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• Tariff Hikes Imminent with Cheapest Data Plan Set to Cost Over Rs 3000
• Reliance Jio New Postpaid Tariff “Unlikely” to Hurt Airtel Growth
• Motorola Razr 5G Launched in India, Jio Users Can Save Up to Rs 14,997
• Paytm Unveils Android Mini App Store with Over 300 Service Providers
• Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi Top-Tier Data Vouchers Listed
• Mobile Number Portability Request and Procedure, Here’s How You Can Do It

Tariff Hikes Imminent with Cheapest Data Plan Set to Cost Over Rs 3000 Posted: 05 Oct 2020 05:36 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/tariff-hikes-imminent-cheapest-data-plan3000/302659/, Tariff Hikes Imminent with Cheapest Data Plan Set to Cost Over Rs 3000 Rohit Paranjpe, CEO of SugarBox told TelecomTalk that "consumers are facing imminent tariff hikes" for both voice and data services with the hikes set to be in the range of 10%. Paranjpe highlighted the "cheapest data" rate of Rs 3.5 per GB is currently offered in a plan priced at Rs 599 with an 84 days validity. However, Paranjpe said that the same data plan will be priced in the range of Rs 3360 to Rs 5580, "if the regulator accepts" proposed floor data prices. The telecom operators in India including Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio proposed floor data prices in the range of Rs 20 to Rs 35 per GB. Tariff Hikes to Result in User Erosion and Consumption Erosion In late May, it emerged that the discussion on floor prices would happen after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted. However, ICICI Securities earlier in the day said in a research note that it is expecting progress on the floor prices of cellular data. Paranjpe said that the tariff hikes might result in user erosion and consumption erosion. "India today has cheapest data but speed on [the] internet is one of the slowest," Paranjpe told TelecomTalk. "In such [a] situation, [tariff] increase will affect not only usage but also have a negative influence in the Digital India Drive. In this scenario solution like SugarBox is exactly what customers would want to latch on to." SugarBox is said to be the "only network in the world" that enables users to access their "favourite apps seamlessly" without the need for a user to connect to the user’s mobile data. The company sets up a "hyperlocal" content delivery network (CDN) and discovery network at "key places of interest (POIs) that are frequented by consumers." It was said that SugarBox serves as a "complementary" solution rather than "competing" with the existing stakeholders. "A user does not need any external set-up to access SugarBox," Paranjpe said. "Once he/she is at a SugarBox zone, he can connect to SugarBox like a Wi-Fi server." SugarBox Present in 250 Places of Interest Across India The company is said to have made pilot deployments in nine cities and 250 POIs across India with the company offering its service to various POIs in cities such as Mumbai and Hyderabad. "This is a technology which is reimagining the way data delivery on the internet works making internet services more available, reliable, affordable, and contextual," Paranjpe said. The CEO of SugarBox also told TelecomTalk that the company is "looking to spanning" its network to Delhi, Kolkata and other cities in the next two years. It was said that the company aims to cover PAN India including the urban and the rural areas by the end of 2025. "With the current investment, SugarBox will commence commercial services and scale up the network across public transport, revolutionizing the digital experience for over 300 mn monthly unique users over the next 2 to 3 years," Paranjpe said. The company is said to have long-term "exclusive" partnerships with Hyderabad Metro, Chennai Metro, Central Railways and Navi Mumbai buses. Further, Paranjpe said that the company was awarded a tender by the Indian railways to install its solution on "all operating trains" along with powering 5400 WiFi enabled stations across India. It was said that SugarBox will be able to drive "faster data delivery" to its users as its "infrastructure is closer to the user." SugarBox also promises "seamless access to apps even in areas" with limited data connectivity and also to users "without an active internet connection." "With respect to app partners, we are in the process of integrating [a] few more apps by the end of the year," Paranjpe said. "The industries that we are very actively pursuing are entertainment OTT, the second is gaming, third is e-commerce and the fourth is education." Paranjpe told TelecomTalk that the "core aim" of SugarBox is to "decrease the data accessed over the internet thereby freeing up bandwidth on the existing last-mile networks." "SugarBox can solve a problem of [a] billion people in our country who can't afford the charges of data usage," he said. Original article: Tariff Hikes Imminent with Cheapest Data Plan Set to Cost Over Rs 3000 ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

Reliance Jio New Postpaid Tariff “Unlikely” to Hurt Airtel Growth Posted: 05 Oct 2020 03:47 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jio-postpaid-tariff-unlikely-hurt-airtel-growth/302618/, Reliance Jio New Postpaid Tariff “Unlikely” to Hurt Airtel Growth   ICICI Securities on Monday said in a research note that the new postpaid plans launched by Reliance Jio "may not significantly" hit the postpaid base of Bharti Airtel. The firm said that the retail users account for only 30% of postpaid connections and that these users are "least price-sensitive." Reliance Jio, the largest telecom operator in India in September unveiled its JioPostpaid Plus plans with the base plan priced at Rs 399 while the top-tier plan carried a price tag of Rs 1499. ICICI Securities in its note highlighted that Airtel did not witness "much impact" on its user base "when the market leader did steep cuts in postpaid tariff" in its initial years. Introduction of Reliance Jio Smartphone Not to Impact Vodafone Idea and Airtel The firm said that Reliance Jio now requires a low-end smartphone to retain feature phone users who are likely to hit the stores for refund from September 2020. The largest telecom operator in India introduced a refund policy on its JioPhone that enabled users to receive up to Rs 1000 provided they return the phone under 36 months. ICICI Securities said that Reliance Jio has 100 million such subscribers and that "their retention would be the priority" for the operator. It has been reported that Reliance Jio is planning to introduce an "affordable" Android smartphone later this year or early next year. The users purchasing the low-cost smartphone from Reliance Jio would also likely be offered benefits such as free data. However, ICICI Securities highlighted that the "quantum of subsidy" on the low-cost smartphone will depend on the average revenue per user (ARPU) commitment. "Therefore, low-end smartphones will come either with limited subsidy on the handset and affordable tariffs, or deep discount on handset but higher ARPU commitment," ICICI Securities said in its note. The firm said that the feature phone, unlike the smartphones may not be affordable on both handset and tariff prices. ICICI Securities highlighted that the limited subsidy and higher price of smartphones would "significantly limit impact" on Airtel and Vodafone Idea (VIL). Vodafone Idea Requires Over 50% Hike in Tariffs With P D Vaghela taking charge as the chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), ICICI Securities is expecting progress on the floor price for cellular data. The telecom operators in India including Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio proposed floor data prices in the range of Rs 20 to Rs 35 per GB. In late May, it emerged that the discussion on floor prices would happen after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted. "Operators may wait for clarity on floor price as its implementation in their favour may pave way for the next tariff hike, which would be sustainable, and provide level playing ground for Bharti and VIL," ICICI Securities said in its note. Similar to December 2019, tariff hike, ICICI Securities highlighted that VIL might introduce the new tariffs followed by other operators if no clarity soon emerges on data floor price. The firm estimates that VIL may require over 50% hike in tariffs. The operators in the previous month were hit with the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) verdict with the apex court providing a 10-year time period for the repayment of AGR dues. "Bharti has seen highest conversion of tariff hike to revenue growth, which means it would gain on every tariff hike," ICICI Securities said in its note. The firm also highlighted that the upcoming spectrum auction will cause additional burden to Reliance Jio as the largest telecom operator will have to renew 850 Mhz of spectrum belonging to Reliance Communications. It recently emerged that Reliance Jio had urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to hold auctions at the earliest. Reliance Jio has been using the airwaves from Reliance Communications particularly in the 800 MHz under a sharing agreement to enhance its 4G coverage across India. Reliance Communications airwaves in 18 circles are reported to expire during the months of July to August, 2021. ICICI Securities highlighted that Bharti Airtel also has spectrum renewal in 2021, however, the operator is said to have "excess spectrum" due to its merger and acquisitions of Tata Tele, Telenor and Videocon. The firm projects Airtel renewal payout at only Rs 58 billion. Original article: Reliance Jio New Postpaid Tariff “Unlikely” to Hurt Airtel Growth ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

Motorola Razr 5G Launched in India, Jio Users Can Save Up to Rs 14,997 Posted: 05 Oct 2020 01:22 AM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/razr-5g-launched-india-jio-save-14997/302602/, Motorola Razr 5G Launched in India, Jio Users Can Save Up to Rs 14,997 Motorola on Monday launched the new Motorola Razr 5G in India, the second generation device of the iconic flip phone brand that was re-introduced by the company earlier in the year. The company said that the new Razr is the "refined, enhanced and powerful successor of the earlier generation" model released in India. The new Razr is said to be designed to "withstand up to 200,000 flips." The second generation model features an 48MP selfie camera with OIS that also serves as a rear camera when the users flip open the smartphone. Moto Razr 5G Now Launched in India The Motorola Razr 5G packs in a 6.2-inch foldable display with a 21:9 CinemaVision aspect ratio. "We found an average user flips razr 40 times per day, while power users flips razr 100 times a day," Motorola said in a release. "Our flip cycling test showed razr is designed to withstand up to 200,000 flips, meaning it would take a power user over 5 years to reach that level of use." The new Razr also carries over the software tweaks delivered to the external display of the first generation model. The company said that the users can also access specific apps like YouTube Music, Google Maps and Spotify from the external display with the users also having the ability to reply to text messages. The battery has also been bumped up to 2800 mAh with the company promising "all day" battery life. Razr 5G Available with Multiple Launch Offers The company said that the Razr 5G users will receive two "assured" OS upgrades and three years of security upgrades. The Razr 5G will be available in Polished Graphite color at a price of Rs 1,24,999 with pre-booking beginning October 5 and sales starting on October 12, 2020. The company said that the users can get the device across all "leading retail stores" and on Flipkart. It has to be noted that the earlier generation of the Motorola Razr was introduced in India at a price of Rs 1,24,999. Further, Rs 10,000 instant discount is said to be provided for those purchasing the device online on HDFC credit cards and HDFC debit and credit card equated monthly instalment (EMI) transactions. Similarly, Rs 10,000 is also offered as cashback under the same scheme to those users purchasing the device offline. Crucially, the company said that the Reliance Jio users purchasing the new Razr 5G can save up to Rs 14,997. The new Razr 5G users on Reliance Jio network can receive double data when recharging with the Rs 4999 annual plan with users offered 700GB data without any daily limit. Further, the Reliance Jio users would also receive an additional year of unlimited voice and 700GB data with the total savings said to be hitting Rs 14,997 mark. Original article: Motorola Razr 5G Launched in India, Jio Users Can Save Up to Rs 14,997 ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

Paytm Unveils Android Mini App Store with Over 300 Service Providers Posted: 04 Oct 2020 11:35 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/paytm-mini-app-store-with300-providers/302573/, Paytm Unveils Android Mini App Store with Over 300 Service Providers Paytm, the Indian digital payment and technology platform on Monday introduced its Android Mini App Store to "support Indian developers to take their innovative products to the masses." The company said that the mini apps are a "custom-built" mobile site that provides users "app like experience" without the requirement of users actually downloading the apps. Paytm said that the mini apps "would greatly benefit millions of citizens" by allowing them to save their data and memory space. Further, the company said that it would offer listing and distribution of these mini apps within its own app "without any charges." Paytm Unveils Android Mini App Store Paytm said that the developers of the mini apps will be able to provide multiple payment options including Paytm Wallet, Paytm Payments Bank, UPI, net banking and cards. "Paytm Mini App Store empowers our young Indian developers to leverage our reach and payments to build new innovative services," Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO of Paytm, said in a release. "For Paytm users, it will be a seamless experience that doesn’t require any separate download and enables them to use their preferred payment option.” It was said that the mini apps can be built using HTML and javascript technologies. Paytm said that the Android Mini App Store intends to "drive Atmanirbhar Bharat mission while keeping the digital consumer spends within India." Over 300 Service Providers Already on Paytm Android Mini App Store Crucially, it was said that the over 300 app based service providers including Decathalon, Ola, Park+, Rapido, Netmeds, 1MG, Domino’s Pizza, FreshMenu, NoBroker are already part of the Android Mini App store program. The company highlighted that the Mini App Store features a "developer dashboard for analytics, payments collection along with various marketing tools to engage with the users." The Paytm app store is already said to be running in beta for “select” users and is said to have witnessed over 12 million in September. It has to be noted that Paytm in September was delisted from the Google Play Store with the digital payment company highlighting that it was not provided an "opportunity to respond." Paytm was said to be taken off Google Play Store for violating Google's policies against gambling. Original article: Paytm Unveils Android Mini App Store with Over 300 Service Providers ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi Top-Tier Data Vouchers Listed Posted: 04 Oct 2020 10:00 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-bsnl-jio-vi-top-data-listed/302555/, Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi Top-Tier Data Vouchers Listed Vi is now offering a Work-from-Home (WFH) data add-on pack to the users at Rs 351. The operator introduced the new Rs 351 pack to its users on Friday. It has to be noted that Jio and BSNL also offer its users similar packs with benefits on the lines of Rs 351 add-on pack by Vi. While Airtel doesn't offer a data add-on pack with identical benefits, we will list the pack which can be considered a closest fit to what Airtel has to offer to other plans. Vi Rs 351 Plan The Rs 351 plan from Vi (Vodafone Idea) comes with the benefit of 100GB data and a validity of 56 days. It is perfect for people who need extra data for working from home during the pandemic. However, the operator has not added any other benefits with this plan. The users don't get any voice calling or SMS service and there are no OTT benefits either. Jio Rs 499 Plan The Jio Rs 499 plan is offered under the special category "Cricket Pack" by the telecom operator. The Rs 499 Cricket Pack is one of the top-tier data vouchers offered by Jio. The users subscribed to the Cricket Pack will receive 1.5GB daily high speed data for 56 days with the pack offering a combined total data benefits of 84GB data. While the Rs 499 add-on voucher offers less data as compared to its rival, the users get the OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP for one year. However, the Cricket Pack does not offer voice calling or SMS benefits. The users do get a complimentary subscription of all the Jio apps though. Airtel Rs 401 Plan The top-tier data add-on voucher offered by Airtel is the Rs 401 data add-on pack. The users subscribed to the Rs 401 data add-on pack will receive 30GB data with a 28 days validity. There is no daily FUP limit. However, the users will receive Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription for one year. Similar to other data add-on vouchers on this list, Airtel does not offer voice calling or SMS benefits with this data voucher. BSNL Rs 251 Plan BSNL offers its users a Rs 251 data voucher in most circles which provides 70GB data with a validity of 30 days. The operator does not provide voice calling benefits or OTT benefits with its Rs 251 data add-on plan. While Airtel and Jio does offer Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription with its data add-on packs, the operators fall behind Vi plan in the data department. Further, Airtel's data voucher has half the validity when compared with the vouchers of Jio and Vi. None of the vouchers come with any sort of voice calling and SMS benefits. As for the BSNL voucher, while the operator does not offer any OTT benefits, it is cheaper than all the other vouchers highlighted in the list and provides plenty of data to its users. Original article: Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi Top-Tier Data Vouchers Listed ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

Mobile Number Portability Request and Procedure, Here’s How You Can Do It Posted: 04 Oct 2020 06:32 PM PDT This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/mobile-number-portability-request-procedure-steps-india/302447/, Mobile Number Portability Request and Procedure, Here’s How You Can Do It Mobile number portability is a convenience offered to the users who feel dissatisfied with their current telecom service provider. It allows a user to switch from one service provider to another irrespective of the geographical region they are currently residing. Not only the service provider but the users can also switch from prepaid to postpaid or postpaid to prepaid service within a telecom operator. The users of any telco can avail the 'Mobile number portability' service for themselves. Jio much recently introduced new postpaid plans under the 'JioPostPaid Plus' branding.  Now the users of the telecom operator have the option from porting to a postpaid SIM from prepaid SIM if they want. The following is also largely applicable to users on other telecom operators. More on the story ahead. How to Port from Prepaid to Postpaid and Vice-Versa If you are a Reliance Jio user and want to switch from your prepaid connection to a postpaid connection, here is how you can do it. There are plenty of ways in which you can go about it. The first way is to visit a Jio store. When you do, request for CAF or migration from your prepaid number to postpaid or vice versa. You will have to carry your ID card and 2 photographs for verification. A user application form will be provided to you which you can fill and within 3 to 7 days, your request will be fulfilled. Another way you can do it is by going to the website of the telecom operator and share your contact details. You will receive an OTP which you will have to use for verification. Once verified, you can proceed with porting your Jio prepaid number to postpaid. There is also a way to port your number using the SMS service. You just have to type PORT followed by your phone number and send the SMS to TRAI's central portability number – 1900. You will receive a UPC which you will have to enter in the user Acquisition Form (CAF) mentioning the operator or service you want to switch to from your current one. After filing the form, walk into the user service centre of the operator of your choice and complete the KYC verification process. In case any payment is required, you will have to do it at the point of sale of a new SIM card. There are a few things that you have to keep in mind though. If you want to switch from postpaid to prepaid within a telecom operator or outside the current telecom operator, you must clear your outstanding dues first. Further, there is also a way in which a subscriber can cancel the porting request. The user can send an SMS to the same number 1900 mentioning CANCEL followed by the 10 digit number which was put in the request to be ported earlier. The cancellation request has to be put within 24 hours of putting in the porting request. Original article: Mobile Number Portability Request and Procedure, Here’s How You Can Do It ©2020 TelecomTalk. All Rights Reserved.

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