India’s digital transformation over the last decade has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the days of dial-up connections, the nation has surged into a new era of rapid digitization.

At the heart of this transformation lies the telecom industry, which has played a pivotal role in connecting millions to the digital world, many for the very first time. The expansion of mobile networks, especially into rural areas, coupled with the availability of affordable smartphones, has driven this digital revolution.

Telecom has been empowering the country’s digital journey by enabling the building of digital assets and networks in India. The industry built the country’s digital superhighway, which has been a key enabler on which the economy growth as well as the digital transformations continue to speeden.  With the penetration of telecom infrastructure, we banked the unbanked enabling the growth of digital financial transactions. Today, initiatives like UPI system, digital financial institutions have contributed in making India as one of the biggest digital payment marketplaces globally. The telecom sector has been cementing the country’s digital highways for greater dexterity with future ready technology solutions and network, ushering in an era of myriad digital possibilities for the nation. The Indian government’s initiatives under its “Digital India” mission has further added a much-needed impetus to this revolution, driving digital innovations and cutting-edge technologies.

Today, India is not just keeping pace but leading the charge in the global digital arena, spurring innovations that are shaping the future. With over 60% of its population under the age of 35, India boasts the world’s largest youth demographic, making it one of the most dynamic markets for digital technology. The Indian government’s initiatives, such as Digital India, focusing on sustainable development, inclusion, and leveraging digital infrastructure, helps add further momentum to this.

As the digital economy grows at an unprecedented rate, India presents an unparalleled opportunity for global companies. The country’s vast and varied digital ecosystem encompasses key sectors such as financial services, commerce, entertainment, education, and enterprise digitalization, all of which are experiencing significant growth.

Five Essentials for Tech Companies Entering India:

• Customize and Tailor-Make Digital Solutions

India’s diverse demographic landscape demands a deep understanding of the local market. Global companies need to design tech solutions that cater to the unique needs and preferences of Indian consumers. Success in India hinges on implementing user-friendly and culturally resonant technologies that appeal to a wide range of users. This means localizing content, features, and services to align with regional languages, behaviors, and expectations.

• Invest in Robust IT Infrastructure

The backbone of India’s digital growth is its expanding IT infrastructure. Companies entering India should collaborate with local partners to leverage the country’s extensive fiber networks and state-of-the-art data centers. This collaboration ensures data centralization, security, and scalability for businesses, allowing them to operate efficiently and meet the growing demands of the Indian market. Robust IT infrastructure also enhances the seamless execution of operations, from urban hubs to remote rural areas.

• Strengthen Connectivity

India’s vast and diverse geography makes connectivity a critical factor for success. Forming strategic partnerships with local telecom carriers and internet service providers is essential for enhancing connectivity. By doing so, companies can access next-gen technologies like 5G, which are rapidly being deployed across the country. Investing in AI and other advanced technologies will help future-proof businesses, enabling them to tap into both urban and rural markets effectively.

• Leverage Advanced Cloud Technologies

Cloud technology is central to India’s digital expansion, with a growing demand for data security and compliance. Companies should partner with cloud providers that have a strong local presence and a robust infrastructure. This ensures that data is stored securely within India, aligning with the country’s data localization requirements. As India’s data center landscape continues to expand, businesses have the opportunity to localize their data, enhance security, and improve operational efficiency.

• Adhere to Regulatory and Cybersecurity Measures

India’s regulatory environment is evolving rapidly, particularly in the areas of data protection and cybersecurity. Companies entering the Indian market must ensure strict compliance with local laws to avoid legal and operational challenges. Engaging with local experts who understand the regulatory landscape is crucial for navigating India’s complex legal environment. This includes adhering to cybersecurity regulations and data protection laws, which are becoming increasingly stringent.

India’s rapid digital transformation and expanding economy present an unparalleled opportunity for global companies. By customizing solutions for the Indian market, investing in IT infrastructure, strengthening connectivity, leveraging cloud technologies, and adhering to local regulations, businesses can tap into this dynamic and growing market. As India continues to lead in digital innovation, it stands as the next major growth market for companies worldwide.

Sharat Sinha is the CEO of Airtel Business. 

News

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

The policy director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Science, Commerce, and Transportation has been nominated to serve as an FCC commissioner.

Olivia Trusty’s nomination was first announced by now-President Donald Trump on Truth Social last week, a social-media platform owned by Trump Media.

“She has fought tirelessly to grow the economy, empower innovation, and reignite the American Dream,” Trump’s Jan. 16 post stated.

He said Trusty would work with Brendan Carr, the newly named FCC chairman, “to cut regulations at a record pace.”

Trump also said they’d “protect free speech, and ensure every American has access to affordable and fast internet.”

Trump also made mention of Trusty’s academic background, which includes Georgetown University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Her nomination is pending Senate approval.

In the meantime, the FCC’s remaining Democratic commissioners reacted to the news.

Ana M. Gomez released a statement congratulating Trusty.

“She is widely respected, a consummate professional, and has a strong background on communications policy,” Gomez stated. “I welcome the opportunity to work with her.”

Additionally, Geoffrey Starks, the other Democrat on the FCC, also congratulated her.

“She is a committed public servant with extensive knowledge of the communications sector,” the statement from Starks read. “As clearly exhibited
by her work in the Senate, she is an effective policy-maker, which will benefit the agency and the American people going forward.”

Meanwhile, in the days since Trusty’s nomination, Jessica Rosenworcel, the former FCC chair, has departed the commission.

Replacing her as chair is Brendan Carr, who was named the FCC’s chair with an official order signed by Trump on Inauguration Day.

Learn more about Broadband Communities Summit 2025 in Houston.

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One subsea item and three bits of data center news: … [visit site to read more]

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Monday it has launched the AI Skills Coalition, an initiative to bridge the global AI skills gap that has the backing of 27 organizations, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, the East Africa Community and Cognizant.

According to the ITU, the coalition will serve as an online platform for AI education and capacity building that will also encourage inclusive participation by offering open and accessible skills training on generative AI, machine learning and applying AI for sustainable development.

The rise of AI has prompted the telecoms and ICT sectors to prep their digital infrastructures and data centres to support bandwidth and compute-intensive AI workloads. Meanwhile, an estimated 94% of global business leaders already see AI as critical for the success of their organizations, according to a recent AI for Good Impact Report published by ITU and Deloitte.

However, insufficient technical skills and the need for extensive upskilling and reskilling are among key barriers to broader AI adoption globally, as well as a considerable lack of trust in AI amid fears that it will replace human jobs, the ITU said. Recent announcements regarding the launch of AI cloud infrastructure investments in developing markets by big-name players like Google, AWS and Microsoft have typically come with promises of local AI skills training, but the ITU says a more global and inclusive approach is needed to address the issue and ensure more stakeholders are involved.

The AI Skills Coalition aims to will provide educational materials that can bolster skills for the future and address global inequalities in AI knowledge. Meanwhile, the ITU will work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to leverage UNDP’s presence in over 170 countries and territories to deliver AI capacity development directly to partner countries.

“Capacity development is the number one ask from the developing countries that we work in,” said Achim Steiner, administrator of UNDP. “As part of this Coalition, we will work with our partners to deliver crucial foundational AI training, so that policy-makers and national governments can responsibly harness AI to achieve sustainable development.”

The initiative will also addresses underrepresentation of marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the development of AI products and services, the ITU said.

The coalition initiative will be rolled out in phases, starting with the launch of a new training platform developed by the ITU in March 2025. The platform will include a comprehensive training portfolio and a customizable digital library of AI material supplied by coalition members, as well as self-paced courses, webinars, access to in-person workshops, and hybrid programs tailored to diverse learning needs – all offered free of charge,

The coalition will also develop specialized government training in AI governance, ethics, and policymaking to address the specific needs of developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs), the ITIU said.

There has been a significant fiber M&A in the North Atlantic. The pan-European network operator EXA Infrastructure has agreed to acquire Ireland-based Aqua Comms. It’s a rare example of the inorganic purchase of a nearly pure play subsea cable business. … [visit site to read more]

Press Release

Telehouse launches educational initiative featuring character ‘DC’ to enhance public understanding of data centres and their impact on digital lives

Half of UK consumers (51%) have never heard of the term ‘data centre,’ highlighting a significant lack of awareness about their critical role in powering daily digital life. New research from Telehouse reveals how, despite the increasing reliance on digital services and their recent categorisation by the government as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), 67% of UK consumers admit they do not know what a data centre is or does.

The survey, which involved over 2,000 UK consumers, identifies a significant gap in public understanding. While 48% of respondents believe data centres positively impact the digital services they use at home and work, such as video streaming and online shopping, there remains a substantial knowledge gap about the scale and scope of data centre operations. Nearly half (43%) of the respondents are unaware of the vast number of people, applications, and data supported by these facilities.

Telehouse’s findings also highlight a mixed perception of data centres’ importance in the context of remote working, a trend that has surged in recent years. While 59% see data centres as critical to enabling remote work, 19% are unsure how these facilities support such activities, and 15% consider them not very critical or not critical at all.

The study underscores the public’s partial understanding of data centres, with misconceptions about their roles. In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap, Telehouse has launched an educational initiative featuring a character named ‘DC.’ Through an engaging video, DC aims to demystify data centres, explaining their functions and significance in everyday technology use.

Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Telehouse Europe, commented on the initiative: “We realise there’s a significant knowledge gap regarding data centres and their impact on digital lives. By introducing ‘DC,’ we hope to educate people about the critical work done in data centres and inspire our future generations to consider careers in this field. We also hope that bridging this knowledge divide may be key to increasing trust in the digital infrastructure that underpins our connected lives.”

Telehouse’s commitment extends to supporting education and career development in the technology sector, offering apprenticeships and work experience opportunities to young people. The company also advocates for more educational programs focused on data centre technologies in schools and universities.

For more information on the crucial role of data centres and to watch Telehouse’s educational video featuring the ‘DC’ character, visit their website.

How is the growing data centre ecosystem impacting the UK economy? Join the discussion at Connected North live in Manchester   

Also in the news:
EXA Infrastructure enters into agreement to acquire Aqua Comms
“European competitiveness has one foot in the morgue,” warns Nokia CEO
BT quietly scraps EV charging pilot 

The middle mile and metro fiber sector has been an organic story over the past few years after all the M&A in the prior decade.  Bluebird Fiber is one of the regional operators that emerged from that era, and backed by Macquarie they have been quietly investing in fiber and data center assets across a footprint centered on Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa.  With us today to talk about their approach is Jason Adkins, who was named CEO of Bluebird Fiber in March of 2024.  He moved over from UPN, where he was CEO up until the Cox Communications transaction.  … [visit site to read more]

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News 

The new rules are designed to make pricing easier for customers to understand 

Starting today, UK telecom providers must clearly display any future price increases in plain monetary terms at the point of sale, following new regulations introduced by Ofcom.  

The rules are designed to eliminate confusion around mid-contract price hikes, and help customers make better-informed choices. 

In the past, telecom companies often linked price rises in their contracts to inflation rates, leaving customers uncertain about their bills. The lack of clarity made it difficult for consumers to compare deals and calculate long-term costs.  

Now, providers are required to present any planned price increases in pounds and pence and make this information prominent at the time of purchase. Providers must also inform customers of when price changes will occur. 

“More than ever, households want and need to plan their budgets. Our new rules mean there will be no nasty surprises, and customers will know how much they will be paying and when, through clear labelling,” said Natalie Black CBE, Ofcom’s Group Director for Networks and Communications in a press release. 

The updated rules aim to encourage competition and provide consumers with a wider range of contract options. Some providers now offer fixed-price agreements, while others include clauses for price increases. For contracts with unclear hikes, telecom companies must provide at least 30 days’ notice and allow customers to cancel penalty-free.  

Ofcom also highlighted the increased availability of social tariffs, which cater to low-income households. These affordable packages do not include mid-contract price hikes and are available to those receiving some benefits. Over half a million customers are already using social tariffs, though Ofcom suggests that millions of eligible households are still missing out on social tariffs as public awareness around thr packages are low 

The push for greater transparency comes just after of a series of Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rulings against major UK telecom providers, including BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Virgin Media, and O2. Last year, the ASA found that these companies’ ads failed to adequately inform customers about potential mid-contract price rises, violating stricter guidance introduced in late 2024. The watchdog’s rulings criticised the use of small print and vague language, which obscured key pricing details, misleading consumers. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter   

Also in the news:
EXA Infrastructure enters into agreement to acquire Aqua Comms
“European competitiveness has one foot in the morgue,” warns Nokia CEO
BT quietly scraps EV charging pilot 

Press Release

EXA Infrastructure has announced today that it has signed binding agreements to acquire Aqua Comms – a specialist operator of Transatlantic and intra-European subsea infrastructure.

EXA Infrastructure, a London based portfolio company of I Squared Capital – a leading independent global infrastructure investment manager, operates over 150,000km of digital infrastructure across 37 countries, including 20 cable landing stations that provide critical connectivity to subsea systems.

Aqua Comms is an Ireland-based service provider specialising in operating submarine cable systems and supplying fibre pairs, spectrum and wholesale network capacity to the global content, cloud, carrier & enterprise markets.  It is the owner/operator of America Europe Connect-1 (AEC-1), America Europe Connect-2 (AEC-2), CeltixConnect-1 (CC-1) and CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2) and is part of a consortium that owns/operates the Amitié cable system (AEC-3).

“The acquisition of Aqua Comms demonstrates EXA Infrastructure’s commitment to build a modern and diverse Transatlantic platform to fully serve AI, Cloud and Content demand, now and in the future. The combination will offer our customers more routes, more capacity and increased diversity, all on a scaled platform” said Jim Fagan, chief executive of EXA Infrastructure.

The planned transaction is expected to complete in approximately 12 months, subject to customary closing conditions.

Akur Capital and RBC Capital Markets are acting as financial advisors to EXA Infrastructure in connection with the transaction and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison is serving as legal M&A advisor to EXA Infrastructure. Goldman Sachs is acting as financial advisor to D9 in connection with the transaction and Shoosmiths is serving as legal advisor to D9.

How is the submarine cable industry evolving in 2025? Join the industry in discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA, the world’s largest submarine cable event

Also in the news:
Adani Group’s ‘foray into industrial 5G’ is a complete failure
Sparkle signs deal to recycle 22,000km of submarine cable
Nokia bags deal to connect new offshore wind farms