Broadband
Sterlite unveils smarter optical tech & FTTH solutions at Anga Com ’17
MUMBAI: Sterlite Tech, an end-to-end global technology leader in smarter digital networks, has unveiled new optical communication technologies and integrated capabilities in designing, building and managing smarter digital networks at Anga Com 2017.
As partners to global telecom operators in Europe, Middle East, Latin America and Asian markets, Sterlite Tech has a focused business spanning smarter products, services and software solutions with operators in more than 100 countries. The new customised, high-quality smarter network introductions this year include:
FTTX Smarter Network Kit: Released by Susanne Stengade, CEO, 6X International, Denmark, Sterlite Tech’s highly reliable FTTX Smarter Network Kit addresses the needs of customers by providing fastest connectivity to the last-mile revenue-generating users in hours, instead of days. The solution is based on the simple approach of plug-and-play, with highest reliability and performance.
Indicium Lite Cable: Launched by Sean Pillans, Head of Access Engineering, Liberty Global, Indicium Lite Cable is suitable for outdoor FTTH deployments in less densely populated areas. The small inner modules in the cable are designed to be cut at one point in the network and retracted to another, where these can be fed or blown through microducts, directly to the customer premises. This solution helps in efficient deployment with zero fibre cuts.
Atlas Lite Cable: Unveiled by Christian Aasheim, CEO, Melbye Skandinavia AS, Atlas Lite Cable features ultra-compact, light-weight cable designs, containing maximised fibre capacity. This product family is versatile and finds application across access, FTTX, Drop and/or fibre to the desk links. These cables can be blown using compressed air in pre-installed micro ducts for long distance links.
Olympus Lite Cable: Launched by Luca Facchinetti, Director, Metallurgica Bresciana, Italy, this cable is suitable for hazardous or heavy construction zones including heavy traffic area, wind farm developments, pipelines, oil and gas fields, heavy industrial sites and a variety of additional harsh environments. Mainly used for Metro rail/Railway networks which employ products complying with major industry standards including BS EN 50200, BS 8434-2:2003. This product has safety at its core and meets the customer’s individual specification safety like data transmission security by maintaining circuit integrity under fire conditions, withstanding ultra-high temperatures and long service life.
Highlighting the new launches at Anga Com, Sterlite Tech CTO Dr Badri Gomatam said, “Our new products and solutions have been designed and developed in close engagement with all our key customers and considering their requirements for smarter network technologies that address the growing demands for higher bandwidth and last-mile connectivity.”
Sterlite Tech head – global sales – telecom products Ankit Agarwal said, “With our integrated knowledge and expertise in designing, building and managing smarter digital networks, we are partnering leading global telecom service providers and municipalities to realise the European Commission’s aggressive targets to create a Gigabit society through ultra-fast internet access by 2025. With our innovative and future-proof range of fibre connectivity solutions, telecom operators and ISPs can realise this vision, and enable smarter network roll-out in Europe and other geographies.”
Broadband
Tejas Networks names Arnob Roy as MD and CEO, overhauls top leadership team
The Bengaluru-based telecom gear maker reshuffles its entire top team even as quarterly revenue collapses by 83 per cent
BENGALURU: Tejas Networks is changing the guard at the top, and doing so at speed. The Bengaluru-headquartered telecom equipment maker has elevated Arnob Roy as managing director and chief executive officer, effective April 15, 2026, for a term running through to August 3, 2028, and in the same breath announced new appointments across operations and finance. The timing is pointed: the company is navigating one of the roughest patches in its recent history.
Roy steps up from his role as executive director and chief operating officer, a position he has held since March 2019. He brings more than three decades of experience in the high-technology sector across research and development, operations, and sales. His predecessor, Anand Athreya, resigned last year citing personal reasons and was relieved on June 20, 2025, leaving a gap at the top that has now been formally filled.
The numbers Roy inherits are sobering. Tejas posted a net loss of Rs 211.3 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, a near-194 per cent widening year on year from Rs 71.8 crore in the same period a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter collapsed 82.6 per cent year on year to Rs 333 crore, down from Rs 1,907 crore. EBITDA swung to a loss of Rs 118.2 crore against a profit of Rs 121.5 crore a year ago. The culprit is not hard to identify: Tejas has derived the bulk of its revenue from BSNL’s fourth-generation network project, delivered as part of a Tata Consultancy Services-driven consortium, and that roll-out is now winding down.
Roy, speaking during a post-earnings conference call with analysts, was candid about where the company has been. “The BSNL 4G network went live across 100,000 sites. We deployed our largest indigenous router networks in the country through the BSNL MAN network, as well as in the BharatNet Phase 3 network,” he said, adding that Tejas had also successfully rolled out its 400G and 800G DWDM equipment in domestic and international markets, and continued the deployment of what it describes as the world’s largest satellite IoT network through its vehicle tracking system solution.
The pivot to new revenue streams is already under way. Tejas has partnered with Japan’s Rakuten Symphony and NEC Corporation to push deeper into international markets, with several Open Radio Access Network trials ongoing, one of which concluded recently. The company is also diversifying across equipment categories and geographies to sustain momentum as the BSNL chapter closes.
To prosecute that strategy, Roy needs a full team around him. Preetham Uthaiah has been appointed chief operating officer, moving up from his current role as vice president of product management for wireless products at Tejas Networks. Uthaiah brings nearly 30 years of global experience spanning engineering, product management, and business development across India and the United States. Before joining Tejas Networks, he served as executive vice president of product management, marketing, and strategy at Saankhya Labs, and held senior roles at Tech Mahindra on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University and a degree in electronics and communications from Karnatak University.
On the finance front, AVS Prasad has been approved as chief financial officer, effective May 16, 2026, succeeding Sumit Dhingra, who has resigned. Prasad, currently serving as finance controller at Tejas Networks, brings over 27 years of experience within the Tata Group across telecom, aerostructures, and defence. A company secretary and cost and management accountant by training, he has spent more than 15 years in senior finance roles including CFO and financial controller positions, with expertise spanning corporate finance, treasury management, regulatory compliance, internal audit, and governance.
New chief executive, new chief operating officer, new chief financial officer — all installed in a single move, at a moment when the company’s largest revenue source is drying up and the next chapter remains unwritten. Tejas Networks has placed its bets. Now it has to deliver.
