Altiostar, Cisco, Nokia, Intel, Alliance’s Open Front-haul provide a valuable set of
Mavenir, Quanta Cloud Technology, Sercomm, Tech foundations, but considerable innovation must take place
Mahindra, Allot, Innoeye, etc. and NTT with more than to optimise the performance and align the network with
four vendors. KDDI has also partnered with two vendors each operator’s needs. Also, ongoing efforts to address
and is exploring more options. Similarly, in the US, Dish security, energy efficiency, and workforce development
Network has partnered with over 12 vendors and Inland are key to consider when evaluating the openness and
Cellular with over four vendors. There are examples sustainability of RAN ecosystems.
from European and African markets where operators use
multiple vendors to deploy O-RAN networks. [email protected]

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INTELLIGENT NETWORKS

Weaving the digital tapestry

of future networks
From IoT to intelligent networks, telecom’s evolution is driving economic growth
and innovation, transforming the network infrastructure of digital enterprises

By Sunil David

T
he telecommunications industry has made Connectivity has always driven social development.
massive strides over the last few decades, From the telegraphs and telephones of the industrial
profoundly impacting nations and societies. era to the cellular, fibre, and data communications of
In an increasingly interconnected global the information era, each upgrade has transformed
society, the industry stands as the backbone of modern communication and economic growth. The transition
communication, linking individuals, communities, and from low-speed X.25 networks and expensive frame
nations like never before. relay networks in the mid-1990s to high-speed cellular
networks like 5G marks a significant evolution. The
Its influence transcends geographical boundaries world is now moving towards the intelligent era, where
and time zones, affecting every facet of our lives. The connectivity is increasingly embedded with AI and
industry serves as a catalyst for economic growth, driving Cloud technologies.
innovation, productivity, and efficiency across various
sectors. By providing the infrastructure and platforms The increasing complexity of network infrastructure,
that enable businesses to collaborate, operate, and reach densification of networks, and billions of IoT-connected
customers globally, telecom networks are a driving force devices make it impractical to manage and operate
behind economic expansion and job creation. networks using only traditional network management

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INTELLIGENT NETWORKS

An intelligent network provides knowledge

representation, reasoning, and explanation facilities,
making the zero-touch paradigm a likely reality.

methods and static policies. AI and automation are ensure seamless interoperability between different
helping networks overcome this significant challenge. technologies and platforms.
An intelligent network will not just take decisions
autonomously; it will also provide knowledge Additionally, as connectivity expands, so do the
representation, reasoning, and explanation facilities, security risks. It is crucial for enterprises to prioritise
making the zero-touch paradigm a likely reality. robust security measures to safeguard against cyber
threats and ensure data privacy.
With the advent of 5G, IoT, AI/ML, AR/VR, and
the Metaverse, a digital revolution is on the brink, Lastly, scalability is essential. Intelligent networks
set to reshape industries and economies. Intelligent must be adaptable and scalable to accommodate future
networks will become critical enablers for businesses growth and technological advancements, requiring
across various sectors, from manufacturing and retail enterprises to invest in flexible solutions that can evolve
to healthcare and finance. The adoption of digital with their needs.
technologies makes intelligent connectivity even more
crucial for enterprises to stay competitive and agile, ADDRESSING IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
driven by three major factors. Enterprises can adopt several strategies to address
these challenges. First, comprehensive planning is
#1 essential. Developing a detailed implementation plan
From IoT to Connected Intelligent Digital Twins: The that includes risk assessment, integration strategies,
focus has shifted from basic IoT to intelligently connecting and a clear roadmap for deployment will ensure a
every physical asset. AI-powered consumer applications smoother transition.
and intelligent chatbots are becoming integral to our
lives, requiring more intelligent connections. Second, prioritising security is crucial. Enterprises
must implement robust security protocols and regularly
#2 update them to counter evolving threats, which are
From Best Effort to Differentiated Services: Telecom becoming increasingly sophisticated. Conducting
service providers must offer differentiated, deterministic, regular security audits, including frequent Vulnerability
and predictable services. Different industries have Assessment and Penetration Testing of an enterprise’s
varying connectivity requirements, such as massive IT and network environments, is imperative. Maintaining
connections for smart city applications and predictable constant awareness among employees about cyber
latency for smart factory use cases. threats is also vital.

#3 Third, a collaborative approach is beneficial.

From Manual Operations to Hyper-Automation: Enterprises should work closely with technology
The complexity of 5G networks necessitates hyper- providers, telecom service providers, and other
automation. Manual operations and management (O&M) stakeholders to ensure smooth integration and operation
are insufficient for handling the increased connection of intelligent networks.
density and configuration parameters. Integrating big
data analytics and AI is essential to simplify decision- Finally, investing in scalable solutions is necessary.
making and implement hyper-automation. Enterprises should invest in technologies that can
grow with the business, with a particular emphasis
INTELLIGENT NETWORK CONCERNS on cloud-based solutions that offer flexibility and
Implementing intelligent networks in enterprises cost-effectiveness.
presents several challenges. First, the complexity of
integrating new technologies with existing systems LEVERAGING INTELLIGENT NETWORKS
can be daunting. To avoid disruptions, enterprises must Intelligent networks are already transforming various

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The NHS in the UK uses the intelligent network to

connect patients with healthcare providers, enhancing
service delivery and patient satisfaction.

industries. In manufacturing, predictive maintenance uses

sensors and AI to foresee equipment failures, reducing
downtime and costs. Automotive giants like BMW, Mahindra
& Mahindra, and Audi have deployed private 5G networks
in their factories to connect machines, remotely monitor
forklifts, and enhance the productivity of shop floor workers,
thereby improving efficiency.

In healthcare, intelligent networks enable telemedicine and

remote monitoring. Patients can receive real-time care and
monitoring through connected devices, improving healthcare
accessibility and outcomes. The NHS in the UK uses an
intelligent network to connect patients with healthcare
providers, enhancing service delivery and patient satisfaction.

In Brief In the retail sector, intelligent networks enable personalised

shopping experiences. Retailers and e-commerce giants like
• Technological progress: There is a
Amazon, Walmart, and Flipkart use data from connected
transition from traditional networks devices to understand customer preferences and behaviours,
to AI and Cloud-embedded systems, offering tailored recommendations and promotions.
Amazon’s use of intelligent networks in its supply chain
marking the advent of intelligent
and customer service operations sets a benchmark for
connectivity. the industry.

• Complexity and automation: Rising THE FUTURE OF CONNECTIVITY

network complexity necessitates AI- The shift towards intelligent connectivity is essential for
driven hyper-automation for managing realising the digital industry’s full potential. Intelligent
connectivity, characterised by agility, flexibility, performance,
billions of IoT devices. security, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, will
support diverse industrial applications with specific latency,
• Sectorial impacts: Intelligent networks
speed, and power requirements.
enhance capabilities through predictive
analytics and remote operations. While 5G addresses many of these needs, future
technologies like 6G will continue to evolve, offering significant
• Adoption challenges: Integration, improvements in bandwidth, latency, and coverage. By
security, and scalability are key embracing intelligent connectivity, enterprises can drive
innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and create
challenges for adopting intelligent new revenue streams. The journey towards an intelligent
networks. connectivity era requires collaboration across the ecosystem
to create a truly connected future.
• Future technologies: Future
technologies like 6G will further
enhance intelligent connectivity, The author is a Digital Technology Consultant
and former AT&T Regional Director of IoT
driving new opportunities. (India and ASEAN region).
[email protected]

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INFRA SECURITY

Ants and Zombies: IoT’s hidden battles

The network of IoT devices works efficiently within enterprises, but cyberattacks
can turn them into zombies, making robust security measures vital

By Pratima Harigunani

A
nts are intelligent. That is why they thrive even – snugly wrapped around those machines, those far-off
in the most inhospitable environments. They taps and those sprinklers.
have their specific jobs inside a colony. But
they also know how to work together. They Until they meet zombie fungi.
have two stomachs – one for the food they eat and one to
share with other ants. And, of course, they are so tiny. But In other words. Cordyceps. Yes, that very specific and
that is where their strength and network power lie. dangerous kind of fungus species known to take over
an ant’s body and brains living inside them, eating them
That is exactly what comes to one’s mind while hollow and then attaching spores inside the ant’s bodies
marvelling at the ease, scale and elegance with which so that they travel and spread the infection far and wide.
IoT devices and IIoT sensors have spread all around The world of mycology also sometimes calls them mind-
enterprises. Hard to see from the central tower, these little control mushrooms. And not the ones you get on the hills
pixies are busy doing their work on the tiny branches and with a Brownie.
ant hills across the forest of an enterprise’s operations.
They can communicate with others splendidly. They can In a weird twist of fate, the small, smart, and graceful
stomach data for the specific spot’s needs but can also but innocent, unassuming and unprepared ants of
help other central processes when needed. Be it a factory, the enterprise world have also been infected by the
a water utility or a huge farm, these smart machines are Cordyceps of cyber-attack fungi. If the last few months
silently doing their job of data collection and processing are given a gander, even if not under a microscope, it is

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“A successful cyberattack on an IoT ecosystem can

result in the failure of critical services and industries
and even cause physical danger to individuals.”
VIVEK SRIVASTAVA
Country Manager, India & SAARC, Fortinet

clear how IoT devices are turning into weak, vulnerable 4,062 billion by 2032. Alternatively, The Insight Partners
and easy targets for cyber-attackers. forecast an increase from USD 611 billion in 2023 to
approximately USD 3,967 billion by 2030.
THE YEAST IS NOW THE BEAST
Imagine 6K weekly attacks targeting the manufacturing This colony is now being attacked by multiple creatures
vertical alone and the education vertical witnessing a and from backdoors.
960% jump in attacks. The Zscaler ThreatLabz research
team reported that IoT malware attacks shot up by as Sandeep Hodkasia, CEO and Founder of Appsecure
much as 400% in the first half of 2023 compared to 2022. Security avers that there is a rise in the risks of Edge
security. “With the evolving threat landscape, the number
Recently, we heard the buzz about three million of cyber criminals and the ease of accessing hacking
smart toothbrushes being reportedly converted into a information online have fuelled a rise in malicious activity.
massive botnet to carry out a distributed denial of service This translates to more attacks targeting edge devices. In
(DDoS) attack against a Swiss company. In 2023, edge addition, as more devices connect directly to the Internet
network security also came to the spotlight, with some via IoT devices, smart sensors, etc., managing and
vulnerabilities discovered on compromised IOS XE devices. securing them becomes a complex task. This complexity
creates vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.”
As analysed by OT and IoT security firm Armis, in its
2023 attack landscape analysis, there was a 104% year-on- Yihao Lim, Google Threat Intelligence Lead Advisor for
year increase in attempted intrusions and utility-specific JAPAC, Google Cloud asserts that surge with real patterns
attempts during the period grew by 200%. The targets observed. “Google Threat Intelligence has observed threat
entail any physical and virtual assets within utilities’ actors consistently moving to target Edge devices over the
environments like IT, IoT, OT, ICS, building management past 12 months, and the reason is largely due to the nature
systems with engineering workstations, SCADA servers, of Edge devices. Edge devices are challenging to monitor
and PLCs spotted as the riskiest OT and ICS devices outside and may not support endpoint detection and response
of the healthcare industry. Even engineering workstations (EDR) solutions or methods to detect modifications or
came up as the year’s most targeted OT device. collect forensic images, further reducing the likelihood of
detection and complicating attribution.”
This is akin to a fiercely growing colony. The global
IoT market is undergoing rapid expansion. According to Vivek Srivastava, Country Manager, India and SAARC,
Fortune Business Insights, it is projected to grow from Fortinet paints a grim but real picture. When organisations
approximately USD 714 billion in 2024 to around USD add security cameras, HVAC sensors, medical equipment,

“Malicious actors can exploit weaknesses in edge

devices to gain a foothold and infiltrate the core network,
deploying ransomware or building botnets”
PRIYAMVADHA VEMBAR
Senior Director, Cyber Security Practice, Bosch Global Software Technologies

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“Threat actors take advantage of users’ tendency to

neglect rebooting edge devices like VPNs for extended
periods, sometimes years.”
YIHAO LIM
Google Threat Intelligence Lead Advisor – JAPAC, Google Cloud

and thousands of similar connected or smart devices,

many are IoT-enabled to help deliver better operational
efficiencies for the business. But these devices also have
little to no built-in security by design. Headless devices lack
memory and processing. They do not have a traditional
interface or operating system like those of a laptop or
phone; therefore, they cannot run meaningful built-in
security. And some IoT devices cannot even be patched or
updated due to hard-coded PINs in the firmware.”

It will be safe to say that the rise in online devices means

that more data is being collected, stored, and transmitted
at the edge of networks, making them attractive targets
for cybercriminals, avers Zubair Chowgale, Senior
Technical Consultant – APMEA at Securonix
In Brief TERMITES IN THE HILLS
• Efficient operations: IoT and IIoT devices The reasons for IoT being exploited by the bad guys are
work seamlessly within enterprises, efficiently not hard to understand. It is also because custom malware
collecting and processing data. targeting edge devices prioritises several key attributes,
• Cyber vulnerabilities: IoT devices are Lim explains. “They aim to evade detection, simplify their
increasingly becoming targets of cyber- functioning, enhance reliability, tailor their capabilities
attacks, making them vulnerable entry points as per the target device and minimise their footprint on
for malicious actors. the system. This combination makes it challenging for
• Attack surge: In the first half of 2023, there analysts to attribute the malware to a particular source.”
was a 400% rise in IoT malware attacks,
which significantly impacted sectors like For example, small office home office (SOHO) routers
manufacturing and education. are being used in a different manner than the zero-days
• Edge security: Edge devices often lack in other edge devices, Lim illustrates. “They are exploited
built-in security, making them prime to create botnets, which are then used to mask attacker
targets for cybercriminals looking to exploit origins. The attacker will compromise many of these
vulnerabilities. routers and then route traffic through them. This way,
they can come from systems near the target, and they can
• Visibility gaps: The diverse supply chains constantly refresh the infrastructure that might be used
of IoT devices create significant monitoring to attribute or track them.”
gaps, complicating timely threat detection and
increasing security risks. Malicious actors can exploit weaknesses in edge
• Security measures: Effective practices like devices to gain a foothold and infiltrate the core network,
network segmentation, encryption, and strong potentially deploying ransomware or building botnets,
logging are crucial to protect IoT ecosystems tells Priyamvadha Vembar, Senior Director, Cyber
and prevent cyber-attacks. Security Practice, Bosch Global Software Technologies.
“These attacks target vulnerabilities across devices, IT

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“The rise in online devices means more data is collected,

stored, and transmitted at the edge of networks, making
them attractive targets for cybercriminals.”
ZUBAIR CHOWGALE
Senior Technical Consultant – APMEA at Securonix

infrastructure, applications, and network layers. A single

weakness in any of these areas can expose the entire
organisation and its data.”

Fabio Fratucello, Field CTO, International, CrowdStrike

echoes that argument of sheer volume, access and
variety that IoT offers. “Each connected device serves as a
potential entry point for adversaries to gain initial access
and move laterally across networks, accessing critical
assets and data. The variety of IoT devices, protocols, and
obscure supply chains also create major visibility and
monitoring gaps that can prevent timely threat-detection
within IoT ecosystems.”
WHY ATTACK THE IoT?
Vembar adds that the rise of AI capabilities has • It is a big, accessible and easy-to-infiltrate
equipped attackers to craft more sophisticated malware attack surface
attacks that can bypass traditional security techniques.
Then, there is the big gap in standardisation that gives • Presence of shadow IoT and unpatched
attackers more speed and ammo. devices
• The devices are small and sprawled across the
“With different vendors involved in developing these IT terrain of an enterprise
devices, each infrastructure varies significantly. Creating
unified security protocols for these diverse devices remains • The attack can remain unexposed for a long
a challenge. This absence of standardisation makes it time until the device gets a look/maintenance
difficult to ensure consistent security practices across • Priority is often given to uptime and data
different fields and types of IoT devices.” Argues Mathivanan
collection- security is on the back burner
Venkatachalam, Vice President, ManageEngine.
• It is easy to compromise these perimeter
Vembar also talks about the increasing pressure that devices and reach the hub in a sneaky way
businesses are under to deliver features faster to remain
• Many IoT footprints still struggle with the lack
competitive. “This often involves working with a network
of subcontractors for the development, integration, of standards and adequate security
release, and operation of products. All this proportionally
increases the risk of vulnerabilities within the supply
chain due to the increased frequency of deployments.” Sharma, Director – VTRAC, Cybersecurity Consulting
Services, Verizon Business.
Many of these devices handle sensitive data and
may not have robust security measures in place, Often, security teams do not even realise that these
making them attractive targets. Additionally, they devices are IoT-enabled or that the existing security
may not receive updates as frequently as traditional IT infrastructure can’t protect them. These same problems
infrastructure, leaving them vulnerable to attacks that exist with other headless devices, such as industrial
exploit unknown vulnerabilities, points out Anshuman control systems (ICS) and programmable logic controllers

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“The variety of IoT devices and obscure supply chains

create major visibility and monitoring gaps, preventing
timely threat detection within IoT ecosystems.”
FABIO FRATUCELLO
Field CTO, International, CrowdStrike

(PLCs), which dissects Srivastava. “While securing IoT,

we must accept that when there is no clear delineation
between the network and the outside world, everything
that touches the network must be visible.”

In 2023, Google Threat Intelligence identified a

concerning trend where attackers linked to China were
exploiting vulnerabilities, especially zero-day, to gain
access to edge devices. These attackers deploy custom-
made malware ecosystems specifically designed for the
compromised edge device and its operating system. Lim
drills into some details. “These ecosystems often consist
of multiple, distinct malware families that work together
WHAT CAN BE DONE? to achieve the attackers’ goals. Since they do not have
• Air-gapping devices and network segmentation dedicated indications of malicious activity, they have high
chances of going undetected.”
• Use of stronger security safeguards
• Shutting down options: Redundancy and WHERE IS THE MAGIC MUSHROOM?
resiliency measures Solutions are possible. But guarding ant hills is always
• Mitigation of insecure network communication better than fighting predators.
vulnerabilities
It is both a surprise and an epiphany to observe that
• Use of strong authentication and authorisation 34 of the 39 most popular IoT exploits, as per the Zscaler
mechanisms report, were aimed at vulnerabilities that have existed for
• Best practices for logging over three years. It looks like visibility and quick action
cannot be sidelined in the rush to deploy IoT.
• Adherence to all security best practices by
manufacturers
The power lies in the cohesive strength of not one
• Centralised monitoring of the entire IoT factor but many and defences at many points. Many
ecosystem and network traffic measures could and should be taken to protect IoT from
• Signature- and anomaly-based detection attackers and their real-covert intentions.
methods
“It is essential to have a security engineering process
• Firmware Over-The-Air (FoTA) updates for that incorporates ‘chip to cloud’ security throughout
timely security updates the product development lifecycle and operations.
• Automated security tests in a DevSecOps Hardware should be equipped with a hardware ‘root
environment of trust’ that provides the environment to execute all
security operations. Data security must be ensured both
• Zero-trust network access (ZTNA)
at rest and in transit.” Vembar recommends. “There is no
• Consistent awareness across device users, security without an effective key management system.
administrators, and developers It is crucial to secure the cryptographic material used to
activate security measures.”

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“This absence of standardisation makes it difficult to

ensure consistent security practices across different
fields and types of IoT devices.”
MATHIVANAN VENKATACHALAM
Vice President, ManageEngine

What should be taken care of, very specifically and IoT devices are emerging as an area of hot interest and
strongly, is the weak spot of visibility. that is exactly why they need urgent attention on security.
“An attacker who gains access to one compromised edge
As Lim points out, threat actors take advantage device can easily use it as a pivot point to infiltrate into
of another vulnerability: the tendency of users to other parts of the network. More so, as these devices are
neglect rebooting edge devices like VPNs for extended generally deployed across diverse locations, and unless
periods, sometimes years. “Because these devices centrally monitored and managed using appropriate
remain unmonitored for long stretches, attackers can IoT-specific tools, they present a wide scope for initial
exploit existing vulnerabilities within the system and access to the network to launch further attacks,”
operate unnoticed. One such example is Thincrust. cautions Venkatachalam.
What made it particularly stealthy was its ability to
disguise its communication with the attackers’ control Hodkasia echoes that concern. “Once compromised,
centre as regular interactions with the device’s own an edge device can serve as a gateway for attackers
API. By cleverly exploiting built-in features of the to infiltrate deeper into the network, accessing more
devices, UNC3886 kept their malware relatively simple sensitive systems and data. This makes it essential
while ensuring its operation is ongoing.” (Thincrust for enterprises to extend their security measures
is a Python backdoor capable of executing arbitrary comprehensively across all network edges.”
commands as well as reading and writing from and to
files on disk.) Srivastava warns that the potential impact of a
successful cyberattack on an IoT ecosystem can result
Segmenting networks is another important step. in the failure of critical services and industries and even
Venkatachalam adds that firewalls and access controls cause physical danger to individuals and the environment.
can enforce network segmentation, which helps contain
threats and prevents them from spreading to other parts The good news is that ants are still ants. That means
of the network in case of a breach. we should not forget the fact that ants are the strongest
creatures. They can lift so much more than their own body
To reduce risks, organisations should use encryption, weight. And can live really long. They may not have eyes
two-factor authentication, and strong logging practices, and ears, but the chemicals or pheromones they use to
Chowgale suggests. “However, the complexity and communicate with other ants are extraordinarily sharp and
interconnected nature of edge devices make them fast. They can also pick vibrations from their feet on the
attractive targets for attacks.” ground. Most importantly, ants are survivors. They may
not know how to swim but they can even survive floods. If
WAKE UP QUEEN ANT IoT devices are made to do all that, they can still stay ants.
It is not impossible to evade the bugs, but time is but can turn into something ferocious, like the Fire ant.
everything.
They are definitely not the ones to be messed with.
In the last few months, the world has witnessed a
trend of threat actors targeting specialised devices in P.S.: We have not even talked about slave-making ants
the healthcare industry, Venkatachalam informs. “Due yet. What if IoT devices turn attacks into slaves or use
to the high demand for healthcare data on the dark web them the way ants farm aphids?
and the critical nature of medical services, it is crucial for
organisations to invest in robust security.” [email protected]

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TELECOM

It is time to reset the telco button

As ARPUs dwindle and OTT/Big Tech pressures mount, telcos
face a critical juncture: overhaul legacy models or evolve anew
amidst AI and 5G promises?

By Pratima Harigunani

I
t is never easy for a Baby Boomer to talk to someone THE B.C TO A.D MOMENT
Gen Alpha. There is so much new slang. A completely With low ARPUs and outdated business models,
new set of glasses (tinted with psychedelic colours and especially in the B2B space, a lot can be changed, says
lined with AI) for looking at the world. A really strange Dr Roslyn Layton, Executive Vice President of Strand
vocabulary. And the clothes. That is another topic for Consult, in a candid and well-argued way. “More so when
another day altogether. we look at how telcos have been unfairly restrained
from using advertising-based services and two-
Relevance is tough. Connection is slippery. And yet, sided business models that the tech league has been
it’s a table where conversation ‘has’ to happen. There is leveraging. The internet has changed since 1995, but
no postponing it. Not when OTT, 5G, 6G, AI, Software- broadband access models have not. It is, surely, time for
everything and hyper-personalisation are shaking up so new business models.”
much on the table of communications. And definitely not
when profitability, ARPUs, margins, and revenue streams The conventional model of Communications Service
are drying up at such a rapid and irreversible pace. Providers (CSPs) of providing connectivity solutions
is not yielding sufficient outcomes for their target
Is it time to rethink telco models? priorities of generating revenue, excelling in customer

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“The current business model of telcos is not very

sustainable because they need to invest in a new
technology every five to seven years.”
ASHWINDER SETHI
Partner, Analysys Mason.

experience and improving operating margins, concurs OTT players coming into this industry present
Amol Vishwanath Nerlekar, Principal Analyst at Gartner. both opportunities and challenges the way Sourav
“To achieve these objectives, CSPs are investing in Gupta, Telecom Analyst, Omdia, sees it. “Talking about
capabilities and technologies, and many also have opportunity, with the help of OTT players and their
an ambition and are working towards becoming diversified contents, telecom operators can generate
a Techco.” heavy data traffic from both mobile and fixed broadband
sides. Customers move from low-tier plans to high-tier
There is another angle to the relevance of telco plans just to gain the benefit of OTT platforms and keep
models. The current business model of telcos is not themselves entertained.”
very sustainable because they need to invest in new
technology (such as 4G, 5G and 6G soon) every five to What about big tech companies? Are they friends or
seven years, reckons Ashwinder Sethi, Partner, Analysys rivals? Do they help expand the pipe or just hog it?
Mason. “The related capex is quite high, and by the time
the telcos are able to generate a payback, it is time to As to the big tech claims of investing in infrastructure
invest in a new technology and, thus, there is limited for communications, Dr Layton poses a simple question:
return on investment from their Capital Expenditure.” “Do they invest in interiors? They only go as far as their
data gains, whether it is under-sea cables or fancy data
Why do Telcos face all these issues? Let’s drill down centres. However, for most telcos, that is not the case.
into some specific struggles here – like OTT, Big Tech Net Neutrality, as seen in some countries, does not
and pricing. mean a free ride. It should come with its own obligations
and responsibilities.”
When we see the top 10 trends for Telecom operators,
Over the Tops (OTTs) win most ecosystem revenue while Gupta offers a different perspective on the impact
telecom revenue falls short of traffic growth. A typical of big tech on telcos’ businesses. “The entry of
customer’s subscription charges remain the same – hyperscalers into this industry is not a challenge for
irrespective of consumption patterns and differences operators. Instead, it presents an opportunity for telcos
for banking, video, chat, OTT, etc., Dr Layton asks. “The to boost capital expenditure efficiency and enhance
old-fashioned way of pricing subscriptions has to be network capabilities.”
reconsidered. Operators are not able to price OTT access,
which is a real cost to them.” That’s a debate already for Dr Layton believes big tech companies do not want
telcos. Even if you are investing in modern infrastructure, the status quo to change. “If you do not build the network,
even if OTTs consume more capacity on your pipe, you you will miss out on users. OTT and big tech cannot afford
still earn less. that. Two-sided economies like Google and Meta should
cooperate. Even with fibre to the home, if the video is
The OTT-Telco conflict is a lopsided one- as many taking up 60–75% of the bandwidth, other services like
experts agree. “Users do not ask to get advertised. Users citizen amenities are compromised. The resources on the
ask for data, and we do not send it. And if someone is pipe may not be used efficiently. Note the dilemma when
taking 10% of network capacity but the user does not every dollar spent on streaming creates 50% of costs
want that, what then,” Dr Layton reasons. That’s why but does not generate equivalent revenue.” Dr Layton
telcos need new business models for cost recovery and underscores the constrained situation most telcos face
affordability, she stresses. and emphasises the need for consolidation.

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[FOCUS]
TELECOM

“The old-fashioned way of pricing subscriptions

has to be reconsidered. Operators are not able to
price OTT access, which is a real cost to them.”
DR. ROSLYN LAYTON
Executive Vice President, Strand Consult

THE MENU OF OPTIONS

Okay, if, even hypothetically, a telco decides to reclaim
its territory and rip away its old architecture, what new
blueprint can it follow?

It turns out there are many choices, ranging from

private Enterprise offerings and 5G-driven services to
hyper-personalised subscription categories and OTT
bundles to even handshakes with so-called rivals.

The cake can be standing on three legs instead of just

one, that of telcos. According to Dr Layton, there can be
more customers in your network so that each individual
does not share the entire burden. “Also, as evidently
proven in some countries like Peru, there can be shared
In Brief resources and rewards – like Telefonica (50%), Meta
(25%) and International Development Bank (25%). These
• Telcos are struggling with high costs, new models have already paid back their costs, and the excess
technology and infrastructure expenses while is sold to operators.
profitability is under constant pressure.
Indian telcos can partner themselves with public cloud
• Competition and pipe consumption keep providers, and it therefore gives a competitive edge to
getting fiercer from the side of OTT and big the options to migrate their networks to the cloud, Gupta
also adds. “Operators can take advantage of hyperscaler’s
tech players.
services like edge computing, AI/ML analytics, NFV,
• Yesteryear models may not be relevant open cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS) to improve and
in today’s age of 5G, Cloud, OTT and data differentiate their own service capabilities and generate
additional revenue.”
demands.
• Hyper-personalisation and customer Dr Layton suggests that countries like India can
preferences are both challenges as well as support low-cost models for democratising connectivity
by supplementing them with new B2B models,
opportunities if telcos can tap them smartly. premium subscriptions, VAS, and games and broadening
• Possibilities include new pricing bundles, a the base.
transformation from telco to techco, well-
To mitigate the challenge with OTT players,
segmented subscriptions, OTT-tailored telecom service providers are bundling OTT platform
offerings, FWA, private enterprise solutions, contents with their services and building their own
and hyper-personalised segmentation. OTT platforms, Gupta observes. “Currently, almost
all the telecom operators in India have their own OTT
platforms and are focusing on building its popularity

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 [FOCUS]
TELECOM

“Operators can take advantage of hyperscalers’

services to improve and differentiate their service
capabilities and generate additional revenue.”
SOURAV GUPTA
Telecom Analyst, Omdia

through digital marketing and adding new popular TV

shows and content.”

There are, indeed, many new technologies and models

that are plausible now.

Talking about Indian telcos, Reliance Jio and Bharti

Airtel have increasingly focused on non-core services
with the launch of 5G, cites Gupta. “The operators are
trying to keep no stone unturned in the B2B space, be
it in the IoT segment or private network segment. To
keep revenue and profitability sustainable operators
need to pay attention towards B2B customers digitising
their businesses, offering them expanded solutions like TELCO VS. OTT
cybersecurity, cloud services, CRM platforms, etc.”
• A study conducted in 2021 of four rural
A recent in-depth analysis of 5G Fixed Wireless Access broadband providers indicated that five
(FWA)’s success in the US from Opensignal shows how streamers create 75% of traffic and 90% of
5G FWA has reshaped the US broadband market. It has total network cost.
allowed US mobile operators to expand their broadband • A streaming revenue of USD 1 to Big 5 leads to
footprints for minimal incremental network investment a USD 0.48 middle-mile cost to the broadband
rapidly. This has seen 5G FWA absorb all broadband provider (USD 12/month loss on video
subscriber growth in the market since mid-2022. The streaming customers across two-third of the
report also mentions how FWA can be the secret sauce
customer base).
for 5G monetisation: “FWA benefits from lower prices
compared to wireline competition, access to existing • The second study, conducted in 2023,
mobile retail channels and subscribers, and the ability to validated the earlier study with 50 providers
deliver a “good enough” broadband service. in 24 states, with video costs growing 2-3x
faster than revenue.
A lot can be changed on how products are structured • The increase in video traffic has not driven
and priced too.
more revenue for most operators in the study
Operators should personalise or customise services • South Korea’s example shows that cost
and bundles offered to customers through better recovery is not solely a rural issue: 23 million
segmentation, suggests Sethi. “Operators should begin broadband subscribers exist, but only 5
monetising digital services through subscription and million subscribe to Netflix, whose data
freemium models. In India, they should focus more on consumption surged 24-fold with the release
enterprise customers, as price elasticity is low in this of ‘Squid Game’.
segment. They should also look at reducing operational
costs using AI for network optimisation and customer Source: Strand Consult Research
experience management. Additionally, starting to

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[FOCUS]
TELECOM

PROFIT VS. REVENUE

• Monthly ARPU for wireless (full mobility) services: Rs 138.75.
• Average revenue for wireless data per data subscriber per month: Rs 176.59.
• Average revenue realisation per subscriber per GB wireless data: Rs 10.38.
• ARPU per month for postpaid service declined from Rs 185.15 to Rs 176.73.
• Minutes of Usage per subscriber per month for postpaid services declined from 588 in 2021-22 to
532 in 2022-23.
• Total revenue from wireless data usage increased from Rs 1,43,169 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1,74,144 crore
in 2022-23, a growth rate of 21.63%.
• Overall teledensity in India declined from 84.88% at the end of March 2022 to 84.51% at the end of
March 2023, a decline of 0.44%.
• Rural teledensity declined by 0.61% from March 2022 to March 2023, from 58.07% to 57.71%.
• Gross Revenue increased from Rs 2,78,216 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 3,33,697 crore in 2022-23, growing
at 19.94%.
• AGR went up from Rs 2,18,882 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 2,49,908 crore in 2022-23, registering a growth
of 14.17%.
• Annual license fee increased by 13.20% from Rs 17,627 crore in March 2022 to Rs 19,954 crore in
March 2023.
• Pass-Through Charges and Spectrum Usage Charges dropped by 2.75% and 29.74% in March 2023,
respectively.
Source: TRAI Yearly Performance Indicators Telecom Sector, FY 2022-23.

monetise digital services through subscription/freemium have the power to manage this diversity. Information is
models is crucial.” the foundation of any digital economy. The government
has a lot of potential to tap into, given the success stories
Nerlekar encourages the adoption of the Techco and talent advantage evident so far.”
model. “Transforming a telco into a techno means more
than just using technologies. It refers to developing Sethi suggests that Indian operators should focus
specific capabilities that allow the organisation to own on increasing ARPUs. “The price per GB in India (~INR
the development, application, and evolution of various 6) is among the top 10 lowest globally, driven by high
technologies across its operations and products, enabling data allowance plans and low retail tariffs. ARPU can
growth, scaling, and differentiation.” be increased through tariff hikes and better customer
segmentation, upselling, and cross-selling services and
ZOOMING IN ON INDIA bundles relevant to their needs.”
Dr Layton admires India’s rise to becoming a premier
global nation, surpassing China in many areas like the Gupta contends that Indian mobile ARPU is no longer
military, economy, and technology. “India has a strong on a declining trend. “Indian operators have not yet
economy, but there is still poverty in some places. Telcos started monetising their 5G services. Now that the Indian

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 [FOCUS]
TELECOM

“In addition to network densification, CSPs must

incorporate several changes, including digitalisation,
platform adoption, and intelligent automation.”
AMOL VISHWANATH NERLEKAR
Principal Analyst, Gartner

elections are over and there is no political pressure, Gupta advises that Indian CSPs consider utilising the
Indian telcos will gradually introduce separate 5G plans, substantial financial outlay required to build a 5G network
further increasing ARPU. However, since 5G plans are by adopting an innovative MVNO model and driving the
more expensive than current 4G plans, operators need growth of 5G connectivity services. This move will help
to provide extra value-added offerings like bundled 5G operators increase market reach and create additional
plans and include more 5G data to promote usage and revenue streams.
encourage customers to opt for 5G plans.”
LOTS TO CONFRONT, LOTS TO DO
Dr Layton recommends that Indian operators clearly “India is on the right track but still has a way to go. Don’t
describe their objectives and develop a coherent slow, don’t stop. Accelerate,” advises Dr Layton.
strategy. She notes that the emerging regulatory changes
regarding OTT are quite encouraging. “It cannot be right Nerlekar opines that along with network densification,
that all obligations, like taxes and infrastructure, are which involves significant capex, CSPs will need
borne by one party while OTTs endure no obligations. to incorporate several substantial changes in their
It is good that we are modernising our thinking on operations, both internally and externally (with partners
that front.” and customers). “These changes include digitalisation,
adoption of platforms, and intelligent automation. These
She raises critical questions about the need for factors are driving the priorities of many CSPs’ CIOs in
an Indian search engine and the broader purpose of three areas: operating model and efficiency, platforms
the internet. “Is the internet only for money-making and growth, and scaling new technology for growth.”
conglomerates or to ensure that others can also connect?
New models are needed. It will even benefit OTTs if they Regarding spectrum policies, Dr Layton challenges
negotiate—give something with one hand and receive the current approach, questioning why big tech
something with the other.” companies should benefit without paying. “It is a poor
policy choice to give something for free. If someone is
Dr Layton emphasises the importance of operators earning revenue from something, that company should
and policymakers being transparent about traffic pay for it too.”
data and pricing terms. “Unless there is transparency,
no one will understand your cost problems. Imagine However, many challenges are still not being
everyone working from home and the impact on adequately addressed. Dr. Layton warns that while AI can
national productivity! We need constructive discussion lower some costs, it increases others, complicating the
on this.” value proposition. Additionally, the high cost of capital
makes transformation slower and more expensive.
“Consolidation has made massive 5G investment
possible, but more consolidation is needed. India is two There are clearly many new and uncomfortable
countries in one: modern vs. emergent. Operators must questions and possibilities to consider. Baby Boomers
serve all: rich/poor, big/small, city/rural. The telecom can continue to move forward with confidence as long
infrastructure is the foundation of the digital economy as they don’t view themselves as grandfathers or seek
and the driver of productivity. Policymakers must get grandfatherly clauses in their businesses.
rollout and spectrum right,” she is optimistic about India’s
future if the right steps are taken. [email protected]

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VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication 57 I
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[NEWS ANALYSIS]
OFC EXPORT

Fibreoptics face-off as EU duties

challenge Indian exporters
With anti-dumping duties shaking up the
USD 400M market, India’s OFC manufacturers
face new challenges in Europe, impacting
their global expansion plans

By Vernika Awal

O
n 17 June, the European Commission announced Why is this important for India? Data from market
anti-dumping duties on 10 Indian firms selling watcher OEC World pegged India to be the world’s
optical fibre cables (OFC) in Europe. While the sixth-largest OFC and accessories exporter. Fellow
simple explanation for the new duties is pricing market researcher Mordor Intelligence valued the
investigations that take place regularly in the corporate global OFC market at around USD 12.8 billion as of this
world, a closer look reveals a potentially multi-crore rupee year. India accounts for nearly 12% of the global OFC
impact on India’s OFC manufacturers, a key part of global economy, including export of over INR 3,400 crore, or
communications infrastructure. USD 400 million.

While nine of the 10 investigated companies

have been slapped with duties, HFCL Group
has so far managed to avoid the levies.

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 [NEWS ANALYSIS]
OFC EXPORT

The anti-dumping duty imposed by the EU

is against the ethos of free and fair market
practices that the European Commission so
vehemently upholds.

Of this, the European Union accounts for a significant Anti-dumping, therefore, seeks to prevent such a
chunk. OEC data noted that last year, beyond the situation from arising. If local regulators suspect predatory
US, India’s top importers of OFCs included Denmark, pricing, they subsequently investigate companies from
Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom (the a certain geography and their pricing. In the long run, if
latter being outside the EU’s purview). Even without the found guilty, the respective companies are levied an anti-
UK, the top EU importers accounted for one-fourth of dumping duty to impose pricing parity.
India’s OFC exports. Considering all of the continents, this
figure should easily exceed at least one-third of India’s How does this affect India?
optical fibre businesses abroad. As per various media reports, the decision to investigate
OFC sellers in the EU from India followed similar
As a result, any imposition of restrictions and penalties investigations of companies from China, which were
could be a considerable ordeal for an industry that is still charged with anti-dumping duties ranging from 39.4%
growing and has massive potential for growth, given to a staggering 88%—the final rate of duties that
India’s emphasis on ramping up local manufacturing and are in effect now and have been increased since the
domestic value addition. original investigation.

What is anti-dumping duty? The investigation on Indian companies comes after

Put simply, anti-dumping is a practice enforced by notices were sent to domestic entities in November last
governments to ensure that the price of a commodity year, wherein the European Union asked exporters from
being exported by a company is not less in its country India to submit data on sales, manufacturing, exports and
of export than its country of origin. The regulation pricing in the EU for the 12-month period of October 2022
is in place to ensure fair trade practices and prevent to September 2023.
predatory pricing.
According to reports, companies that have received
For reference, any nation that becomes a major notices and have been investigated include Sterlite
exporter of a commodity typically has the said Technologies, Birla Cables, Universal Cables, ZTT India,
commodity in abundance. In such situations, competition UM Cables, Aksh Optifibre, Apar Industries, Polycab India,
for the commodity in their domestic markets could be Aberdare Technologies, and HFCL Technologies.
stiff. However, companies with a robust supply of the
said commodity in a foreign market could reduce pricing Currently, preliminary duties imposed on each entity
below market standard rates to gain market share in mentioned above, apart from HFCL, range from 8.7% to
new geographies. 11.4%. While nine of the ten investigated companies have
been slapped with duties, HFCL has so far managed to
While some degree of such practices are considered avoid the levies.
fair and are a clear way through which global pricing
and itemised pricing work, central regulators step In a statement submitted as part of an exchange
in if the pricing levels stoop too low. The rationale filing last month, Mahendra Nahata, managing director
is that if a foreign exporter reduces pricing to a of HFCL, said, “This decision is a huge achievement
point where it destroys the ability of the respective for us and speaks volumes about the trust that we
nation’s own companies to compete in the market, have garnered globally for our fair-trade practices
this can eventually harm the local economy. Foreign and transparency of processes. We firmly believe this
entities, meanwhile, leverage new markets to reap decision will enable us to play a central role in Europe’s
corporate profits. digital transformation.”

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VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication 61 I
[NEWS ANALYSIS]
OFC EXPORT

Any imposition of restrictions and

penalties could be a considerable ordeal
for an industry that is still growing and
has massive potential for growth.

Given that exports play a significant role in OFC

businesses set up by Indian entities, the imposition
of these duties could lead to the companies losing
some of their EU clients by having to increase product
pricing due to the duties imposed. While it is too early
to quantify the impact, the imposition could impact
present and upcoming players making OFCs and
accessories and exporting to European geographies.
This, in turn, may affect how these companies can
expand their businesses.

A senior executive at one of the companies mentioned

above with direct knowledge of the matter said on
condition of anonymity that the imposed duties could be
detrimental to scaling up businesses globally.

“Given our industry, Indian entities have not engaged

In Brief in predatory pricing in the EU market, which is a
significant consumption economy. In the long run, this
• Anti-dumping duty: The EU announced could restrict the way Indian telecom infrastructure
anti-dumping duties on 10 Indian firms selling players can expand globally—which goes against the
optical fibre cables in Europe, which will ethos of free and fair market practices that the European
impact India’s key OFC manufacturers. Commission so vehemently upholds. We expect further
investigations into the matter during the coming
• Export opportunity: India is the world’s sixth- months,” the executive added.
largest OFC exporter, with exports valued at
INR 3,400 crore, accounting for 12% of the A spokesperson for Sterlite Technologies said that the
global OFC market. imposed duties are “an initial step of the process, which
will be followed by thorough consultation and review.”
• EU import impact: The EU is a significant
importer of Indian OFCs, making up over one- “With our OFC manufacturing in Italy, we have been a
fourth of India’s OFC exports, making these trusted partner in the EU for over 20 years, working with
duties impactful. local service providers to further their country’s fibre
adoption ambitions. We are constructively engaging with
• Fair-trade issues: Anti-dumping duties
the EC and are confident that a comprehensive evaluation
ensure fair trade by preventing exporters from will further reinforce our steadfast commitment
selling goods below their domestic market towards fair competition and advancing Europe’s digital
price, avoiding predatory pricing. connectivity goals,” the spokesperson added.
• Impact on companies: Nine of the ten
While a resolution may not be immediate, it underlines
investigated companies have been subject
how pricing handles a precarious balance between
to preliminary duties of 8.7% to 11.4%, which companies in open, competitive markets and what
could raise product prices and affect companies will likely have to do to uphold it.
business expansion.
[email protected]

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62 VOICE&DATA July 2024 A CyberMedia Publication www.voicendata.com
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[USE CASE]
INTERNET OF THINGS

“We can smell the fire

during its very early stages”
Dryad Networks Co-founder and CEO Carsten volume of data. These gaps can mean delays in evacuation
Brinkschulte has 20 years of mobile network time. Our solution focuses on specific gases like Carbon
infrastructure experience and a strong serial entrepreneur Monoxide, which helps with early detection and accuracy.
track record. Known for turning around virtual SIM vendor We can smell the fire during its very early stages. Unlike
Movirtu, which was sold to BlackBerry in 2014, he has also cameras, IoT can work at a scale at night. There are no
left his mark on companies like Core Network Dynamics poor-resolution problems and it is faster as well.
(Twilio) and mobile messaging pioneer Synchronica.
Currently, he is channelling his expertise into a new Detection in less than 60 minutes. How do you pull
venture, leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) beyond that off?
conventional applications, envisioning applications It is actually less than that. It depends on proximity
beyond obvious use cases; IoT as the Internet of Not- and wind speed. We use gas sensors instead of smoke
Things, transforming forests with sensory networks that sensors. Gas gives meaningful information, and sensors
act as their eyes, ears, and, a sharp nose. Brinkschulte pick it up in a timely manner.
delves into this innovative approach in his interview with
Pratima Harigunani. Excerpts: So, is that the reason for a few false positives?
It took us a lot of effort, but we used Machine Learning to
IoT for forest fire detection and action is fascinating. distinguish between various kinds of smells. Sensors can
But how is it different or better than what is already decide whether to raise the alarm on their own to ensure
being done through solutions based on satellites, that the network is not overloaded. We also equip all this
cameras and drones? with Over-the-Air updates and process data at the edge for
There is always room for a different approach. The beaten better speed and scalability. That is the difference between
path of cameras and satellites makes sense when you doing this at a Proof of Concept (PoC) level and at a scale.
need something to overlook the canopy. But the lifecycle
of a forest wildfire, especially human-induced, like fire What about your collaboration with Echo Satellite?
from a cigarette at a campsite, can be quite complex. It We are using satellite connectivity when needed. At this
can take time for the spark to turn into flames and to be stage, it is in the US and Europe, and in the future, we may
big enough to be spotted by a camera or a satellite or also look at India.
to produce enough heat to be detected through other
methods. From the initial point of a fire to the camera What are the challenges with IoT that you are still
catching this, it can take two to three hours. In forest fires, ironing out?
every minute counts. Time is of the essence. Yes, there are some. We need a lot of sensors for this
concept to work. One device can be quite affordable, but
Do you mean even satellites have a limitation? when you need many of them, it can get a tad expensive,
Satellites look from above but are quite far, literally especially for large areas. We may not be the best choice
several thousand kilometres away. The low-orbit ones for worldwide areas, but we are good at the ones where
have low-resolution issues, and the visuals cannot be as 85% of fires start and affect life a lot, like near railway
fine-grained as desired. Plus, they are not a point-in-time lines, roads, and campsites. So, we focus on limited areas
view, at least not always. They are circling. That makes it and expect government and forest departments to take a
financially non-viable to use them when you want a big combined approach using multiple solutions.

Distributed LoRa Gateways create a vast mesh

network for IoT in forestry and can work even in
developing regions with low mobility issues.

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 [USE CASE]
INTERNET OF THINGS

CARSTEN BRINKSCHULTE
Co-founder & CEO, Dryad Networks

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[USE CASE]
INTERNET OF THINGS

Besides identifying moisture for fuel on the ground,

IoT can help detect poaching and logging using
noise solutions for chainsaws and gunshot sounds.

How can multiple solutions work together? Can IoT tends to be complicated by nature, but we want our
they be integrated? customers to use it easily, as these areas may not have
Yes, they can work together. We have sensors and gateways many technically savvy people.
and set up a telco-like infrastructure for the forest. We use A pilot project covers testing and scalability of 400+
the Cloud for fast data processing, which is typically sent to sensors, and live monitoring entails 1,000+ sensors.
a command centre for response. These command centres We have 19 patent families, 25 PCT filings, and 28
can also be laced with camera and satellite data. international filings. We have achieved 50+ paid-for
PoCs and pilots, three live installations, and sold 20,000
Do you use mesh architecture and LoRaWAN? Is sensors. We can cover many types of areas, from sparse
this good enough for remote areas or areas where deployments with one sensor per 10 hectares for remote
bandwidth, latency, etc., are basic issues? locations to dense deployments with one sensor per
Yes. Distributed LoRa Gateways provide a large-scale mesh hectare for high-risk areas.
network infrastructure. It can help with a large-scale IoT
mesh network for forestry. We have designed the system Can these IoTs and systems be used for other
to work in developing regions, too, since we understand purposes besides detecting fires, like fighting
that they may struggle with low mobility issues. poaching or illegal logging?
We use very little bandwidth; no images or videos Definitely, that is why we call it Dryad Networks and not
are shared over it, but only sensor data on temperature, Dryad Forest Fire solution. Dryad’s real value is in the
humidity, and gases. So, mesh and sensor networks work network. To better utilise the network, we plan to build
even when telco infrastructure is absent or inadequate. more sensor-based applications by Dryad or a third party.
We create the networks when needed with Mesh Border We hope to bring something new to the market next year.
gateways. This solution works in areas with 3G, 4G, or We are also working on moisture detection for fuel on
narrow-band IoT. The ethernet port can have backhaul the ground. We can have use cases for water reservoirs,
advantages with satellites. Average throughput is low vegetation, and timber industries. Poaching and logging
and can be handled with GPRS in some cases. can also be detected through noise solutions around
chainsaws and gunshot sounds. We also have plans in our
What about safety and security? roadmap for a Dendrometer to measure tree growth and
We protect all this as much as possible with end-to-end SAP flow measures for tree water consumption checks.
encryption and intrusion detection. Hundred-percent
safety is impossible, but we want to make it as hard as What more are you doing on this front, and what
possible for the bad actors. Interestingly, our devices is next?
are attached at tall points on trees, and sometimes, our We have set up 50 installations across Europe, Portugal,
maintenance teams struggle to spot them. In two years, Spain, Chile, California, and Thailand. We hope to get to
we have sold 20,000 units that are mostly deployed, India soon. Our network is not just for detection. Anyone
and we have seen only four reports of vandalism out of connecting with the gateways and mesh can apply it for
400 sensors in a specific forest. Hence, in a way, they other use cases. We are like the Vodafone of a forest. We
are safe from vandalism. can create the Internet of forests.

You have conducted many PoCs and live So, when are you planning to announce India’s plans?
demonstrations, including one in a Berlin forest. We are interested in the country, but we have not made
What have you learned so far, and how is the any commercial inroads. Forests are valuable and always
initiative progressing? under threat, so we hope to visit someday. It is a huge
We are trying to make these devices as rugged as possible space, but it will take time.
so they can withstand the elements and last at least 10
years. We also want to make them easy to deploy and use. [email protected]

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 [REPORT]
SATCOM

Race to the stars as satcom giants

prepare for India launch
India’s satcom market heats up as Airtel, Jio, and Starlink vie for dominance,
promising new connectivity solutions amidst regulatory hurdles

By Vernika Awal

U
ntil 2020, India’s space economy was controlled The Key Players
only through the central government and Pursuant to the service and its outreach are three key
its central space agency, the Indian Space and very visible corporations that are vying for a pie
Research Organisation. Since the introduction of India’s burgeoning market. Two of the three include
of a privatised space economy and dedicated space the private telecom operators in India, Bharti Airtel and
and geospatial policies, one key sector that quickly Reliance Jio. Airtel plans to offer its satcom service in
became fully ready to fire on all cylinders is satellite partnership with UK-headquartered satellite operator
communications, a crucial industry globally. OneWeb and US-based communications technology
provider Hughes. For Reliance Jio, satellite operations
Even before the official launch of its services, satcom are provided in partnership with Luxembourg-based
has already become a highly competitive global industry. satellite operator SES—which itself is currently
A large part of the popularisation was thanks to Elon undertaking a USD 3.1-billion takeover of fellow satellite
Musk and his tryst with Starlink, the satcom broadband operator Intelsat.
offering via SpaceX. Now, in India, years in the making, the
entire satcom market is standing on its toes as regulatory Beyond the two, the third entity set to compete for
hurdles keep it from launching full-fledged services. space in the satcom race is Elon Musk’s Starlink, which

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[REPORT]
SATCOM

Jio is expected to commence its service

as a business-only offering initially before
potentially extending its services to
customers at a later date.

operates its own set of satellites and its own network (LEO) satellites. MEO satellites sit at an orbit of around
operations. Jeff Bezos-backed Project Kuiper, which is 2,000 kilometres, typically needing a constellation of low-
also interested in India, will be a fourth entrant, but its single-digit satellite units to serve the same geographic
services are not imminent since its satellite launches region that a GEO satellite can offer.
have yet to take place.
A similar network of MEO satellites can cost around
A fifth entity in India also has the necessary chops USD 2.5 billion compared with a GEO satellite, but it offers
for satcom services, Tata-backed satellite services myriad advantages, such as easier launch accessibility,
firm Nelco, in partnership with Canada-based operator lesser per-satellite cost, better network redundancy,
Telesat. However, the Nelco-Telesat unit withdrew its and lower connectivity latency. SES will offer its MEO
application in April last year to procure a licence to network to Jio so that it can operate its satcom Internet
operate its services. services in India.

The Particulars The third and the most popular is the LEO satellite.
Satcom services use a constellation or combination of These are tiny in comparison with the others and operate
multiple satellites placed in various altitudes of orbit in chains of hundreds or even thousands of satellites
to beam Internet connectivity to Earth. The principles in a constellation. For instance, at the time of writing,
are simple: on the ground, laying down fibre cables for Starlink is estimated to have over 6,200 satellites in orbit
terrestrial connectivity is tricky and tedious in various to offer connectivity around the world. Airtel’s OneWeb
terrains. As a result, the main blind spots across the world has nearly 650 operational satellites. On a per-satellite
are still struggling to get connectivity, which satcom basis, the cost of LEO satellites is the lowest among all
services can help resolve. three. The latter also offers advantages such as low
latency, sustained network redundancy, and consistent
In satellite communications, the satellites themselves bandwidth of connectivity.
are typically placed in varying orbital levels. The
uppermost and the oldest conventional orbit is a Where Does Each Operator Stand?
geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO), sitting nearly While the Airtel-OneWeb service is based on a
36,000 kilometres above Earth’s mean sea level. constellation of LEO satellites, the Jio-SES network will
Satellites deployed at this orbit are typically the largest be based on MEO satellites. Both Airtel and Jio have
in size and can be the most expensive in terms of per- received clearance from the Ministry of Communications
satellite cost. However, they also offer the highest with a Global Mobile Personal Communications by
area of connectivity back on Earth. They are also more Satellite (GMPCS) licence, which has legally enabled the
difficult to launch since only a limited number of rocket two operators to commence satcom services in India.
operators have the capacity to reach the highest orbit Starlink, meanwhile, has applied for its GMPCS licence,
around Earth. and the same is pending approval at the Centre.

Experts indicate that the average cost of building, To be sure, in 2019, Starlink started taking a USD 99
launching and maintaining a GEO satellite to offer satcom (Rs 7,400 at the time) deposit to take pre-registrations
connectivity services to Earth is USD 1 billion. Jio’s partner for its Internet service. In late 2021, the Centre stated
SES and Tata’s Nelco have GEO satellite capacities. that Starlink took deposits for its service without
obtaining a licence to operate in India, following
The second type of satellites is middle earth orbit complaints from local operators. In January 2022,
(MEO) satellites, which many operators typically consider Starlink refunded the fee to users and commenced its
an ideal mid-ground between GEOs and low earth orbit licence application process.

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SATCOM

Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has its

own set of satellites and network
operations, is set to compete for its
place in India’s Satcom race.

Kuiper, meanwhile, is yet to launch its first

commercially operational satellite for its satcom
service. The Amazon-backed service expects to
be operational by 2026 and could seek licences
upon commercial availability. While Nelco has also
withdrawn its licence application, it could apply for it.

Consumer or Enterprise?
Media reports have cited a Kuiper spokesperson as
saying that the network operator will offer connectivity
to “unserved and underserved communities in rural
and remote places in India.” This suggests that the
network will be available to consumers but could be
leased through government-aided intermediaries to
make the service affordable.
IN BRIEF Starlink’s service is designed for consumers,
• Privatised space economy: India’s satcom with a terminal designed for consumer access. Once
market is ready to launch, but despite high global launched, the Airtel-OneWeb consortium is likely
competition, it faces regulatory hurdles. to offer satcom connectivity to both consumers and
enterprises via captive networks and backhaul. Jio,
• Key players: Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and
meanwhile, is expected to commence its service as a
Starlink are the main competitors in India’s business-only offering before potentially extending
satcom market, with potential entries from its services to customers at a later date.
Kuiper and Nelco.
During India Mobile Congress 2023, Akash
• Satcom mechanics: Satcom uses GEO, MEO, and
Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited
LEO satellites to provide Internet connectivity, and Director of Jio Platforms, said that the operator’s
each with varying costs and advantages. satcom service, JioSpaceFiber, will be “affordable”—
• Operator strategies: Airtel-OneWeb focuses on hinting at a consumer-end offering.
LEO satellites; Jio-SES on MEO satellites.
All of these plans, to be sure, presently hinge
Both have received GMPCS licenses; Starlink
upon the availability of spectrum for satcom
awaits approval. connectivity, the decision of which lies with the
• Consumer focus: Kuiper targets rural and remote Centre. The Telecommunications Act, 2023 has
areas, Starlink targets consumers, and Airtel and paved the way to offer satcom services across the
nation by administratively allocating spectrum to
Jio plan to serve both consumers and enterprises.
each of the service providers. Once the spectrum is
• Spectrum allocation: Satcom services depend on allocated to operators, services can almost instantly
the government’s spectrum allocation, with the commence testing of their networks—and roll out their
Telecommunications Act, 2023 enabling services as commercial offerings to both enterprises
future rollout. and consumers.

[email protected]

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[REPORT]
INTERNET OF THINGS

India’s Industry 4.0: The quiet

revolution of smart machines
With a USD 23B market set to reach USD 50 B in five years, industrial
IoT adoption unlocks huge revenue potential for India’s major telecom
and IT firms

By Vernika Awal

O
ver the past decade, India’s push to ramp up The adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and
local manufacturing and supply chains has Industrial IoT (IIoT), in particular, will be vital to achieving
been well-documented. The third term of the parity and progress in India’s Industry 4.0 goals.
National Democratic Alliance is expected to
push this agenda further, promoting the semiconductor None of this is hyperbole. According to a report by
ecosystem with an uptick in domestic value addition market researcher Colliers in December last year, India’s
of local manufacturing. In fact, the country’s domestic manufacturing industry is on track to reach USD 1 trillion
manufacturing is aimed to contribute 25% of its Gross in value by FY26. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
Domestic Product (GDP) by the end of 2025. data released in May by the National Statistics Office

Telecom service providers offer private

network solutions to enterprises, enabling
them to connect their machines and
access operational data.

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INTERNET OF THINGS

“Airtel IoT Hub offers advanced analytics tools

like diagnostics, live session checks and real-time
data-usage monitoring, amongst many others.”
GANESH LAKSHMINARAYANAN
CEO, Airtel Business (India)

(NSO) indicates that India’s overall factory output rose by environment where smart machines improve efficiency
5.8% through FY24, a growth significantly contributed to and productivity.”
by the resilient domestic manufacturing sector.
To do this, legacy manufacturing hubs are being
This presents India, primarily through the three connected to sensors and connected analytics devices,
private telecommunications service operators, with an which collect data from machines in the raw format.
opportunity to see a meteoric rise in the adoption of IIoT Telcos kick in here, offering private network solutions
solutions to proliferate Industry 4.0 across the country’s to enterprises to connect their machines and access all
manufacturing sector. the data. For instance, an issue with the cooling system
of one automated assembly arm used in an automotive
IIoT and Industry 4.0 plant can be tracked early and autonomously, thanks to
In simple terms, the IIoT uses sensors, algorithms, private private networks.
networks, and data analytics and retrofits all of this
into India’s legacy manufacturing sector. By connecting Today, the three private-sector telcos—Bharti Airtel,
‘things’ to the Internet, the IIoT promises to make ‘dumb’ Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea—offer enterprise (B2B)
machines smart, thereby making them produce data that solutions that increase revenue contribution over and
reveals operational discrepancies, inefficiencies, and above their respective consumer offerings. Beyond
irregularities in various processes. them, companies like Tata Communications are also
in the fray, offering unlisted network solutions to
This entails Industry 4.0, or the rise of industrial businesses worldwide.
processes where connectivity, sensors, artificial
intelligence, and other technologies make the economy How Big is this Opportunity?
tick. The most significant outcomes of this are seen in The opportunities are big enough. Airtel claims to have
the adoption of increasing levels of automation across over 58% market share in the cellular IoT space with more
factories, ramping up production levels. This necessitates than 30 million devices on its platform across many use
the use of encrypted private networks against external cases, including connected automobiles, electric vehicles,
public access, bringing India’s telecommunications firms smart metering, smart logistics, asset monitoring, and
into the limelight. energy management sectors.

Opportunity for Telcos As per its latest earnings report from May 2024, Airtel
Market analyst Statista values India’s IIoT industry at USD Business saw a rise of 14.1% year-on-year in quarterly
23 billion as of FY24, with a projected rise of up to USD revenue in a business that grosses over USD 2 billion
50 billion as adoption of Industry 4.0 picks pace. This in annual revenue. The company partners with Adani
value addition outlines what telcos can do and what they Energy Solutions Limited for 20 million smart meters
are doing to increase adoption in this space. and Intellismart for 20 million smart meters. It also has
a partnership with Secure Meters to deploy 1.3 million
For instance, a public statement on the topic by private smart meters in Bihar on NB-IoT and with Matter Motor
telecom operator Bharti Airtel states, “By connecting Works to power 3,00,000 electric bikes.
machines, devices, and systems across industries, IIoT
enables unparalleled levels of information gathering, “Powered with solutions like asset tracking, vehicle
data analytics, and operational control, fostering an telematics, energy monitoring, smart metering,

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INTERNET OF THINGS

Airtel Business saw a rise of 14.1%

year-on-year in quarterly revenue in
a business that grosses over USD 2
billion in annual revenue.

amongst many others, our integrated IoT platform offers

customised solutions for the unique IoT requirement of
enterprises,” says Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, CEO of
Airtel Business (India), adding that, “Airtel IoT Hub offers
advanced analytics tools like diagnostics, live session
checks and real-time data-usage monitoring amongst
many others.”

Similarly, Vodafone-Idea has also been ramping up

its business division. In February this year, the company
launched a ‘Business IoT Smart Central’ platform, a
central repository that allows companies to service their
products remotely. The customer service offering is
primarily tuned to cater to the automotive sector, with
homegrown two-wheeler brand Revolt being one of its
early customers.

IN BRIEF Vi boasts of serving 4,000 IoT customers in areas

• India’s manufacturing goals: India’s like vehicle tracking, connected cars, PoS, and advanced
metering infrastructure. Besides, Vi Business has a
push for local manufacturing aims to
diversified M2M portfolio of EV, battery management
contribute 25% to its GDP by 2025. systems, agriculture, solar, and water management.
• IIoT and Industry 4.0: The adoption
of IIoT is crucial for advancing India’s For Tata Communications, annual revenue growth of
nearly 18% to USD 2.52 billion for FY24 was fuelled by the
Industry 4.0 objectives.
rise in IoT deployments among enterprise customers. The
• Projected growth: India’s manufacturing company remains resilient despite global challenges in
industry is on track to reach US1 trillion tech spending, largely thanks to a resilient manufacturing
by FY26. sector where technology deployment is no longer seen to
be discretionary.
• Telcom operators’ role: Telcos like
Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone are pivotal in Reliance Jio, too, has stated in its previous earnings
IIoT adoption and offer private network statements that it views the Jio Business division under Jio
solutions. Platforms Limited as a potentially strong and significant
• Revenue growth: Airtel and Tata
Communications report significant Tata Communication’s annual
revenue growth from IIoT deployments.
revenue growth of nearly 18% to
• Satcom solutions: Future satellite-based
internet services will expand connectivity
USD 2.52 billion for FY24 was
for remote manufacturing sites. fuelled by a rise in enterprise
IoT deployments.

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 [REPORT]
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Entities such as HCL Technologies

Limited and Coforge, through FY24,
have reported an uptick in revenue
from manufacturing clients.

revenue contributor. While the operator does not share “While we are not the first or the largest in India to
the break-up of the contribution of its enterprise business introduce a highly automated, mostly human-less factory,
vertical, a senior industry official with direct knowledge we are looking to do it at scale as demand for EVs ramp
of Jio’s plans with its enterprise business said that the up. Access to captive networks is imperative here, as are
company hierarchy is highly bullish on the prospect at-scale IIoT deployments that help us with real-time
of Industry 4.0. diagnostics, aberration measurement, and identification,
and overall, give us great freedom to focus our efforts on
“The consumer business for Reliance Jio has direct leveraging analytics to resolve most issues. This nearly
challenges, such as a limit to which companies can eliminates any human error, which is imperative for a
ramp up their tariffs. This is significantly hurting sophisticated technology like EVs,” the executive said.
average revenues per user, ARPU. The enterprise
industry, however, faces lesser challenges because of Need for Satellite Networks
the heightened demand for IoT deployments across The proliferation of autonomous factors in Industry 4.0
the country and globally. While Airtel likely has a lead, also means the need for captive private networks will grow
Reliance Jio’s board of directors have identified the manifold. India’s telcos are also ready to enter this space (see
enterprise business as a key avenue in the future,” the report Race to the stars as Satcom giants prepare for India
official said. launch). Reliance Jio, in partnership with Luxembourg-
headquartered satellite operator SES, is set to introduce
Each of these contributions comes from ancillary satellite-based Internet connectivity to enterprises as
industries also looking to take advantage. For India’s soon as the Government of India completes the spectrum
USD 254-billion IT services industry, manufacturing allocation through the decided administrative route.
emerged as a resilient vertical in a tepid FY24 that was
marked by low, single-digit revenue growth, slowing Bharti Airtel, through its subsidiary Eutelsat-OneWeb,
digital transformation mega deals, and a sustained is also competing for a share of this pie. At the same time,
downturn in tech adoption in financial services—the Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper is also expected to enter into
most significant industry of tech adoption by revenue the race within the next two fiscals.
globally. Entities such as HCL Technologies Limited,
Coforge, and others, through FY24, consistently A senior executive with direct knowledge of the Jio-
reported an uptick in revenue from manufacturing SES consortium’s plans said that Satcom services have
clients, primarily driven by automotive factories. the potential to significantly enhance communications
backhaul while improving earnings from captive
On this note, car factories are major enablers of enterprise networks, where margins are understandably
IIoT deployment in India. With increasing volumes of higher than those of consumer businesses.
advanced telematics, connected mobility, and smart
infotainment solutions in consumer vehicles, automobile Once enabled, Satcom services can roll out across
factories across India are increasingly contributing to remote areas and factories beyond the mainstream states
the uptake of IIoT and Industry 4.0 narratives across and districts, expanding India’s push to ramp up domestic
the country. manufacturing revenue. At the centre of it will be the
deployment of enterprise sensors through an intranet of
A senior executive who helms an Indian electric vehicle IIoT technologies, which will extensively transform the
company, on condition of anonymity, said that the startup economies of factories worldwide.
is ramping up its upcoming manufacturing facility in
Haryana—where the factory will be 95% automated. [email protected]

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[NEWS BYTES]

COAI urges major tax reforms in first full

budget of Modi 3.0
A
head of the first Modi 3.0 budget, the Cellular
Operators Association of India (COAI) has called
upon the government to adopt a series of significant
tax reforms in the upcoming Union Budget 2024-25.
These recommendations, submitted to the Ministry of
Finance, aim to bolster the financial health of the telecom
industry, a critical enabler of the government’s mission for
digital empowerment and inclusivity across India.
The COAI’s recommendations focus on various strate-
prescribe a streamlined, time-bound process for claiming
gic fiscal adjustments, primarily abolishing the Universal
a cash refund of the Service Tax paid under the Reverse
Service Obligation Fund (USOF) levy. Alternatively, the
Charge Mechanism to provide relief to the industry.
government may consider suspending the USO contribu-
tion of 5% of AGR until the existing USO corpus of ap- In an effort to ease the deployment of 5G infrastructure,
proximately Rs 80,000 crore is exhausted. COAI also seeks a waiver of customs duties on certain tele-
com equipment. It advocates for a zero-duty regime until
COAI has also sought a substantial reduction in the Li-
a local manufacturing ecosystem is robust enough to sup-
cense Fee from 3% to 1%. The industry body has pointed
port competitive pricing for high-quality gear.
out that these cuts are essential to relieve the financial
pressures on Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), espe- Highlighting the broader implications of these recom-
cially critical as they deploy expansive and costly 5G net- mendations, COAI Director General Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar
works. It said the 1% fee would be sufficient to cover the said: “As we stand on the brink of a 5G-driven transfor-
administrative costs by the DoT and the government. mation, it is imperative that government reduces the fi-
nancial strain on telecom operators. These reforms are
The industry body also expressed concerns over the
not merely economic measures but strategic investments
Gross Revenue (GR) definition. The present definition
into the nation’s future digital framework.”
covers revenue from all telecom activities. This has cre-
ated ambiguity because the term telecom activity is not The telecom industry hopes that the GST Council will
defined clearly, so it may include revenue from activities acknowledge these recommendations and recognise
believed to be incidental to telecom activity. Therefore, them as pivotal for improving business conditions and
COAI recommends that the definition of GR be made pre- restoring the financial vitality of this crucial sector.
cise, stipulating that the revenue from activities for which As India continues to push towards comprehensive
no license is required should not be a part of GR. digital inclusivity, the proposed tax reforms by COAI could
Moreover, COAI has urged the government to exempt play a crucial role in ensuring that the telecom sector re-
the assignment of the right to use natural resources from mains robust and capable of supporting the country’s
Service Tax, particularly for the period affected by the digital ambitions. These changes are expected to provide
Supreme Court’s AGR verdict, from April 2016 to June the necessary impetus for the sector’s growth, ultimately
2017, and on various services issued in November 2018. contributing to the nationwide goal of an empowered and
Alternatively, COAI has proposed that the government inclusive digital society.

“The 5G-driven transformation makes it

imperative that the government reduces
financial strain on telecom operators.”
LT GEN DR SP KOCHHAR
Director General, COAI

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