Indian multi-service operator Bharti Airtel has received a Facilities-Based Operator (FBO) licence in Singapore allowing it to offer domestic and international voice and data services. The licence was awarded to subsidiary Bharti Airtel (Singapore). A company officer said, ‘The FBO licence is an important step in meeting customers’ complete global communication needs.’ Bharti Airtel will set up a point of presence (PoP) in Singapore, enabling it to connect its cables to those of other service providers and to provide connections for local carriers.
At present, multi-cable systems such as Network i2i, SE-ME-WE-4, Asia-America Gateway, APCN2, EAC and C2C all connect at Singapore, making the country the interconnection hub for Airtel’s traffic between India and over 90 countries around the world. Bharti Airtel is indirectly 31%-owned by Singapore Telecom (SingTel).