Sparkle, an international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, has entered into a significant agreement with Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel. This strategic collaboration aims to enhance the capacity on a diversified, low latency route between Asia and Europe by utilizing the Blue & Raman Submarine Cable Systems. This move is set to connect India to Italy, offering new opportunities for global connectivity.
Airtel Business is known for its extensive ICT services, with an impressive network of submarine cables, satellite connections, and global links stretching over 400,000 Rkm across 50 countries and five continents. The company has established over 1200 global carrier partnerships, enabling seamless connections even in the most remote areas. In India, Airtel Business offers a wide range of solutions such as secure connectivity, cloud services, cybersecurity, IoT capabilities, and cloud-based communications tailored for enterprises, government organizations, carriers, and small to medium-sized businesses.
Under the agreement, Sparkle will provide additional capacity on the Blue & Raman Submarine Cable Systems, directly linking India to Italy. This expansion will help Airtel diversify its global network through multiple international submarine cable systems, thereby better serving the growing data demands in India and nearby regions. Furthermore, both companies aim to develop new business opportunities by leveraging their respective infrastructure in the Indian sub-continent.
Vani Venkatesh, CEO of Global Business at Airtel Business, remarked, “We are happy to partner with Sparkle as we further consolidate our leadership in global connectivity. This partnership will further diversify our network with large integrated capacities to meet the ever-growing connectivity needs and data demand of our customers.”
Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle, added, “We are very pleased with this agreement, based on the new solution provided by Blue & Raman, which supports the digital growth of the region and strengthens our historical partnership with Bharti Airtel.”
Sparkle is a part of the TIM Group and stands as Italy’s first international service provider. It offers a comprehensive range of connectivity services that include capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming, and voice. Managing an extensive network of over 600,000 km of fiber, Sparkle spans Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia, with a global sales force operating across 33 countries.
On the other hand, headquartered in India, Airtel operates as a global communications solutions provider with a customer base exceeding 550 million across 17 countries in South Asia and Africa. Ranking among the top three mobile operators globally, Airtel covers more than two billion people and offers a diverse portfolio that includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber, streaming services, digital payments, and financial services. For enterprises, it provides solutions such as secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cybersecurity, IoT, Ad Tech, and cloud-based communication.
