Google's X Labs to share FSOC technology for Andhra's fiber grid

In a first, X Development LLC, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet Inc, will supply and deploy two thousand cutting-edge Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) links for Andhra Pradesh (AP) fiber-grid.

FSFC is an optical communication technology that uses light to wirelessly transmit data to telecommunication and internet applications. The technology remained outside the commercial applications for long owing to distance, speed, and efficiency related problems, which are a thing of past going by the specs of SPOC links being offered to AP government.

Known for its work on the development of Google's driverless car, X Labs is going to implement FSOC technology that can provide wireless internet connectivity with as much as 20-gigabit speed and to a distance of up to 20 km, in the state.

A delegation headed by AP IT minister Nara Lokesh entered into an agreement with X Labs CEO Astro Teller for this collaboration at the latter's headquarters in Mountainview in California late on Friday, after months of testing the suitability of this technology for AP fiber grid.

AP executed this 3-in-1 (phone, internet, and television) connectivity project entirely using the electric poles, stringing 24,000 km of overhead fiber cable, and is expected to cover 85 per cent of the households in the state. The government proposes to use FSOC technology to connect the remaining areas that are cut-off by difficult terrain, forest areas, river crossings, railway crossings etc. besides increasing the network reliability.

Airtel, Telenor file joint application for merger approval before NCLT

Bharti Airtel and Telenor India today filed a joint application before National Company Law Tribunal for approval of their merger following nod from the market regulator SEBI and stock exchanges -- BSE and NSE.

"Telenor India and Airtel have today filed the joint company application before the New Delhi Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal for approval of the proposed Scheme of merger. The merger is inter alia subject to other statutory approvals including from the Competition Commission of India," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

The company said that it has received the approval of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), BSE Limited (BSE) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) for the proposed scheme of merger.

Airtel and Telenor signed the agreement for merger on February 2017 under which Airtel will acquire Telenor India's running operations in seven circles -- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam.

"These circles represent a high population concentration and therefore, offer a high potential for growth. The proposed acquisition will include transfer of all of Telenor India's assets and customers, further augmenting Airtel's overall customer base and network," the statement said.

It will also enable Airtel to further bolster its strong spectrum footprint in these seven circles, with the addition of 43.4 MHz spectrum in the 1800 MHz band -- widely known as 2G spectrum but it is now being used for 4G services as well.
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