Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of the “Always On” internet of things (IoT) connectivity solution in India. Airtel’s “Always On” solution comprises dual profile machine-to-machine (M2M) e-Sim which allows an IoT device to always stay connected to a mobile network from different Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the e-SIM.
The Airtel ‘Always On’ solution complies with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)’s AIS-140 standard implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. It lays down mandatory requirements related to connectivity and GPS tracking capabilities for devices in all passenger-carrying buses, private fleets and other public transport vehicles for tracking, safety and security purposes.
As per law, all registered buses and taxis have to mandatorily install this device. The government of India recently made it mandatory for vehicles carrying hazardous goods also to have a tracker installed that complies with AIS-140 standards. In addition to these, there are emergency vehicles such as ambulances, vehicles from the mining and construction industry working in remote locations and other mission-critical and intelligent communication use cases which need higher availability and reliability of the network.
With Airtel’s future-ready, GSMA-compliant platform, flexible API-based e-Sim lifecycle management on feature-rich Airtel IoT Hub and full compliance with Department of Telecommunications (DoT) M2M guidelines. Airtel is looking to acquire market leadership in this segment in the next few years.
Commenting on the launch, Ajay Chitkara, director and CEO, Airtel Business, said, “We are delighted to bring ‘Always’ on connectivity solution to our customers. We believe this is the next big opportunity in the IoT segment. Our strengths in the network, modern and GSMA compliant platform offering real-time access to data and flexibility to integrate the solution with custom APIs will make Airtel Business stand out in the market.”
The AIS140 solution has already been tested and adopted by some of the leading companies in the industry like Lumax ITuran, Loconav and e-Trans. Lumax ITuran Telematics is a renowned name in advanced telematics technology and offers telematics products & services to the Indian automotive industry. LocoNav is the world’s fastest-growing fleet-tech company with over 5 million vehicles on road in over 50 countries. While e-Trans is one of the leading vehicle tracking solution providers with a pan-India network.
