No network? This Mumbai based startup allows you to download movies and stream your favorite apps

As the world moves towards remote work and hybrid communication, it is very important to have an internet connection that works without any network issues. Imagine for a second you were transposed into the karmic driven world of Earl, OTT and Food Delivery.

This is the purpose Rohit Paranjpe paved the way for the launch of Sugarbox in Mumbai in 2016. That’s one Hyperlocal Data Distribution and Discovery Initial or Content Distribution Network (CDN) It enables users to have unrestricted access to applications in bad or off-network locations, and empowers users with no internet connection to use the application.

It does this Installing Data Caching Servers With key users in key POIs (places of interest), and where there is an initiative to use digital services. These include public transportation, intercity buses, slums and rural areas, hotels and co-spaces, malls, hospitals, restaurants and bars, residential and corporate buildings. The user can access the server on the local WiFi network.

Currently, Sugarbox has over 200 POIs in 9 cities.

How the Sugarbox works

“Sugarbox was started in the context of my experience operating the OTT service and the issues people face regarding data reliability and affordability. For a short time, Geo solved that problem. But since data connectivity is a global problem, we naturally know that something fundamentally needs to change to solve it in an economically viable and sustainable way, ”says Rohit. Your story.

The team developed a prototype similar to the one used on a Jet Airways flight in 2016, and undertook a pilot project at Mumbai’s Goregaon railway station.

“Statistics are unimaginable, people consume 21GB of data per week, some users ingested 200 movies on stage in 15 days! That’s when we found out we were in for something exciting,” says Rohit.

He explains that they saw the Internet as a licensed, limited and expensive resource that seemed to be the root cause of all the problems. And so on The team tried to find a way to reduce internet bandwidth without reducing usage.

Simply put, if Netflix had been there three decades ago and you were streaming a movie in your office in Mumbai, the file would have been streamed to you from a server in the United States. A CDN was invented in the late ’90s, and today, that file is magically stored (or cached) in a server in Mumbai (mostly on a server near you), ”explains Rohit

Makes the Sugarbox file available on a server installed in your office building so it can be streamed using the local area network in your office. It can be used by any user in residential building, hotel, mall, plane, train, bus etc.

The team first had to resolve a number of utility events that had not been done before. Since then, the team has struggled with environmental-level challenges, including Android fragmentation and OS limitations.

“After that, we ran into hardware failures and external hardware issues in production environments and many more. It may seem like a clich, but we thought outside the box, collaborated, and finally overcame them by using our determination and determination. Says Rohit.

Internet at all times

Based on user request, The Sugarbox Edge temporarily stores relevant data for CDN-supported applications and services, which are then delivered to the user over a local area network. As a result, users can access these applications and services at high speeds and without compatible data charges.

“For applications and services that are not supported by Sugarbox, the user continues to use an existing Internet connection or mobile data connection. As a result, the Sugarbox CDN will be able to release significant bandwidth over the existing Internet connection, making overall Internet access faster and cheaper for the user, ”says Rohit.

If you lose the connection to the Sugarbox Edge CDN (bad network areas / areas without network), the user will still have access to the applications and services that support the Sugarbox CDN, the data for which is already available on the Sugarbox Edge.

This is possible by using Edge computing to copy the functions required for the application / service from the cloud. As a result, in addition to providing application data, Sugarbox can also provide customized APIs, encryption keys, tariff processing, and ad distribution for applications to operate.

Similarly, for a user who does not have an active internet connection, access to Sugarbox is free, allowing the Sugarbox user to use all CDN-backed applications without incurring any data charges or purchasing the Internet package. The user has to pay in the event that they want to make a transaction in a particular application or access the premium service.

Team and investment

Rohit was introduced to Ripunjai Pararia through a mutual friend. Co-founder and CDO at Suckbox He is an expert in this field and has decades of experience working in the fields of information technology, internet and telecommunications. The current team consists of 115 people.

The main team includes Ashish Kulshresh, Business Leader and Product Leader Prideesh Malde – who has a proven track record in conceptualizing, conceptualizing and scaling new products in the P2B and P2C domains.

Ishan Chaudhry, Leaders Strategy and Development; Rupa Sinha, Brand Head; Viswanath Kulkarni, chairman of Network Rollout; And Ayush Sinha, Chairman H.R..

Sugarbox is a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (JIL), which acquired an 80 per cent stake in the company in April 2017 for Rs 75 crore. In April 2020, GEE pledged to invest an additional Rs 522 crore in Sugarbox over the next two years. Three years.

Market and the future

With more people jumping on the digital bandwagon – with more than 500 million internet users, CDN companies are growing fast in India. A Zion Market Research Report The total market is expected to grow by 12.5 percent CAGR between 2019 and 2025. Some of the key players are CloudFair, Fastley, Stack Bath and Velosix to name a few.

The Sugarbox Group seeks to enhance public transport improvements across India, including the full-scale implementation of Indian Railways, which is used across other major metro networks and bus networks in the country; Rural and Urban Public WiFi Development, Home Sugarbox, Office and Other P2B POIs and International Expansion

“The company has been active in reflecting the Sugarbox model globally, with a two-pronged strategy.