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4G penetration in India on the rise: TelecomLead
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has 3,180 TD-LTE subscribers through its 4G network in Kolkata and Bangalore. The state-run BSNL has provided 50,077 connections through 4G/WiMAX, the minister of state for communications and information technology Milind Deora informed the Lok Sabha. Airtel launched 4G TD-LTE services in Kolkata in April 2012 and Bangalore in May 2012.
Airtel has BWA licenses in four circles - Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra - and 3G licenses in 13 circles in India. Its recent deal to buy BWA license from Qualcomm will enable Airtel to secure a nation-wide broadband leadership through a combination of 4G and 3G, with its own networks in 18 circles.
In August, Airtel said 3G users of the mobile major Airtel increased to 37,13,000 in Q1 2012-13 from 27,11,000 in Q4 2011-12. The mobile service provider has increased its 3G sites to 18,012 in first quarter of FY 2013 from 10,669 in Q1 FY 2012.
The 3,180 TD-LTE subscriber mark is against the expectations of the market.
Recently, analysts predicted that TD-LTE subscribers will reach 5 million by 2013 in Indian telecom market. 2012-13 will be the year of mobile broadband. Reliance Industries is planning to launch 4G services in 2013 and their entry will strengthen 4G segment.
Indian LTE market will pick up after 2 years as there will be more LTE smartphone launches in 2012-13 from OEMs such as Nokia, Samsung, and Apple, as well as significant surge in data consumption.
In August, Bharti said its ARPU from mobile services and data services in India reduced by 3 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2012-13.
Mobile services ARPU decreased 3 percent to Rs 185 in first quarter ended June 30 2012 from Rs 190 in the same quarter previous fiscal. Mobile data ARPU declined 10 percent to Rs 40 from Rs 44. Total number of data customers of Airtel stands at 38,660,000 in Q1 2012-13 against 35,780,000 in Q4 2011-12.
4G is expected to bring in additional non-voice revenues. Percentage of consolidated non-voice revenue to total revenue in Q1 2012-13 was 26.6 percent against 26 percent in Q1 2011-12. Percentage of non-voice revenue to total revenue in India grew to 16 percent from 15.6 percent during the period.
Lead analyst Baburajan K at TelecomLead said "Indian telecom operators should offer cost effective 4G services in order to increase the subscriber base. Currently, 4G dongles are costly. If they need to offer cost effective services, 4G penetration should enhance across the world so that equipment prices will come down. 4G prices are also reflecting the BWA spectrum price in India."
"When Airtel and other telecom operators slashed 3G tariffs, it resulted in significant increase in 3G uptake. If India need to increase mobile broadband penetration companies like Reliance industries-owned Infotel Broadband should start 4G services and Airtel should launch 4G in more circles,'' said Baburajan.
4G penetration in India on the rise: TelecomLead - The Times of India
Security agencies concerned over ZTE managing Airtel's 4G network
NEW DELHI: The country's security agencies are concerned about Chinese telecom equipment provider ZTE managing Bharti Airtel's 4G network, Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora said.
"A reference has been received from a security agency expressing that Bharti Airtel, while rolling out the 4G services, is using Time Division-Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) technology, which has been developed by ZTE, a Chinese company," Deora said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Deora said that the security agency has not given any suggestion but has inquired about the training given by ZTE to the local personnel to handle the 4G network.
The Indian government has mandated that licensee shall induct only those network elements into his telecom network which have got tested as per relevant contemporary Indian or international security standards from any international agency of those standards until March 31, 2013.
From April 1, 2013 the certification shall be got done only from authorised and certified agencies in India.
Further, as per licence condition, the licensee shall employ only resident, trained Indian nationals in the key positions, including that of chief technical officers, chief information security officer and nodal executives for handling interception and monitoring cases.
The information with regard to number of cities in the country where 4G network is managed by ZTE company, is being collected from the telecom service providers, Deora said.
India has been concerned that telecom equipment from Chinese companies may be infected with malware designed to jeopardise national security.
Security agencies concerned over ZTE managing Airtel's 4G network - The Times of India
After BSNL bid, ZTE beats Huawei again
BEIJING: Within days of securing a major order in India, China's ZTE Corporation has bagged a key contract for supplying broadband equipment to the state-run China Telecom Corporation.
The development puts ZTE in a stronger position to compete with Huawei Technologies, the country's biggest player. The Shenzhen-based ZTE recently beat Huawei and other companies in India when it emerged as the lowest bidder in a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd purchase plan. BSNL had awarded a contract of Rs 60 billion ($1.09 billion) to ZTE and Anglo-French firm Alcatel-Lucent.
ZTE has now repeated the feat at home this time, winning the deal for supplying 40% of the equipment required by China Telecom for broadband expansion project. Reports suggest that it will be the largest equipment supplier to the project, which will cost about $635 million.
Under the contract, ZTE will deliver M6000 high-end router to China Telecom for use in the infrastructure project. The order will involve several technologies, including: broadband remote access servers, service routers, multi-service edge, aggregation switches, and high-end routing switches.
The development will be watched closely in India and other countries, which are often required to choose one between the two Chinese players because of their capacity to quote low prices. ZTE has also managed to sell its products to the other two state-run telecom operators at home, China Mobile and China Unicom.
After BSNL bid, ZTE beats Huawei again - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has 3,180 TD-LTE subscribers through its 4G network in Kolkata and Bangalore. The state-run BSNL has provided 50,077 connections through 4G/WiMAX, the minister of state for communications and information technology Milind Deora informed the Lok Sabha. Airtel launched 4G TD-LTE services in Kolkata in April 2012 and Bangalore in May 2012.
Airtel has BWA licenses in four circles - Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra - and 3G licenses in 13 circles in India. Its recent deal to buy BWA license from Qualcomm will enable Airtel to secure a nation-wide broadband leadership through a combination of 4G and 3G, with its own networks in 18 circles.
In August, Airtel said 3G users of the mobile major Airtel increased to 37,13,000 in Q1 2012-13 from 27,11,000 in Q4 2011-12. The mobile service provider has increased its 3G sites to 18,012 in first quarter of FY 2013 from 10,669 in Q1 FY 2012.
The 3,180 TD-LTE subscriber mark is against the expectations of the market.
Recently, analysts predicted that TD-LTE subscribers will reach 5 million by 2013 in Indian telecom market. 2012-13 will be the year of mobile broadband. Reliance Industries is planning to launch 4G services in 2013 and their entry will strengthen 4G segment.
Indian LTE market will pick up after 2 years as there will be more LTE smartphone launches in 2012-13 from OEMs such as Nokia, Samsung, and Apple, as well as significant surge in data consumption.
In August, Bharti said its ARPU from mobile services and data services in India reduced by 3 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2012-13.
Mobile services ARPU decreased 3 percent to Rs 185 in first quarter ended June 30 2012 from Rs 190 in the same quarter previous fiscal. Mobile data ARPU declined 10 percent to Rs 40 from Rs 44. Total number of data customers of Airtel stands at 38,660,000 in Q1 2012-13 against 35,780,000 in Q4 2011-12.
4G is expected to bring in additional non-voice revenues. Percentage of consolidated non-voice revenue to total revenue in Q1 2012-13 was 26.6 percent against 26 percent in Q1 2011-12. Percentage of non-voice revenue to total revenue in India grew to 16 percent from 15.6 percent during the period.
Lead analyst Baburajan K at TelecomLead said "Indian telecom operators should offer cost effective 4G services in order to increase the subscriber base. Currently, 4G dongles are costly. If they need to offer cost effective services, 4G penetration should enhance across the world so that equipment prices will come down. 4G prices are also reflecting the BWA spectrum price in India."
"When Airtel and other telecom operators slashed 3G tariffs, it resulted in significant increase in 3G uptake. If India need to increase mobile broadband penetration companies like Reliance industries-owned Infotel Broadband should start 4G services and Airtel should launch 4G in more circles,'' said Baburajan.
4G penetration in India on the rise: TelecomLead - The Times of India
Security agencies concerned over ZTE managing Airtel's 4G network
NEW DELHI: The country's security agencies are concerned about Chinese telecom equipment provider ZTE managing Bharti Airtel's 4G network, Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora said.
"A reference has been received from a security agency expressing that Bharti Airtel, while rolling out the 4G services, is using Time Division-Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) technology, which has been developed by ZTE, a Chinese company," Deora said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Deora said that the security agency has not given any suggestion but has inquired about the training given by ZTE to the local personnel to handle the 4G network.
The Indian government has mandated that licensee shall induct only those network elements into his telecom network which have got tested as per relevant contemporary Indian or international security standards from any international agency of those standards until March 31, 2013.
From April 1, 2013 the certification shall be got done only from authorised and certified agencies in India.
Further, as per licence condition, the licensee shall employ only resident, trained Indian nationals in the key positions, including that of chief technical officers, chief information security officer and nodal executives for handling interception and monitoring cases.
The information with regard to number of cities in the country where 4G network is managed by ZTE company, is being collected from the telecom service providers, Deora said.
India has been concerned that telecom equipment from Chinese companies may be infected with malware designed to jeopardise national security.
Security agencies concerned over ZTE managing Airtel's 4G network - The Times of India
After BSNL bid, ZTE beats Huawei again
BEIJING: Within days of securing a major order in India, China's ZTE Corporation has bagged a key contract for supplying broadband equipment to the state-run China Telecom Corporation.
The development puts ZTE in a stronger position to compete with Huawei Technologies, the country's biggest player. The Shenzhen-based ZTE recently beat Huawei and other companies in India when it emerged as the lowest bidder in a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd purchase plan. BSNL had awarded a contract of Rs 60 billion ($1.09 billion) to ZTE and Anglo-French firm Alcatel-Lucent.
ZTE has now repeated the feat at home this time, winning the deal for supplying 40% of the equipment required by China Telecom for broadband expansion project. Reports suggest that it will be the largest equipment supplier to the project, which will cost about $635 million.
Under the contract, ZTE will deliver M6000 high-end router to China Telecom for use in the infrastructure project. The order will involve several technologies, including: broadband remote access servers, service routers, multi-service edge, aggregation switches, and high-end routing switches.
The development will be watched closely in India and other countries, which are often required to choose one between the two Chinese players because of their capacity to quote low prices. ZTE has also managed to sell its products to the other two state-run telecom operators at home, China Mobile and China Unicom.
After BSNL bid, ZTE beats Huawei again - The Times of India
