Vi 4G expansion: Prose Technologies to close 4G antenna supply deal with Vi in a month

Telecom gear maker Prose Technologies is in advanced stages of discussion with Vodafone Idea and expects to close the antenna supply deal within a month, a senior official of the company said.

Prose Technologies President for India Region, Arshad Fakhri, told PTI at the India Mobile Congress that the company expects current 4G expansion by all three operators - Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea  followed by 5G will drive the company's growth in the country.

"We are in the final stages of discussions with Vodafone Idea and we expect to close the deal at the earliest. The shipments have to start by the end of this month or early next month," Fakhri said.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has awarded a Rs 30,000 crore contract to Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for expanding its 4G and 5G network over a period of the next three years.

Fakhri said Prose Technologies deal is limited to mobile antennas which is closing with companies product by product basis.

"Most of the supplies to Vi will be made in India," he said.

Prose Technologies has set up a manufacturing unit in Pune.

Fakhri said that Prose expects to grow in the range of 10-12 per cent year-on-year over the next three years.

"We expect to clock USD 80 million (about Rs 670 crore) in the current financial year," he said.

Fakhri said that the next generation of telecom networks will be dominated by artificial intelligence workload which is fueling demand for green antennas.

He said that the company has for the first time introduced green Protreem antennas that work at 85 per cent efficiency level compared to legacy antennas that operate at 65 per cent efficiency.

"The demand for green antennas is high in Western countries, especially Europe. It is being sold at a premium of 25 per cent compared to traditional antennas.

"We expect the volumes in Europe will bring economies of scale to the product that will lower the price of green antennas to a level which will suit the cost economics of Indian telecom operators," Fakhri said.

He said the Indian telecom operators have been very supportive of the idea of green technologies and Prose may start seeing revenue coming from them in the next 6-12 months.