Beyond the Established Names: Why IO by HFCL Deserves a Place on the GCC Technology Shortlist

For many organisations, the shortlist for an enterprise networking tender can become almost automatic.

There are good reasons for that. Established manufacturers bring familiar technology, large installed bases, mature channels and extensive reference customers. For mission-critical infrastructure, familiarity has value.

But there is also a reason to periodically ask whether the shortlist itself is keeping pace with the market.

India is undergoing an important transition. Already recognised globally for software, IT services and technical talent, it is increasingly developing and exporting its own telecommunications and networking technology — backed by Indian R&D, intellectual property and manufacturing capability.

IO by HFCL is part of that story.

The IO name may still be relatively new to many GCC CIOs, CTOs, consultants and procurement teams. The engineering capability behind it is not.

That creates a simple proposition for technology decision makers in the Gulf.

IO does not need to be selected because it is new. But it has reached the point where it deserves the opportunity to compete.

A New Networking Brand With a Much Older Technology Story

HFCL launched its IO networking brand in 2019, initially covering WiFi access points, unlicensed-band radios and network-management technology.

HFCL itself came to that market with decades of experience in telecommunications infrastructure, equipment and optical fibre. The creation of IO represented part of a wider evolution: from telecommunications infrastructure and manufacturing towards developing more of the products, software and intellectual property that sit within modern communications networks.

There was an important distinction from the outset.

HFCL stated when launching IO that the solutions had been designed, developed and manufactured in India, with the associated intellectual property owned by the company in India.

That makes the story considerably more interesting than simply where the equipment is manufactured.

It is about where the technology is being created.

From ‘Made in India’ to ‘Make in India for the World’

HFCL’s ambitions for IO quickly extended beyond its domestic market.

When it introduced its WiFi 6 portfolio using Qualcomm technology platforms, HFCL described its strategy as “Make-in-India for the World.”

The phrase captures a wider change taking place in Indian technology.

India provides an enormous domestic telecommunications market in which companies can develop products, build engineering capability, manufacture at scale and gain experience in demanding deployments. Increasingly, the opportunity is to take that capability into international markets.

IO moved quickly in that direction.

HFCL reported shipping more than 150,000 IO units within the brand’s first 12 months. The portfolio subsequently expanded across wireless access, switching, wireless backhaul and software-based network management.

It also moved quickly through successive technology generations. HFCL expanded into WiFi 6 and subsequently into WiFi 7, while also participating in open-networking initiatives.

For a relatively young networking brand, the trajectory matters.

IO is not being positioned simply as a lower-cost version of yesterday’s enterprise networking technology. HFCL’s stated ambition is to build Indian-developed networking technology capable of competing internationally.

Why the GCC Is a Natural Market for the Next Phase

For Northstar Telecom Solutions, there is another important part of the story: the relationship between India and the Gulf.

The connection is hardly new. India and the Gulf have centuries of commercial and human ties across the Arabian Sea. But those relationships are now being reinforced by increasingly formal economic integration.

In February 2026, India and the GCC signed Terms of Reference and subsequently a Joint Statement formally launching negotiations for a comprehensive India-GCC Free Trade Agreement.

That sits alongside increasingly deep bilateral economic relationships between India and individual Gulf states.

A trade agreement does not, of course, make one networking platform better than another. Technology still has to stand on its engineering, performance and commercial merits.

But the direction of travel is significant.

At the same time that GCC economies are investing heavily in digital infrastructure, India is increasingly seeking to export its own technology, engineering and intellectual property.

And geography still matters, even in a digital industry.

India and the Gulf are relatively close geographically, operate within closely aligned working hours and have extensive transport, commercial and human connections. Manufacturer executives, engineering resources and technical expertise can therefore be relatively close to GCC customers and partners.

For an Indian technology company with global ambitions, the Gulf is not simply another export territory.

It is a natural neighbouring market.

What Does IO by HFCL Actually Offer?

For a decision maker encountering IO for the first time, the technology proposition needs to be clear.

IO is no longer simply an access-point brand. Its portfolio now extends across several important layers of enterprise and service-provider networking.

Enterprise WiFi 6 and WiFi 7

IO offers indoor and outdoor enterprise access points across WiFi 6 and WiFi 7, providing options for offices, campuses, hospitality, education, public venues, industrial environments and outdoor networks.

The relevance of WiFi 7 is not that every new network automatically requires it. Many organisations will continue to find WiFi 6 entirely appropriate.

The value is choice: organisations can evaluate current requirements, device populations, density and expected network lifecycle and decide where the additional capabilities of WiFi 7 justify deployment.

Enterprise and Industrial Network Switching

Behind the wireless network is a portfolio of managed switching, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 and PoE-capable solutions.

This allows IO to address more of the network than the wireless access layer alone, including the switching infrastructure providing connectivity and power to access points, cameras and other network devices.

The portfolio also extends into switching intended for more demanding environments, making the proposition relevant beyond conventional offices and branches.

P2P and P2MP Wireless Backhaul

One of the more distinctive parts of HFCL’s networking heritage is its unlicensed-band radio technology.

IO offers both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless solutions for high-capacity links between locations and distributed endpoints. Its P2P portfolio extends into multi-gigabit capability, while P2MP provides a different architecture for connecting multiple remote locations from a central point.

For GCC projects, that creates interesting options for campuses, industrial facilities, hospitality developments, remote infrastructure and other environments where extending fibre can involve significant civil works, time or cost.

Wireless backhaul does not eliminate the need for fibre.

It provides another way to design the network.

IO Canvas Network Management

IO Canvas provides the common management layer for IO’s wired and wireless infrastructure.

The platform centrally configures, monitors and troubleshoots access points and switches and can be deployed through public cloud, private cloud or on-premises environments.

Its AI capabilities provide real-time network insights, anomaly detection, root-cause identification and recommendations intended to help network teams identify and resolve problems more efficiently.

For distributed organisations, that operational layer can become as important as the individual pieces of hardware being managed.

Taken together, the proposition now spans:

WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 → enterprise and industrial switching → P2P/P2MP wireless backhaul → centralised network management.

That breadth changes how IO can be evaluated.

It is increasingly possible to consider it not simply as an alternative access-point manufacturer, but as an alternative networking platform.

There Is More to Evaluate Than the Hardware

Another interesting part of the IO story is its engagement with open networking.

HFCL has participated in the Telecom Infra Project’s OpenWiFi ecosystem and developed networking products around open and interoperable approaches.

That does not mean an open architecture is automatically right for every organisation.

But it does raise a legitimate strategic question.

Enterprise networking has historically included architectures where hardware, software, management and support become closely tied to one vendor ecosystem. As networks become larger and more software-driven, organisations are increasingly interested in interoperability, integration and the degree of flexibility they retain over the life of the infrastructure.

That makes architecture — not simply hardware specification — an increasingly important part of a technology tender.

And it reinforces why an additional platform can be useful in an evaluation.

New to the GCC Does Not Mean Unproven

One of the obvious questions about any challenger brand is risk.

That question should be asked.

But there is an important difference between a company developing its first networking product and an established telecommunications technology company introducing a newer brand into an international market.

HFCL has already deployed networking technology at substantial scale.

Its unlicensed-band radio technology, for example, has been used for carrier and broadband connectivity as well as enterprise applications. HFCL has developed indigenous multi-gigabit UBR technology and has secured significant orders for wireless backhaul infrastructure.

The company has similarly built deployment experience around its WiFi portfolio.

That does not remove the need for technical evaluation, references, proof of concept or normal procurement due diligence.

Quite the opposite.

A challenger should be tested.

The argument is simply that IO has developed far enough for that testing to be worthwhile.

The Challenger Has to Earn Its Place

The established enterprise networking manufacturers have substantial advantages.

They have mature product portfolios, enormous installed bases, well-developed channels and brands that technology decision makers already know.

A newer entrant should not be given a place simply because it is new or because buyers want another name on a spreadsheet.

It has to earn its place technically and commercially.

But competition also works best when credible challengers are allowed into the process.

Introducing another technology platform into an RFP gives a decision maker another architecture to examine, another commercial model to compare and another benchmark against which incumbent proposals can be measured.

Sometimes the challenger will win.

Sometimes the established vendor will remain the better solution.

There is value in either outcome if the comparison has been rigorous.

And sometimes the most useful result of inviting a new vendor is simply discovering what the market is now capable of offering.

Why Northstar Telecom Solutions Is Bringing IO to the GCC

Northstar Telecom Solutions became the GCC regional distributor for IO by HFCL because we believe the proposition has reached an interesting point in its development.

A new generation of Indian technology is moving into international markets. The economic relationship between India and the Gulf is deepening. At the same time, GCC organisations continue to make substantial investments in enterprise networks, campuses, hospitality, industrial connectivity and wider digital infrastructure.

IO sits at the intersection of those developments.

Northstar’s role is to provide the regional bridge between HFCL’s technology capability and the organisations evaluating it.

We work through a family of in-country partners across the GCC, combining local customer relationships and deployment capability with regional product expertise, solution development, presales support and access back into HFCL.

For a customer or consultant, that means IO can be approached in the same way as any serious technology proposition: define the requirement, develop the architecture, evaluate the products, test where appropriate and compare the result.

Perhaps the First Decision Is Who Gets Invited

For a CIO, CTO, consultant or procurement team preparing the next enterprise WiFi refresh, campus network, hospitality deployment, industrial connectivity project or wider network modernisation, the first decision does not need to be whether IO by HFCL should replace an incumbent manufacturer.

There is a much simpler question:

Should IO be invited to compete?

A tender provides the environment in which the technology can be properly examined.

Compare the architecture.

Compare the specifications.

Compare the management platform.

Compare the support model.

Compare the commercial proposition.

And where the project justifies it, run a proof of concept.

IO may still be a relatively new name on many GCC technology shortlists. Behind that name, however, is established telecommunications engineering, Indian-developed intellectual property, manufacturing capability and an increasingly broad networking portfolio.

That is enough to justify a serious evaluation.

You don’t have to decide today that IO by HFCL should win your next technology tender.

Just make sure it has the opportunity to compete.

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Frequently Asked Questions About IO by HFCL

What is IO by HFCL?

IO is the networking technology brand of HFCL. The portfolio includes enterprise WiFi access points, network switching, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint unlicensed-band radios and network-management technology.

Is IO by HFCL an Indian technology brand?

Yes. HFCL launched IO in India in 2019 and stated that its original IO solutions were designed, developed and manufactured in India, with the associated intellectual property owned by the company in India. HFCL has subsequently described its international strategy as “Make-in-India for the World.”

Does IO by HFCL offer WiFi 7?

Yes. IO’s portfolio extends across WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 enterprise access points, including indoor and outdoor networking solutions. The appropriate technology depends on the application, client estate, capacity requirements and expected lifecycle of the network.

Does IO by HFCL offer enterprise network switches?

Yes. IO offers managed network switching, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 and PoE-capable solutions for enterprise and other networking environments.

Does IO by HFCL offer point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless?

Yes. HFCL has a substantial unlicensed-band radio portfolio covering P2P and P2MP connectivity. These solutions can provide wireless backhaul, last-mile connectivity and links between buildings or distributed locations, either independently or alongside fibre infrastructure.

What is IO Canvas?

IO Canvas is HFCL’s AI-powered network-management platform. It provides centralised configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting for IO access points and switches, with public-cloud, private-cloud and on-premises deployment options and AI-assisted network analytics.

Is IO by HFCL available in the GCC?

Yes. Northstar Telecom Solutions is the GCC regional distributor for IO by HFCL and works with in-country partners to develop and support opportunities across Gulf markets.

Can IO by HFCL participate in GCC enterprise technology tenders?

Yes. Organisations, consultants, systems integrators and procurement teams can engage Northstar Telecom Solutions and its in-country partners to evaluate IO by HFCL for relevant networking requirements, including solution development, technical evaluation, proof-of-concept activity and tender participation.

The objective is not to assume IO should win.

It is to make sure a credible new technology choice gets the opportunity to compete.