Sterlite forays into access network solutions, teams up with Jio for last mile connectivity
Summary
Agarwal said the company’s activity is centered around the access part of telecom networks which are increasingly becoming fibre-oriented with open-source hardware and software readily available for network management.The development on the back of Elitecore acquisition, however, would make Sterlite to partially compete with the likes of multinationals such as Cisco, Amdocs, Ciena and Juniper Networks, and as well as Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia.With the telecom software company Elitecore Technologies’ merger in 2015, Sterlite is now well poised to market Operations Support Services (OSS) and Business Support Services (BSS) solutions to telecom companies.The company, according to the top executive, design and deploy network solutions and besides Mumbai-based Jio, it is also running pilot programs with Sunil Mittal-driven Bharti Airtel as well as recently-merged entity Vodafone Idea.The companys debut of FTTx Mantra or massive agile network transformation solution is aimed to make service operators’ transition to fibre-powered backhaul, much needed to precipitate fourth-generation ( 4G ) technology and upcoming 5G rollouts.The telecom arm of Reliance Industries is now looking to further expand fibre-based networks to as many as 1,500 cities to connect more than 30 million merchants and small-and-medium businesses in addition to large corporations.On the back of robust order book, the company has almost doubled the fibre production capacity to 50 million route kilometer (rkm).