USTDA Feasibility Study in Rural India

Of India’s 1.4 billion people, it is estimated that roughly 2/3rds of the population lives in rural areas (~900M). Due to the higher poverty in rural areas, there is also less internet connectivity in these areas.  For mobile broadband for example, it is estimated that market penetration in rural areas is only 29% versus a national average of 51%. Despite the slow speeds, India has a huge demand for connectivity. The country has the highest mobile data consumption rate in the world at 12 GB per user per month, and this figure is expected to double to nearly 25 GB per person a month by 2025.

In light of the potential of connecting rural communities, the Vernonburg Group is partnering with Rural Broadband Pvt. Ltd. (“RBB”) operating under the brand name, “AirJaldi Networks”, to develop a business strategy to achieve AirJaldi’s expansion goals over the next five years from covering 22 million people in 2022 to covering 176 million by 2027, and simultaneously expanding its high-margin productivity services tailored to businesses, such as cloud services, etc.

The Vernonburg Group is supporting AirJaldi networks through:

• Advising on a financing plan and business strategy to aid in AirJaldi’s need for additional capital;

• Assessing AirJaldi’s wireless and fiber networks and identifying gaps and recommendations;

• Creating a plan to prepare for AirJaldi’s expansion, covering elements such as legal and regulatory review, human resources review, and a scalable marketing plan;

• Leading market research in potential Indian states where AirJaldi seeks to expand;

• Creating and consolidating tools for the company to better manage its finance, operations and technical challenges.