The Chronicles of 5G deployment in India : News and Updates

[Gautam]

A bit more comprehensive report of the previously mentioned buy out proposals. Also no mention of Saankhya Labs, did they reject the proposal ? A door still open for Airtel ?


5G: Reliance Jio seeks to buy homegrown startups, companies

Reliance Jio GenNext, a startup accelerator of telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm’s parent Reliance Industries, has made buyout or investment proposals to a few domestic companies developing fifth-generation (5G) solutions as part of its attempt to launch a locally built next generation network, said people aware of the matter.

By Muntazir Abbas
ET Telecom
August 27, 2020, 22:26 IST

New Delhi: Reliance Jio GenNext, a startup accelerator of telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm’s parent Reliance Industries, has made buyout or investment proposals to a few domestic companies developing fifth-generation (5G) solutions as part of its attempt to launch a locally built next generation network, said people aware of the matter.

“Some of the domestic companies have recently received business proposals from Reliance Jio GenNext, which wants to acquire local firms developing 5G technology-based solutions,” said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified. Another person said, “Jio is looking at Indian companies that are in the final stages to develop 5G components or radio network products since a start from scratch will only drag the final outcome by almost four years.”

Reliance Jio GenNext advises and mentors founders of startups and brings them into the Jio fold through commercial partnerships and strategic investments.

Indian firms such as Vihaan Networks, Himachal Futuristic Communications, Tejas Networks, Lekha Wireless, Signalchip, Nivetti, Mymo Wireless and Niral Networks are among those in advanced stages of developing open-source software based 5G solutions. Bengaluru-based Niral Networks, an open source networking operating software provider, confirmed that Jio's startup accelerator had sent a proposal but did not divulge any further details

“We have been interested in selling our networking equipment to Jio. Our home-grown solution is an alternative to the likes of Huawei and Cisco. If Jio can support us in our vision by using our product in their 5G network, it will also help us to grow internationally,” said a Niral Networks spokesperson.

Reliance Jio did not respond to ET’s queries till press time on Thursday while Tejas Networks declined to comment. Queries to Vihaan Networks, Himachal Futuristic Communications, Lekha Wireless, Signalchip, Nivetti and Mymo Wireless did not elicit any response.

Jio has said it is developing its own 5G technology which it plans to scale up in India and then take it to other parts of the world. In 2018, Reliance had bought US-based Radisys to accelerate innovation in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and open-source based architecture adoption, and its push for local enterprises would further build on the company's acquired capabilities.

“India has all the expertise available to develop latest and complex telecom products, many of which have large software content, where India is considerably strong,” said RK Bhatnagar, former advisor, Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

5G: Mukesh Ambani's Jio seeks to buy homegrown startups, companies - ET Telecom

Jio 5g: Reliance Jio GenNext, a startup accelerator of telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm’s parent Reliance Industries, has made buyout or investment proposals to a few domestic companies developing fifth-generation (5G) solutions as part of its attempt to launch a locally built next...

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Gautam]

Make in India: DoT may ask BSNL to try local end-to-end networks for 4G upgrade

The decision can have far-reaching ramifications as the new setup, if found feasible, can be replicated for other network providers and to upgrade to 5G services

Updated: Aug 28, 2020; 08:40 IST
By Deeksha Bhardwaj
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is mulling advising BSNL and MTNL to test out locally consolidated networks for a few months before they take a call on who to select to upgrade their 4G spectrum services, Hindustan Times has learnt. The decision can have far-reaching ramifications as the new setup, if found feasible, can be replicated for other network providers and to upgrade to 5G services, the tender process for which is yet to begin.

HT has earlier reported that the DoT had set up a six-member panel to look into the 4G upgrade tender after it was scrapped on July 1. The decision was also taken in keeping with the preference to Make in India policy of the telecom department, and a bid to reduce reliance on Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE.

The six-member panel, which has representatives from DoT, BSNL, MTNL and the industry, has already met five times and is in the final stage of outlining requirements for the fresh tender. The final tender requirements are likely to be concretised by the end of the week. The Rs 7,000-8,000 crore tender is part of the BSNL revival package that will allow it to expand its telecom presence.

“Indian manufacturers at present do not have a turn-key setup in place,” said a DoT official who did not wish to be named. “A turn-key setup offers end-to-end network, including both radio and core requirements that are consolidated at a central level by a single operator.”

According to the official, tech giants such as Nokia and Airtel have their own turn-key setups in India. The official that while seven companies manufacture radio equipment, used to set up towers, only two companies at present are capable of making core equipment, which translates the signals to provide telecom services.

“The core equipment is responsible for translating the signals that are carried by the radio equipment,” the official said. “The new approach likely incorporate multiple vendors to setup an end-to-end network”. A member of the panel, on the condition of anonymity, told HT that reservations had been expressed about the ability of Indian tech companies to set up the network. “We are discussing telling BSNL and MTNL to set up at least 10-20 towers using local equipment and connect it to the core,” said the member. “They can test if the equipment is giving appropriate results.”

According to experts, nearly 75% of the telecom equipment is sourced from companies outside India, especially the internal components. Two major Chinese firms with a stake in the Indian market are ZTE and Huawei, both Chinese companies. Other major players include Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung.

“We are not saying that Nokia or Airtel will not be able to provide services, but the idea is that the local manufacturers get a greater stake,” said the first official. “Nokia has an India-based office that employs many Indian engineers". At present, according to the preference to make in India policy of the DoT, those doing over 50% addition to product and network by using equipment made in India and not just assembled here given preference.

“If Tech Mahindra gives a bid for 112 and Nokia for 100, Tech Mahindra will be asked to match the bid,” said former DoT technical advisor RK Bhatnagar. “Ercisson’s value addition, for example, would be around 25%, making them un-eligible to be in preference category.”

Bhatnagar added that a version of the DoT’s proposal was discussed at a meeting convened by NITI Aayog in early July.

“Private players such as Tech Mahindra made a presentation that they have the capability,” said Bhatnagar. “They had asked for an opportunity, and NITI Aayog had suggested the same to DoT”. “The players can be asked to set up a consolidated network, which will then be tested over 4 months to see if it’s a workable solution and then can be replicated in other places,” he added.

Make in India: DoT may ask BSNL to try local end-to-end networks for 4G upgrade

The decision can have far-reaching ramifications as the new setup, if found feasible, can be replicated for other network providers and to upgrade to 5G services

www.hindustantimes.com

The BSNL tender will likely go to Tech Mahindra and ITI. Also what turn key network ability does Airtel have ? Their entire network is imported & they aren't even trying as hard as Jio to get local tech. Instead they are buying 5G network stuff from US based companies.

 

[Gautam]

Telcos eyeing share of lucrative cloud, data center market: Report

After competing on mobile services battleground, telecom companies such as Jio and Bharti are keen to get a slice of the lucrative cloud and data center (DC) market, where they have partnered with global players and are looking to offer value-add services, according to a report.

By PTI
August 27, 2020, 17:43 IST

New Delhi: After competing on mobile services battleground, telecom companies such as Jio and Bharti are keen to get a slice of the lucrative cloud and data center (DC) market, where they have partnered with global players and are looking to offer value-add services, according to a report. India is turning out to be one of the favorite markets for the cloud ecosystem -- Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service -- given big talent pool, cost arbitrage and the nascent domestic market, said the report by BofA Securities titled "Telco wars: Now to Cloud/DCs".

"Telcos Jio/Bharti have partnered with Microsoft (MS)/Amazon (respectively). While the focus of the two partnerships is different as both telcos offer connectivity to enterprise, they are looking to offer value-add services like data center, cyber security etc through these tie-ups," it said.

Indian businesses are increasingly adopting cloud computing services and COVID-19 is accelerating this adoption. Like most markets, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are aggressively competing with each other to win cloud customers in India, it said. Simply put, Cloud computing is providing storage and computational power to consumers/businesses from remote data centers via the internet.

"After competing on the mobile front, telcos Jio and Bharti are keen to get a pie of the lucrative Cloud/DC market and have tied-up with Azure/AWS (Amazon Web Services) respectively," BofA Securities note said.

Jio's partnership is exclusively to target the SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and Bharti's partnership focuses on co-creating India specific customised products for Indian enterprises, it said.

"Both have big ambitions in DC expansion," the report said and cited the recent move by Bharti Airtel to sell about 25 per cent stake in its data centre business, Nxtra, to Carlyle Group.

The ensuing data protection bill may act as a catalyst as it would lead to storing data of Indians in the country by the foreign companies.

Telcos eyeing share of lucrative cloud, data center market: Report - ET Telecom

Cloud Computing: After competing on mobile services battleground, telecom companies such as Jio and Bharti are keen to get a slice of the lucrative cloud and data center (DC) market, where they have partnered with global players and are looking to offer value-add services, according to a report.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Proud_Indian]

Reliance Jio is India’s answer to Amazon, AT&T, and Huawei—all rolled into one

REUTERS/DANISH SIDDIQUI

By Niharika Sharma
Aviation and social media reporter

August 29, 2020

If tech giant CEOs were a high school clique, Mukesh Ambani would be its newest member, and everyone’s invited to a party at his house. India’s richest man, Ambani heads up conglomerate Reliance Industries, whose digital arm, Reliance Jio, is swiftly becoming India’s answer to Amazon, AT&T, and Huawei—all rolled into one.

Founded in 1973 by Dhirubhai Ambani, Reliance Industries (RIL) cut its teeth on the oil business, before crushing its competition in India’s telecom sector. Now the company is eyeing India’s 5G market. Last month, Reliance confirmed plans to build its own 5G technology without help from Chinese companies, a development that would make Reliance Jio India’s first telecom firm with 5G capabilities.


Move over, Huawei

Industry analysts back Reliance’s 5G claims, though a major chunk of their confidence comes from the company’s strong financial position—$87 billion in revenue—and the fact that Google paid $4.5 billion for a 7.7% stake in Jio Platforms (a wholly owned RIL subsidiary) last month. Google and Jio Platforms also plan to jointly develop an “entry-level affordable” 4G/5G smartphone.

Another mark in Reliance’s favor: a reputation for freebies and disruptive pricing. It’s expected that Jio’s 5G services would be 10-15% cheaper to roll out than competitors’, which will help it become a market leader in India. Plus, its China-proof tech will have international appeal.

To that end, Reliance couldn’t have better timing. India’s government has reportedly asked telecom firms to avoid using equipment from Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE, and the US, UK, and Australia have all banned Huawei from providing 5G equipment and technology in their countries. Jio would happily join Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson in the quest to fill that void.

“I encourage all countries to secure their communication networks by prohibiting untrusted vendors, thereby increasing the attractiveness of their digital infrastructure to outside investment,” US cyber diplomat Robert Strayer said in July. “Investors are more inclined to invest in countries that are secure from interference or disruption by vendors that could be subject to the control of authoritarian regimes.”

Reliance Jio is India’s answer to Amazon, AT&T, and Huawei—all rolled into one

Jio is set to become India’s first telecom firm with 5G capabilities.

qz.com

 

[Gautam]

Brookfield gets govt's approval for purchase of Reliance telecom tower assets

Updated: 29 Aug 2020, 11:49 AM IST
By Bloomberg

• Telecom ministry allowed Brookfield to take control of Reliance Jio Infratel Pvt. through Tower Infrastructure Trust
• The endorsement from the government came about a year after it was proposed

ATC has completed acquisition of Vodafone India’s 10,000 standalone telecom towers but the deal to purchase Idea Cellular’ standalone towers is yet to be completed. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint


India’s government has approved Brookfield Asset Management Inc.’s proposal to acquire a 252 billion rupees ($3.4 billion) stake in a trust that manages the wireless infrastructure of the nation’s biggest mobile-phone service provider, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The telecom ministry allowed Brookfield to take control of Reliance Jio Infratel Pvt. through Tower Infrastructure Trust, the people said, asking not to be identified before a public announcement. The proposal was cleared by the finance and home ministries as well as the central bank in July, the people said.

The endorsement from the government -- about a year after it was proposed -- will help Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani add to the more than $20 billion he has raised by selling stakes in his technology venture, Jio Platforms Ltd.

A spokesman for the finance ministry could not be reached on his mobile phone, while representatives for the communications ministry, home ministry and central bank didn’t immediately respond to queries seeking comment. A spokesman for Reliance declined to comment.

Ambani had planned to use the proceeds to repay “existing financial liabilities" and acquire stake his flagship Reliance Industries Ltd. doesn’t own in Reliance Jio Infratel, according to a statement in July last year.

Brookfield gets govt's approval for purchase of Reliance telecom tower assets

Telecom ministry allowed Brookfield to take control of Reliance Jio Infratel Pvt. through Tower Infrastructure Trust.The endorsement from the government came about a year after it was proposed

www.livemint.com

 

[Gautam]

Some incredible gems of reporting by the Indian media. Counting the number of patents help when all the players are going with proprietary tech. If they go for O-RAN however patent counts matter less. Also while counting the number of patents Jio has one also has to count the number of patents its recently acquired subsidiaries have otherwise its an incomplete picture. If nothing else look at the model of Rakuten in Japan, they have almost no patents yet they are getting ready to deploy 5G O-RAN in Japan from September. Jio's model is very much the same.

Reliance’s 5G claim: A reality check

Reliance’s claim that it has developed fully “indigenous” 5G capability appears dubious given the way the technology has evolved across the world. Its pole position in the Indian telecom market raises fears that this may limit India’s capabilities in telecommunications in the future.

frontline.thehindu.com

If only the reporters had googled as much as I did they wouldn't be making such predictions. Speaking of Google, the company holds more than 90% share of web searches in India. A classic case of monopoly, they are known to manipulate searches based on sponsorship and recently based on political preferences. This has lead the company to be sued in the US and Europe recently. Yet nobody in India is worried about that.

Jio has 38-40 % market share and Airtel has 33-35%. Still a lot of people on twitter and media are going on about how Jio is a monopoly & its dangerous and so on. But Google is choooo cute.

The Monopoly Monochrome: Telecommunication Industry To Be Ruled By One Company? From 5G Connectivity To Digital Payments - The Indian Wire

Corona virus changed our lives drastically. Especially for Students who were supposed to graduate and attend their graduation ceremony this year. However due to Covid-19 pandemic and the contagious nature of this virus, social distancing and staying indoors became the new norm in the last few...

www.theindianwire.com

Jio's nearest competitor Airtel is a few percent away from them. Google's nearest competitor Microsoft Bing is not even on the same league. Yet here we are.

I don't understand this mindset. Everything Indian needs to be hated ?

 

[Ironhide]

The Hindu newspaper is commie supporter, no wonder you will get such reports from them, stop making their efforts successful by linking such articles.

Instead use wayback internet archive to post such articles here:

Wayback Machine

archive.org

We may come across many such articles specially from some break India websites we have here, just run the link through internet archive and share here, this way we can drain them of clicks and revenue.

 

[lcafanboy]

Saankhya in sanskrit means Numeric, just googled it.

America has Alphabet which means varnamala in Sanskrit ...
Google is owned by ALPHABET...
Now India Launched sankhya which means number....
We now only need a GOOGLE in Sanskrit word....

 

[Gautam]

Bad articles are free, good articles are behind paywalls.
Or maybe it seems good because I can't access it.

Anyway here's the article:


Reliance Jio wants India’s 2G users. So it’s killing 2G

Reliance Jio boasts the most mobile subscribers in the country, but its 4G-only network cuts it off from ~300 million 2G users. Desperate to convert them, Jio wants to get rid of India’s 2G networks altogether

By Pratap Vikram Singh, 31 Aug 2020

• One of Reliance Jio’s biggest strengths—its 4G-only network—is also one of its biggest weaknesses. It prevents Jio from onboarding India’s 300 million-strong 2G user market and keeps it out of govt contracts that require 2G as well

• To get in on all this action, Jio wants a 2G-free India. While the market was set to naturally transition from 2G in the coming five years, Jio is desperate to speed this up

SUMMARY

Wherever one turns today, there’s news about Reliance Industries doing something. Or wanting to do something. Our story today falls in the latter category. More specifically, it wants all of India’s 300 million 2G user base to itself. But there’s a catch. Reliance Jio does not have 2G technology; it boasts of a network that is entirely 4G.

Even its sensor ambitions are held back by the existence of 2G, with many sensors and devices—including Point-of-Sale (POS) machines—integrated with 2G SIM cards. RIL chairperson and managing director Mukesh Ambani estimates that this opportunity could be worth up to Rs 20,000 crore ($2.7 billion) annually for Jio in a few years.

Its older rivals, meanwhile, still count on their 2G networks for a significant portion of their business. It’s no wonder, then, that Reliance Jio, which follows the ‘greed is good’ ethos when it comes to conquering markets, wants a “2G-mukt (free)” India.

Other operators in areas such as the United States, Latin America, and Southeast Asia have already begun moving in this direction, shutting down 2G networks. But in their cases, the number of 2G users were in the hundred thousand range. Not 300 million.

And while there is an organic movement of 2G users transitioning to 4G, it is slow. And Jio is not known for its patience.


Background


At the silver jubilee celebrations of cellular mobility in India last month, the two telecom czars spoke. Even in a virtual event, the tone and the airs were distinctive. Sunil Bharti Mittal called for rationalising levies and charges; Mukesh Ambani issued a plea to make India “2G-mukt" (2G-free).

Telcos rarely agree these days, but in principle, they wouldn’t object to either appeal. The catch is that using the first to accelerate the second would create not just massive disturbances for telcos and subscribers, but also to the political class. The International Telecommunications Union has also cautioned about the sudden and untimely shutting of legacy networks.

In most countries where 2G has been phased out, the 2G subscriber base was below 10% and the shift happened over two-three years. In India, some 300 million of the active 961 million subscribers are still using 2G. By 2025, GSMA estimates, this base will naturally shrink from 33% to 6%.

But Jio, like always, is in a hurry. So much so that Vodafone-Idea CEO Ravinder Takkar, in an earnings call this month, said, “That 2G services need to be stopped [in India] is a completely wrong message that’s going out in the market.”

Jio’s 2G math, like its 4G launch, is probably done to the decimal point. With Google by its side, a cheaper 4G/5G phone in the works, it’s even asked for policy interventions. (Subsidy for 2G users, anyone?)

The young and hungry telco needs 100 million subscribers to reach its stated 500 million goal, Google needs to add to its Next Billion Users, and investors who’ve put ~$20 billion in Jio Platforms, which derives a good part of its valuation from the group’s telecom business, would look for returns.

Pratap, the writer of today’s story, has deftly and diligently pieced together the plan that Jio is most likely working with. It looks neat. The regulator is moving at breakneck speed, too.​

Like an ocean current, India’s largest telecom operator Reliance Jio is always in motion. Even when all seems still on the surface, it surges forward endlessly. All those caught in its path are carried kicking and screaming into deeper, unchartered waters, or drowned and relegated to the company of India’s other telco shipwrecks.

In just five short years, Jio surged from birth to utter dominance......................

Reliance Jio wants India's 2G users. So it's killing 2G

Reliance Jio boasts the most mobile subscribers in the country, but its 4G-only network cuts it off from ~300 million 2G users. Desperate to convert them, Jio wants to get rid of India’s 2G networks altogether

the-ken.com

 

[Gautam]

India's Jio looks to acquire firms to fire its 5G ambitions

By GAGANDEEP KAUR
9/1/2020


India's Jio Platforms, the parent company of Reliance Jio Infocomm, is looking to acquire or form partnerships with domestic firms to develop competencies in building and manufacturing 5G products.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, said recently that the company had developed its homegrown 5G offering, which it plans to export to other countries after deploying it in its own network in the coming year.

Jio's acquisition of Radisys about two years back helped it build 5G competencies. "We think it is possible Jio, quite likely in conjunction with other local IT players, has managed to build its own 5G software stack and is likely embracing Open RAN techniques or possibly even cloud-RAN as an architecture," research firm Bernstein said in its recent report. Prominent Indian IT vendors with a strong presence in telecom vertical, like TCS, Wipro and Tech Mahindra, are the obvious targets for such a tie-up with Jio. Tech Mahindra has a stake in Altiostar, which is supporting Japan's Rakuten in setting up its network.

Jio is now believed to be evaluating local firms to acquire or to form partnerships. It might be looking at domestic firms in line with the "Atmanirbhar" (self-reliance) push by the Indian Government. Below is a brief profile of the potential targets:

HFCL:

Himachal Futuristic Cable Limited (HFCL) is likely to be high up on the acquisition or partnership target list for Jio Platforms because of the existing close ties between the two firms. HFCL's Infotel bid initially acquired the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum in 2010. Infotel was acquired almost immediately by RIL after the spectrum results were declared. HFCL continues to work with Reliance Jio for laying cables.

It specializes in the manufacturing of telecom equipment and optical fiber cable. HFCL provides solutions for the building of wireless and telecom networks, such as DWDM, radio backhaul, FTTH and in-building systems. Besides, it also has a tie-up with DragonWave, a Canadian provider of packet microwave solutions required for IP networks.

Tejas Networks:

If there is one Indian telecom firm that imbibed the principles of "Atmanirbhar" much before it became a buzzword, it is Tejas Networks. Founded in 2000, Tejas is known to focus heavily on research and development. The company has a presence in several countries and is working with many Tier 1 operators across the globe. If it is R&D capability that Jio Platforms has in mind, Tejas should be its prime target.

Niral Networks:

According to media reports, Niral Networks has received a proposal from Jio's startup accelerator. Led by Dr. Inder Gopal, a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Science, the company offers several products including access routers, cell site routers, DPI and cell site gateways, and inspection.

Lekha Wireless Solutions:

Formed in 2010, Lekha Wireless Solutions develops access technologies in various wireless technologies, including 5G New Radio (NR).

VVDN Technologies:

VVDN, a domestic telecom contract manufacturer, is in the news of late for expanding its manufacturing capability for 5G gear. It has recently collaborated with Sterlite Technologies to manufacture 5G radio products, including small cells and macro RU. Jio might be looking to collaborate with VVDN on 5G gear manufacturing.

SignalChip:

Based out of Bengaluru, SignalChip is one of the few Indian firms in the semiconductor space.

Nivetti Systems:

Formed in 2010, Nivetti claims to have developed India's first indigenous networking operating system.

Vihaan Networks:

Vihaan might be of interest to Jio because it not only designs but also manufactures the products in-house. Part of Shyam Networks, it is one of the oldest Indian vendors.

Saankhya Labs:

Formed in 2007, Saankhya Labs has solutions in 5G broadcast, 5G NR and Satcom solutions. The company is developing an open RAN-based solution for 5G in 2021.

Besides these players, the company will also seek to acquire or partner with startups.

Reliance Jio has a strong history working with startups. Over the last few years, it has invested in Haptik, C-Square, Fynd, Netrdyna, SankyaSutra Labs, Tesseract and Embibe, among others. Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, invited the startups to partner with them for the recent Annual General Meeting speech. The company also runs a startup accelerator, Jio GenNext.

All in all, expect to see Jio in the news for various partnership and acquisition deals in the coming few months.

India's Jio looks to acquire firms to fire its 5G ambitions | Light Reading

India's Jio Platforms seeks to acquire or partner with domestic firms to develop competencies in building and manufacturing 5G products.

www.lightreading.com

So everybody is reaching the same conclusion we had reached weeks ago. Spectrum for 5G trials will be provided by September:

DoT expected to provide spectrum for 5G trials by Sep: Report - ET Telecom

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to provide spectrum to telecom operators for the purpose of carrying out 5G trials by September, CNBC-TV18 reported citing sources.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Jio can try out the hardware produced by these companies during the trials and advance talks of partnership/buy outs accordingly. We will probably get news of partnership/buy outs after the trials begin.

 

[Gautam]

Indian tech firms were ready with 5G solutions even before Jio's foray

Updated: 03 Sep 2020, 10:32 AM IST
By Romita Majumdar

• These companies have built 5G expertise across core telecom solutions such as virtual radio access networks, Open RAN, chipsets and hardware
• Jio’s Japanese peer Rakuten is already in talks with a number of Indian providers for their 5G solutions and experts estimate Jio will also onboard additional solutions from these companies

Even as Reliance Jio’s global plans for its indigenous 5G telecom solutions made headlines, several Indian companies across software and technology solutions have already been rolling out their own global 5G solutions.

From Tech Mahindra, Cyient, ITI Ltd to Sterlite Technologies Ltd and Saankhya Labs, these companies have built 5G expertise across core telecom solutions such as virtual radio access networks (VRAN), Open RAN (ORAN), chipsets and hardware, which Jio can possibly tap into for its homegrown solutions. In fact, Jio’s Japanese peer Rakuten is already in talks with a number of Indian providers for their 5G solutions and experts estimate Jio will also onboard additional solutions from these companies.

According to a UBS Evidence Lab survey from December 2019, 59% of telcos were already using network virtualization and 51% were willing to work with non-traditional vendors, suggesting these trends are opening ways for niche players, such as Jio, to get a share of global telco capex spend.

According to telecom experts, Jio could theoretically have a 15% cost advantage in 5G rollout if it uses self-built software. But there is a high possibility that Jio will extend partnerships with existing Indian providers in the 5G space to offer these solutions.

“We believe the trend of (network) virtualization does provide opportunity for newcomers to take share in telecom equipment/capex, but the incumbents continue to have advantages of reach, customer relationships and ability to sustain elevated spend on R&D. All these could allow Jio to take perhaps a small share of the market," said a UBS report on 21 August.

Network virtualization solutions can only work with a strong optical fibre cable (OFC) backbone. One of the leading OFC manufacturers globally, Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL), has evolved from core manufacturing to digital networks services through acquisitions across software solutions over the past years to include solutions for virtualized access, network software products and system integration services.

Anand Agarwal, Group CEO, STL told Mint that they are currently strengthening solutions across ORAN as well. “We see a demand for wireless beyond the OFC penetration and different countries are at different adoption levels. Solutions such as 4G LTE and Wi-Fi 6 will be increasingly relevant for many regions where we are already working."

Another homegrown company, Saankhya Labs, also owns intellectual property and provides radio units and chipsets for V-RAN deployments.

According to Bernstein research, IT spend by communication, media and services was a $196-billion market in 2019 and almost 15-40% of Indian IT revenues come from telecom solutions. These include software and services (design of networks, network rollout, stack upgrade/modernization, monitoring of 5G Network operation centre (NOC)). Telecom original equipment manufacturers get the majority of initial consulting and design work from these providers.

Tech Mahindra has a 17% stake in telecom software provider Altiostar, which is already rolling out cloud-based solutions for Japanese telco Rakuten. Globally, the company has been offering solutions across software-defined and cloud native networks, adoption of disaggregated networks and VRAN, among others, across markets in US, Europe and Japan.

“We work with all the major telecom service providers in India as well and are also invested in creating the India stack. We intend to lower the total cost of operations to bring the best network components together by collaborating with design houses and manufacturers," said Manish Vyas, President, Communications, Media & Entertainment and CEO, Network Services, Tech Mahindra.

Recently, Tech Mahindra announced a partnership with ITI, which has large manufacturing facilities, to enable manufacturing of 4G equipment and work on building capabilities for 5G equipment for the Indian market.

Another Indian company that has been present in this space is Cyient which provides intelligent network solutions for global telcos and is closely involved in 5G rollouts across Australia, South Korea, US and Europe among others apart from multiple telecom carriers globally. “We have launched 5G assets such as towers and small cells in Australia in recent months. We are also deploying intelligent fibre networks smart cities in UK," said Prabhakar Atla, Senior Vice President–Communications and Rail Transportation, Cyient.

One of the key solutions that Cyient provides is geospatial mapping of regions before fibre networks are deployed, to help telcos map where and how they need to lay out the cables. It is followed up with intelligent network configuration solutions, which is essential for 5G trials to begin.

Indian tech firms were ready with 5G solutions even before Jio's foray

These companies have built 5G expertise across core telecom solutions such as virtual radio access networks, Open RAN, chipsets and hardware.Jio’s Japanese peer Rakuten is already in talks with a number of Indian providers for their 5G solutions and experts estimate Jio will also onboard...

www.livemint.com

Now everybody is realising Indian companies making 5G telecom hardware/software exists. I bet if Jio never sought to buy them out no media house would bother looking at this and the narrative would be set that we don't have domestic capabilities thus let's spend 100s of billions on imports.

To be fair, Indian companies have also made hardware solutions for 4G which weren't adopted in India(except optic fibres). Some other companies are deploying Indian 4G/5G hardware though. A Mexican telco recently ordered 4G/5G base tower stations from Tejas Networks, some other countries in Africa too.

It seems now Cyient is deploying 5G gear in Australia, US, EU and SK. This is good news. Exports to Latin America and Africa is great but if we want to build up a solid reputation we need to deploy in scale in Western countries.

The telecom industry is now irreversibly linked to defence and security and I belive opportunities for domestic companies will continue expanding. The govt. must find ways of actively supporting the industry. Case in point :

Domestic gear makers urge govt to use locally produced equipment for connectivity in sensitive border areas - ET Telecom

BSNL: Domestic telecom gear makers body Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA) has urged the Central government to use locally produced products to provide telecom connectivity in border and sensitive areas.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Gautam]

SoftBank in talks with Airtel, Jio for TikTok bid in India - ET Telecom

TikTok Sale: Over the past month, the Japanese conglomerate, which owns a stake in TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd., has held talks with the heads of India’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd., the people said.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

So Softbank want to buyers for Tik Tok's India operations. We know Jio has tried for that once and went nowhere with it. But more important is this part :

Masayoshi Son has been on a $42 billion asset selling spree, offloading stakes in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., T-Mobile US Inc. and SoftBank’s domestic telecom unit, SoftBank Corp. Son is also looking to sell or list ARM Ltd., the chip design firm that he bought four years ago for $32 billion

This is big news. ARM's ISA is used in almost all the processors that goes into mobiles and tablets. They have a virtual monopoly there. It is a pure flight of fantasy on my part but I wonder if Airtel or Jio would be willing to acquire say even a majority stake in ARM.

Especially Jio as they are swimming in cash and Airtel, well isn't. Jio also has big plans for the smartphone market. They have tied up with Google for the Android OS. In hardware you can get makers in India already doing PCB making and assembly work. The speakers and accessories can also be managed from Indian cos. You can get displays from Samsung's newly set up display fab in India. But in any case you have to license ARM's processor ISA IP and get it made in TSMC, Samsung or some other foundry abroad.

Phone makers have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to ARM to use their ISA. But if you own ARM, you don't have to pay anything. The cost can be mortgaged off to elsewhere. I know it sound far fetched but Jio-ARM looks like a very good match to me.

 

[Ironhide]

SoftBank in talks with Airtel, Jio for TikTok bid in India - ET Telecom

TikTok Sale: Over the past month, the Japanese conglomerate, which owns a stake in TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd., has held talks with the heads of India’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd., the people said.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

So Softbank want to buyers for Tik Tok's India operations. We know Jio has tried for that once and went nowhere with it. But more important is this part :



This is big news. ARM's ISA is used in almost all the processors that goes into mobiles and tablets. They have a virtual monopoly there. It is a pure flight of fantasy on my part but I wonder if Airtel or Jio would be willing to acquire say even a majority stake in ARM.

Especially Jio as they are swimming in cash and Airtel, well isn't. Jio also has big plans for the smartphone market. They have tied up with Google for the Android OS. In hardware you can get makers in India already doing PCB making and assembly work. The speakers and accessories can also be managed from Indian cos. You can get displays from Samsung's newly set up display fab in India. But in any case you have to license ARM's processor ISA IP and get it made in TSMC, Samsung or some other foundry abroad.

Phone makers have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to ARM to use their ISA. But if you own ARM, you don't have to pay anything. The cost can be mortgaged off to elsewhere. I know it sound far fetched but Jio-ARM looks like a very good match to me.

Nvidia is buying ARM for 32 Billion dollars and Qualcomm like chip makers are the expensive parts of smartphone ecosystem, not ARM. ARM license is cheap and that is why almost all the companies own one even if they are not making a lot.

Hundreds of companies have an ARM license as it costs 1-10 Million USD for lifelong license. You just have to give 1% royalty for using ARM IP. So, do not confuse business style of ARM with companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia.

 

[Gautam]

Nvidia is buying ARM for 32 Billion dollars and Qualcomm like chip makers are the expensive parts of smartphone ecosystem, not ARM. ARM license is cheap and that is why almost all the companies own one even if they are not making a lot.

Hundreds of companies have an ARM license as it costs 1-10 Million USD for lifelong license. You just have to give 1% royalty for using ARM IP. So, do not confuse business style of ARM with companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia.

I did some digging. You are right, I got it wrong. Confused AMD with ARM.

But Intel and AMD also have different business models. AMD licenses Intel's x86 ISA for their processors. Technically AMD has a similar model to Qualcomm. Except Qualcomm makes chips too. AMD gets their chips made by GlobalFoundries.

 

[Gautam]

Eyeing BSNL: Tech Mahindra says can build and run full-fledged 4G, 5G networks

IT services provider Tech Mahindra has the capability to build and run an entire 4G or 5G network in India, and its partnership with Japanese telco Rakuten will help it get more meaningful business in India’s telecom industry, a senior executive said.

By Danish Khan
ET Telecom
Updated: September 05, 2020, 16:09 IST

NEW DELHI: IT services provider Tech Mahindra has the capability to build and run an entire 4G or 5G network in India, and its partnership with Japanese telco Rakuten will help it get more meaningful business in India’s telecom industry, a senior executive said.

The company is also looking for strategic investments and acquisition in companies to further bolster its telecom product and services portfolio.

“We can built and run an entire 4G and 5G or any enterprise network. We have done that already. We bring to the table our ability to design, to plan, to integrate and deploy and then to manage the entire suite of network capabilities, including designing various parts to it in a disaggregated world,” Manish Vyas - President, Communications, Media & Entertainment Business, and the CEO, Network Services, Tech Mahindra, told ET.

Vyas said that the company has built its reference architecture for the telecom network, and has technologies and a set of companies that are integral to the whole suite. On Rakuten’s partnership, he said that the Indian company is working very closely with the Japanese telco for the latter’s Rakuten Cloud Platform (RCP).

“We are a go-to market partner with them. Our investments and initiatives have been directed to what Rakuten eventually achieves. It is not mere coincidence that we are part of Rakuten's story because our philosophy is exactly the same,” he added.

Asked if Tech Mahindra could play a role in Jio’s 5G technology stack, Vyas said, “We offer both IP as well as software engineering as a capability to everyone including to Jio and we talk to them”. Analysts said that Jio is building its own 5G software stack and is likely to embrace Open RAN techniques or possibly even Cloud-RAN as an architecture.

Tech Mahindra is working with all three private telecom operators in India, and will bid for state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) 4G tender. “The government, BSNL and the DoT have started it [the network strategy] which is extremely encouraging and we are quite enthused and are indeed developing those ideas,” he said.

Tech Mahindra recently entered into an agreement with ITI Limited to make 4G equipment in India. The company is reportedly planning to partner with local firms to form a consortium for BSNL’s 4G project.

“BSNL is such a core fabric of the initial telecom revolution. It does deserve an opportunity to retain and continue to grow, With 5G on anvil, it is a brilliant opportunity to try and create an offering which is world class. the only way it could happen is via world-class technology and mindset,” Vyas said.

Tech Mahindra is partnering with a number of “innovative companies” to build a complete India stack for 4G and 5G telecom networks. Vyas, however, didn’t specify names of those companies.

“We support building the India stack in terms of building both the business side of systems and operations and the network side of business and operations. We are looking to constantly contribute towards building a stack. We have invested in technologies like AI and are contributing to the ORAN initiative,” Vyas said.

OpenRAN enables hardware and software to be dis-aggregated, unlike conventional radio gears, allowing technology products from different suppliers to co-exist with the various software providers. This move would also help telcos cut network-related costs and bring more customisation as they prepare for 5G, said experts.

Tech Mahindra previously invested in Altiostar, a US company that develops software that allows virtualisation solutions on 4G and 5G networks enabling telecoms to build end-to-end web-scale cloud native networks. Bharti Airtel has deployed the Altiostar solution in India.

The company is looking for strategic investments and acquisition in companies to further bolster its telecom product and services portfolio.

"We will also look at strategic Investments as we have done in the past where it may not give us the ownership of companies, but it gives us the ownership of an access to that technology and the platforms. We explore all the options. The good news is our strategy is very clear. We know the area we want to play. We know the problems you want to solve. We will constantly look for the right tool set to become a better solution provider," he said

Vyas said that the current geopolitical issues and technology trends have resulted in various options for telecom operators in India in terms of network technology. OpenRAN, he said, is one mindset that will be dominating in future as opposed to technology and network gear from traditional vendors.

“The geopolitical and geo-economic scenarios are creating an external catalyst for people to look at alternatives more seriously because the options available earlier were cheaper and now that option may not be available, people are trying to see if there is something which can give the economical value and technological and business edge,” he explained.

Eyeing BSNL: Tech Mahindra says can build and run full-fledged 4G, 5G networks - ET Telecom

IT services provider Tech Mahindra has the capability to build and run an entire 4G or 5G network in India, and its partnership with Japanese telco Rakuten will help it get more meaningful business in India’s telecom industry, a senior executive said.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Fully Indian 4G/5G stack you say ? That means the companies that Jio wanted to buy out or partner with will now have Tech Mahindra vying for them too. That good news, the more the merrier.

While other Indian IT companies are capable of providing the software for 4G/5G networks, only Tech Mahindra has gone beyond software and has tied up with ITI for hardware. They are going to need more than just ITI though.

Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Wipro and likes are hoping global 5G race resumes next year⁠ — bringing some large deals before that | Business Insider India

HCL Technologies tech mahindra 5g hcl technologies 5g Wipro wipro 5g Indian IT companies wipro new deals 5g telecom deals Tech Mahindra tech mahindra new deals

www.businessinsider.in

 

[Gautam]

Ok so I missed this :

Vodafone India poised to avert bankruptcy after Supreme Court order - ET Telecom

Vodafone Idea Agr: The fine print of a Supreme Court judgment published late Tuesday showed Vodafone Idea Ltd. doesn’t need to make any immediate payments as a three-judge panel allowed phone operators 10 years to pay a combined $19 billion in back fees.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Vodafone-Idea has been saved from bankruptcy for at least a decade by the Supreme Court of India. They have to pay up the $19 billion owed in the 10 year time period. There is still enough life left in Vodafona-Idea and to payback the due they have to maintain a steady flow of revenue. That would require them to compete in quality of service provided by Airtel and Jio. Thus securing investors with deep pockets is essential.

They have set out to do this :

Vodafone Idea likely to raise $1.5 billion via equity - ET Telecom

Vodafone Idea: Talks on with international bankers; Blackstone unit PJT Partners & Prime Securities ahead in the race.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

It will be interesting to see if any of Reliance's competitors take up stake in Vodafone-Idea, like say TATA or Amazon.

Oh and in other news, roll out of AirFibre gathers pace :

Bihar gets a new next generation telephone exchange, AirFibre service - ET Telecom

BSNL: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Telecom and IT, on Saturday inaugurated Next Generation Network Telephone Exchange at New Bihar Vidhan Mandal compound and Bharat AirFibre service at Danapur Telephone Exchange in Bihar through Video conferencing.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[_Anonymous_]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1303180301888155649

 

[Gautam]

State-run ITI receives FTTH rollout order from Airtel for eight circles

ITI Limited, a public sector undertaking (PSU) manufacturing telecom and defence equipment, Monday said that it has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Bharti Airtel for FTTH rollout in 8 circles in the country.

By Danish Khan
ET Telecom
September 07, 2020, 19:15 IST

NEW DELHI: ITI Limited, a public sector undertaking (PSU) manufacturing telecom and defence equipment, Monday said that it has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Bharti Airtel for FTTH rollout in 8 circles in the country.

The work involves laying of optical fiber backbone for providing broadband connectivity. The time period for execution order would be three months.

The home-grown company said that it has signed a pact with Bengaluru-based Ilantus Technologies Private Limited to deliver Make-in-India Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solution to government agencies, Defence, PSUs and banking sector.

"Under the MoU, ITI and Ilantus will address the challenges of today's fragmented identity landscape through Identity and Access Management Solution. ITI and Ilantus will jointly market the solution to various customers," it said in a BSE filing.

ITI recently inked a pact with IT service provider Tech Mahindra to work together in the areas of 4G & 5G smart networks, Smart Cities and Health Care services.

ITI and Tech Mahindra will collaborate to create a “Make in India" stack as part of this MoU for the upcoming 4G & 5G opportunities in India.

ITI Limited, will produce the 4G technology upgradeable to 5G Radio access network and related equipment in line with government’s initiative of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. Tech Mahindra will be responsible for providing the software intellectual property, implementation and integration services, operations and maintenance services.

State-run ITI receives FTTH rollout order from Airtel for eight circles - ET Telecom

ITI Limited, a public sector undertaking (PSU) manufacturing telecom and defence equipment, Monday said that it has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from Bharti Airtel for FTTH rollout in 8 circles in the country.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Gautam]

Old news...It seems ITI has set up quite a sizable manufacturing capacity :


ITI to set up 200-acre electronic manufacturing cluster

The state-owned telecom equipment maker ITI Limited is setting up an electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) modified scheme in Bangaluru and has sought approval from the administrative ministry for a long-term lease.

By Muntazir Abbas
ET Telecom
Updated: May 26, 2020, 09:08 IST


NEW DELHI: The state-owned telecom equipment maker ITI Limited is setting up an electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) modified scheme in Bengaluru and has sought approval from the administrative ministry for a long-term lease.

"We are setting up a unit spread at a 200-acre land in Bengaluru together wIth the MeitY under the EMC 2.0 scheme and a lot of global manufacturers have already shown interest," RM Agarwal, chairman ITI Limited told ETTelecom. The state-run company has sought the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) approval for a long-term lease following the willingness by nearly 50 manufacturers or original equipment makers worldwide.

The initiative, according to the top executive would fetch as much as Rs 125 crore annually as an additional income to the public-sector firm. "We are also in advanced talks with various multinational companies, and have plans to set up a 1,000-seat data centre within the cluster," the top official added.

The government's modified scheme, for the first time has allowed public-run companies to set up manufacturing clusters under the scheme and avail prevalent benefits including financial assistance.

Last month, ITI has rolled out a notice inviting tenders, seeking applications from the eligible large-scale developers for the selection of an anchor to build the electronic cluster.

The company is aiming to achieve a 30% revenue growth over FY 2019's Rs 2051 crore, and has a strong order book. "We have a confirmed order book of Rs 4,800 crore and Rs 7,000 crore worth of advance purchase orders that would be converted to it," Agarwal said.

In addition, ITI has Rs 7,500 crore worth of projects in pipeline where it stood as the lowest bidder (L1 status).

The Bangaluru-based company is currently deploying the Indian Army's strategic communication network across the country under the phase - IV program. As part of the national BharatNet program, ITI is also implementing GujaratNet and MahaNet, and the combined value of these two projects stands at Rs 3,700 crore.

ITI to set up 200-acre electronic manufacturing cluster - ET Telecom

The state-owned telecom equipment maker ITI Limited is setting up an electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) modified scheme in Bangaluru and has sought approval from the administrative ministry for a long-term lease.

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Gautam]

Jio Phone: Reliance Jio to roll out 100 million low-cost phones by December: Report | India Business News - Times of India

India Business News: Reliance Industries Ltd's telecom unit is looking to outsource the manufacturing of over 100 million low-cost smartphones that will be built on Google

timesofindia.indiatimes.com