Affordable tablet and smartphone maker DataWind has said that it would apply to become a VNO (virtual network operator), once the policy is formalised. Earlier this week, the Telecom Commission has accepted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s recommendations on the introduction of virtual network operators in India.
"This is a very progressive decision, and will have far-reaching implications for the achievement of the vision for a Digital India," the company's President and CEO Sunit Singh Tuli said in a statement.
Earlier, Future Group, the country’s retail major, revealed its plans to enter the MVNO space. It plans to initiate talks with Tata Teleservices to lease spectrum and infrastructure.
Kishore Biyani, Future Group’s CEO, had said that the company will apply for an MVNO licence once the policy was formally announced reports The Hindu Business Line.
The MVNO venture will be under an agreement Future Group had signed with Tata Tele in 2010 to offer SIM cards under the brand T24, the report said.
Datawind said that it intends to bring the world’s most affordable internet access to India, using its patented technology and is focused on driving the cost downward to a level where access to technology becomes ‘universally affordable’ and democratization of technology finds its true meaning.
"DataWind firmly believes that this digital and internet divide can be addressed through technology intervention, at an affordable price for this segment of customers," Tuli said reports Voicendata.
"Company is striving for newer ‘lows’ in price discovery for computing and access products. Company’s patented technology allows for a fast, rich and affordable experience on existing networks without any new infrastructure," Tuli added.
DataWind is the No 1 supplier of tablets with an overall market share of 24% and dominates the entry-level sub Rs 5,000 market with over 58% market-share, according to CMR report for Q4 2015. According to the IDC for Q4 2015, DataWind was responsible for 20.7% of the tablets sold in India.
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Source: The Hindu Business Line & Voicendata
