The debt laden telecom sector, which went through a massive consolidation phase since 2017, is now a three-player market.
“South Asia is disproportionately low in attracting investment. Regulatory frameworks must be modernized to foster and facilitate investment, innovation, and growth for strong foundations for digital transformation,” said telecom group GSM Association’s (GSMA) Asia Pacific head, Julian Gorman.
At the event, Jio’s president reiterated the need for a 2G-free India at a time when sector regular has re-emphasised that 2G remains relevant and there are 350 million subscribers.
While Jio is available only on 4G network , rivals VIL and Airtel and government owned BSNL have 2G subscribers .
The conclave also had sector heads discuss the need for more digital access and internet penetration, which includes 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots.
“In comparison with the rest of the world, India has a negligible presence of only 0.1 million public Wi-Fi hotspots. The global average is one hotspot per 150 people. To achieve the global average, we need to put 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots in the country,” said chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Ram Sewak Sharma.
Minister of State for Telecom, IT, and HRD, Sanjay Dhotre, said the national broadband mission would ensure Internet services to reach all villages by 2022, and the national policy would further strengthen India’s telecom sector.
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