Bharti Airtel has announced the launch of the “Always On” IoT connectivity solution in India. Airtel’s “Always On” solution comprises the 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). It specifies 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 are mandated to install this device. The government of India recently made it mandatory for vehicles carrying hazardous goods to also 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 industries working in remote locations; and other mission-critical and intelligent communication use cases that need higher availability and reliability of the network.
With its future-ready, GSMA-compliant platform; flexible API-based eSim lifecycle management on the feature-rich Airtel IoT Hub; and full compliance with Department of Telecom (DoT) M2M guidelines, Airtel is looking to acquire market leadership in this segment in the next few years.
Speaking about the launch of the “Always On” AIS-140 connectivity solution, Ajay Chitkara, director and CEO of Airtel Business, said, “We are delighted to bring ‘Always On’ connectivity solution to our customers. We believe this is the next big opportunity in the IoT segment. Our strengths in the network, a 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. Lumax ITuran Telematics is a renowned name in advanced telematics technology and offers telematics products and services to the Indian automotive industry. LocoNav is the world’s fastest-growing fleet-tech company, with over 5 million vehicles on the road in over 50 countries. While e-Trans is one of the leading vehicle tracking solution providers with a Pan-India network.
