Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s leading telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of the “Always On” IoT connectivity solution in India. 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). 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 Government of India 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, Mr 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, 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.”
