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Tata Sky Platform Changes to Now Include Sports Channels
Bharti Infratel Inches Ahead on Indus Tower Merger
GIC, Brookfield Infrasturcture Completely Acquire Reliance Jio Tower Portfolio
HSBC Users Eligible for 10% Earnings on JioFiber Recharge and New Installation
AGR Case: SC Asks Telcos to Clear the Dues in Next 10 Years
MediaTek Helio G95 SoC Announced as a Successor to Helio G90T
Samsung Leads the Premium Smartphone Segment in India with 37% Share in H1 2020: CMR
New JioFiber Plans Carry 3.3TB Monthly FUP Limit Same as Airtel Xstream Fiber

Tata Sky Platform Changes to Now Include Sports Channels

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 07:02 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/tatasky-platform-changes-sports-channels/294180/, Tata Sky Platform Changes to Now Include Sports Channels

Tata Sky, the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) operator in India said that multiple sports channels and a regional channel on its platform will undergo electronic programming guide (EPG) number revision on September 4, 2020. The company said that the channels that are set to be impacted by the EPG revisions include multiple regional feeds of the Star Sports 1 channel and Seithigal channel. The development is on the heels of the operator earlier announcing that EPG numbers of 11 channels including 10 English entertainment and one Hindi news channel would undergo a revision on September 2.

Star Sports Regional Channels to Undergo Revision on Tata Sky

Tata Sky said that the Star Sports 1 Bangla will undergo revision from its existing EPG of 1323 to its new EPG of 1450. The Star Sports 1 Telugu channel will be revised to 1446 from its existing EPG of 1421.

Further, the DTH operator said that Star Sports 1 Tamil channel will undergo revision from its EPG of 1516 to its new EPG of 1551. The Star Sports 1 Kannada channel will be revised to 1645 from its existing EPG of 1638.

Additionally, the company said that the Seithigal TV, a Tamil news channel will be revised from its existing EPG of 1551 to its new EPG of 1563.

Tata Sky said that the EPG revisions of the five channels will be effective from 12 AM on September 4, 2020.

Tata Sky to Revise EPG Numbers of 11 Channels on September 2

The DTH operator earlier said that the EPG numbers of 11 channels including Star World, Star World Premiere HD, Zee Cafe, Colors Infinity and Comedy Central would be revised on its platform. The EPG revisions on the 10 English entertainment genre channels and one Hindi News channel are said to be made effective on September 2, 2020 at 12 AM.

The EPG numbers revision on the Tata Sky platform was earlier reported to have been scheduled for October 2019, however, the DTH operator is said to have pushed the EPG revisions to 2020.

Original article: Tata Sky Platform Changes to Now Include Sports Channels

Bharti Infratel Inches Ahead on Indus Tower Merger

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 05:27 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bharti-infratel-indus-tower-merger-status/294128/, Bharti Infratel Inches Ahead on Indus Tower Merger

bharti-infratel-indus-towers-impact-vodafone-ideas

Vodafone Idea on Tuesday said that the company along with Vodafone Group, Bharti Airtel, Indus Towers and Bharti Infratel have agreed to move ahead with completion of the merger between Indus and Infratel. The company in an exchange filing on Tuesday provided the update on the Bharti Infratel and Indus Tower merger. The development would result in Vodafone Idea selling its 11.15% stake in Indus Towers for approximately Rs 4000 crores translating to US$551 million. The merger was initially announced in April 2018 with the combined company emerging as the "largest tower company in the world outside China."

Indus Towers and Bharti Infratel Merger Moves Ahead

However, Bharti Infratel had consistently extended the long-stop date for the merger with the company in late June announcing that the long-stop date had been extended to August 31, 2020.

Bharti Infratel in its exchange filing on Tuesday said that its board "decided to authorise the chairman to proceed" with the completion of the merger.

The company also highlighted that the Vodafone Group will hold 28.2% stake in the merged company while the current Infratel shareholders will hold 68.6% stake in the merged company.

It has to be noted that the Indus Towers is jointly owned by Bharti Infratel, Vodafone Idea and the UK based Vodafone Group. Bharti Infratel and Vodafone hold 42% stake each in the Indus Towers while Vodafone Idea group hold the 11.15% stake.

Indus Towers and Bharti Infratel Merger Subjected to NCLT Approval

It has been said that the merger is now subjected to the approval of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

"The Parties have agreed to take appropriate steps to progress the approvals for the merger, the completion of the merger shall be subject to receipt of all such approvals," Vodafone Idea said in its exchange filing. "The merger scheme shall become effective on the date on which certified copy of the order of Hon’ble NCLT is filed with [the] Registrar of Companies."

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Stock Exchange had earlier approved the proposed merger between Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers.

Original article: Bharti Infratel Inches Ahead on Indus Tower Merger

GIC, Brookfield Infrasturcture Completely Acquire Reliance Jio Tower Portfolio

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 03:59 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/gic-brookfield-reliance-jio-tower-portfolio/294104/, GIC, Brookfield Infrasturcture Completely Acquire Reliance Jio Tower Portfolio

GIC, a sovereign wealth fund established by the Government of Singapore on Tuesday said that it has acquired a 100% stake in a tower company from Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. The transaction from GIC was made alongside Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and other co-investors. GIC in return would receive a portfolio of around 135,000 communication towers across India forming the infrastructure backbone of Reliance Jio's telecommunications network. The transaction value is said to be approximately US$3.4 billion translating to just over Rs 25,000 crore.

Reliance Jio Tower Deal Initially Announced in Late 2019

GIC highlighted that "more towers are planned, increasing the total number of towers in the transaction perimeter to approximately 175,000" resulting in the creation of a "robust telecommunications" network across India.

"The portfolio offers resilient income and long-term value given India's attractive data demand growth outlook as 4G and smartphone penetration is still very low," Ang Eng Seng, chief investment officer of infrastructure for GIC, said in a release. "While we remain cautious in this period of high uncertainty, we continue to seek good, long-term opportunities in India."

GIC said that Reliance Jio is the anchor tenant of the tower portfolio under a 30-year Master Services Agreement resulting in a "secure, long-term source of revenues."

Crucially, GIC said that the towers were "recently constructed and strategically located" for cellular network coverage across India. It has to be noted that the Indian government in late June, 2020, sanctioned 54 Jio mobile towers targeted at "uncovered rural areas" across Ladakh region under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The 54 Jio mobile towers are said to be spread across four regions of Ladakh including the Nubra, Leh, Zanskar and Kargil.

In an exchange filing, Reliance Industries said that the "transaction has been completed after obtaining all regulatory approvals."

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners on Tuesday said that it will be investing US$600 million on its part into the transaction to acquire the Reliance Jio towers.

"We are pleased to have closed this transaction, which was one of our top priorities for 2020," Sam Pollock, CEO of Brookfield Infrastructure, said in a release. "The acquisition of this large-scale, high-quality telecom tower business significantly expands and diversifies our Data Infrastructure segment and competitively positions us in India's growing data industry."

The company said that the portfolio offers a platform for it to "capitalize on the rollout of 5G across the country, as the towers are largely connected by fiber backhaul."

Brookfield Infrastructure “Confident” About Data Growth in India

Reliance Industries in December 2019 initially announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners. The company said that the binding agreement is for an investment of Rs 25,215 crore.

"We are confident of Brookfield's abilities to manage this large portfolio of high-quality infrastructure assets and further enhancing value creation opportunities," Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, said in a release in December, 2019.

In early August 2020, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners said that it expected to "shortly" close its acquisition of 130,000 from Reliance Jio. Pollock in August said that the delays in getting the approvals were due to a "mix of a number of factors" including COVID-19. Further, Pollock said that the Indian market can "sometimes be less efficient from a regulatory perspective than others."

However, Pollock highlighted that the "wireless infrastructure will have to be used extensively" in India due to the low wireline penetration and that the ownership of Jio towers "positions" well for Brookfield Infrastructure.

Anuj Ranjan, managing partner and head of India and Middle East for Brookfield said in a release on Tuesday that the company is "confident" about the long-term prospects for "data sector growth in India."

"We are looking forward to continuing to work alongside Reliance, which has established itself as a leading telecom and technology company in India," Ranjan said in a release. "The recent investments by leading global technology companies and private equity investors in Jio is further testimony to the platform Reliance has built and their strength as our anchor tenant."

Original article: GIC, Brookfield Infrasturcture Completely Acquire Reliance Jio Tower Portfolio

HSBC Users Eligible for 10% Earnings on JioFiber Recharge and New Installation

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 02:10 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/hsbc-users-jiofiber-recharge-offer/294035/, HSBC Users Eligible for 10% Earnings on JioFiber Recharge and New Installation

Reliance Jio on Monday unveiled HSBC as its banking partner with the agreement between the firms enabling JioFiber users with HSBC credit cards to receive 10% cashback on recharge and installation. The operator in early August unveiled Citi as its banking partner enabling JioFiber users with Citi credit card and debit card to receive cashback on installation and recharge. While the partnership with Citi was initially said to be valid till August 31, 2020, Reliance Jio on Tuesday highlighted that HSBC and Citi cashback deal would be valid till September 30, 2020.

HSBC Users can Receive up to Rs 1000 Cashback on Recharge and Installation

Reliance Jio said that the HSBC credit card users can receive 10% cashback, up to Rs 1000 on JioFiber recharge with the offer applicable to users recharging through the MyJio app. Further, the operator highlighted that the users who recharge on the dedicated recharge section on the Jio website using HSBC credit cards are also eligible for Rs 1000 cashback offer.

It is said that the users will be credited the cashback "within 60 days from the end of offer period" and that the users can receive the cashback once during the promotional period. Further, those users who have not repaid their minimum credit card payment dues within 30 days of their payment due date are said to be not eligible for the offer.

Similarly, the offer is also said to be applicable to those users utilising their HSBC credit card for the payment of new installation fees. The operator said that the users who pay for the JioFiber installation charges with their HSBC credit card on MyJio app or dedicated recharge section of Jio are also eligible for cashback offer.

Citi Credit and Debit Card Users can Receive up to Rs 1000 Cashback on Recharge and Installation

Meanwhile, Reliance Jio said that the Citi credit and debit card users are now eligible to receive up to Rs 1000 cashback on minimum transactional value of Rs 2000 and above. The operator said that the Citi debit and credit card users can receive the cashback on recharge and on the payment of JioFiber installation charges.

Reliance Jio said that the users will receive the cashback within 90 days from the transaction date. The offer would be valid to those who pay for the installation charges and recharge using the dedicated portal on the site or through the MyJio app.

It has to be noted that Reliance Jio in August offered 20% cashback but up to Rs 400 to those users who recharge or pay with their Citi cards.

Original article: HSBC Users Eligible for 10% Earnings on JioFiber Recharge and New Installation

AGR Case: SC Asks Telcos to Clear the Dues in Next 10 Years

Posted: 01 Sep 2020 12:38 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/telcos-agr-dues-clearance-ten-years/294050/, AGR Case: SC Asks Telcos to Clear the Dues in Next 10 Years

Hearing for AGR dues case has been going on for a few weeks now. But today, the Supreme Court has announced its verdict on how long the telcos will have to clear the dues. The SC had posed a lot of questions over the course of the hearing. Questions such as how will the telcos guarantee to pay the dues? Telecom companies wanted the spectrum they held to be considered as a security against dues or loans. This again became an issue for the DoT and the SC. Another question which was raised during the hearing was whether or not the telcos can sell the spectrum under IBC. But the answer to this question hasn’t been decided yet. the SC in the hearing today said that it will leave this decision to be made by NCLT.

Telcos Will Pay the Dues in 10 Years

The SC has given the telcos a time of 10 years to clear their remaining AGR dues. DoT had originally asked the SC for the time to be 20 years for the telcos to clear their dues while Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea Limited wanted it to be 15 years. But in the hearing today, SC has directed the telcos to pay all the dues within 10 years.

The apex court said that the 10 year period for payments will start from April 1, 2020. Telcos will have to pay the 10% amount upfront. In case any telco misses out on the date of payments, they will have to pay interests, penalty, and will also invite contempt of court. As for the sale of spectrum under IBC, SC said that it will leave the matter in the hands of NCLT. NCLT will decide as per law whether it can happen or not.

According to the DoT assessment, the total AGR dues that the telcos have to shell out is Rs 1.19 lakh crore. Out of which, Bharti Airtel owes Rs 43,989 crore, Tata Teleservices owes Rs 16,798 crore, and Vodafone Idea Limited owes Rs 58,254 crore. There are dues for insolvent companies as well. Videocon owes Rs 1,376 crore, Aircel owes Rs 12,289 crore, and Reliance Communications owes Rs 25,199 crore.

Original article: AGR Case: SC Asks Telcos to Clear the Dues in Next 10 Years

MediaTek Helio G95 SoC Announced as a Successor to Helio G90T

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 11:52 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/mediatek-helio-g95-chipset-announced/294041/, MediaTek Helio G95 SoC Announced as a Successor to Helio G90T

MediaTek today announced its most powerful chipset under the Helio G series. Dubbed as the MediaTek Helio G95, the chipset succeeds the Helio G90T which we have seen on several smartphones like the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Realme 6 and the Realme 6i. The Helio G95 SoC is a minor upgrade over the Helio G90T and we might see the Realme 7 sporting it as per various leaks and rumours. It will take on the Snapdragon 732G SoC that was launched yesterday and will be seen on the Poco X3. The Helio G95 chipset features enhanced MediaTek HyperEngine game technology, multi-camera support, improved connectivity, and AI Super-Resolution for video streams.

MediaTek Helio G95: Features Detailed

MediaTek Helio G95 is aimed at the premium 4G gaming smartphone segment. Starting with the hardware details, the Helio G95 uses two ARM Cortex-A76 cores operating up to 2.05 GHz along with six Cortex-A55 power-efficient cores. It also features an upgraded ARM Mali-G76 MC4 GPU, operating at up to 900 MHz.

MediaTek confirmed that the chip is also equipped with an always-on DSP with support for dual wake-up word detection which ensures seamless concurrence between two parallel Voice Wakeup (VoW) functions. The DSP minimises power consumption of applications such as the always-on Google Assistant and supports multiple keyword triggers and virtual assistants. Similar to the Helio G90T, the G95 also offers support for dual wake-up word.

Moving on, the chipset also has support for up to four cameras with an inbuilt AI processing unit (APU). The chipset also offers HDR10 support alongside supporting 90Hz screens.

MediaTek also stated the chipset comes with enhanced MediaTek HyperEngine Game Technology which features networking, rapid response, picture quality, and resource management engines for seamless gameplay and responsive user experience. When the Wi-Fi signal is weak, the technology intelligently triggers Wi-Fi & LTE concurrency, ensuring a smooth and lag-free connection during gaming. It also enables the option to defer calls while in-game without a drop in connection and ensures intelligent and dynamic management of the CPU, GPU, and memory.

Other MediaTek Gaming Chipsets

MediaTek first introduced Helio G series last year and the lineup rapidly grew. The MediaTek Helio G series family consists of the G90 series and the new G95 chipsets, aimed at premium users, along with the G85, G80, and G70 chipsets for budget gaming devices. The recently launched MediaTek Helio G25 and G35 chips are focused on the entry-level and budget smartphone category. It is safe to say that MediaTek now has a strong foothold in India’s under Rs 15,000 price point with devices like Redmi Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 9, Realme 6, Realme 6i, Redmi 9 Prime, Redmi 9 and even the upcoming Redmi 9A is also said to sport a MediaTek chipset.

Original article: MediaTek Helio G95 SoC Announced as a Successor to Helio G90T

Samsung Leads the Premium Smartphone Segment in India with 37% Share in H1 2020: CMR

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 10:21 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/samsung-premium-smartphone-segment-h1-2020/294014/, Samsung Leads the Premium Smartphone Segment in India with 37% Share in H1 2020: CMR

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s premium smartphone market (> Rs 25,000) grew 18% YoY in H1 2020, according to a new report by CMR. Samsung led the premium smartphone segment in the country with an impressive 37% market share, followed by Apple with a 26% share and Chinese brand OnePlus stands third on the list with 15% share. The report says that the premium smartphone segment is one of the least affected segments in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation was under complete lockdown for nearly two months. In H1 2020, we saw several brands like Oppo, Realme, iQoo, Motorola and Xiaomi competing for some market share, but in the end, it was Samsung which emerged as the winner.

Samsung Galaxy A71 Became the Best Seller in Rs 25,000-Rs50,000 Segment

Going by the report, the Premium Smartphone Segment (Rs 25,000 – Rs 50,000) is a hyper-competitive segment, where more OEMs, including the likes of Oppo and Xiaomi, are currently competing for market share This segment accounted for 5% of the total smartphone shipments in H1 2020. The Samsung Galaxy A71 outperformed every other smartphone in this segment, contributing to a 19% share.

Moving onto the Super Premium Smartphone Segment (Rs 50,000 – Rs 1,00,000), Apple stays on top with 56% market share, while Samsung was placed second with 34%, and OnePlus at third position with 4% market share. The Apple iPhone 11 contributed to be the bestseller in this segment, accounting for 39% of the shipments. This segment accounted for nearly 2% of the total smartphone shipments in H1 2020.

Lastly, we have the Uber Premium Smartphone segment (more than Rs 1,00,000) in which Apple leads the market with 67% market share, while Samsung was placed a distant second with 30% market share. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max contributed to around 40% of the shipments in this segment, which is impressive.

India’s Premium Smartphone Market Leaderboard

As mentioned above, the South Korean smartphone brand Samsung led the premium smartphone market in India with 37% market share majorly to its success of Galaxy A71 and A51 which contributed 38% and 13% respectively of its shipments and YoY growth of 56%. Samsung also started manufacturing its flagship Galaxy S20 series in India during this quarter.

As for Apple, it continued its impressive run in the premium smartphone market, growing by 14% YoY and with a 26% market share. The iPhone 11 continued to garner a good market response in the initial part of the year, said CMR in its report. On the other hand, the all-new iPhone SE 2020 is on track to repeat the exceptional performance of the iPhone 11. It captured 8% market share of the total premium smartphones shipped during Q2.

OnePlus was placed third with 15% market share, with the newly launched OnePlus 8 series contributing to a majority of its shipments.

Original article: Samsung Leads the Premium Smartphone Segment in India with 37% Share in H1 2020: CMR

New JioFiber Plans Carry 3.3TB Monthly FUP Limit Same as Airtel Xstream Fiber

Posted: 31 Aug 2020 09:24 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jiofiber-plans-fup-limit-airtel-fiber/293911/, New JioFiber Plans Carry 3.3TB Monthly FUP Limit Same as Airtel Xstream Fiber

JioFiber has gained a lot of traction from the Indian market simply because of its low pricing and amazing benefits. Some of the JioFiber plans bring a lot of OTT benefits as well as other benefits such as mobile security and more. JioFiber very recently announced a new broadband plan which will cost Rs 399 per month (exclusive of GST). The plan comes with 30 Mbps speed and offers unlimited free voice calling, but there are no OTT benefits included. One thing that all the JioFiber customers should be aware of is its data policy on plans. As it turns out, the JioFiber plans which come with the branding of, 'Truly Unlimited', don't offer truly unlimited data after all. There is a FUP limit on the data which is the same as of Airtel Xstream Fiber plans.

JioFiber Plans Come With a FUP Limit

JioFiber offers 'Truly Unlimited' plans to the customers. But they are not truly unlimited. They have a FUP policy on the data which is the same as of Airtel Xstream Fiber plans. So in a month, if you are using a broadband plan from JioFiber which has a FUP policy on it, you will be allowed to consume a total of 3.3TB of data. After that, speeds will be reduced.

One thing that you should know is that every plan of the JioFiber has a different policy in terms of various benefits. Some plans come with a certain benefit and some don't. Likewise, the FUP policy is different on different plans. For customers who choose either of the 500 Mbps plan or 1 Gbps plans, they won't have to worry about any FUP limit of 3.3TB data.

But all the JioFiber broadband plans until 300 Mbps speed come with a FUP limit of 3.3TB data. This is mentioned in the website terms and conditions of JioFiber. But there is no FUP limit on the calling benefit which comes with the plans.

For the unaware, plans from Airtel Xstream Fiber and Tata Sky broadband come with the same FUP limit. Airtel offers unlimited data to the customers who go for its VIP plan which offers 1 Gbps speed. But customers who have opted for other plans can also get unlimited data by paying a Rs 299 monthly fee on top of their plan. But the unlimited data in case of Airtel Xstream Fiber means 3.3TB data as well.

Tata Sky offers unlimited broadband plans to its customers. Customers who opt for the unlimited data plan which offers 300 Mbps get a FUP limit of 3.3TB data every month. As for the customers, who choose any of the other plans, they get FUP data limit of 1,500GB every month. After the FUP limit is reached, the speed drops to 3 Mbps.

Original article: New JioFiber Plans Carry 3.3TB Monthly FUP Limit Same as Airtel Xstream Fiber

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