Technologies are triggering significant disruption in the utilities industry, which includes water, electricity, and waste management services. Utility firms need to use creative ways to navigate this technological disruption and future-proof their operations if they want to remain powerful and relevant.
In India, the adoption of smart technologies is reshaping the utilities industry, with a particular focus on smart grids. The Ministry of Power has set an ambitious goal: deploying smart grid technologies in 100 cities by 2025. These grids leverage advanced sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and real-time data analytics to transform how electricity is generated, distributed, and consumed. For example, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission highlights that smart grids have significantly improved power reliability by minimizing outages and enabling more effective demand management. By embracing such technology, utility companies can enhance service reliability and elevate customer satisfaction.
The emergence of renewable energy sources is yet another disruptive factor. India has set lofty goals to reach 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, solar capacity will reach over 50 GW by 2023, reflecting the substantial expansion in both solar and wind energy. Decentralized and distributed energy systems are challenging traditional utility models that rely on fossil fuels. With their energy storage systems and solar power solutions, businesses like Tata Power and Adani Green Energy are setting the standard and empowering customers to produce and store their own electricity. Utilities need to diversify their energy portfolios and make investments in renewable infrastructure in order to meet regulatory requirements and remain competitive in the future.
In order for utilities to keep up with technological disruption, digital transformation is also vital. Adopting Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can greatly improve decision-making and operational efficiency. Predictive maintenance enabled by AI can spot possible equipment problems before they happen, saving downtime and maintenance expenses. AI-powered customer care systems can also increase client engagement and offer individualized assistance. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), for example, has greatly improved customer service by streamlining procedures and lowering human error through the implementation of AI-based solutions.
Blockchain technology is poised to transform the utilities sector by enhancing transparency and trust in energy transactions. In India, projects like the one led by Power Ledger and Tata Power in Uttar Pradesh explore peer-to-peer energy trading platforms. These platforms empower consumers to directly buy and sell excess energy, promoting renewable energy adoption and providing greater control over energy usage. Utility companies can leverage blockchain for efficient, transparent billing systems that reduce fraud and build customer trust.
To future-proof utilities, workforce transformation is crucial. As automation and AI gain prominence, upskilling and reskilling are essential. Training in data analytics, cybersecurity, and digital tools ensures adaptability. Collaboration with tech firms and research institutions accelerates innovation. Partnerships with AI or blockchain specialists enhance technology implementation.
In India, the utilities sector faces significant technological disruption. To future-proof operations, companies must embrace smart tech, invest in renewables, transform their workforce, and collaborate. Advocating for supportive regulations is essential for a resilient, efficient, and sustainable industry.
ANTS allows users to automatically complete ‘Site Acceptances’ and ’System defined Milestones’, while also bringing greater standardization and removal of human intervention to the process of network roll out and optimization
Atlantis Intelligence Ltd, (formally, Linkquest Technologies Ltd) was founded in 1996. Current management took over in 2008. It has grown to becoming the leading telecom solution services provider in India and globally. It also provides cloud native remote service to a host of global clients comprising of all the major operators and OEMs in over 30 countries through the ANTS platform.
Pankaj Trehan, Business Head, America, Atlantis Intelligence, tells us more. Excerpts from an interview:
Pankaj Trehan: Latin America is on the cusp of a significant transformation, with 5G subscribers expected to leap from 5% to over 55% by 2030, driven by robust government initiatives, digital infrastructure improvements, and concerted efforts from both public and private sectors. Our ANTS platform is ideally suited to support this transition, as it automates and digitizes site and cluster performance, ensures the networks meet key performance indicators efficiently and ultimately reduces the truck rolls. This all culminates to significant cost savings for operators.
The rising demand for automation and cost-effective solutions, coupled with the expansion of 5G networks and strong support from governments and the private sector, presents a tremendous growth opportunity in Latin America. Leveraging our proven technology and strategic local partnerships, we are well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities and drive the region’s network enhancement.
Pankaj Trehan: Expanding into the Latin American market presents challenges, such as cultural diversity, economic instability, currency fluctuations, and complex tax structures. To address these, we have partnered with local telecom companies to ensure effective customer engagement and service delivery. Additionally, we are working with local financial advisors to navigate tax complexities and currency issues, adopting flexible pricing models and leveraging local market knowledge.
Pankaj Trehan: As mentioned earlier, partnering with local vendors helps us navigate cultural and linguistic barriers effectively, ensuring our communications and services resonate well. The deep understanding of local customs, business practices, and market dynamics boosts comprehension and reception.
These partnerships will enable swift scalability across Latin America, leveraging local resources and expertise to meet market demands promptly. We share resources, leading to significant cost savings and operational efficiencies. Using the unique strengths of local vendors, we will address the specific needs of the Latin American telecom market, fostering ANTS platform adoption and sustainable growth.
Pankaj Trehan: ANTS automates the ‘Drive Test’ and process of rolling out, monitoring and maintaining acceptance criteria of new site or layer build in existing networks. ANTS allows users to automatically complete ‘Site Acceptances’ and ’System defined Milestones’, while also bringing greater standardization and removal of human intervention to the process of network roll out and optimization. ANTS works along with drive test tools like TEMS and NEMO. It is beneficial to the operator, OEM and the service vendor on ground.
ANTS enhances the overall Quality of Experience (QoE) by identifying gaps in parameters of the network and optimising them much quicker than is possible by manual intervention. It also provides an ETSI compliant Network Performance Score and RCA for score improvement, which allows the user to benchmark, compare and rank the quality of a network across different geographies for an operator, or compare the network quality of several operators in multiple countries.
Pankaj Trehan: We offer product demos and presentations as part of our initial sharing program. We then back up our claims with evidence through pilot or PoCs with customers. Alternatively, we provide a live view of ANTS being actively utilized elsewhere in the world. This approach ensures that prospective clients can see the platform in action and experience its capabilities first hand.
Pankaj Trehan: We have multiple installations. Our platform’s success has been witnessed by mobile operators in markets of India, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, where we have reduced redrive efforts by 80%, and achieved cost efficiencies of over 25%. This proves the capability of ANTS to enhance network operations and performance.
Pankaj Trehan: Our offerings, both in services and solutions, are tailor-made. We target customer pain points and stitch solutions accordingly. Our solutions are all module-based, and depend on the customer’s specific needs.
Pankaj Trehan: Atlantis stands out from its competition by leveraging first-hand experience gained from working directly in the field. Our products are not just developed based on technological advancements. Rather, they are born out of real-world challenges and practical insights obtained from our on-the-ground experience.
While many competitors may focus solely on technological innovation, Atlantis takes a different approach. We understand that technology is a means to an end – a tool to address practical problems and improve operational efficiency. Our products are crafted to directly tackle the challenges faced by telecom professionals in their day-to-day operations.
Pankaj Trehan: As we expand into the Americas in 2024, our main objectives are to establish a strong market presence and brand recognition, forge strategic partnerships with local telecom vendors, ensure regulatory compliance, and build operational infrastructure for efficiency.
We have conducted thorough market research and are now launching targeted marketing campaigns. Collaborations with local partners will help integrate our solutions seamlessly, while engagement with regulatory authorities will ensure compliance.
We are eager to join hands with reputed and established telecom vendors in the Latin America region, and will be moving ahead country by country.
The advent of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology is set to revolutionize the home internet landscape. This innovation promises to deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and greater flexibility compared to conventional broadband, potentially reshaping the way consumers and service providers approach internet connectivity.
5G FWA uses the same 5G cellular networks designed for mobile phones to deliver internet services directly to homes. Unlike traditional broadband, which relies on extensive physical infrastructure such as fiber-optic cables, FWA uses radio signals to connect homes to the Internet. This technology leverages the high-frequency, mm waves of 5G, which can support significantly higher data rates and reduced latency.
One of the most compelling advantages of 5G FWA is its potential for faster speeds. Current 5G technology can theoretically offer speeds up to 10 Gbps, although practical speeds are generally lower but still significantly faster than many existing broadband services. For instance, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service promises download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, compared to the average U.S. broadband speed of about 135 Mbps as reported by Ookla in 2023.
Low latency is another critical benefit. Traditional broadband latency averages around 20-30 milliseconds, whereas 5G can reduce this to as low as 1 millisecond. This improvement is crucial for applications requiring real-time responsiveness, such as online gaming, virtual reality, and telemedicine.
The flexibility of 5G FWA makes it particularly attractive. Deploying conventional broadband infrastructure, especially in rural or underserved areas, is costly and time-consuming. In contrast, 5G FWA requires minimal infrastructure since it relies on wireless connectivity. This makes it easier and faster to deploy, significantly enhancing internet accessibility in remote regions.
Moreover, 5G FWA can provide a competitive alternative to conventional broadband in urban areas, offering customers more choices and potentially driving down prices due to increased competition.
For consumers, the shift to 5G FWA could mean better internet service at potentially lower costs. The higher speeds and lower latency of 5G FWA can support multiple high-bandwidth activities simultaneously, such as streaming 4K videos, online gaming, and remote work, all on the same network without degradation in performance.
Additionally, the ease of installation of 5G FWA can be a significant advantage. Instead of waiting for a technician to install a wired connection, users can often set up their 5G FWA service by simply plugging in a compatible router that connects to the 5G network.
Despite its potential, 5G FWA faces several challenges. The high-frequency millimetre waves used in 5G have a limited range and can be obstructed by buildings and other physical barriers. This limitation necessitates a dense network of small cells to ensure reliable coverage, which can be challenging and costly to implement in some areas.
Compared with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and other wireline solutions, FWA offers a variety of benefits including significantly lower rollout costs, rapid service rollout and lower opex. This is because the bulk of the costs and most of the complexity involved in fixed access deployments are associated with the last mile: the portion of the network that reaches the user premises
However, FWA is limited in upload and download performance based on the spectrum band deployed. There are also capacity and speed limitations, given that FWA and mobile services compete for the same cellular network bandwidth.
Also , while 5G infrastructure is expanding rapidly, it is not yet universally available. As of early 2024, 5G networks cover significant urban areas but still lag in rural regions. Thus, while 5G FWA holds great promise, it will take time for its benefits to be fully realized on a broad scale.
For internet service providers, 5G FWA represents both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, it offers a new revenue stream and a way to expand services into previously hard-to-reach areas without the significant investment required for wired infrastructure. On the other hand, existing broadband providers may face increased competition from mobile network operators entering the home internet market.
Service providers will need to invest in upgrading their networks to support widespread 5G FWA deployment. This includes not only the 5G infrastructure itself but also backend systems capable of handling the increased data traffic and ensuring network reliability.
In conclusion, the rise of 5G FWA heralds a new era in home internet, promising faster speeds, lower latency, and greater flexibility. While there are challenges to overcome, particularly in terms of infrastructure and coverage, the potential benefits for consumers and the competitive landscape for service providers are significant. As 5G networks continue to expand and mature, 5G FWA is poised to become a formidable competitor to conventional broadband, reshaping the future of home internet connectivity.
The advent of 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology is set to revolutionize the home internet landscape. This innovation promises to deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and greater flexibility compared to conventional broadband, potentially reshaping the way consumers and service providers approach internet connectivity.
5G FWA uses the same 5G cellular networks designed for mobile phones to deliver internet services directly to homes. Unlike traditional broadband, which relies on extensive physical infrastructure such as fiber-optic cables, FWA uses radio signals to connect homes to the Internet. This technology leverages the high-frequency, mm waves of 5G, which can support significantly higher data rates and reduced latency.
One of the most compelling advantages of 5G FWA is its potential for faster speeds. Current 5G technology can theoretically offer speeds up to 10 Gbps, although practical speeds are generally lower but still significantly faster than many existing broadband services. For instance, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service promises download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, compared to the average U.S. broadband speed of about 135 Mbps as reported by Ookla in 2023.
Low latency is another critical benefit. Traditional broadband latency averages around 20-30 milliseconds, whereas 5G can reduce this to as low as 1 millisecond. This improvement is crucial for applications requiring real-time responsiveness, such as online gaming, virtual reality, and telemedicine.
The flexibility of 5G FWA makes it particularly attractive. Deploying conventional broadband infrastructure, especially in rural or underserved areas, is costly and time-consuming. In contrast, 5G FWA requires minimal infrastructure since it relies on wireless connectivity. This makes it easier and faster to deploy, significantly enhancing internet accessibility in remote regions.
Moreover, 5G FWA can provide a competitive alternative to conventional broadband in urban areas, offering customers more choices and potentially driving down prices due to increased competition.
For consumers, the shift to 5G FWA could mean better internet service at potentially lower costs. The higher speeds and lower latency of 5G FWA can support multiple high-bandwidth activities simultaneously, such as streaming 4K videos, online gaming, and remote work, all on the same network without degradation in performance.
Additionally, the ease of installation of 5G FWA can be a significant advantage. Instead of waiting for a technician to install a wired connection, users can often set up their 5G FWA service by simply plugging in a compatible router that connects to the 5G network.
Despite its potential, 5G FWA faces several challenges. The high-frequency millimetre waves used in 5G have a limited range and can be obstructed by buildings and other physical barriers. This limitation necessitates a dense network of small cells to ensure reliable coverage, which can be challenging and costly to implement in some areas.
Compared with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and other wireline solutions, FWA offers a variety of benefits including significantly lower rollout costs, rapid service rollout and lower opex. This is because the bulk of the costs and most of the complexity involved in fixed access deployments are associated with the last mile: the portion of the network that reaches the user premises
However, FWA is limited in upload and download performance based on the spectrum band deployed. There are also capacity and speed limitations, given that FWA and mobile services compete for the same cellular network bandwidth.
Also , while 5G infrastructure is expanding rapidly, it is not yet universally available. As of early 2024, 5G networks cover significant urban areas but still lag in rural regions. Thus, while 5G FWA holds great promise, it will take time for its benefits to be fully realized on a broad scale.
For internet service providers, 5G FWA represents both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, it offers a new revenue stream and a way to expand services into previously hard-to-reach areas without the significant investment required for wired infrastructure. On the other hand, existing broadband providers may face increased competition from mobile network operators entering the home internet market.
Service providers will need to invest in upgrading their networks to support widespread 5G FWA deployment. This includes not only the 5G infrastructure itself but also backend systems capable of handling the increased data traffic and ensuring network reliability.
In conclusion, the rise of 5G FWA heralds a new era in home internet, promising faster speeds, lower latency, and greater flexibility. While there are challenges to overcome, particularly in terms of infrastructure and coverage, the potential benefits for consumers and the competitive landscape for service providers are significant. As 5G networks continue to expand and mature, 5G FWA is poised to become a formidable competitor to conventional broadband, reshaping the future of home internet connectivity.