 "Akash Ambani")
Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Akash M Ambani | Image: PTI
Speaking at the inauguration of the India Mobile Congress on Tuesday, the leaders of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel called for the government to embrace a holistic artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and ensure all potential satellite communication providers are subject to the same rules as traditional telecom operators.
Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Akash M Ambani and Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal outlined their suggestions for the evolving sector in their address to a major gathering of national and global delegates from the telecom sector, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Market leader Reliance Jio wants the government to adopt a holistic AI strategy focused on self-sufficiency. “AI is absolutely critical for realising our dreams of a viksit Bharat by 2047. Therefore, India under your leadership should urgently embrace AI with a holistic strategy driven by maximum Atmanirbhar efforts,” Ambani said. He stressed that Jio remains committed to democratising AI and offering powerful AI models and services to Indians at affordable prices. “Towards this end, we are laying the groundwork for a national AI infrastructure,” he emphasised.
Ambani noted that India needs to accelerate talent generation on a scale necessary to make the country a global leader in AI. Addressing the concern over how AI might affect the job market, he remarked that some existing jobs will evolve while many new and exciting opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship “will be created rapidly, just like during the adoption of the computer and the internet.”
Additionally, Ambani urged the government to expedite the draft of the 2020 data centre policy. “Indian data should remain in Indian data centres. Therefore, Indian companies ready to set up AI and machine learning data centres should receive all necessary incentives, including incentives for power consumption,” he added.
Satcom debate
Bharti Airtel has called on the government to ensure that all potential satellite communication providers operate under the telecom operator framework.
Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the ongoing global debate on how fast-growing satellite communication services can coexist with terrestrial networks, Mittal highlighted that telecom companies worldwide have played a crucial role in connecting the globe. Referring to Indian telcos, he noted that they would extend satellite services to the remotest parts of the country.
However, Mittal stressed that satellite companies aiming to serve “elite, retail customers” in urban areas must take a telecom licence like everyone else. His comments appear directed at foreign entities such as Starlink and Project Kuiper, which are seeking entry into the Indian market and whose applications are currently being reviewed by the government.
“They must adhere to the same conditions, including buying spectrum like telecom companies, paying the licence fees, and securing their networks. This is a simple solution that can be adopted on a global scale, and India can lead the way,” Mittal said.
The government is currently in the process of opening up satellite communication services and has already granted GMPCS licences to Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s satellite arm, Jio Space Limited. However, applications from foreign entities have faced hurdles due to technicalities and security concerns.
Starlink is the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, the American spacecraft manufacturer and satellite communications company owned by US tech billionaire Elon Musk. Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of Amazon, was established in 2019 to deploy a large satellite internet constellation to provide low-latency broadband connectivity.
First Published: Oct 15 2024 | 12:41 PM IST
