Starlink is on the cusp of launching its satellite internet services in India, having cleared a major hurdle by receiving approval for its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from India's Department of Telecommunications. Starlink will be the third satellite internet company to be given a license for...
India’s Bharti Enterprises to Acquire 24.5% Stake in BT
BT Group PLC, UK, (formerly British Telecom) is undergoing a significant ownership shift as Bharti Enterprises, the Indian tech and telecom company behind Airtel, acquires a 24.5% stake for $4 billion. The transaction will occur in two phases: an immediate purchase of 9.99% of BT's shares, followed by the acquisition...
Hughes Communications, Airtel, Combine VSAT Operations in India
Hughes Communications India, subsidiary of EchoStar of Germantown, Maryland, and New Delhi-based Airtel announced an agreement to combine their VSAT operations in India. Hughes, the number one operator in the Indian VSAT market, will have majority stake in the combined entity while Airtel, the second largest VSAT operator, will have a significant...
Parallel Wireless Partners with India's Telcos
Nashua, NH-based Parallel Wireless, a provider of end-to-end software-based network solutions ranging from 2G to 5G, is working with Reliance Jio Infocomm, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea in India. These companies plan to enhance indoor coverage by deploying solutions such as small cells. Small cells are low-powered cellular radio access nodes that...
Reliance Jio's Price Wars Affects India's Telcos
By offering free voice services for life, and free data services over a six-month period, India's Reliance Jio telecommunications company triggered a price war that affected the rest of the country's telecom providers. Profits have fallen, and a phase of consolidation has begun in India's mobile market. A merger between...
Facebook Rolls Out Express Wi-Fi in India
Facebook announced the commercial launch of Express Wi-Fi, its second attempt to bring millions of Indians online at an "affordable" fee. The service is currently available in the four Indian states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Meghalaya, where the company has 700 hotspots through other internet providers. It has also partnered...