Airtel’s massive expansion plan for FTTH via cable operators

Bharti Airtel is readying for a massive expansion in its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service via local cable operators. The move is to service in over 1,000 cities across the country, in the next 12-18 months. Airtel to take on  Reliance Jio, which offers its FTTH broadband service in 2,000 cities.

Bharti Airtel is preparing for a massive expansion in its fiber broadband service via local cable operators, Business Standard reported. The move is aimed at taking on Reliance Jio, which offers its FTTH broadband service in 2,000 cities.

The Sunil Mittal-led telco plans to offer the service in over 1,000 cities across the country, in the next 12-18 months.

The publication reported that Airtel is targetting over 40 million of the 240 million households in the country.

“It (partnership) is working well for home broadband subscribers because it is again saving resources. The cable operator has already put a cable or fiber cable inside the home of his customer which is now probably taking a cable TV which has backhaul on fiber,” Randeep Sekhon, Airtel CTO recently told ETTelecom.

“We have launched in many towns using this combination. It is fantastic because it is generating local entrepreneurship. Sometimes these cable operators are very young entrepreneurs who have put investment and are managing their customers. This gives them a chance to increase their business and also be our partner,” Sekhon added.

Sekhon said that the partnership model is helping Airtel expand its fiber network and launch services quickly.

Airtel is now live in 14 such cities through this partnership model, the company revealed recently.

Source: ET Telecom