Eventually, several other Indian companies, across software and technology, are ready to roll out their global 5G solutions, for which Reliance Jio has also planned to launch its 5G telecommunications solutions, which have become the headlines. Some firms, such as Tech Mahindra, Cyient, ITI Ltd to Sterlite Technologies Ltd, and Saankhya Labs, are the firms that have already developed 5G expertise through core telecommunications solutions that are virtual radio access networks (VRAN), open RAN (ORAN), chipsets and hardware, and that Jio can do it there as homegrown solutions.
Besides, Jio ‘s Japanese peer Rakuten has already started talking to various other Indian providers to get their 5G solutions, but as experts have reported, Jio is still looking for additional solutions onboard for these companies. As reported in the UBS Evidence Lab survey, 59% of telecommunications companies are now using network virtualization and 51% are ready to work with the same non-traditional providers based on the December survey. As a result, it helps many niche companies, such as Jio, to also have a share in global telco Capex spending.
Although the telecommunications experts said that if Jio were to develop a self-software that would allow them to achieve about 15% of the cost advantage of rolling out the 5G. This will also help to collaborate with established Indian companies in 5G space to provide better solutions. It can only operate in a solid optical fiber cable (OFC) that functions as a backbone.
Sterlite Technologies Ltd (STL) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of OFCs as it has grown from the core development of digital networks through the acquisition of all technological solutions from the past few years. It also provides options for virtualized access to network infrastructure products as well as device integration services. STL Group CEO Anand Agrawal told Mint that solutions are currently being strengthened across ORAN. Since the demand for OFC penetration is growing rapidly as various countries implement different levels, solutions such as 4G LTE and Wi-Fi 6 have been found in several regions.
According to Bernstein’s report, about Rs 196 billion markets for connectivity, media, and services in the IT sector in 2019 and about 15-40 percent of Indian revenue comes from telecommunications solutions. Tech Mahindra has recently partnered with ITI, as they are both working to develop 5G equipment for the Indian markets. Another company named Cyient, which also provides global telecommunications solutions and is closely linked to 5G roll-outs. As a result, Prabhakar Atla, Senior Vice-President Communications and Rail Transport of Cyient, said that we have already deployed 5G assets such as towers and small cells in Australia in recent months.
The key solution provided by Cyient for understanding the geospatial mapping to be used to help telecommunications map the network based on the layout of the cables. It also has an intelligent network configuration solution that is required for the start of 5G trials.
