Vodafone Idea, a struggling telecom operator in India, is set to embark on a significant equity fundraising effort to secure more than $2 billion. This move comes as the company faces mounting bills and aims to finance the rollout of its 5G network.
Vodafone Idea is initiating one of India’s largest follow-on public offerings, seeking to amass roughly $2.16 billion. Placing the firm under pressure is its struggle against a decreasing market share and encumbering debt, the result of fierce competition within India’s telecommunications industry. Despite currently being hindered by its financial situation to invest in network enhancements, expectations linger for the telecom’s debut of 5G services by year’s end.
In an ambitious move, the Indian government has announced its plans to hold a mobile spectrum auction in May, eyeing a starting bid of nearly US$12 billion. Despite the high hopes tied to this event, experts remain skeptical about its success, given the tepid interest expected from the country’s telecom operators.
Singtel has made another divestment, selling a fractional 0.8% stake in India’s Bharti Airtel for approximately $711 million. It’s a part of Singtel’s ongoing strategy to transition from traditional telco operations to fully digital-based operations.
In a strategic move to gain a foothold in India’s expanding telecommunications market, Elon Musk’s satellite communications constellation, Starlink, is reportedly considering a stake in Vodafone Idea (Vi). As of 2024, Starlink boasts a constellation of over 5,500 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, providing commercial services in more than 60 countries to approximately 1.5 million subscribers.
OneWeb, a Eutelsat entity, gained India’s coveted regulatory endorsement to usher in its satellite broadband service, evoking enthusiastic response from Eutelsat’s co-chair, Sunil Bharti Mittal. This development signifies a new era for India’s internet coverage in line with the Prime Minister’s digital vision. However, a crucial spectrum allocation by the government awaits, making OneWeb’s journey not entirely smooth sailing. An array of procedural and regulatory hurdles demands navigation, alongside competing market perspectives delaying the process.
Securing a nearly $2 billion loan, Reliance Jio fortifies its ambition in the 5G arena. The funds will enhance Jio’s growth with the acquisition of leading-edge Nokia 5G equipment. Planning one of the fastest 5G rollouts, it’s further partnering with Samsung and Ericsson. Please note, success breeds competition and Bharti Airtel isn’t far behind.
Reliance Jio’s JioAirFiber, the breakthrough fixed-wireless access service, not only offers high-speed broadband at competitive prices, but also ventures to facilitate digital entertainment with a complimentary set-top box. With ambitions to reach 100 million customers across India, Jio appears poised to disrupt the market yet again, closely mimicking its successful 4G network rollout. Its competitors watch with bated breath, poised for an impending shake-up.
In the short span since 5G’s inception, one of its most successful applications surprisingly isn’t smartphones, but Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) enhancing home broadband services. Currently dominating 90% of new US broadband subscriptions, this trend sparks intriguing implications. Yet, fiber broadband’s speed and dependability present a formidable challenge, set to increasingly permeate the market aided by ample public funding. Meanwhile, FWA’s flexible and user-friendly nature makes it a robust contender, particularly in areas where fiber is not feasible.
As Three UK reports a 4% revenue boost, courtesy of an expanded active customer base, its operations cost, inflated by 19%, outpaces earnings, hinting at potential sustainability issues. In a different landscape, Telecom Italia shows a 5.5% Q2 profit increase, largely on Brazil’s performance, though competitive pricing in Italy has forced a hefty debt, leading TIM to consider selling its landline grid. At the same time, BT Group sees an uptick in revenue by 4%, attributed to raised prices and improved customer satisfaction. Contrarily, US-based Qualcomm, hit by reduced consumer spending, anticipates a similar upcoming quarter, resulting in a sharp fall in share price. Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel highlights a 14.1% YoY revenue increase, fueled by its growing 4G and postpaid customer base.
