Airtel is collaborating with Meta to invest in connectivity infrastructure such as subsea cable systems, according to a press release issued by the company. Moreover, India’s second-largest telco is also integrating Meta’s WhatsApp within its CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) platform. Understanding the integration: Airtel IQ is a CPaaS platform offered by Airtel to businesses through which they can manage their communication with customers across voice, SMS, and video channels under one roof. The integration will allow businesses using Airtel IQ to communicate with their customers over WhatsApp. Why it matters: The details of this collaboration are unclear but being able to offer WhatsApp on its CPaaS platform will help Airtel leverage Meta’s expertise given the company’s global footprint. The collaboration will also allow Airtel to shore up its 5G network as the network is likely to benefit from subsea cable systems. Moreover, the collaboration will help Meta make further inroads into India’s communications sector as the company has already picked up a nine percent stake in Reliance Jio in the past. What else was announced: Airtel said that it will partner with Meta and STC to extend the 2Africa Pearls cable system to India. “Airtel and Meta will extend the cable to Airtel’s landing station in Mumbai and also pick up dedicated capacity to further strengthen its submarine network portfolio,” the release said. What is 2Africa: It is the world’s longest subsea cable system which claims to provide internet connectivity to nearly three billion people. Airtel also announced that it…
