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Fixed wireless access gets strong signal in India's rural heartland

Fixed wireless access gets strong signal in India's rural heartland

Jio had about 44% of its subscriber base in rural parts by March
Surajeet Das Gupta New Delhi
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Rural consumers in India are taking to fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband service in a big way, altering the perception that it is a premium service that mostly urban households, especially in big cities and metros, can afford.
According to the latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Reliance Jio, the largest player in FWA, at the end of March this year had as much as 44 per cent (2.5 million) of its subscribers in rural areas. It has 5.57 million in all.
Jio has 82 per cent of FWA subscribers, with the rest being with Airtel, which

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