India's telecom operators, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to streamline the expansion of their 5G networks and fixed wireless access (FWA) services, according to a senior executive of Esri India. The GIS-driven approach is helping telcos identify optimal deployment locations, improve network management, and enhance customer experience.
Airtel and Jio Integrated GIS Technology
Both Jio and Airtel have integrated Esri's ArcGIS technology into their network planning and service delivery workflows. By geocoding customer addresses, operators can ensure precise site selection and reduce deployment timelines.
"GIS is very important and the two largest operators, namely Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, use our technology. Once they sign up a customer, they geocode their address, to pinpoint the exact location. GIS is not only being used for planning cellular services, but also for AirFiber and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services," said Agendra Kumar, Managing Director of Esri India, in an interview with ETTelecom.
"GIS will be a critical tool for telecom companies, and will remain like this. In the meantime, we are evolving our solutions with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and large language models (LLMs)," Kumar added.
Jio's Rapid Rollout Powered by Geospatial Tools
Reliance Jio has used Esri's solutions for the nationwide rollout of its JioAirFiber service, which now has over 7.4 million users. With more than 200 million 5G subscribers and 20 million home connections, Jio claims to be the world's largest FWA provider. Esri previously facilitated Jio's 4G expansion in 2016, enabling the deployment of 100,000 towers in record time using a GIS-driven workflow, the report noted.
"Jio has effectively used GIS, even to resolve call drop problems, by planning network deployments, including 5G. They use GIS to manage the network. It's a complete GIS-based network management service for Jio," Kumar was quoted as saying.
According to the report, Biswaketan Kundu, Vice President and Head of GIS at Jio Platforms, previously stated that quick planning and fast deployment helped Jio disrupt the broadband internet market by positioning AirFiber as a premium and affordable product with same-day installation time. "Our continuous investment in GIS data, people, and Esri's technology helped us build these systems in-house at record speed," he said.
Airtel Leverages GIS for Efficient Network Planning
Bharti Airtel has adopted Esri's ArcGIS Server platform for network route planning on the web, hotspot analysis, and raster analysis of telecom coverage data. The solution allows the operator to access GIS data via a thin client, integrate with open-source APIs, and manage users and content efficiently within Esri's geospatial framework.
Esri India has also supported global telecom group Vodafone through its UK arm, but currently does not have an engagement with Vodafone Idea (Vi). However, the company remains open to collaborating with state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for its upcoming commercial 5G deployment. "We earlier worked on a rural network project of BSNL. So they are familiar with our technology," Kumar reportedly said.
A TCS-led consortium, including Tejas Networks and C-DoT, is currently deploying 100,000 4G sites for BSNL, with the infrastructure designed to be software-upgradable to 5G.
Kumar reportedly noted that the GIS industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5 percent, but the National Geospatial Policy, geospatial data guidelines, use of remote sensing data and the drone policy have fueled the growth to 16.5 percent in recent years.
AI-Powered Vision
Esri is now focused on integrating artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and large language models (LLMs) into its geospatial solutions. The company is also investing in emerging technologies such as digital twins and drone-based mapping, which are expected to drive further adoption of GIS across industries. Last month, Esri inaugurated a GIS & AI Competency Center at its new Noida facility, committing over Rs 150 crore in investment over the next five years.
