The Next Phase of Telecom Revolution is Data Transfer, notes Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan launches a whitepaper ‘Mobile Broadband in India – The Next Telecom Revolution’ at Mobile Broadband Summit 2012

Mumbai, India, May 31, 2012 – Mobile penetration in India is growing rapidly. Frost & Sullivan predicts that by 2017, the number of mobile subscribers will reach 1,366.4 Million, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9 percent, and mobile penetration is expected to reach 105 percent. Also, as several individuals use multiple SIM cards in the country, the actual number of subscribers is likely to reach 908.6 million by 2017. Wireless telecom is expected to be a $50.5 Billion industry by 2017.

The next phase of telecom revolution is data transfer, but despite Government push to build broadband capacities across the country, it has not taken off as expected. Factors like poor fiber connectivity, availability of affordable smart devices, next-generation network rollouts, inexpensive spectrum, and cost-effectiveness of wireless technology as an access medium have made mobile broadband the perfect solution for broadband connectivity in India.

The first Mobile Broadband Summit hosted by Frost & Sullivan recently, brought together all industry leaders and key ecosystem participants under one roof. A whitepaper titled, ‘Mobile Broadband in India – The Next Telecom Revolution,’ authored by Frost & Sullivan’s Mobile and Wireless Practice was also launched at the Summit. The whitepaper covered mobile broadband topics like its advantages, availability of affordable devices, Government efforts to increase broadband penetration, social impact, market potential, infrastructure requirement, radio access network, backhaul network, growth of ancillary segments, and strategic recommendation to operators, the Government, other regulatory bodies, and key ecosystem participants.

According to Mr. Abhishek Chauhan, Senior Consultant, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East, “Mobile broadband can open up a completely new experience to mobile internet users. With this advanced connectivity, customers can explore unlimited Internet options. Poor fiber connectivity and cost-effectiveness of wireless technology as an access medium would further fuel the growth of mobile broadband in India.”

The highlight of the summit was the panel discussion on ‘The Promise of MobileBroadband’, which was moderated by Mr. Anand Rangachary, Partner and Managing Director, Frost & Sullivan, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, and included panelists like, Mr. N Ravi Shankar, Head USOF, DOT; Mr. Sandeep Girotra, Country Head, Nokia Siemens Networks; Mr. Sukanto Aich, President, Enterprise Business, Tata Teleservices; and Mr. Vishwanath, CEO, IMI Mobile.

The discussion focused on perspectives for the key ecosystem participants, namely, operators, USOF, devices networks, and applications. The discussion initially focused on ways and means to revive the telecom industry, as falling returns, hyper competition, lukewarm response to data services, and regulatory uncertainty have bought the entire sector to a near standstill. The panelists also discussed required Government measures including the National Telecom Policy 2012. Key contemporary issues like proliferation of 3G/4G services amidst slow growth, increasing significance of content and applications, and prevalent business models were also touched upon. Innovation and technological advancement in network equipment, along with the potential impact of increasing broadband adoption on indigenous manufacturing, were some of the other aspects touched upon. The panel concluded on the note, that for quick and effective uptake of mobile broadband, it is important for the entire ecosystem to come together and work in tandem.

According to Mr. Arun Das, Chief Operating Officer, E&T, Tata Teleservices Limited, “This Summit was a good forum for networking. It provided a holistic view on the mobile broadband segment.”

The Gold Partner for the Summit was Tata Teleservices, and the supporting Media Partners were Lightreading.com, Telecom Watch, Telecomlead.com, and Telecom Era.

If you wish to know more about Frost & Sullivan’s views on ‘Mobile Broadband Market in India’ or have a copy of the whitepaper, please send an e-mail with your complete contact details to Caroline Lewis/Akshata Mhatre at caroline.lewis@frost.com/akshatam@frost.com.For more information on the Summit, please log on to http://www.frost.com/mobilebroadbandindia2012.

Frost & Sullivan to host its 1st Annual Executive Summit on Mobile Broadband in India

Mumbai, India, April 23, 2012: The Indian telecom landscape is rapidly shifting from voice calling to high-speed data transfer on the move. With the accelerating change, this sector is also facing a major challenge in executing effective and transparent policy; fiber connectivity, broadband penetration, and sizeable subscriber base. Operators need to collectively deliberate on successful identification and implementation of best-in-class services and business models in the mobile broadband space.

It is very important for telecom operators to know the exclusive and intensive indications of how mobile broadband networks, services, and software platforms can be improved and progressed.

To address these, The ICT Practice of Frost & Sullivan will be hosting its 1st Annual Executive Summit on Mobile Broadband in India on May 3, 2012 in Gurgaon. Since India is at inflection point in mobile broadband growth, the time is apt for a Summit which deep dives into the key issues and convenes the best minds in the telecom and broadband ecosystem under one roof.

Shri R. Chandrashekhar, Chairman, Telecom Commission, and Secretary (T), Department of Telecommunications, is the Chief Guest for the Summit and will grace the launch of a Frost & Sullivan Whitepaper, titled “Mobile Broadband in India – 2012 and Beyond.” The Guest of Honor for the Summit is Shri N. Ravi Shanker, Administrator and Head, Universal Service Obligation Fund.

Commenting on the Mobile Broadband Summit 2012, Abhishek Chauhan, Senior Consultant, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, says, "There is a renewed interest and focus on broadband. The National Telecom Policy 2011 indicates its commitment toward improved broadband availability, given its potential to empower citizens and improve economic development. While the vision demands a synergistic push across technologies, mobile broadband has to be the key area of focus. To overcome the infrastructural constraints and low broadband penetration, widespread deployment of 3G/WiMAX/LTE is required to provide affordable access and make broadband a mass market proposition. With the things falling in place, mobile broadband is poised to grow at more than 100 percent CAGR for the next 5 years."

The keynote session to be delivered by Frost & Sullivan will give a 360-degree view on the mobile broadband industry, followed by different perspectives from the industry spectrum – regulators, operators, network, devices, and applications – and will conclude with a panel discussion.

The Summit will see participation from key decision-makers across sectors including information technology, telecom, entertainment, and electronic media. The audience would gain insights into the changing mobile broadband landscape and learn how to effectively and efficiently address management issues pertaining to business and technology interfaces among mobile operators, content developers/aggregators, and platform enablers.

The Gold Partner for the Summit is Tata Teleservices, and the media partners are Light Reading, TelecomWatch, Telecomlead, and Telecom Era.

If you wish to attend the Summit, please send an email with your complete contact details to Caroline Lewis/Akshata Mhatre at caroline.lewis@frost.com / akshatam@frost.com. For more information on the Summit, please log on to http://www.frost.com/mobilebroadbandindia2012.