India's BSNL expands global data roaming coverage with Syniverse

NEW DELHI: The US-based company Syniverse has said that it has signed a multiyear agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to expand its global data roaming capability through the Syniverse GRX Network Solution, INPack.

BSNL is an Indian state-owned telecommunications company headquartered in New Delhi.

The agreement builds on a long relationship between the two companies and will enable BSNL to expand its reach through a single-connection system to data roaming with mobile operators worldwide.

“The surge in data demand driven by smart devices has transformed the mobile world, and made connectivity more crucial than ever before for users who leave home,” said R.K. Mittal Director (CM), BSNL.

“Through one agreement and one connection, the Syniverse GRX Network Solution enables us to provide our customers with comprehensive data roaming coverage around the world while significantly streamlining our technical implementation and infrastructure cost,” said Mittal.

As the world’s second-largest mobile market, India offers a significant opportunity for data roaming. More than 900 million people have a mobile subscription, yet less than 120 million have smartphones, pointing to a tremendous growth opportunity for increasing data use.

With the scalability of the Syniverse GRX Network Solution, users gain the benefit of seamless access to their data network when they roam nationally and internationally, regardless of their operators’ roaming partner networks. In addition to providing the reach and capabilities their subscribers demand, operators gain the benefit of quicker implementation of roaming services and reduced cost and time to market.

The agreement expands on a 10-year-plus relationship between BSNL and Syniverse that includes the use of a number of Syniverse services critical to making roaming work. BSNL currently integrates Syniverse’s Data Clearing House, Financial Clearing, Near Real-Time Roaming Data Exchange, Global Number Portability and Messaging services.

“By offering a single-solution approach to roaming, we enable our customers to migrate easily and cost-efficiently,” said Sanjay Kasturia, Vice President and Managing Director, Sales, India, Syniverse.

“We look forward to expanding BSNL’s reach and ability to deliver seamless data roaming to its customers while preparing the operator for advanced IP-based multimedia service features, such as voice and video over LTE,” said Kasturi.

Syniverse’s announcement builds on a string of roaming services deals and accomplishments that the company has announced over the past year.

In May, Syniverse enabled South Korea’s LG Uplus to launch the world’s first commercial VoLTE (Voice over LTE) roaming service, and, in February, Syniverse contributed to a major industry milestone by enabling a U.S. operator and a Japanese operator to implement the world’s first transoceanic VoLTE roaming call.

Also, Syniverse recently announced that it is providing Roshan, Afghanistan’s largest telecommunications company, with predictive analytic solutions that protect the company against the latest forms of mobile fraud and optimize its revenue flow.