${latestitem Title}
${latestitem Title} |
- Vi Registers ARPU Increase, Data and Voice Consumption Falls
- Jio, Airtel, Tata Sky Top the Charts for User Experience
- Bharti Airtel Had Stellar Second Quarter: Kotak
- Samsung Reclaims Top Position in Indian Smartphone Market After Two Years: Counterpoint
- Vi Unveils New Add-On Packs With Games, Star Talk Benefit and More
- Vi Fastest But Jio Leads in 4G Availability, Hyderabad Fastest City in India
- Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: The Best Affordable Fitness Tracker
- Jio, Vi and Airtel eSIM Card, How You Can Get One?
- BSNL Bharat Fiber Revamped Rs 499 Plan Against Base JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber Plans
| Vi Registers ARPU Increase, Data and Voice Consumption Falls Posted: 29 Oct 2020 07:14 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vi-registers-arpu-increase-data-voice-falls/307159/, Vi Registers ARPU Increase, Data and Voice Consumption Falls
Vi Registers an Improvement in APRUVodafone Idea said that its subscriber base declined to 271.8 million in its second quarter of the current financial year from 279.8 million in the previous quarter. However, the company highlighted that its 4G subscriber base touched 106.1 million in its second quarter in the current financial year as compared to 104.6 million in the previous quarter. "As we reach the end of our integration journey, we have become the fastest and most consistent 4G network of India, as validated by Ookla, a testimony to our superior and improved 4G GIGAnet network covering 1 billion Indians," Ravinder Takkar, CEO of Vodafone Idea, said in the release. Vodafone Idea said that the average revenue per user (ARPU) for its second quarter in the current financial year "improved" to Rs 119 as compared to Rs 114 in the previous quarter. In the same period in the previous year, the operator registered an ARPU of Rs 107. "We are executing on our strategy and our cost optimization exercise has already started to yield incremental savings," Takkar said in the release. "We have also initiated a fund raising exercise to support our strategic intent. Further, we continue to interact with the government seeking long term solutions to the critical challenges, which the industry faces." Vi Increases Network Sites Even as Consumption FallsThe operator highlighted that it had continued to invest in 4G to enhance its coverage and capacity with Vodafone Idea adding around 10,000 4G sites by reframing its 2G and 3G spectrum. Further, the company said that it had "made progress in implementing" Long-Term Evolution (LTE) 900 in its "select locations" during its second quarter. Vodafone Idea said that its overall broadband site count stood at 457,386 at the end of its second quarter as compared to 446,131 sites in its previous quarter. "These network investment initiatives have delivered a significant capacity uplift and enabled us to offer superior customer experience," the operator said in its release. "Our relentless pursuit to drive network improvement, through integration and incremental network investments post-merger, are clearly visible through our improved rankings in various third party reports." However, Vodafone Idea highlighted that its data volumes declined by 4% QoQ "as data usage normalised compared to the significantly higher volumes witnessed during the early months of lockdown." The operator in its quarterly report highlighted that the average data consumed by its users declined to 11,978MB (11.9GB) in its second quarter. In the previous quarter, Vodafone Idea said that the average data consumed by its users touched 13,124MB (13.1GB). Similarly, Vodafone Idea said that the total minutes on its network declined by 4% during the quarter. The operator in its quarterly report highlighted that average minutes consumed by its users declined to 673 minutes in its second quarter as compared to 678 minutes in the previous quarter. Original article: Vi Registers ARPU Increase, Data and Voice Consumption Falls ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Jio, Airtel, Tata Sky Top the Charts for User Experience Posted: 29 Oct 2020 05:50 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jio-airtel-tatasky-top-charts-user-experience/307101/, Jio, Airtel, Tata Sky Top the Charts for User Experience
Jio, Airtel, Tata Sky, Netflix, and Apple, all Top on User Experience ScoreThe Kantar CX+ study for analysing customer experience recorded responses from over 6,000 consumers across 13 cities earlier this year. According to the study, Apple gained the top position and became India's number one company in the technology field. Second to Apple is Xiaomi followed by Samsung and OnePlus sharing the third spot. As per the study, Apple gets 1.8 times more engagement from its users than the brands at the bottom of the index. Further, there is said to be a fairly higher chance of Apple users recommending the brand to other people as well. In the direct-to-home (DTH) service providers list, Tata Sky gained the first spot. Kantar talking about the streaming segment said that Netflix clinched the top spot followed by Amazon Prime Video. Netflix saw 1.8 times higher engagement level than the other services at the bottom of the index. Interestingly, for the tech sector which included Apple and other smartphone vendors, the customer experience was related less to the functionality of the product. Instead, the study was conducted keeping in view the customer experience at the point of purchase in the store and delivery of brand promise, amongst other things. Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video need to up their game. This is because other platforms such as Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5 Premium, and more have come aggressively to the race of becoming the number one streaming platform in India. Original article: Jio, Airtel, Tata Sky Top the Charts for User Experience ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Bharti Airtel Had Stellar Second Quarter: Kotak Posted: 29 Oct 2020 04:22 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bharti-airtel-had-stellar-second-quarter-kotak/307128/, Bharti Airtel Had Stellar Second Quarter: Kotak
Kotak Institutional Equities on Wednesday said in a report that the second quarter of the current financial year was a "stellar quarter" for Bharti Airtel's India wireless business "on all counts." The firm in its report said that the Bharti Airtel Africa wireless business did "even better" as compared to its Indian peer while the non-wireless India businesses of Airtel registered "steady prints." Airtel on Tuesday announced its second-quarter financial results for the period ended September 30, 2020, with the company registering an 22% year-over-year (YoY) growth in its consolidated quarterly revenues. Airtel Executed in Top Gear Says KotakThe second-largest wireless operator said that its Indian mobile services revenue was up 26% YoY. "At the core, the 'but it competes with RIL' concern is really a 'RIL is gunning for an eventual ultra-dominant, near-monopoly or monopoly position' concern," Kotak Institutional Equities said in its report. "There is little in [the] way of argument against this concern – it is a fatalistic view." Further, Airtel said that its Indian Business and Homes division also registered 7.5% and 7.3% YoY revenue growth respectively. "As a corollary, this concern can never be called 'priced in' insofar as Bharti's stock is concerned," Kotak Institutional Equities said in its report. "That a monopoly market is a massive net-negative for the Indian Telecom consumer is a purely academic point if one has firmed up a fatalistic view." Airtel said that its mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) hit Rs 162 in its second quarter in the current financial year as compared to Rs 128 in the same period in the previous financial year. "In summary, 2Q saw Bharti progress well on its strategic focus areas while executing in top gear," Kotak Institutional Equities said in its report. Bharti Airtel Hit "Right Notes" on Multiple SegmentsKotak Institutional Equities also said that the second-largest wireless operator in India was "hitting all the right notes" on multiple segments including its India wireless business. The firm highlighted that Airtel registered a 13.1 million quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) data subscribers growth with the operator now having 162.2 million data users on its network. Kotak Institutional Equities said that 55% of subscribers on the Airtel network are now using data with 94.1% data users on 4G connection. Additionally, the firm also reflected on the Airtel earnings call for the second quarter with Kotak Institutional Equities highlighting that the operator expecting further increase in ARPU is a key takeaway. "[Bharti Airtel] Management said that the current tariffs are still at low levels," Kotak Institutional Equities said in its report. "Management did not comment on the exact timing for a tariff increase. Secondly, the company believes that the current data allowances are way too generous and price architecture needs to become more sensible going ahead." Original article: Bharti Airtel Had Stellar Second Quarter: Kotak ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Samsung Reclaims Top Position in Indian Smartphone Market After Two Years: Counterpoint Posted: 29 Oct 2020 02:45 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/samsung-reclaims-top-position-indian-smartphone-market/307080/, Samsung Reclaims Top Position in Indian Smartphone Market After Two Years: Counterpoint
Samsung Becomes Top Smartphone Brand in India Q3, 2020Samsung was very fast to recover from the COVID-19 shock and even surpassed its pre-COVID levels in the Q3, 2020 in India. It pushed products aggressively through its online channels and launched various new devices in the quarter to reach the number one spot. Xiaomi on the other hand slipped to the second position. In a surprising turn of events, Xiaomi registered a 4% YoY decline and came down to the second position for the first time since Q3, 2018. One of the major reasons mentioned in the report behind this is the supply-demand gap. With new smartphones on the way, Xiaomi is expected to recover fast in the next quarter. Talking about the premium segment priced above Rs 30,000 or $400, Apple was ahead of any other brand. This was due to the high demand for iPhone SE 2020 and the iPhone 11 series. With the iPhone 12 series sales starting soon as well, the Cupertino giant is expected to keep leading the race in the premium segment. However, OnePlus remained the top brand in the affordable premium segment priced between Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000 or $400-$600 driven by the high demand for the OnePlus 8 series. With the OnePlus Nord, OnePlus again entered the upper mid-tier segment between Rs 20,000 to Rs30,000 or $270-$400 smartphone market. The result was that OnePlus Nord emerged as the best-selling device in the initial quarter of the launch. According to the Senior Research Analyst, Prachir Singh, the Indian smartphone market is well on its path to the recovery. He said that the lockdown allowed consumers to save their money which they would normally spend on leisure activities. Now using the saved money, they are purchasing new smartphones. Prachir Singh also noted that the mid-tier (Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000) segment witnessed the highest growth in the Q3, 2020. One contributing factor to Samsung regaining the top position can be the anti-China sentiment. Due to the border tensions between India and China, several Indian consumers have said to ignore the Chinese smartphone vendors. The Anti-China sentiment has compelled users to look at the next best option in terms of pricing and features with Samsung emerging as the default smartphone choice in the country. Original article: Samsung Reclaims Top Position in Indian Smartphone Market After Two Years: Counterpoint ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Vi Unveils New Add-On Packs With Games, Star Talk Benefit and More Posted: 29 Oct 2020 01:15 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vi-new-add-on-packs-games-more/307053/, Vi Unveils New Add-On Packs With Games, Star Talk Benefit and More
Vi New Add-On Plans With Unique BenefitsThere are a total of four benefits. Starting with the first one, 'Star Talk' is a benefit which will allow users to interact live with Bollywood celebrities. With the 'Sports' benefit, users will get unlimited score alerts through SMS and a chance to talk to sports celebrities. Then there is the 'Contest' benefit. This one allows users to win prizes such as recharge and gold vouchers and more. Lastly, there is the 'Games' benefit. It allows users to access over 200 popular games ad-free. Coming to the new plans which are added, they come for the following denominations – Rs 32, Rs 42, Rs 43, Rs 52, Rs 62, Rs 72, Rs 73, and Rs 103. The Rs 32 pack offers unlimited talktime with the 'Games' benefit to the users for 28 days. The Rs 42 pack comes with the 'Sports' benefit and offers unlimited talktime for 28 days as well. Then at just Rs 1 more expensive, there is the Rs 43 pack which ships with unlimited talktime benefit, 28 days validity, and 'Contest' benefit. Further, the Rs 52 pack also comes with a validity of 28 days and unlimited talktime but offers 'Star Talk' benefit. The aforementioned four plans (Rs 32, Rs 42, Rs 43, Rs 52) all come with a validity of 28 days. The rest four plans (Rs 62, Rs 72, Rs 73, Rs 103) however offer longer validity of 89 days. One thing to note here would be that all of these four plans offer two things in common which is unlimited talktime and a validity of 89 days. The only difference is in the kind of benefits these come with. The Rs 62 pack comes with the 'Games' benefit. The Rs 72 pack comes with the 'Sports' benefit. The other two packs, Rs 73 and Rs 103 come with the benefit of 'Contest' and 'Star Talk' respectively. Following the pattern of these new add-on plans from Vi, it is clearly visible that the 'Games' benefit is the cheapest be it for short-term (28 days) or long-term (89 days) validity and the most expensive one is the 'Star Talk' benefit. The plans are already live on the website of Vi. Original article: Vi Unveils New Add-On Packs With Games, Star Talk Benefit and More ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Vi Fastest But Jio Leads in 4G Availability, Hyderabad Fastest City in India Posted: 28 Oct 2020 11:43 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vi-fastest-jio-leads-4g-availability/307063/, Vi Fastest But Jio Leads in 4G Availability, Hyderabad Fastest City in India
Jio Leads in 4G Availability Across IndiaOokla said that the mobile network market in India witnessed "astounding growth and evolution" since India made its first mobile call in 1995. "Local operators' efforts to improve and expand 4G coverage across the country have provided customers in India with an increasingly fast and modern mobile internet experience," the company said in a blog post. Ookla said that Jio was available in 99.7% of the locations it tested during the third quarter of the current year. Further, the company said that Airtel and Vi India had 4G presence in 98.7% and 91.1% respectively of tested locations during the same period. The company also released mobile internet speeds across 15 "most populous cities in India" during the third quarter of 2020 with the report highlighting that Hyderabad emerged as the fastest city. Ookla said that Hyderabad registered the fastest mean download and upload speeds of 14.35 Mbps and 4.42 Mbps respectively during the third quarter of 2020. Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Kolkata rounded up the top five while Kanpur and Lucknow are said to have registered the slowest mean download and upload speeds among the top 15 cities. Pakistan Registered Fastest Mobile Speeds than IndiaOokla also said that Pakistan showed 39.7% faster mobile download speed than India while Bangladesh was said to be third on download speeds among the large South Asian countries during Q3, 2020.
"Both India and Pakistan showed improved mean download speeds over mobile when comparing Q3 2019 to Q3 2020," Ookla said in the blog post. "India saw an 11.6% increase while Pakistan's mean mobile download speeds increased by 24.1% during the same period. Upload speeds remained mostly flat across South Asia's largest countries, with only Pakistan showing a slight improvement year over year." Similarly, Ookla said that the 4G speeds also showed an identical pattern with Pakistan registering 51.3% faster speeds than India with Bangladesh closely behind on download speeds. However, India led the charts on 4G availability with Ookla highlighting that India recorded a 93.7% 4G availability in its test locations during the third quarter of 2020. The company said that Bangladesh and Pakistan registered 78.6% and 72.9% 4G availability during the same period. Original article: Vi Fastest But Jio Leads in 4G Availability, Hyderabad Fastest City in India ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: The Best Affordable Fitness Tracker Posted: 28 Oct 2020 10:15 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/xiaomi-mi-smart-band-5-review/307032/, Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: The Best Affordable Fitness Tracker
Xiaomi launched the Mi Smart Band 5 in India back on September 29, 2020. It is the latest fitness band in the lineup of Mi fitness trackers. Just like every year, Xiaomi has again brought a winner to the market. The Mi Smart Band 5 is one of the most affordable fitness trackers available at present. Even though the Mi Smart Band 5 is not very different from its predecessor, it is a considerable option to buy thanks to some great yet meaningful software features. Let's take a look at all that Mi Smart Band 5 comes with. Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: Design and DisplayOne thing which has not changed with the Mi Smart Bands over the years is the design. The fitness tracker still sports a design similar to its predecessor. However, the Mi Smart Band 5 comes with the biggest display amongst all the Mi Smart Bands introduced over the years. There is a 2.79cm (1.1-inch) colour AMOLED screen for the users to interact with. To give you an idea about how big the screen is, the Mi Smart Band 4 came with a 0.95-inch display. I liked the display, especially under sunlight. It can support a brightness of up to 450 nits and is very impressive even when using outside the home in the day time. Even though the design and body of the fitness tracker look the same as of its predecessors, it still looks beautiful. The band fits comfortable on my wrist and doesn't feel like a burden at all. In fact, when I wore it while sleeping, I didn't feel like there is something itching on my wrist needed to be removed. I slept as comfortably wearing it as I do when I don’t wear it. You can wear it to both formal and informal events as it looks stylish and elegant. Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: Battery and ChargingThe battery is one of the most important things for me when I am using a smart wearable. I wouldn't want my fitness tracker to stop in the middle of a workout. This is where Mi Smart Band 5 has impressed me a lot. It can last up to 14 days in a single charge. You can even get 20 days battery backup from the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 when you use the fitness tracker by switching off heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and raise-to-wake features. If you have completely charged the Mi Smart Band 5, then you don't have to worry about the battery for at least two weeks. For Charging, there is a new magnetic charging technology installed in the fitness band. The charging wire connects to the band with the help of pins, so you don't have to remove the device from the band to charge it every time. Even the charging cable is longer than before making the charging experience more convenient for the user.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: FeaturesThe Mi Smart Band 5 again focus a lot on the health of the user. Thus the major features added are all related to health tracking. There is the smart integration of PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) with the band, which will give you a much better insight into your current health. It is advised that to be healthy; an average user should keep his/her PAI above 100 always. There are 11 different modes for sports tracking, which include both indoor and outdoor activities. The heart rate monitoring has been enhanced and has been made more frequent. Sleep tracking has been improved as well with the addition of REM sleep. The band can also track the short naps you take during the day. Along with this, there is an additional feature for women which will follow their menstrual cycle for them. Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5: Price and VerdictThe Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 is priced at Rs 2,499 for the users in India. The price is not much different from when the Mi Smart Band 4 launched. However, there are multiple new features in this fitness tracker which are absolutely worth it. It is very good at tracking steps accurately, is pretty comfortable to wear and doesn't feel heavy on the wrist at all. The new charging technology has made charging convenient and adding to that the battery can last up to 14 days. Sleep tracking is much better than before now, and for the most part, the heart rate sensor is accurate as well. The notifications are on time, and band customisations are also available for the user. There is not anything really wrong with the Mi Smart Band 5. Thus if you are looking to buy a new fitness tracker, the Mi Smart Band 5 is an excellent option. It has the support of several new features and will help you stay active and healthy. Original article: Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 Review: The Best Affordable Fitness Tracker ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| Jio, Vi and Airtel eSIM Card, How You Can Get One? Posted: 28 Oct 2020 08:30 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jio-vi-airtel-esim-card-how-get/306927/, Jio, Vi and Airtel eSIM Card, How You Can Get One?
eSIM: Merits and DemeritsBefore you learn about how you can get an eSIM from either of the operators mentioned above, let's take a look at the merits and demerits of eSIMs'. Starting with the merits, it is good for anyone who travels a lot internationally. In case you are wandering in a foreign land, you can purchase the eSIM directly and it will be delivered digitally to you in a second. But with a traditional card, you would have to go to a store, stand in a line, and then wait for sometime before the services of the SIM card are active. Another advantage is that it requires no extra physical space on your device. Along with this, there is no risk of losing the eSIM as against the high risk of losing a nano-SIM while taking it out of the device. Coming to the demerits of eSIMs, they are expensive. Adding to that, there is only a limited number of devices it can work with. Then there are bugs and issues with the system operating system (OS). How You Can Get an eSIM From Jio, Airtel, and Vi?Starting with Vi, users can only get an eSIM from the telco when they are subscribing to a postpaid plan. Only postpaid users can convert their existing SIM card to eSIM. As of now, Vi is providing eSIM services to only users living in Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharastra, and Goa. Along with that, the user must carry a device which supports eSIM technology. For obtaining a new eSIM, a user just needs to go to a Vi store, show identity proof along with an eligible device, and complete KYC requirements. On compliance with the above rules, the user will be provided with an eSIM from Vi. For getting an eSIM from Jio, users can visit their nearest Jio Store, Jio Retailer or Reliance Digital with necessary documents (photographs and proof of identity). Once the user completes all the necessary steps, he/she will be eligible to get a new eSIM from Jio. For Airtel users, to start with the process of converting the physical SIM card to an eSIM, send an SMS to 121 texting 'eSIM (Space) registered email id'. You will receive a text SMS from 121 asking to confirm the process. Just tap on '1' within 60 seconds. Then you will also have to give your confirmation to Airtel through a voice call. After providing your consent through call, you will receive a QR code in your registered email ID. As soon as you receive the QR code, scan it. The eSIM will take around 2 hours to get activated. Until this time, your physical SIM card will be working. Original article: Jio, Vi and Airtel eSIM Card, How You Can Get One? ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| BSNL Bharat Fiber Revamped Rs 499 Plan Against Base JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber Plans Posted: 28 Oct 2020 06:32 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-rs499-plan-jiofiber-xstream-base-plan/306688/, BSNL Bharat Fiber Revamped Rs 499 Plan Against Base JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber Plans
BSNL Rs 499 PlanSo the Rs 499 plan from BSNL only comes with 100GB data per month at high speed of 50 Mbps. Once the user has exhausted that data, he/she can resume browsing/downloading/uploading at 2 Mbps speed only. There is also unlimited voice calling included with the plan throughout India to any network. However, there are no over-the-top (OTT) benefits included with this plan. The thing to note here would be that the BSNL Rs 449 plan offers 3.3TB data at 30 Mbps speed for the month with other things remaining the same as of the Rs 499 plan. Despite the enhanced speed, it is interesting to see such a pricing structure from BSNL and with so, the massive differences in the benefits offered. JioFiber Rs 399 PlanThe Rs 399 plan from JioFiber ships with 3.3TB (3,300GB) data with 30 Mbps speed. The download and upload speed is uniform with this plan. It is also free unlimited voice calling included with this plan and there are no OTT benefits just like the BSNL plan. Airtel Xstream Fiber Rs 499 PlanThe Rs 499 Airtel Xstream Fiber plan ships with 3.3TB (3,333GB) data and offers users 40 Mbps speed. There is an unlimited voice calling included with this plan as well. But there is one thing in this base plan which is not there in the base plans of JioFiber and BSNL and that is OTT benefits. With the Airtel Xstream Fiber, users get access to OTT benefits such as Airtel Xstream Premium for 1 year, Wynk Music, Shaw Academy, Voot Basic, Hungama Play, Eros Now, Ultra, and Shemaroo Me. Which One is Better?It is clear that Airtel Xstream Fiber offers the best value base broadband plan. There are OTT benefits and more data on offer from Airtel as compared to Jio and BSNL. BSNL with its Rs 499 plan offers enhanced speed as compared to its rivals, however, doesn’t offer large data benefits as with Airtel and Jio. While there is a price difference between Jio's plan and Airtel's base plan, the second-largest wired broadband provider in India provides a entry-level plan with much better value than what BSNL and Jio offer. Original article: BSNL Bharat Fiber Revamped Rs 499 Plan Against Base JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber Plans ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from TelecomTalk. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment