17 October 2022

Airtel has launched its ‘Always On’ IoT connectivity solution in India, comprising dual profile M2M eSim which allows an IoT device to always stay connected to a mobile network from different MNOs in the eSIM.

The ‘Always On’ solution complies with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI)’s AIS-140 standard implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). It lays down mandatory requirements related to connectivity and GPS tracking capabilities for devices in all passenger-carrying buses, private fleets and other public transport vehicles for tracking, safety and security purposes.

All registered buses and taxis have to mandatorily install this device by law. India’s government recently made it mandatory for vehicles carrying hazardous goods to also have a tracker installed that complies with AIS-140 standards. There are also emergency vehicles such as ambulances, vehicles from the mining and construction industry working in remote locations and other mission-critical and intelligent communication use cases which need higher availability and reliability of the network.

“We are delighted to bring ‘Always On’ connectivity solution to our customers. We believe this is the next big opportunity in the IoT segment,” said Ajay Chitkara, director and CEO, Airtel Business. “Our strengths in the network, modern and GSMA compliant platform offering real-time access to data and flexibility to integrate the solution with custom APIs will make Airtel Business stand out in the market.”

The AIS140 solution has already been tested and adopted by some companies in the industry like Lumax ITuran, Loconav and e-Trans.