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Trai Issues New Rules for Publishing Tariff Plans by Telcos to Boost Transparency
Amazon Alexa App Will Now Support Hindi on Both iOS and Android
OnePlus 8T Launch Rumoured to Happen on October 14
Will Telcos Have to Pay Upfront for 4G Spectrum Sale? DoT to Decide Soon
Paytm Assures App Will Be Back on Play Store Very Soon After Being Pulled Down by Google
Tata Sky Retained Top Position in the January-March 2020 Quarter
Apple India Online Store Will Allow Customers to Trade-in iPhones and Spec Up Macs
Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV Set-Top Box Price Reduced to Rs 2,999
BSNL to Offer Work from Home Broadband Plan With 10 Mbps Speeds for Free Till December 8

Trai Issues New Rules for Publishing Tariff Plans by Telcos to Boost Transparency

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 10:37 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/trai-new-rules-tariff-plans-transparency/298250/, Trai Issues New Rules for Publishing Tariff Plans by Telcos to Boost Transparency

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today issued new directions on tariff advertisements and tariff publications for telcos. The new set of rules issued by Trai is in a bid to boost transparency in mobile offers published by telcos on their respective websites and other platforms. The regulator is aiming to help subscribers make informed decisions while choosing a tariff plan. For those who are unaware, a lot of customers of telecom operators complain to Trai that they are unable to find proper information regarding a tariff plan or they might not be able to find a reported or advertised plan on the company’s website. With the new set of rules, Trai is looking to solve these issues of the subscribers which is affecting their ability to make proper choices.

Trai Seeks More Transparency from Telcos on Publishing Tariffs

Over the last few years, we have seen Trai constantly introducing or asking telecom operators to be more transparent when it comes to publishing the tariff plans. Trai issued two new orders; “…it has been observed that existing measures adopted by telecom service providers are not transparent as they should be and that some of the telecom service providers are not prominently highlighting additional terms and conditions and are also collating the terms and conditions applicable to various tariffs on a single web-page and that the relevant information either gets lost in the maze of detail or becomes ambiguous and incomprehensible to consumers,” the Trai said in one of the directives.

Furthermore, the regular has asked the telcos to publish details of each tariff plan for postpaid and prepaid users within 15 days and that too service area wise. Trai also directed telcos to offer full information regarding the published tariff plans to users at their “customer care centres, points of sales, retail outlets and websites, and apps with requisite disclosures.”

Telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vi and BSNL should also inform the customers ‘essential disclosures’ like the amount of data, voice and SMSes, along with the FUP limit for every plan. Furthermore, Trai also stated that telcos would have to be transparent in informing the customers about details like advance rentals, deposits, connection fee for postpaid services as well as top up, tariffs vouchers and others.

Lastly, Trai asked telcos to submit a compliance report within 15 days from today. It will be interesting to see how telcos respond to these directions from Trai.

Original article: Trai Issues New Rules for Publishing Tariff Plans by Telcos to Boost Transparency

Amazon Alexa App Will Now Support Hindi on Both iOS and Android

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 08:10 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/amazon-alexa-app-hindi-ios-android/298219/, Amazon Alexa App Will Now Support Hindi on Both iOS and Android

Amazon Alexa is a smart assistant which can make your life a bit easier. You can ask Alexa to do things such as play music, switch on the light or turn it off and much more. Even though Alexa supported devices were rolled out in India, the Amazon Alexa app didn't support Hindi. Hindi is the native language of Indians and while not everyone knows English, a majority of the Indian population understands Hindi and can communicate in the language. Looking at that, on the first anniversary of rolling out Hindi support for Amazon Alexa (the smart assistant), now Amazon Alexa app has also been provided with Hindi support.

Amazon Alexa App Now Available in the Hindi Language

Amazon Alexa could understand Hindi words and sentences, but its app lacked the feature. But not anymore. Now Amazon Alexa app comes with Hindi language support. So users who want the comfort of the Hindi language in their devices, they can switch from English to Hindi.

Over the last year since the time Amazon Alexa could understand Hindi, around 60 new features have been added to the smart assistant. It has resulted in a significant improvement in understanding Hindi commands.

Puneesh Kumar, Head for Alexa India said, "India’s unique cultural and linguistic diversity has always inspired us to make Alexa more local and relevant for users in the country. Introducing Hindi made Alexa accessible to hundreds of millions of native Hindi speakers. We have made several improvements in Natural Language Understanding."

Words such as 'Dhai' (meaning two-and-half) and more which Alexa couldn't understand earlier, it can understand now. With the updates, Amazon Alexa has been equipped with six new original songs along with 20 new stories in the Hindi language.

Customers can now give cool commands to the smart assistant in Hindi such as for playing music, they can say, "Alexa Kuch gungunao'. Support for more such Hindi commands has been added to the Amazon Alexa assistant with the help of updates.

Both Android and iOS users can switch their Amazon Alexa app to Hindi by simply going to the Settings > Alexa on this Phone > Language and then selecting Hindi.

Original article: Amazon Alexa App Will Now Support Hindi on Both iOS and Android

OnePlus 8T Launch Rumoured to Happen on October 14

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 07:30 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oneplus-8t-rumoured-launch-date/298223/, OnePlus 8T Launch Rumoured to Happen on October 14

OnePlus 8T launch is reportedly set for October 14, according to a new report surfaced on the web. The launch date is in-line with an earlier report which hinted a September-end or early-October launch for the OnePlus 8T. At the moment, it is said that the Chinese company is only planning to launch the OnePlus 8T as a successor to the OnePlus 8. This means we may not be getting an OnePlus 8T Pro this time around. Very recently renders of the OnePlus 8T were also leaked online hinting at a slightly tweaked rear camera design and also thinner bezels on the front.

OnePlus 8T Launch on October 14: What to Expect?

The OnePlus 8T’s launch date of October 14 is reported by Mysmartprice and tipster Ishan Agarwal. Rumours about OnePlus 8T have been making round on the web for a while. Since it is a ‘T’ version of the OnePlus 8, we are not going to see any major changes to the design, at least that’s what renders are suggesting. However, to the back, we will see a revamped quad-camera module which is pretty much similar to the recently launched Realme 7 series and also the iQoo 3.

The phone is said to sport a Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It is also rumoured to have Snapdragon 865+ SoC, up to 12GB of RAM and might also be the first OnePlus phone with 65W fast charging. Yes, you heard that right. OnePlus seems to be finally adding 65W fast charging tech on the OnePlus 8T. In India, we have a few phones like the Oppo Reno 4 Pro, Realme X50 Pro and the recently launched Realme 7 Pro with 65W fast charging tech, so OnePlus is just joining the train this time around.

The OnePlus 8T might run Android 11 based OxygenOS 11 out of the box, but again, the company is yet to confirm this change. Are you excited for the OnePlus 8T? Let us know in the comments section below.

Original article: OnePlus 8T Launch Rumoured to Happen on October 14

Will Telcos Have to Pay Upfront for 4G Spectrum Sale? DoT to Decide Soon

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 05:40 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/telcos-upfront-payment-4g-spectrum/298175/, Will Telcos Have to Pay Upfront for 4G Spectrum Sale? DoT to Decide Soon

4g-5g-spectrum-auction-2020

The next round of 4G spectrum sale should have ideally happened in the month of October 2020. But this won't be possible anymore given that the AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) dues case took a lot of time and the issue of upfront payment is not yet sorted. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is at the moment thinking about whether it should ask the telcos to pay money upfront or not for the 4G spectrum sale. After the delay, the 4G spectrum sale can happen either in December 2020 or early 2021.

DoT to Take Call on the Decision of Upfront 4G Payment

As per an ET Telecom report, DoT will soon take a call on whether the payment for the next 4G spectrum sale will be upfront or not. The decision will be very crucial since it will also be relevant in the 5G spectrum sale.

A senior government official related to the matter said, "This issue will need to be ironed out and the outcome may depend upon the inter-ministerial consultation." The decision is going to affect telcos in a huge manner. Telecom companies such as Vi and Bharti Airtel are laden with debt and dues already.

So it becomes an important question whether the government can or should it accept payments upfront for the next 4G spectrum sale. As for now, for any spectrum sale, the company which won the bid needs to pay either 33% or 25% of the amount due within a month from the day the auction is held.

The next 4G spectrum is going to be very crucial for Reliance Jio. It will be more crucial for Jio than Airtel and Vi. This is because Jio is using a large part of 800 Mhz 4G airwaves of Reliance Communications which is due to expire soon in a total 18 telecom zones in India in between July and August 2021.

The 4G bands (700 MHz and 800 MHz) which will be auctioned are not only important for providing 4G services, but they will also be used for providing the next-generation network service, 5G.

Original article: Will Telcos Have to Pay Upfront for 4G Spectrum Sale? DoT to Decide Soon

Paytm Assures App Will Be Back on Play Store Very Soon After Being Pulled Down by Google

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 03:29 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/paytm-app-removal-play-store/298159/, Paytm Assures App Will Be Back on Play Store Very Soon After Being Pulled Down by Google

Digital payments giant, Paytm, today saw its Android application being pulled down by Google from the Play Store. The reason behind removing Paytm from Google Play Store was repeated policy violations. Paytm recently added ‘fantasy cricket tournament,’ feature to its mobile app which is the reason behind Google removing it citing policy violations. Alongside Paytm, another app from One97, Paytm First Games was removed from Play Store. As the removal news came out, Paytm took to Twitter to assure that the app will be back on Google Play Store very soon and the money of customers will also be safe. Do make a note that both the apps are available on iOS platform for download.

Google Posts Gambling Policy Goals of Play Store

Right before removing the Paytm app, a blog post went live on official Google India’s website. The search giant revealed some of its goals for gambling policy. “We have the same goals for our gambling policy. We don't allow online casinos or support any unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting. This includes if an app leads consumers to an external website that allows them to participate in paid tournaments to win real money or cash prizes, it is a violation of our policies,” said Google.

This could very well be the reason behind removing Paytm from the Play Store. That said, Google must have notified Paytm on why the removal took in the first place. As noted, Paytm is already working on a resolution to get back the app on Google Play Store.

This essentially means that the new ‘fantasy cricket tournament,’ will be removed from the Paytm and Paytm First Games applications. The move comes as a major blow to Paytm as the company recently roped in Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador to promote fantasy sports in India. We will update this post once Paytm makes an appearance on Google Play Store.

Original article: Paytm Assures App Will Be Back on Play Store Very Soon After Being Pulled Down by Google

Tata Sky Retained Top Position in the January-March 2020 Quarter

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 01:08 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/tatasky-top-market-share-march/298132/, Tata Sky Retained Top Position in the January-March 2020 Quarter

Tata Sky has been the number one DTH operator of the country for quite a long time now. There are multiple reasons behind this. The DTH operator continues to provide excellent DTH service at nominal rates backed by outstanding customer support. There is also a mobile app of the DTH operator which has made it easier for the customers to view their active plan or get the channels or plans of their choice. Now as per a report released by Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), Tata Sky remained at number one position in the country for the January-March 2020 quarter. More on the story ahead.

Tata Sky Remained at Top Followed by Dish TV and D2h

As per the Trai report, Tata Sky had the biggest market share amongst all the DTH operator in the January-March 2020 quarter. Standing at the top, Tata Sky had 32.33% of the market share. Behind Tata Sky was Dish TV and D2h with 29.49% in the same quarter followed by Airtel with 23.65% and Sun Direct with 14.53%.

Another thing to note is that Tata Sky has been gaining market share percentage for the last three successive quarters. Whereas right behind it, Dish TV and D2h are losing market share for the last three quarters. Percentage-wise, Tata Sky grew by 2.1% when compared with the last quarter. The only DTH operator that didn't grow was Dish TV and D2h. Rest all of the operators had a positive percentage growth during the quarter.

Tata Sky had 22.72 million active subscribers in the January-March 2020 quarter compared to the previous quarter's 22.25 million active subscribers. Dish TV and D2h had 21.38 million active subscribers in the quarter ending December 2019. But that number dipped to 20.72 million in the January-March 2020 quarter.

As for the pay DTH operators as a whole, the number of active DTH subscribers grew. For the quarter ending December 2019, there were a total of 69.98 active with the pay DTH operators (Tata Sky, Sun Direct, Airtel, Dish TV and D2h). That number grew to become 70.26 million in the quarter of January-March 2020.

Original article: Tata Sky Retained Top Position in the January-March 2020 Quarter

Apple India Online Store Will Allow Customers to Trade-in iPhones and Spec Up Macs

Posted: 18 Sep 2020 12:04 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/apple-india-online-store-launch-date/298121/, Apple India Online Store Will Allow Customers to Trade-in iPhones and Spec Up Macs

Apple is going to open an online retail store for the Indians on September 23, 2020. It is the first time that Apple will have an official direct retail presence in the country. The Cupertino giant is already selling online directly in over 37 countries and will add India also to that list in a few days. Until now, all the products online or offline that were purchased of Apple came from authorised distributors of the company. The company has decided to open the online store at the right time since the season of festivities is just around the corner and Indian customers buy a lot of products and goods during this time.

Apple India Online Store, What All You Will Get

First thing's first, Apple has partnered with Blue Dart for the delivery of all its products. Cash-on-Delivery won't be accepted as of now but RuPay cards and online payment will be accepted. The customers will get the complete range of products from Apple through its online store. Be it iPhones, iPads, Macs, or any other product which Apple sells, it will be there.

For people who don't know how to set up their devices, there will be Apple Specialists ready to help you both in Hindi and English. For iPhone lovers, the good news is that the complete lineup of iPhones will be listed and ready to be sold through the website. Not only that, but the customers can also trade-in their old iPhones in exchange for the new ones to get some discount. Customers will also be able to purchase Apple Care+ extended warranty from its online store.

Until now, there was no option for the Indian customers to upgrade the spec of their iMacs and MacBooks before purchasing them. But with the opening of the Apple India online store, that is about to change. Along with all this, under its special offerings because of the festive season, Apple is also going to be engraving some of its products such as Apple Pencil, iPads, and AirPods with text and emojis in English and some other Indian languages.

Customers will also get EMI options while purchasing their products. It will be interesting to see what kind of response Apple India online store will get initially.

Original article: Apple India Online Store Will Allow Customers to Trade-in iPhones and Spec Up Macs

Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV Set-Top Box Price Reduced to Rs 2,999

Posted: 17 Sep 2020 09:42 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/tatasky-binge-plus-price-drop-september/298103/, Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV Set-Top Box Price Reduced to Rs 2,999

Tata Sky has reduced the price of its Android TV STB Binge+ to Rs 2,999. Launched at Rs 5,999, the Binge+ Set-Top Box saw a price drop a few months ago to Rs 3,999. But now, the company has decided to reduce the price even further to attract new buyers. At Rs 2,999, the Tata Sky Binge+ is a really good option for the non-Smart TV users. For the unaware, the Android TV-based Binge+ allows users to watch both OTT apps and Satellite TV. Also, the best part is Tata Sky did not remove the offers and the new Binge+ connection still ships with free six months of Tata Sky Binge and three months of Amazon Prime subscription at no extra cost.

Tata Sky Binge+ at Rs 2,999: Should You Buy It?

The Tata Sky Binge+ is an excellent product with all the OTT apps on board. Tata Sky also included its ‘Tata Sky Binge’ app which allows users to watch catch up TV up to seven days. Since the Set-Top Box is based on Android TV, we also get a voice-enabled remote. The switching between linear TV and OTT apps is also straightforward. Very recently, Tata Sky said that it is adding a new launcher on Binge+ STB which will bring more interactive content to the users on their home screen. At Rs 2,999, the Tata Sky Binge+ should be a no-brainer purchase.

The new price drop comes on the heels of Tata Sky making its STBs in India. Yes, a few weeks ago we reported that Tata Sky’s partner Technicolor had moved the entire STB manufacturing to India. This move could’ve allowed the company to reduce the price of its Android TV STB. However, it is not yet confirmed.

Tata Sky Binge+: New Connection Offers

As you might be aware, Tata Sky has been providing free six months of Tata Sky Binge subscription with every new Binge+ connection. And the offer continues to be available. In addition to Tata Sky Binge, the new users of Binge+ will also get free three months of Amazon Prime subscription, after which the monthly price would be Rs 129. Tata Sky also hiked the price of Tata Sky Binge from Rs 249 to Rs 299 recently.

Tata Sky Binge offers free access to premium subscriptions of Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5, SunNXT, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Hungama Play, Eros Now and ShemarooMe.

Original article: Tata Sky Binge+ Android TV Set-Top Box Price Reduced to Rs 2,999

BSNL to Offer Work from Home Broadband Plan With 10 Mbps Speeds for Free Till December 8

Posted: 17 Sep 2020 06:31 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-work-home-broadband-december/298055/, BSNL to Offer Work from Home Broadband Plan With 10 Mbps Speeds for Free Till December 8

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is making several changes in the broadband sector. After hiking the Bharat Fiber installation charges, the company has now reintroduced the Work@Home broadband plan which will allow the company’s landline users to enjoy a free broadband connection. BSNL has been providing this Work@Home plan ever since India entered into lockdown in March. This will also help the company’s landline users to migrate to a broadband plan with basic benefits. The Work@Home BSNL broadband offer can be availed across all the circles, except Andaman & Nicobar Islands where the ISP has different plans on offer. Alongside extending the availability of Work@Home plan, BSNL also brought back the Google Nest Mini/Nest Hub offer.

BSNL Work@Home Offer Now Valid Till December 8

After the new extension, the Work@Home broadband plan which allows BSNL landline users to get a basic broadband connection at no extra cost will be available till December 8, 2020. It is a very good move by BSNL and will attract a lot of users out there. As for the benefits, BSNL will offer 10 Mbps speeds till 5GB per day, post which the speeds will drop to 1 Mbps. As noted, the Work@Home BSNL offer will be applicable only to the company’s landline users who does not have an active broadband connection. After 30 days of availing the offer, it will be deactivated. Do make a note that there will be no installation charges during the promotional period.

BSNL- Google Nest Mini/Nest Hub Offer Detailed

In other news, BSNL also introduced monthly charges of Rs 99 and Rs 199 for the customers who opt the bundled Google Nest Mini/Nest Hub smart devices under annual payment option of select BSNL broadband (DSL/Bharat Fiber) plans. As part of this offer, subscribers choosing the annual payment option of broadband with Fixed Monthly Charges (FMC) more than Rs 799 and ready to pay a one-time charge of Rs 99 per month for 13 months shall be eligible for a free Google Nest Mini smart speaker.

Also, subscribers choosing annual payment option for broadband plans with monthly charges above Rs 1,999 and ready to pay a one-time charge of Rs 199 per month for 13 months will be eligible to get free Google Nest Hub. Interested subscribers can log into their broadband account and choose the annual payment option to be eligible for the Google Nest Mini/Nest Hub offer.

Original article: BSNL to Offer Work from Home Broadband Plan With 10 Mbps Speeds for Free Till December 8

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