Airtel Launches 'Always On' Internet Of Things Connectivity Solution In India

Bharti Airtel on Friday (14 October) announced the launch of the “Always On” internet of things (IoT) connectivity solution in India at the Indian Mobile Congress.

Airtel’s “Always On” solution comprises dual profile M2M eSim which allows an IOT device to always stay connected to a mobile network from different Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the eSIM.

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 (MoRTH), the company said in a statement.

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 Centre 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.

Speaking about the launch of the “Always On” AIS-140 Connectivity solution, Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO, of Airtel Business said, “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, the company said.