Airtel, a global communications solutions provider and a major player among India’s mobile network operators, has announced the launch in India of what it calls an Always On IoT Connectivity solution, apparently with an eye to the vehicle tracking market.
The solution comprises a dual profile M2M eSim,which allows an IOT device to always stay connected to a mobile network from different operators.
The Airtel solution complies with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)’s AIS-140 standard implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
This standard 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.
All registered buses and taxis and vehicles carrying hazardous goods have to have a tracker installed that complies with AIS-140 standards. However, in addition to these, says Airtel, 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.
With Airtel’s future-ready, GSMA-compliant platform, flexible API-based eSim lifecycle management on feature-rich Airtel IoT Hub in full compliance with Department of Telecom (DoT) M2M guidelines, the company is looking to acquire market leadership in this segment in the next few years.
The AIS140 solution has already been tested and adopted by some of the leading local companies in the industry including major names in advanced telematics technology, fleet technology and vehicle tracking.
