RURAL BROADBAND
Airtel, Jio free cash flow seen rising amid falling capex spends, growing ARPU
Analysts predict Bharti Airtel's and Reliance Jio's free cash flows to rise in FY26, reaching approximately Rs 56,000 crore and Rs 38,500 crore, respectively. This growth stems from reduced capital expenditures and higher average revenue per user (ARPU). Both telcos expect a surge in ARPU driven by tariff hikes and increased data usage amid 5G deployments
Airtel likely to be biggest 5G spectrum buyer in June 6 sale: Analysts
Bharti Airtel is expected to increase its sub-GHz airwave holdings in the 900 MHz band across multiple circles in the upcoming spectrum auction, potentially becoming the top buyer despite Reliance Jio submitting the highest earnest money deposit (EMD). Airtel aims to bolster its rural mobile broadband coverage by enhancing its low-band airwaves arsenal. While Jio leads in sub-GHz spectrum holdings, Airtel's recent focus on rural expansion and improved financial position suggests significant investments in 900 MHz spectrum across 12 circles.
India needs Rs 4.2 lakh cr investment to connect 24 cr households with broadband by 2030
According to the break-up provided by Prashant Singhal, fibre deployment will need investments in the range of Rs 2.7-3 lakh crore, passive infrastructure Rs 90,000-96,000 crore, WiFi and in-building solutions Rs 6,600-Rs 9,000 crore, data centres Rs 9,700-Rs 14,100 crore and satellite broadband services Rs 26,000-29,000 crore.
MNP number shows competition intense as Jio, Airtel fight for Vi users
Telecom companies compete fiercely for market share. Vodafone Idea struggles without 5G. Airtel and Jio focus on service quality and rural expansion. Broadband users increase, with Jio leading the growth.
Broadband business seen bolstering Q4 revenues for Airtel and Reliance Jio
Analysts anticipate Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, leading telecom operators in India, to witness moderate sequential growth in their fiscal fourth-quarter mobile revenue. This growth is primarily driven by robust broadband user additions, with no tariff hikes implemented. Conversely, Vodafone Idea (Vi) is expected to experience a decline in revenue due to persistent heavy customer attrition.
On a hi-fibre, wi-fi diet
India's digital growth, focusing on mobile connections, payments, and 5G rollout, requires enhancements in optic fibre, satellite connections, Wi-Fi networks, and public Wi-Fi hotspots. Balancing all these elements is crucial for sustainable progress.
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Eutelsat OneWeb looks to pull ahead of Starlink, Jio in satellite broadband race
Top company officials said Eutelsat OneWeb has received the demo or 'trial' satellite spectrum in both the 'Ka' and 'Ku' bands for a 90-day span via the administrative route at a nominal application fee. To be sure, unlike rival Starlink, which will directly offer retail users satellite internet services, Eutelsat OneWeb will operate purely on a B2B model.
Govt likely to treat satellite broadband as telecom service, allow 100% FDI via automatic route
The Indian government is expected to treat satellite broadband as a telecom service, allowing companies like Eutelsat OneWeb, Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, and Telesat to be eligible for 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) through the automatic route. This move is expected to clarify foreign ownership rules for companies planning to launch broadband-from-space services in India and encourage top dollar inflows into the satcoms sector.
Smartphone ownership among 44+ drops in urban India, rises in villages
As per the findings of the Kantar-TGI (Target Group Index) study, available exclusively with ET, the gender gap in smartphone ownership has also narrowed over the past five years, even though males consistently exhibited higher ownership percentages. The sharp increase in smartphone adoption levels is pronounced among female users, suggesting a closing gap in technology access.
Capex strategy, prudent 5G rollout, rural pick up boosted Airtel in Q3: Analysts
Bharti Airtel's capital expenditure strategy focused on Non-standalone 5G rollout and rural coverage resulted in beating Reliance Jio in revenue growth. Airtel's ARPU increased to Rs 208, driven by robust 4G/5G subscriber additions, stable churn rate, and postpaid user additions. Airtel's stock rose 3.28%. Airtel's revenue market share increased to 39.6%. Airtel's revenue growth was aided by home broadband and enterprise segments.
Reliance Jio Q3 Results: Affordable phone, wireless broadband and more users bring an end to four quarters of sluggish growth
Reliance Jio Q3 Results: Reliance Industries' telecom venture, Jio, recently released its financial results for the third quarter of December 2023. The company reported a noteworthy 12.3% year-on-year increase in net profit, amounting to Rs 5,208 crore. This surge marks a significant turnaround after four consecutive quarters of slower growth. Jio credited this achievement to the rising number of subscribers and the popularity of its affordable 4G phone.
Non-auction allocation of airwaves to help companies unveil Satcom early: Experts
Bharti Group-backed OneWeb, Reliance Jio, and Elon Musk's Starlink could potentially launch satellite broadband services in India sooner than anticipated, as the Telecommunications Bill 2023 supports the 'non-auctions route' for satellite spectrum allocation. Industry executives suggest that with the bill's approval, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) can directly manage satellite spectrum allocations, expediting the process compared to potential delays through auctions.
US agency will not reinstate $900-million subsidy for SpaceX Starlink unit
The FCC cited among its reasons SpaceX's failure to successfully launch its Starship rocket, saying "the uncertain nature of Starship's future launches could impact Starlink's ability to meet" its obligations.
Airtel’s plan to deploy Google parent’s laser tech faces hitch
Airtel was keen to use the technology as a cost-effective way to deliver wireless backhaul — or connectivity between the telco’s mobile towers and its core network — to ensure uninterrupted 4G/5G coverage in rural and mountainous regions where there aren’t enough towers or terrestrial backhaul links via fibre networks. Airtel insiders now believe more extensive joint field trials are required to assess the technical and commercial viability of the technology in India, especially in poor weather conditions.
Mobile broadband user base inches up to 839 million
The scenario underlines the challenges for telcos to entice featurephone users to upgrade to pricier plans that offer higher margins. Industry executives and analysts are, however, optimistic that the growth in 4G subscriptions will continue during the festive season and the rest of the financial year thanks to stable tariffs and fall in 4G handset prices.
Not clear Big Tech need pay for 5G, broadband rollout, Belgian regulator says
Europe's telecoms operators have tried to push for major companies, such as Google and Microsoft, to help bear the cost of fifth generation techology, but that would probably require waiting for the next European Commission, following European Parliament elections next year, to decide on any rules.
'Bharti's OneWeb should not underestimate Jio satellite'
The satellite communications market in India is at a nascent stage but the potential is substantial, particularly in rural and remote areas. As per an EY-ISpA report, India's space economy is set to rise to $13 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6%. "I think they (Starlink) should come. In the US, there is an opportunity for Starlink, let them come in, they need to figure out what their business model in India could be," said Oommen, referring to global competition.
JioSpaceFiber, India's first satellite-based gigabit broadband is here: Important details
For this project, Jio has partnered with SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite telecommunications network provider. With this partnership, Jio would be able to tap into the cutting-edge Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite technology that can deliver gigabit-speed internet services from space. To showcase the capabilities of JioSpaceFiber, the service has already been connected to four of India's most remote locations: Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Nabarangpur in Odisha, and ONGC-Jorhat in Assam.
JioSpaceFiber: Jio showcases India's first satellite-based giga fiber at IMC
Reliance's telecom arm Jio showcased India’s first satellite-based giga fiber service called JioSpaceFiber to provide high speed broadband services to previously inaccessible geographies within India at the India Mobile Congress on Friday. The company has launched it with an objective of providing broadband services to inaccessible locations.
Amazon confirms India Satcom plans, looks to bring affordable broadband to rural areas
Amazon has expressed its interest in bringing affordable broadband to India by entering the country's satcom market. The company's Project Kuiper aims to provide fast and affordable broadband to underserved communities, including rural areas. Amazon is currently in the process of obtaining the necessary approvals from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre and is expected to apply for a GMPCS license from the telecommunications department.
How India is preparing for 6G revolution which will transform connectivity as we know it
India is preparing for the arrival of 6G wireless broadband technology, with commercial deployment expected around 2030. 6G networks will offer data speeds up to 100 Gbps, almost 100 times faster than 5G, and improved network connectivity. The International Telecom Union (ITU) has backed India's call for ubiquitous 6G coverage, ensuring that network deployments will be affordable and provide fast broadband connectivity for the masses.
Govt may let satcom companies provide wireless service
The move to grant mobility services authorisation to Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Services (GMPCS) licence holders will potentially pave the way for companies such as Elon Musk-owned Starlink - which has applied for the licence - to compete with mobile service providers, experts said. An inter-ministerial panel involving the ministries of defence and home affairs, departments of telecommunications and space, and the cabinet secretariat will decide on the matter after security clearance, officials aware of the details told ET.
DoT panel's 6 GHz spectrum proposals 'biased': Tech firms
A committee formed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India to look into the allocation of 6 GHz spectrum has faced criticism from technology firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta. The Broadband India Forum (BIF) - an association of tech players - said after much prodding, it was included as a member, but the tech industry was still in a minority.
Cabinet approves Rs 1.39 lakh cr for last mile BharatNet connectivity
The cabinet has approved a last-mile broadband connectivity plan under the BharatNet project for 6.4 lakh villages across the country with a financial outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore, a top government official said. The broadband connectivity project has already connected 1.94 lakh villages, with the rest likely to be completed in two and a half years.
Cabinet approves Rs 1.39 lakh cr for connecting 6.4 lakh villages with broadband
The Union Cabinet has approved a last-mile broadband connectivity plan for 6.4 lakh villages across the country under the BharatNet project with an outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore, according to sources. Around 1.94 lakh villages have been connected under the BharatNet project at present, and the balance is likely to be connected in two and a half years, they added.
High-speed internet is a necessity, President Biden says, pledging all US will have access by 2030
Biden announced that more than $40 billion would be distributed across the country to deliver high-speed internet in places where there's either no service, or service is too slow.
Streamlining of RoW charges, license fee waiver needed for expanding broadband: Airtel
On the other hand, Airtel sees a growing opportunity in the broadband space due to the rising affluence levels and evolving consumer behaviour, which is set to open up 70 million households for broadband connectivity
BSNL’s rural broadband pilot to be extended to 5 lakh homes amid strong demand
The government is utilising BharatNet optical fibre network in collaboration with BSNL to provide the connections. “Such kind of arrangement benefits both BSNL as well as utilisation of BharatNet,” an official told ET.
USTDA to fund study to expand broadband connectivity in rural India
The USTDA on Wednesday said projects such as this can transform communities and stimulate more inclusive economic growth. It said the grant would be used to conduct a feasibility study to help expand broadband connectivity to more than 30 million people in rural and peri-urban communities across India.
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