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Will Trai Implement the Zero IUC Regime on January 1, 2021? Let’s Talk
Vodafone Idea Has Successfully Migrated 3G Spectrum to 4G Across All Cell Sites in Mumbai
New DTH License Guidelines, All You Should Know
Best Android TV Boxes You Can Get in India Today
JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan Requires 6 Months Minimum Subscription: Other T&C Listed

Will Trai Implement the Zero IUC Regime on January 1, 2021? Let’s Talk

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 07:37 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/trai-zero-iuc-regime-implementation-lets-talk/321349/, Will Trai Implement the Zero IUC Regime on January 1, 2021? Let’s Talk

A year ago on December 18, 2019, the Trai decided to defer the introduction of zero IUC regime to January 2021. Back then, the move was opposed by Reliance Jio and welcomed by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Since then, there’s no update from the Trai or telecom operators on IUC (Interconnect Usage Charges). Thanks to the postponement of zero IUC regime, Reliance Jio is charging its customers six paise per minute for non-Jio calls, and also has a FUP limit on every unlimited combo plan. Now, the biggest question is: will the zero IUC regime come into effect on January 1, 2021? Well, we believe it will become effective since there’s no update from Trai on postponing once again.

Zero IUC Regime: What You Need to Know?

For the unaware, IUC or Interconnect Usage Charges is a cost paid by one telecom operator to another when its customer makes outgoing calls to the other operator’s customers. In other words, these calls are also known as ‘off-net calls.’ The current Interconnect Usage Charges are set at six paise per minute by Trai, and on January 1, 2021, the IUC will become zero.

Reliance Jio is pushing for the zero IUC regime because it operates on a complete LTE network, whereas Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel are GSM operators. Since all the telcos now have VoLTE service across the country, we believe they will not oppose the implementation of zero IUC regime.

Is Zero IUC Regime a Good News for Reliance Jio Customers?

Absolutely, yes. As noted, Reliance Jio is charging six paise per minute from its customers for non-Jio or off-net voice calls. The company’s unlimited combo plans offer unlimited Jio to Jio voice calling, however, when it comes to Jio to non-Jio numbers, the voice calls will be capped at 1,000 or 3,000 or 12,000 minutes depending on the plan you choose. While the telco decided to charge customers for off-net calls, it gives them back a 1GB of data voucher for free on every Rs 10 spent by the users for making off-net calls.

The implementation of zero IUC regime means Jio customers will no longer have to worry about the FUP limit for non-Jio numbers. Once the new regime comes into effect, Jio will remove the FUP limit on its unlimited combo plans.

What do you think about the zero IUC regime by Trai? Will it be implemented on January 1, 2021? Let’s talk in the comments section below.

Original article: Will Trai Implement the Zero IUC Regime on January 1, 2021? Let’s Talk

Vodafone Idea Has Successfully Migrated 3G Spectrum to 4G Across All Cell Sites in Mumbai

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 04:18 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-idea-successfully-migrated-3g-spectrum-4g/321318/, Vodafone Idea Has Successfully Migrated 3G Spectrum to 4G Across All Cell Sites in Mumbai

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Vodafone Idea Limited has successfully refarmed 3G spectrum to 4G across all sites in Mumbai, thereby substantially enhancing GIGAnet 4G capacity in the city. The integration of erstwhile Vodafone and Idea networks, combined with the latest 3G to 4G spectrum refarming gives Vodafone Idea the edge of optimum availability and utilization of spectrum to serve the needs of tech-savvy individual customers as well as Enterprises in Mumbai.

Vi customers in Mumbai will get to enjoy higher download and upload speeds

This development coming on the heels of the deployment of 5 MHz of 2100 MHz spectrum band, means that Vi customers in Mumbai will get to enjoy higher download and upload speeds apart from better indoor coverage. The existing 4G infrastructure, ramped up with the migration of 3G spectrum to 4G, gives Vi GIGAnet 4G the triple advantages of wider coverage, network quality as well as stronger traffic carriage capacity in Mumbai.

Ookla, the global leader in broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications, has verified GIGAnet from Vi as the most consistent and fastest 4G network in Mumbai in terms of download as well as upload speeds. And now Vi customers in Mumbai can enjoy the faster 4G experience when they use a 4G handset and a 4G SIM.

The year 2020 has brought about massive changes in consumer behaviours. While the data demand has grown manifold, telecom network today has become the mandatory layer to exist in a digital society. This has drawn focus on the criticality of 24×7 high-speed mobile network connectivity across both- commercial as well as residential areas.

Vi started offering Wi-Fi Calling service

Vi recently started offering Wi-Fi Calling service in two circles- Maharashtra & Goa and Kolkata circles at the launch. The company will likely launch the service in other circles in a phased manner. Wi-Fi Calling from Vi has been overdue for a year now. To recall, the top two telcos- Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel launched their Wi-Fi Calling service exactly a year now, and it has popular features offered by any telco in recent years.

Vi completed the world's largest network integration and has named it GIGAnet. It is said that the recent developments including the switch to 4G networks will help Vi to increase its ARPU and profitability in the long-term.

Original article: Vodafone Idea Has Successfully Migrated 3G Spectrum to 4G Across All Cell Sites in Mumbai

New DTH License Guidelines, All You Should Know

Posted: 26 Dec 2020 02:21 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/new-dth-license-guidelines-trai-government/321277/, New DTH License Guidelines, All You Should Know

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The government has recently accepted the Direct-to-Home (DTH) license guidelines proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). It is worth noting that the acceptance of the new DTH license guidelines comes after 6 years of waiting. When proposed on July 23, 2014, the new rules to the government were titled 'Issues related to New DTH Licenses'. The Union Cabinet has extended the license period for the DTH industry to 20 years. Normally, the approval for the license period would be 10 years, but now it is 20 years — read ahead to find out more details about the story.

Revised License Fee and Sharing of DTH Platform

The license fee has got a revision with the approval for new guidelines. DTH operators will now have to pay 8% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) instead of 10% of gross revenue (GR). The AGR is calculated by deducting Goods and Services Tax (GST) from the GR. The government will collect this license fee from the operators on a quarterly basis.

For the unaware, the DTH industry and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) have had issues between them for a long time now. The DTH industry of India has four major operators: Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, and Sun Direct. These four operators had a combined subscriber base of 70.58 million until June 2020.

In 2014, the MIB had issued notices to the operators asking them to shell out license fee worth Rs 2,066 crore or Rs 20.66 billion in a span of 15 days. The DTH operators disagreed with the order and took the matter to court for which the case is still going on.

Adding to this, as per the new rules, a DTH operator will be allowed to air a maximum of 5% of its total channel carrying capacity as permitted platform channels. The operators will also have to pay Rs 10,000 per PS channel as a one-time registration fee which will be non-refundable.

The reason behind the reduction of the license fee by the government is to make the license fee rules consistent with the telecom industry. Further, the operators are now allowed to share their DTH platform on a voluntary basis with other operators.

This would allow for the efficient use of the DTH infrastructure and satellite resources by the operators of the country. Additionally, it would reduce the cost borne by the subscribers resulting in a win-win for both the DTH operators and the subscribers of the service.

Original article: New DTH License Guidelines, All You Should Know

Best Android TV Boxes You Can Get in India Today

Posted: 25 Dec 2020 10:18 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/best-android-tv-boxes-in-india-today/321258/, Best Android TV Boxes You Can Get in India Today

best-android-tv-boxes-in-india-today

Gone are the days when people used to be satisfied with HD Set-Top Boxes (STBs). The age for Smart TVs and Smart Set-Top Boxes is already here. Today, we will be talking about all the best Android TV Boxes you can get in India. We will list their features, price, and any offer if that is currently going on with the purchase of that Android Box. Multiple brands and companies have come to the Indian market, and it can confuse the users as in which one to go for. That is why we are listing the best Android STBs you can purchase in India today.

Tata Sky Binge+

Tata Sky Binge+ is the Android box offering from India's largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) operator. It is available for Rs 2,999 on the company's website. This STB will allow the user to stream over-the-top (OTT) content and watch satellite TV. It comes with built-in Chromecast and support for Google Assistant. The STB is capable of supporting 4K content.

On purchase of this STB, the users will get a free subscription of Tata Sky Binge service for six months along with a free subscription of Amazon Prime Video for 3 months.

Airtel Xstream Box

The Airtel Xstream Box runs on Android TV 9 Pie. It also comes with built-in support for Google Chromecast and Google Assistant for enabling voice search. Users can convert their smartphone into a remote for this STB. The Airtel Xstream Box also allows users to watch both OTT content and satellite TV. Users can also stream content in 4K format using this STB.

The Airtel Xstream Box is currently available for Rs 2,499 on the company's website.

ACT Stream TV 4K

From the name itself, it is quite clear that ACT Stream TV 4K can support content in 4K format. It has all the basic features of an Android STB: built-in Chromecast, Google Assistant, access to Play Store apps, and more. Users can stream both OTT content and satellite TV through this STB. Further, it has the support of Dolby Audio.

The ACT Stream TV 4K is available for Rs 4,499 on the company's website.

Mi Box 4K

The Mi Box 4K is the Android STB on offer from Xiaomi. This STB comes with built-in Chromecast Ultra and support for Google Assistant. It runs on the Android TV 9 Pie platform and is powered by a 2.0 GHz quad-core 64-bit processor. This STB can support content in 4K HDR 10 format. There is a voice remote control included in the package as well. The only thing is, this STB doesn't allow users to watch satellite TV content.

The Mi Box 4K can be purchased for Rs 3,499 from the website of Xiaomi India.

D2h Stream

The D2h Stream is an Android-powered STB from D2h. It can support content in 2K quad-HD format. There is support for Dolby Audio, Google Assistant, and Chromecast. Users can stream regular OTT content as well as satellite TV with this Android STB.

It is available for a price of Rs 2,499 on the company's website.

Original article: Best Android TV Boxes You Can Get in India Today

JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan Requires 6 Months Minimum Subscription: Other T&C Listed

Posted: 25 Dec 2020 05:32 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jiopostpaid-plus-rs1499-plan-conditions-detailed/321231/, JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan Requires 6 Months Minimum Subscription: Other T&C Listed

Reliance JioPostpaid Plus plans have been in the market for more than four months now. They start at Rs 399 and go all the way up to Rs 1,499 per month. Besides the JioPostpaid Plus plans, the telco is also offering a basic Rs 199 postpaid plan which does not provide free OTT subscriptions, family add-on connections and data rollover facility. The Rs 1,499 JioPostpaid Plus plan comes with a slew of benefits like unlimited voice calling, free international roaming pack with data benefit, 300GB of data benefit per month with rollover up to 500GB and access to OTT apps like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar VIP and Amazon Prime subscription. However, there are a couple of terms and conditions worth considering if you are looking to get this plan and we have detailed them below.

JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan: Terms and Conditions Detailed

The first one is the Rs 1,800 security deposit. Yes, Reliance Jio will be charging Rs 1,800 from every customer who activates the Rs 1,499 postpaid plan. However, do make a note that the security deposit is refundable. Furthermore, Jio says the security deposit needs to be paid in advance and it will become refundable after the customer clears all the pending dues. The company says it will waive off the security deposit at the time of onboarding the customers after checking the postpaid history and/or credit score.

Jio’s counterpart Bharti Airtel is not charging security deposit for the users who make local/STD calls, whereas, for international users, the telco charges Rs 3,000 as a refundable security deposit. On the flip side, Vodafone Idea charges Rs 99 as one-time activation fee and Rs 199 as refundable security deposit from all postpaid users.

Second and most important worth knowing about the Rs 1,499 JioPostpaid Plus plan is the minimum subscription period. Reliance Jio says the customer should not change the plan or leave the network for six months. If a customer changes the network or changes to another JioPostpaid Plus plan, the telco will charge an amount of Rs 1,499 (plus taxes).

JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan: Benefits Detailed

The Rs 1,499 postpaid plan from Reliance Jio offers unlimited voice calling to any network within India, 300GB data per month with rollover up to 500GB and 100 SMSes per day. These are the basic benefits offered by the plan. Moving on, the plan also comes with international roaming benefits. If a customer travels to the USA, they can enjoy 5GB of high-speed data and 500 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls. And the plan also offers IR in UAE of 1GB high-speed data and 300 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls. Once the user completes 300GB data, the telco will charge at Rs 10 per GB.

Lastly, the Rs 1,499 plan also comes with Rs 199 worth Netflix Mobile subscription, Rs 999 Amazon Prime subscription for one year, Rs 399 worth Disney+ Hotstar VIP membership and free access to Jio apps.

Original article: JioPostpaid Plus Rs 1,499 Plan Requires 6 Months Minimum Subscription: Other T&C Listed

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