iBUS Networks: Driving convergence between connectivity solutions

Digital infrastructure provider iBUS Network & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. is continuously evolving its strategy to keep up with rapid technological advancements. In recent years, the company has delivered a number of innovative connectivity solutions, aimed at improving in-building connectivity. In an interview with tele.net, Ram Sellaratnam, managing director and group chief executive officer, iBUS Network & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., talks about the company’s focus areas and upcoming opportunities…

What are your current focus areas in India?

iBUS is dedicated to enhancing in-building connectivity across the country. Our approach has three layers: functionality, scalability, and exponentiality. The first layer focuses on fundamental connectivity for all users. The second layer focuses on scalable connectivity, prioritising  stability, even in areas of high user density, thus enabling a seamless experience. The third layer is centred on offering advanced applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and  digital twins.

In India, mobile penetration is high, with basic connectivity having largely been achieved. iBUS now aims to shift towards second-order connectivity, focusing on indoor coverage. Most digital consumption occurs indoors, in commercial, residential and public spaces.  The company’s mission is to expand and improve indoor connectivity to meet these evolving demands. Our goal is to create a robust infrastructure, one that can be scaled up to serve the growing number of digital users.

Our key focus is coverage. Today, the company’s infrastructure covers over a billion square feet, encompassing both licensed (mobile) and unlicensed (Wi-Fi) connectivity. In the hospitality sector, for instance, we have a significant market share in unlicensed connectivity. Our aim is to expand both the breadth and depth of our coverage. This includes entering government-owned buildings and
public spaces.

Besides expanding our footprint, we aim to improve the quality of connectivity by supporting more diverse use cases. This approach will allow us to deliver a range of digital services, positioning iBUS as a connectivity provider and a platform for  digital experiences.

What are your views on India’s evolving digital infrastructure landscape, and what opportunities does it bring for iBUS?

The public digital infrastructure has created a unique model where public and private sectors work together.  India’s digital evolution is driven by the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) trinity, enabling efficient, leakproof distribution of benefits.

For a developing country like India, where about 50 per cent of the population relies on mobile phones for access to services such as direct benefit transfers, mobile connectivity has become a critical public utility.

Mobile phones are now the centre of connectivity  and entertainment, with affordable over-the-top (OTT) platforms providing accessible social engagement. Our mission is to make connectivity universal, ensuring that India’s public infrastructure is able to support  everyone seamlessly.

What role is iBUS playing in the 5G ecosystem? What have been the key initiatives?

In the 5G landscape, our role is primarily to extend and enhance 5G connectivity in specific environments, given that spectrum ownership is limited to telecom providers and the government. Since iBUS cannot directly process the radio signal, it focuses on amplifying and extending 5G signals within complex spaces such as high-rise buildings and vertical networks. For example, in densely populated areas with tall buildings, especially in cities such as Mumbai, iBUS addresses the challenge of bringing 5G connectivity to upper floors, thereby ensuring consistent coverage throughout these vertical environments.

However, one major challenge with 5G is its current spotty coverage, making it difficult to implement reliable
use cases.

To this end, iBUS aims to improve the efficiency of laying 5G infrastructure, so as to reduce deployment time and costs. By making the 5G roll-out more economically feasible, it plans to contribute to a faster and more reliable deployment.

How do you envision iBUS’s growth over the next two to three years?

At iBUS, we have a five-year vision for the company and it is focused on two main goals. First, we aim to expand our coverage from the current 1 billion square feet to 10 billion square feet. Second, we intend to drive convergence between different connectivity technologies. Currently, Wi-Fi operates on 6G while mobile networks run on 5G. Our goal is to bring these technologies together to create a seamless connectivity experience. While we are yet to complete our  5G roll-out, we will continue pursuing both expanded coverage and technological convergence.