Broadband
WiFi-enabled device sales expected to grow 8% in 2019: Report
MUMBAI: Over 204 million Wifi-enabled consumer devices were sold last year by India and in 2019, an 8 per cent growth is expected to touch 221 million units, according to a report by techArc.
According to the report, with 65 per cent contribution in the total sales, mobile phones have become the most-used Wifi-enabled devices. 23 per cent is expected to be contributed by feature phones, followed by 4 per cent and less to PCs and others.
During the year 2018, all WiFi-enabled devices sold were based on WiFi 4 or WiFi 5 standards. 31.39 per cent of WiFi 5 was sold by the country whereas 68.61 per cent of WiFi 4 standard was sold in the previous year.
In the future, the country will see WiFi of 6th standard which will be supported by the flagship smartphones. It is expected that with more flagships being launched supporting this standard, the actual enablement would happen only in the first quarter of 2020.
techARC founder and chief analyst Faisal Kawoosa said, “The future lies in wireless high-speed connectivity and WiFi offers one of the most reliable and affordable alternatives to it. We have seen so far WiFi enablement through legacy IT and communications devices like laptops, routers and smartphones. This is now shifting to other consumer electronics like TVs, lighting, ACs, and refrigerators.”
The report also added that the Indian market will move towards WiFi 5 in 2019 and it’s expected that the contribution of WiFi 5 devices will more than double by the year end owing to expected growth in Smart TVs including streaming devices as well as other homes automation or smart devices leveraging WiFi connectivity.
Broadband
ACT Fibernet elevates Aditya Singh to chief customer experience officer
Former senior vp to drive service, retention and delivery revamp
BENGALURU: ACT Fibernet has elevated Aditya Singh to chief customer experience officer, effective 1 January, 2026, as the broadband provider seeks to tighten its grip on service quality in an increasingly competitive market.
Singh, who previously served as senior vice-president – customer experience and loyalty at group level, will now join the executive committee and lead the company’s end-to-end customer transformation agenda.
The move gives him oversight of customer service, customer retention and service delivery, alongside a broader mandate to strengthen network resilience and field operations. The company said the reshuffle underlines its intent to deliver a “consistent, seamless and superior” experience to its 2.3m subscribers across more than 30 cities.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, ACT Fibernet, the consumer-facing brand of Atria Convergence Technologies Limited, is one of India’s largest wired internet service providers. It has built its pitch on high-speed connectivity and responsive customer support, at a time when fibre roll-outs and price wars are redrawing the broadband map.
In a statement, Singh said he was “deeply honoured” to take on the expanded brief and join the executive committee as the company sharpens its focus on simplifying customer touchpoints and turning subscribers into brand advocates.
The elevation signals a clear priority: in a crowded fibre market, customer experience is fast becoming the decisive battleground.
