Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal are working to revolutionise mobile calling in India by...

Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal are working to revolutionise mobile calling in India by... 

Smartphone technology is ever evolving, with Apple’s iPhone 14 first introduced in 2022, satellite connectivity has gained attention and being a success with other mobile brands adapting to it.  

A new feature enables users to send emergency SOS messages via satellite in areas with no cellular network. Although adopted by Google and Samsung, this technology is currently limited to specific regions and devices. 

Airtel's satellite-based plan for smartphones 

Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Rajan Bharti Mittal, announced that the company's new satellite telecom service is ready to be launched in India and now awaits only centre's nod. “In India, we are waiting for, as you know, the spectrum allocation to be done. Both our stations are ready, one in Gujarat and one in Tamil Nadu. The base stations are ready. So as soon as we get permission, we will be launching in India as well,” Rajan Bharti Mittal told news agency ANI while giving an interview at the World Economic Forum. 

Launch of 635 satellites 

Rajan Bharti Mittal’s company has earlier launched 635 satellites with services expanding to different parts of the world, said Mittal. On the spectrum allocation debate Bharti Airtel reiterated that satellite companies should pay licensing fees and acquire spectrum through auctions, just like traditional telecom operators. 

Akash Ambani’s Reliance Jio also makes announcement 

Reliance Jio, under the leadership of Akash Ambani, has advocated for satellite companies to pay license fees and purchase spectrum for their telecom services, similar to what traditional telecom companies do. Elon Musk's Starlink, along with global counterparts like Amazon's Project Kuiper, is seeking an administrative allocation of spectrum for satellite services. Regarding the pricing of satellite-based telecom services, he mentioned that Satcom will be able to provide coverage in remote areas at an "affordable price," according to a report by ANI. 

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel reported a notable increase in its net profit for the third quarter (Q3 FY25), reaching Rs 14,781 crore, primarily driven by exceptional items from the consolidation of Indus Towers. However, when excluding these exceptional items, the company’s profit after tax (PAT) amounted to Rs 5,514 crore, reflecting a 121% growth from Rs 2,442 crore in the same quarter last year (Q3 FY24). 

The company’s operational revenue rose by 19% year-on-year (YoY), reaching Rs 45,129 crore, fueled by strong performance in India and consistent growth in Africa.