Airtel India, which has more than 400 million mobile phone customers on its network, is using emerging technologies and innovative partnerships to address network challenges and expand coverage.
Airtel, the second largest telecom operator in India, has started the deployment of Free-Space Optical Communications (FSOC) to overcome the limitations of traditional fibre and microwave technologies, the latest GSMA Intelligence report said.
What’s FSOC?
Airtel has identified FSOC as a valuable solution for addressing backhaul requirements and bridging coverage gaps in areas where traditional technologies face limitations. FSOC serves multiple roles in Airtel’s network strategy.
FSOC, which uses light beams in the unlicensed high terahertz spectrum, offers cost advantages, low energy consumption, and ease of deployment.
Taara
Airtel has collaborated with Taara, a team within Alphabet’s X moonshot division, to deploy wireless optical communication (WOC) products in regions like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. These deployments address local challenges, such as high right-of-way (RoW) costs, monsoons in Mumbai, and construction delays in densely populated Kerala.
Shiv Putcha, Director, Research and Consulting at GSMA Intelligence, said: “Airtel is currently deploying Taara’s WOC technology in areas where fibre cannot be deployed, and microwave does not match capacity requirements. WOC therefore represents a ‘third choice’ for Airtel, and will be used in areas where the economics of fibre do not stack up and microwave cannot offer the required capacity.”
Airtel’s focus on rapid network expansion is supported by significant investments in 5G technology and fixed wireless access (FWA) networks. The increasing demand for data drives the need for efficient backhaul solutions. While fibre provides high capacity, its deployment is restricted by cost and terrain challenges, making microwave links the primary connection for most RAN sites. FSOC offers a middle-ground solution, combining the capacity benefits of fibre with the flexibility of microwave.
Airtel has enhanced the reliability of FSOC by utilizing Taara’s advanced technologies, including motion detection, atmospheric sensing, and tracking controls, to mitigate issues caused by bad weather or signal obstructions. The integration of Taara’s Link Availability Prediction Tool further strengthens Airtel’s planning capabilities by using multi-year weather and visibility data to predict FSOC link performance.
Operational efficiency
Cost leadership and operational efficiency remain central to Airtel’s approach, as FSOC improves the economics of network expansion by reducing the total cost of ownership. By deploying FSOC in underserved and remote regions, Airtel addresses persistent coverage gaps while aligning with its commitment to sustainable operations through low-energy technology. This strategic blend of technological innovation and tailored regional solutions positions Airtel as a leader in bridging digital divides across India.
In the context of fixed wireless access (FWA), which is seeing significant investment in India, Airtel views FSOC as a critical enabler. FWA deployments are often constrained by the backhaul capacity at the site, particularly where fibre deployment is not feasible. In such scenarios, FSOC offers a viable alternative, provided the local weather and visibility conditions are favorable.
Additionally, Airtel employs FSOC in hybrid transport solutions. In regions with challenging weather and visibility conditions, FSOC is deployed as the primary backhaul solution, delivering high-capacity backhaul under favorable conditions. For redundancy, microwave technology is used as a backup during periods of poor visibility, ensuring network reliability.
The economic viability of FSOC is a key factor in its adoption. Airtel evaluates the total cost of ownership (TCO) of FSOC relative to other solutions, such as fibre and microwave, based on cost per bit delivered per kilometer. Fibre is typically the most economical option for short distances and high-capacity backhaul requirements, even with the additional costs associated with civil works and rights-of-way. For lower capacity needs, microwave may be preferred. FSOC occupies a niche between these two, offering faster deployment and lower costs compared to fibre, along with greater capacity than microwave.
Airtel’s use of Taara’s WOC technology exemplifies FSOC’s role as a “third choice” where fibre deployment is not viable and microwave falls short in capacity. Deployments of WOC are strategically targeted in areas where FSOC’s unique advantages align with Airtel’s requirements. Furthermore, the reliability of FSOC has improved with advanced measures such as atmospheric sensing, motion detection, and tracking controls, enhancing its availability and improving the TCO. As these enhancements continue to reduce costs and increase reliability, Airtel anticipates expanding the use of FSOC to new scenarios and at larger scales across India.
The advantages of FSOC, including unlicensed spectrum use, low energy consumption, and ease of deployment, make it particularly attractive for Airtel. By evaluating the TCO of FSOC against fibre and microwave and leveraging advancements in technology, Airtel aims to unlock additional use cases and scale its deployment, strengthening its network infrastructure and addressing diverse connectivity challenges.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
