${latestitem Title}

Will the Removal of IUC Help Reliance Jio in Adding More Subscribers? Let’s Talk
HD Set-Top Boxes From Airtel, Tata Sky, D2h, Dish TV and Sun Direct
Jio & Airtel Benefit from Google Pay & Other Online Payment Platforms
Hathway 150 Mbps Broadband Plan With Android TV Box Now Costs Rs 799 per Month
Bharti Airtel Takes on Reliance Jio by Offering 1.5GB Daily Data With Rs 199 Plan

Will the Removal of IUC Help Reliance Jio in Adding More Subscribers? Let’s Talk

Posted: 02 Jan 2021 07:48 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/iuc-removal-jio-lets-talk/322529/, Will the Removal of IUC Help Reliance Jio in Adding More Subscribers? Let’s Talk

Reliance Jio removed the interconnect usage charges (IUC) on January 1, making all the plans offer unlimited voice calling. Alongside that, Jio customers will no longer be charged six paise per minute for making voice calls to other networks. The only weakness Jio had since its inception was the FUP limitation on non-Jio calls which has been removed now. Over the last few months, Reliance Jio saw its monthly subscriber additions decline. In September and October 2020, Reliance Jio added less than half subscribers of Bharti Airtel. If Airtel added 3.6 million subscribers, Jio managed to add just around 1.6 million users, something which the telco must be worried about. Will the removal of IUC help Jio in getting back to the track?

Reliance Jio Subscriber Addition Slows Down in Recent Times

According to the data released by Trai, Reliance Jio added just 1.46 million new users whereas its direct rival Airtel grabbed 3.77 million new users in the month of September. In October 2020, Airtel added 3.67 million new users, while 2.65 million users onboarded Reliance Jio’s network. Since launching commercial services back in September 2016, the Mukesh Ambani-led telco added over six million users every month, but the slow down in recent times must be worrying the telecom operator.

The recent farmers’ protest should also be worrying Reliance Jio at the moment. Farmers in Punjab are going against Reliance Jio and are also moving out of the telco through MNP. Also, farmers are cutting the power supply to Jio’s towers in Punjab.

Amidst all this chaos, Reliance Jio removed the interconnect usage charges. As mentioned above, the only drawback Jio had over the last one year was the limitation on non-Jio voice calls. When Jio implemented the off-net call charges in October 2019, the subscriber additions of the telco slowed down from around nine million per month to 5.8 million per month.

Will the removal of IUC allow Reliance Jio to get back on track in January 2021? Comment down your thoughts below.

HD Set-Top Boxes From Airtel, Tata Sky, D2h, Dish TV and Sun Direct

Posted: 02 Jan 2021 03:30 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/hd-set-top-boxes-airtel-tata-sky-d2h-dish-tv-sun-direct/322502/, HD Set-Top Boxes From Airtel, Tata Sky, D2h, Dish TV and Sun Direct

hd-set-top-boxes-airtel-tata-sky-d2h-dish-tv-sun-direct

Gone are the days when the standard definition (SD) picture quality was acceptable. It is the era of full high definition (HD) and 4K quality pictures. Major Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in India offers users HD Set-Top Boxes (STBs) so that they can watch their favourite content in high-quality visuals. Each of the operators offers its HD STB with different features, benefits, and price. Today, we are listing the HD STBs from Airtel Digital TV, Tata Sky, D2h, Dish TV, and Sun Direct.

Airtel Digital TV – HD STB

Airtel Digital TV is selling its HD STB for Rs 1,300. This STB will enable users to watch satellite TV content in premium quality. Along with that, there is support for Dolby Digital Sound for an enhanced overall experience. Users also get an option for recording their favourite shows and matches which they can play later.

Tata Sky – HD STB

Tata Sky offers its HD STB for Rs 1,499. With this STB, users get to view content in 1080i resolution at an aspect ratio of 16:9. There is also support for Dolby Digital Surround Sound and access to 500+ channels on the platform of Tata Sky. The STB also comes with a range of Tata Sky services included.

Dish TV – DishNXT HD

The DishNXT HD STB from Dish TV is available in the market for Rs 1,590. It comes with a lifetime warranty and Rs 2,000 worth coupons from Coupon Duniya. It allows users to watch their favourite content in HD format and supports stereophonic sound.

D2h – HD STB

The HD STB from D2h is priced at Rs 1,599. This STB offers users content in 5x better picture quality. Users can stream satellite TV content in 1080p resolution. It comes with a high-speed processor onboard and also comes with an HDMI cable so that it can be conveniently connected with the TVs at your home or office.

Sun Direct – HD STB

Sun Direct offers its HD STB for Rs 3,500. This price includes free installation, 1 year-warranty on Set-Top Box, and unlimited recording to the user. However, if the users want, they can also go for the 'Entrustment Model' and get the HD STB for Rs 1,501 only. But in this case, the user won't have any right on the equipment and accessories.

It is evident that Airtel's HD STB offering is the cheapest, followed by Tata Sky, then Dish TV, then D2h, and lastly, the most expensive HD STB is from Sun Direct.

Jio & Airtel Benefit from Google Pay & Other Online Payment Platforms

Posted: 02 Jan 2021 12:30 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/jio-airtel-google-pay-online-payment-platforms/322463/, Jio & Airtel Benefit from Google Pay & Other Online Payment Platforms

jio-airtel-google-pay-online-payment-platforms

Because of the pandemic and several lockdowns, the need for online connectivity grew multiple folds. During the time, people depended a lot on various online payment platforms to make transactions for almost everything they bought or exchanged. Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel benefitted a lot because of these online payment platforms. This is because users of the telco had no other option but to recharge from their homes using online wallets. Some of the major online payment platforms/wallets included Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. Now, as per a report shared by ET Telecom, telcos received almost 50% of their revenues through online recharges that users made in the past year — more details on the story ahead.

Jio and Airtel Received 50% of Their Revenue Through Online Recharges

Reliance Jio received 50% of its total revenue for the October-December quarter of 2020 through online recharges. Compared with the earlier quarter of January-March, the telco received only 35% of its revenues through online recharges. It is worth noting that during the quarter ending June 2020, the telco had received 60% of its recharge revenues from online payments, which is still an all-time high for Jio. The revenues being discussed here are only 'recharge revenues' and not the gross revenue company made through other segments of its business.

At the same time, the stat was somewhat similar for Bharti Airtel as well. Out of the total recharge revenues of Airtel, the company received half of it through online payments. This means that online payment platforms/wallets have helped the telcos a lot.

Fintech companies such as PhonePe and Google Pay, among other online payment platforms said that they saw a surge of 55%-75% in online transactions for mobile recharges. The pandemic and lockdowns pushed users to make more of online payments.

Many first time users jumped to online payment platforms and made their first transactions within the first quarter of the pandemic. Right from recharging their SIM cards to clearing electricity bill dues, users did it all with the help of online wallets.

In an interesting note, online recharges have helped the telcos increase their average revenue per user (ARPU). A spokesperson from PhonePe said that the average transaction value related to mobile recharges went up by 20% year-on-year (YoY).

This is just the start though, and the benefits of online recharge aren't just limited to Jio and Airtel, but Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have also benefited from the same.

Hathway 150 Mbps Broadband Plan With Android TV Box Now Costs Rs 799 per Month

Posted: 01 Jan 2021 08:52 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/hathway-android-tv-broadband-plans/322449/, Hathway 150 Mbps Broadband Plan With Android TV Box Now Costs Rs 799 per Month

Hathway Broadband has revamped its offerings in some cities. It is now bundling Android TV box with its broadband plans in select cities like Hyderabad and Chennai. In Chennai, Hathway has reduced its broadband offerings to three plans with speeds of 150 Mbps, 200 Mbps and 300 Mbps. All these broadband plans now come bundled with the company’s Android TV-based Hathway Ultra Smart Hub. However, to receive a free Android TV box, customers will have to choose long-term broadband plans. Hathway’s 150 Mbps broadband plan which costs Rs 900 for one month can be picked up for Rs 799 for 12 months along with a free Ultra Smart Hub. Furthermore, the long-term plans from Hathway also offer Sun NXT annual subscription at no extra cost.

Hathway Now Bundling Free Android TV Box With Broadband Plans

To recall, Hathway launched the Ultra Smart Hub Android TV-based box in 2019 at Rs 2,999. The box runs Android TV 8.0 and has all the popular apps pre-installed. Now, the Internet Service Provider’s broadband plans in Chennai and Hyderabad come bundled with the Android TV STB at no extra cost.

Firstly, let’s talk about Hathway’s broadband plans in Chennai. The company has a 150 Mbps plans priced at Rs 900 per month and it costs Rs 2,397, Rs 4,794 and Rs 9,588, for three, six and 12 months respectively. The Hathway Ultra Smart Hub is offered to the customers on six and 12 months subscriptions. Second on the list is the 200 Mbps plan which only comes in three months, six months and 12 months subscriptions priced at Rs 3,600, Rs 7,200 and Rs 14,400. Again, the Android TV box is being offered with six and 12 months subscriptions.

Lastly, we have the 300 Mbps plan again available in just three, six and 12 months subscriptions at Rs 4,200, Rs 8,400 and Rs 16,800, respectively. Users can get a free Android TV box will all three long-term subscriptions. So if a customer opts for the 150 Mbps plan for 12 months, the effective monthly price would be Rs 799. And another best part is the free annual Sun NXT plan bundled by the ISP with long-term options.

Hathway also reduced its total offerings to just four plans in Hyderabad. The premium 150 Mbps plan costs the same as mentioned above and the company also provides an Android TV box and Sun NXT subscription at no extra cost. Hathway has a 100 Mbps plan which is priced at Rs 1,800, Rs 3,600 and Rs 7,200 for three, six and 12 months. Hathway’s broadband plans in Hyderabad are only available for a long-term subscription.

Bharti Airtel Takes on Reliance Jio by Offering 1.5GB Daily Data With Rs 199 Plan

Posted: 01 Jan 2021 05:39 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-rs199-prepaid-plan-jio-revision/322417/, Bharti Airtel Takes on Reliance Jio by Offering 1.5GB Daily Data With Rs 199 Plan

Bharti Airtel has started offering 1.5GB daily data with its Rs 199 prepaid recharge. While announcing the interconnect usage charges removal a couple of days ago, Reliance Jio said it has the best-prepaid plans in the industry alongside comparing them with those of Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Airtel’s Rs 199 prepaid recharge used to offer 1GB data per day for 24 days, however, the plan is now coming with 1.5GB daily data. Do make a note that the benefit is applicable only to select users. We have checked the offer availability on Airtel’s website and Airtel Thanks and it was applicable on two prepaid numbers in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana circle. We have checked for the offer availability in Karnataka telecom circle, and it was available only on select numbers.

Bharti Airtel Rs 199 Prepaid Recharge Revised for Select Users

For the unaware, Airtel’s Rs 199 prepaid plan is currently offering 1GB data per day for 24 days across the country. It is now providing 1.5GB data per day for 28 days in-line with Jio’s Rs 199 prepaid recharge. Notably, Bharti Airtel has a Rs 249 prepaid plan that generally offers 1.5GB data per day for 28 days which is why the Rs 199 plan is revised to only select users.

As you can see in the image, the Rs 199 prepaid plan from Bharti Airtel is offering 1.5GB data per day which totals to 42GB for 28 days, unlimited voice calling to any network within India and 100 SMSes per day. Additional benefits included with this recharge are free hello tunes, Wynk Music subscription with unlimited downloads and Airtel Xstream app subscription that has more than 350 Live TV channels.

The weird part is Airtel’s Rs 249 plan is also available for recharge on the mobile numbers for which the Rs 199 has been revised. The Rs 249 plan’s additional benefits also include Rs 100 FASTag cashback and Shaw Academy online courses for one year.

Between the Rs 199 and Rs 249 plans, Airtel has the Rs 219 pack that ships with 1GB data per day for 28 days.

It’ll be interesting to see how Jio reacts to this move from Airtel. Also, let us know in the comments section below whether the revised Rs 199 plan is available for your prepaid account.

Search This Blog

TELECOM TARIFF INDIA