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• OnePlus Buds Z Review: Truly Wireless on a Budget?
• Apple Sales in India Skyrocketed During Q4 2020: What Made This Possible?
• Disney+ Hotstar Prepaid Plans Under Rs 600 You Can Choose From
• UPI Transactions Became a Hit in India Amid Pandemic
• 5G Deployment for Commercial Use More Than Couple of Years Away: Motilal Oswal
• 5G Core Should Come from Indian Suppliers: IT Minister
• Airtel 5G Will Be ‘Made in India’, DoT Reduces Notice Period to 6 Months
• Xiaomi Introduces Mi Air Charge: Wireless Charging, Minus the Cables
• Telcos Object to Tower Installation Cost Hikes in Delhi
• BSNL Rs 485 Prepaid Recharge: 1.5GB Daily Data and Unlimited Calling for 90 Days

OnePlus Buds Z Review: Truly Wireless on a Budget? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 08:45 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oneplus-buds-z-review/331489/, OnePlus Buds Z Review: Truly Wireless on a Budget? OnePlus is one of, if not the most well-known brand within the tech enthusiast community. The company time and again offered devices that came with great value, making them a no-brainer of a buy. They forayed into the earphone segment a few years back and launched their first truly wireless earphones- the OnePlus Buds in July 2020. In late 2020, the company announced the launch of the OnePlus Buds Z, which were a budget offering in the truly wireless segment. This came as a downgrade in most areas, but this also fixed one of the Buds' major complaints- sound quality. That being said, one ought to wonder as to whether the OnePlus Buds Z are worth their asking price of Rs 3,190. Keep reading to find out as to whether these are a good option for those looking for a truly wireless earphone, minus the high cost. OnePlus Buds Z Review: Design and Fit The OnePlus Buds Z's design is nothing to write home about. The Apple AirPods Pro-esque design, when added with a rubber ear tip, which allows for a better fit, gives the buds some sense of uniqueness, but, at first glance, they can easily be mistaken for just another AirPods clone. The Buds Z come with three hues: White, Grey and the most recent special edition made by Steve Harrington. The unit that we have is the white colour variant, which is quite bland. The earbuds themselves feature a CD inspired design, which is a hallmark of OnePlus and its earbuds design. The white finish to the earbuds looks quite clean, but the issue arises when one moves on to the case. The case, which resembles a pill case or, in terms of the truly wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds case, comes with one major con. The finish on the OnePlus Buds Z's case is glossy, rather than matte, like the OnePlus Buds. This results in the case picking up slight scratches and scrapes and, over time, it will be a major hassle to keep it clean. When one talks about the fit of the earbuds, this is something that works to the Buds Z's favour. While I personally found the Buds (Not Buds Z) to fit quite well in my ear, most people complained that the lack of a proper seal made the Buds susceptible to accidental falls. Things are different this time, since the Buds Z and their rubber seal offer a great fit, with the Buds staying in my ears even during extended running sessions. That being said, the earbuds do stick out of one’s ears quite a bit, which is not uncomfortable in any manner, but the look that accompanies the fit is similar to that of the Buds being improperly applied, even when they were properly fitted in ears. Overall, the fit is rigid and even during the head shake test, the Buds Z did not fall off. In case the ear tips do not feel comfortable, differently sized pairs are available in the box, so as to find an optimal fit. OnePlus Buds Z Review: Connectivity, Sound and Battery Life One of the most important reasons as to why one would choose a truly wireless set of earphones in comparison to a far more affordable neckband is that of added convenience. Amongst them, connectivity stands out as the most important one. The Buds Z make sure that when you are in the need for some tunes, you do not have to wait for the same. The Buds Z have great connectivity, with the Buds pairing instantly to the phone. If one owns a OnePlus device, they can control all the controls and updates for the buds via the Bluetooth settings. For those with another brand's phone, they can make use of HeyMelody, an application that allows non-OnePlus users to control key aspects of their TWS earphones. The range for these buds is great too, with the connection remaining stable despite the phone being two rooms away from the Buds for most of the time during testing. As for the audio, which is also the most important part of any set of earphones, wireless or not, the OnePlus Buds Z impresses one in this regard. The sound on the Buds Z is at times better, if not equal to that of the OnePlus Buds. This is partly because of the in-canal fit, which can ensure that the user can avail proper noise isolation and good sound, with the AAC codec being the cherry on top. In terms of sound, the Buds Z offer a very decent sound stage, with bass being strong, but not as overpowering as the Buds. The refined approach is one that I appreciated, especially since in bass-heavy tracks such as Mask Off by Future, the bass was clearly evident, but not overpowering, allowing for other aspects in the song to make a sound appearance (pun intended) Dolby Atmos is available, but that is restricted to those using a OnePlus phone, so, for those of using these Buds with a OnePlus device, the sound will improve even further, which, when considering how good the sound is before Dolby Atmos is applied, is a pretty good thing to know. For those of you wondering, active noise cancellation is not available on the OnePlus Buds Z, but there is environmental noise cancellation which does its due part during calls. Speaking of calls, the mic was crisp and clear, with the receiver of the call reporting that I sounded loud and clear, but, when used in crowded situations, such as that of a busy street with horns honking, they were evident, although a bit subdued. Battery life is pretty decent, with the Buds offering 4-4.5 hours of battery life on 70% volume, which is pretty close to the advertised 5 hours of battery life. The case adds another 12-14 hours, or three additional charges, which is more than adequate. OnePlus Buds Z Review: Verdict The OnePlus Buds Z is the perfect example of the phrase "Second time's the charm" since they improve on all the shortcomings to the Buds, despite the lower cost. They offer good sound, a great fit, a rather bland, yet attractive look. This, when coupled with good battery life and the soundstage, results in a great value for money buy. This brings me to the conclusion of my review. If I am asked as to which earphone I would recommend to someone in the Rs 3,000 range, the OnePlus Buds Z would be my blind recommendation.

Apple Sales in India Skyrocketed During Q4 2020: What Made This Possible? Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:11 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/apple-sales-increased-q4-2020/331451/, Apple Sales in India Skyrocketed During Q4 2020: What Made This Possible? Apple, the Cupertino based tech giant has been a key part of the smartphone market in India. Due to the pricing, the Apple iPhones have never been available to the mass market, with most of the premium smartphone buyers eying a new iPhone as their day-to-day smartphone. In 2020, during the crash of the market owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple sales were booming, with the company setting record numbers. According to reports that were published a few days ago, Apple had a record sales quarter, with iPhones shipments crossing 1.5 million units during the October-December period, which also allowed its market share in India to go up to 4%, double from its previous share. What Does the Company Have to Say? When the sales numbers were announced, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated: "This is particularly the case in some of the emerging markets where we’re proud of how we’ve done..If you take India for example, we doubled our business last quarter compared to a year ago quarter but our absolute level of business there is still quite low relative to the size of the opportunity.” Talking about the sales numbers in India, Cook said: "We are doing a number of things in the area, we put the online store there for example, and last quarter was the full first quarter of the online store and that has gotten a great reaction to it and has helped us achieve the results that we got to last quarter. We are also going in there with retail stores in the future and so we look to that to be another great initiative, and we continue to develop the channel as well.” The CFO, Luca Maestri, stated to investors that the revenue growth was likely to accelerate on a YOY basis, with gross margins likely going to be similar to the fiscal first quarter's rate of 39.7%. To add to his statement, he stated that the services segment faced a tough comparison in 2020. What Triggered this Sudden Rise? We cannot pinpoint just one reason for these enhanced sales. Three essential parts played into Apple's 2020 masterplan. These include the return of a fan favourite, the rise of a new leader and discounts galore. 1. iPhone 12 Series (Aka 5G) Apple announced the iPhone 12 series late in 2020, with the company focusing entirely on 5G. One might remember the memes that accompanied the launch, considering the number of times 5G was said. That being said, this 5G mentality has aided with sales by a massive amount. The promise of having a 5G phone is quite attractive and, to the average consumer, who buys a phone in 2-3 years, this seemed like a good option to get great hardware and futureproof oneself at the same time. This has been a major sales boost, not only for Apple but for some other brands as well. To add to this, the base iPhone, which always made some major compromises, especially in terms of the display has now been matched to the Pro series, with Liquid Retina being phased out. This meant the downgrades that usually accompanied the cheaper iPhone were absent this time around. Taking a look at this, the base iPhone too was a great option, letting users access the Apple Ecosystem for just a bit cheaper than usual. The 12 Pro series brought in camera advancements, appealing to the pros, with the 12 Pro Max, in particular, being a smartphone liked by most content creators. 2. iPhone SE (The Return of the Chosen One) For the layman, the iPhone SE is like a bus ticket to the Apple Ecosystem, rather than an expensive flight ticket. Launched back in 2016, the product sold like wildfire, with retailers selling the four-year-old phone, even back in 2020. Apple saw this and noticed the Flagship Killers getting attention, and decided to take the world by storm. In March 2020, the company launched the iPhone SE 2020 via a press release, and the market went abuzz. The cheap iPhone was back, for users looking to shift to the Ecosystem, this was an opportunity to do so, without going broke. The iPhone SE did come with some downgrades, such as a Liquid Retina display, the same body as the iPhone 8 and, some other features being cut, such as Face ID being removed in favour of the conventional Touch ID. The focus on basics, however, was maintained and, this fact, in particular, helped the SE retain its status in the market. 3. Discounts Galore (iPhone 11, XR) The iPhone 11, which was one of the top sellers in 2020, with the device being the best seller in Q1 of 2020. This, however, was helped due to two reasons. The iPhone 11 was a great device, bringing balance to the price to performance ratio. The sales, however, came due to the amazing discounts being offered on the device. At certain points in 2020, the iPhone 11 and the XR, both mid-range devices of the Apple lineup were down to Rs 47,999 and 37,999 respectively, making them great deals for the prices. These deals saw the iPhones being sold in such a manner that they would sell out in a matter of minutes, with multiple people buying these devices. The reason for these sales was that the iPhone 11 and XR, regarded as one of the best value propositions with these discounts, offered a deal too good to decline. Add to this the fact that these devices have support for 3-4 years, meaning that once someone spends Rs 37,000 or Rs 47,000, they can last the phone for a long amount of time, something that is not available even in 2021 in most phones below the Rs 50,000 segment.

Disney+ Hotstar Prepaid Plans Under Rs 600 You Can Choose From Posted: 29 Jan 2021 06:22 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/disney-hotstar-prepaid-plans-under-rs-600/331445/, Disney+ Hotstar Prepaid Plans Under Rs 600 You Can Choose From Telecom operators in India last year started offering Disney+ Hotstar benefit with their prepaid plans. It is a great benefit for a user who would have bought the subscription of the over-the-top (OTT) platform anyway. It is important to note that the plans that we are going to list will offer Disney+ Hotstar VIP and not the Premium subscription. The Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan costs Rs 400 for a year. But with these prepaid plans for less than Rs 600 mentioned below, it will come for absolutely free. Reliance Jio Prepaid Plans Under Rs 600 Which Offer Disney+ Hotstar Benefit Reliance Jio offers multiple plans under Rs 600 which offer Disney+ Hotstar benefit. These plans come for Rs 401, Rs 598 and Rs 499. The Rs 401 pack offers users 3GB daily data along with 6GB bonus data for 28 days. Adding to this, it offers unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day to the users. The Rs 499 pack doesn't offer any voice calling or SMS benefits. It just offers 1.5GB daily data for 56 days. The Rs 598 voucher comes with 2GB daily data and offers users unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. This plan also carries a validity of 56 days. All of the above-mentioned plans come with a VIP subscription of the OTT platform in addition to complimentary access to all the Jio apps. Also, it is worth noting that Jio has removed the FUP limit from voice calling and now offers truly unlimited voice calling to the users. Bharti Airtel Prepaid Plans Under Rs 600 Which Offer Disney+ Hotstar Benefit Bharti Airtel also offers multiple prepaid plans under Rs 600 which come with the benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP. These plans cost Rs 401, Rs 448, and Rs 599 respectively. The Rs 401 pack is a data-only pack meaning it doesn't offer any voice calling or SMS benefits. It comes with 30GB of data with a validity of 28 days. On the other hand, the Rs 448 and Rs 599 plans offer unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day benefit to the users. The Rs 448 plan offers 3GB daily data for 28 days and a free Amazon Prime Video Mobile edition trial. Whereas the Rs 599 plan offers 2GB daily data for 56 days with a free Amazon Prime Video Mobile edition as well. The trial for Amazon Prime is only for 1 month. There are other Airtel Thanks benefits included with these plans as well. These are some of the cheapest prepaid plans which offer you Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription for free. Which plan would you choose amongst the lot and why?

UPI Transactions Became a Hit in India Amid Pandemic Posted: 29 Jan 2021 04:11 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/upi-transactions-became-a-hit-in-india/331297/, UPI Transactions Became a Hit in India Amid Pandemic Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system became a very essential part of most peoples lives during 2020. As the economy pushed towards being cashless to support social distancing, the role of UPI apps grew multiple-fold. Things such as paying bills to purchasing subscriptions, people relied on UPI apps for completing the transactions. As per a PTI report, President Ram Nath Kovind said that in the last month of 2020, Indians transacted over Rs 4 lakh crore using UPI. He also informed that more than 200 banks in India are now connected with the UPI system — more details on the story ahead. Rs 4 Lakh Crore Transacted Through UPI in December 2020, Made Transactions Safe The president addressed the parliament’s joint sitting on the first day of the budgeting session and said that with through Aadhar, Mobile, and Jan Dhan Accounts, Indians saved around Rs 1.8 lakh crore from falling into the hands of fraudsters while making transactions online. UPI is a digital payments system which is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) but is built by the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI). It allows users to transfer money from one account to another instantly. The best part about it is that everything related to a UPI transaction can be executed in the smartphone. Kovind further said that Digilocker, another digital solution availed by India’s government, holds over 400 crore digital documents. He added that crores of Indians are availing more than 2,000 services with the help of Umang application. Another thing UPI has facilitated for the Indians is security. Now huge sums of cash can be transferred to another person's account without the risk of physically handling it and travelling. Along with that, every transaction is recorded and can be traced by the authorities. So if there is a fraud transaction, it can be reported to the police and most likely, users can get their money back. Kovind pointed out the importance of internet connectivity in today's world. Keeping this in mind, he said that the government is planning to connect over 6 lakh villages with the help of optical fiber in the next few years. The president said that the government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which is worth about Rs 1.5 lakh crore is being invested in over 10 different sectors to boost the country's economy. He compared the day when India had only two mobile manufacturing factories to today when it has become the second-largest smartphone maker in the world.

5G Deployment for Commercial Use More Than Couple of Years Away: Motilal Oswal Posted: 29 Jan 2021 01:48 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/5g-deployment-commercial-use-couple-years-away/331334/, 5G Deployment for Commercial Use More Than Couple of Years Away: Motilal Oswal Motilal Oswal Financial Services on Thursday said that the 5G deployment in India for commercial use is "still more than a couple of years away." The firm in a report said that the extended timeframe for 5G is due to multiple factors such as "spectrum availability" and that the "ecosystem development would take much longer." The report is on the heels of Bharti Airtel announcing that it has become the "first" operator in India to "successfully demonstrate" and "orchestrate live 5G service over a commercial network in Hyderabad." Airtel said that its 5G demonstration on Thursday was on its "existing liberalised spectrum in the 1800 MHz band" through the non standalone (NSA) network technology. Motilal Oswal Says True Power of 5G Would be Possible on 3.5 GHz Spectrum Band Motilal Oswal said that the demonstration by Airtel is to "showcase its capabilities in 5G and push the 5G ecosystem" such as applications, content and services. "There is no incremental capex as it would over time offset 4G capex and part of the investment would be fungible," Motilal Oswal said in a report on Thursday. However, the Indian diversified firm engaged in the financial services said that Airtel needs a "larger chunk of spectrum" currently available in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band to "deploy" on a NSA network. "Bharti (Airtel) can start 5G operations without 3.5 GHz spectrum," Motilal Oswal said in a report on Thursday. "But the latter would play an important part as the true power of 5G would be achieved only with [a] good quantity of 3.5 GHz spectrum." The firm also highlighted that the second largest wireless operator in India has a "large chunk of spectrum between 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz" bands along with sub-Giga band spectrum in most circles. Motilal Oswal said that the spectrum held by Airtel can be "over time reframed for 5G" across India. "NSA deployment can be better as it would complement its existing 4G network" Motilal Oswal said in a report on Thursday. "Standalone (SA) network rollout would require a new core. So, initial deployment would be on NSA and then for certain pockets it would be deployed on a SA network." Motilal Oswal Says ARPU Very Low in India Motilal Oswal said that the launch of 5G services in India would only happen "when a true 5G experience can be delivered" by the operators. "This would be dependent on availability of reasonable quantities of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band," Motilal Oswal said in a report on Thursday. "It can also be implemented by re-framing lower spectrum bands, but it would be premature to do so at this point of time given the readiness of 4G vs 5G at present." It has to be noted that Airtel on Thursday said that 5G experience will be "available" to its users "when adequate spectrum is available" and when it receives approvals from the government. Motilal Oswal also said that the 5G ecosystem in India should be a "common global system" as it would ensure the "device prices are lower and interoperable." The firm said that "there is a need for an ecosystem of devices, content and applications" and that Airtel is "working with partners to make India-specific solutions." It was also highlighted that Airtel has one million "5G ready" users on its network with a handset cost of Rs 20,000. The firm said that the 5G device prices should be between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 for the "masses to adopt this technology." Motilal Oswal highlighted that Airtel is partnering with "multiple handset OEMs for devices" with 5G capabilities while Ericsson is partnering with Airtel for 5G implementation. Crucially, Motilal Oswal said that the average revenue per user (ARPU) in India is "very low" and that it "needs to rise" to Rs 200 and then to Rs 300.

5G Core Should Come from Indian Suppliers: IT Minister Posted: 29 Jan 2021 12:25 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/5g-core-from-indian-suppliers-it-minister/331263/, 5G Core Should Come from Indian Suppliers: IT Minister 5G has become the talk of the town. While 5G is still quite far away from being rolled out in India, the government and the operators have started planning and investing on it quite heavily. After 4G, the next big thing in the Indian telecom industry will be 'Made in India' 5G network. Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have said that they will rollout homegrown 5G. Airtel has even demonstrated the power of its 5G using the 1800 MHz band in Hyderabad. The IT Minister of India, Ravi Shankar Prasad said yesterday that the 5G core should come from Indian suppliers — more details on the story ahead. 5G Trials to Take Place in India Soon According to an Economic Times report, Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking at the National Informatics Center Services Incorporated (NICSI) event yesterday said that India is ready for conducting 5G trials soon. The government has already built a 5G test-bed, and the trials should start soon. Then he said that the telcos should build the core of the 5G network with the help of Indian suppliers and manufacturers. The core of the network will be crucial for the privacy and safety of the country. The Indian government is still finalising the list for which companies can supply network gear for 5G development in India. ZTE and Huawei might still have a chance to be on the list, but they would be restricted from supplying the network’s core equipment. This is because of the ongoing tussle with China and privacy concerns that other nations have raised against the two Chinese companies. Airtel has already proved that it can provide homegrown 5G services. But the airwaves that the telco currently has are not enough. It still requires airwaves in the 3300-3600 MHz frequency band to provide seamless 5G services throughout the country. Prasad has said that while India lagged with 2G, 3G, and 4G, that should not be the case with 5G. He said India should focus on developing homegrown 5G and then roll it out as fast as possible to lead the space and also become a supplier of the next-generation technology for other countries. While the 4G auctions are scheduled from March 1, 2021, the exact dates or timeline for the 5G airwaves auction are not clear. Prasad said that 5G would change the nation’s course since it is a disruptive technology if India is able to lead from the front. He further said that for India to become a big data economy, 5G will be crucial.

Airtel 5G Will Be ‘Made in India’, DoT Reduces Notice Period to 6 Months Posted: 28 Jan 2021 11:25 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-5g-will-be-made-in-india-dot/331253/, Airtel 5G Will Be 'Made in India', DoT Reduces Notice Period to 6 Months Bharti Airtel announced yesterday that it has commercially tested 5G in Hyderabad and got great results. As per an ET Telecom report, Airtel has further said that 'Make in India' is a very crucial part of its 5G rollout in India. The telco is looking to source 5G network equipment from local manufacturers in the country. Nokia and Ericsson are two of the biggest radio equipment suppliers of the telco. They have agreed to manufacture 5G radio equipment in their Chennai and Pune facilities respectively —more details on the story ahead. Airtel in Talks With Vendors to Manufacture 5G Network Equipment Locally Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Airtel said that the telco is in talks with all of its partners to bring their manufacturing of 5G to India. He said that once 5G starts, the company will need locally manufactured equipment. Airtel is currently talking with Tejas networks for making wireline products and US-based flex for 5G gear. The telco is also asking its partners such as Ciena, Cisco, and Nokia, to manufacture IP and optical products locally. The telco is developing its 5G network technologies in India with the help of R&D along with US and Japanese firms. Developing everything locally will help the telco massively in rolling out its 5G at a cheaper cost. Further, it will have solid control over the supply chain of technology and equipment. DoT Reduced Notice Period to 6 Months Deploying New Technology Using Spectrum The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is helping the telecom operators in rolling out 5G at a faster speed. As per a PTI report, DoT has asked the operators to give a six-month notice before using the spectrum to deploy any new kind of technology. Earlier, this rule used to be one year. This meant that for any operator to rollout any new technology using the spectrum had to wait one year after giving the notice to the telecom department about it. Since the wait time has been reduced to six months, it will help operators make innovations faster and roll out new technologies as soon as possible. The spectrum auction is only a month away with January coming to an end. The government has put 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, and 2500 MHz spectrum in the auction. Airtel has already demonstrated how it can provide 5G through the airwaves in the 1800 MHz band. Thus it will be interesting to see how operators fight for the airwaves in the upcoming auctions.

Xiaomi Introduces Mi Air Charge: Wireless Charging, Minus the Cables Posted: 28 Jan 2021 09:38 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/xiaomi-mi-air-charge-technology-launched/331201/, Xiaomi Introduces Mi Air Charge: Wireless Charging, Minus the Cables Wireless chargers have been the talk of the town for quite some time now, but what people fail to see is that wireless charging is not really wireless. Yes, the phone is not being plugged to an adapter, but a charging stand is required to dock the phone. Add to that is the hassle of being unable to use the phone whilst charging, something that does not occur with wired charging. Apple's Magsafe technology introduced with the iPhone 12 series tried to fix this issue, but that too requires a cable to attach to the back of the phone, so as to charge up the device. This is a rather elegant way of wireless charging, allowing the user to use their phone, but even this method comes with its own set of wires. Is there any real wireless charger then? Yes, and it comes from Xiaomi. Today, the company announced that it is working on Mi Air Charge, a fully wireless method of charging smartphones. This means one can finally charge their phones, with no strings attached (literally). How Does This Work? In a blog post by the company, it is explained that this tech is capable of delivering an output of 5W of power to a single device over a certain distance via a self-developed isolated charging pile. This pile has 5 phase interference antennas, which can be used to determine the location of your smartphone accurately. Once the position is determined, a phase control array transmits millimetre-wide waves through beamforming. The receiving device has a miniaturised antenna array with a built-in "beacon antenna" and "receiving antenna array." The beacon antenna broadcasts the position information while the latter is a 14 antenna array that converts the millimetre-wave signal into electrical energy through the rectifier circuit. Will This Be Available Soon? Do note, however, that this is just a demo, and it is not clear as to when this will be available to the general consumer. That being said, there are also concerns regarding one's health and the impact that this tech has on humans, which might be subject to scrutiny by regulatory authorities. Xiaomi is already a pioneer in the wireless charging technology. Just a couple of days ago, the company was rumoured to be working on two phones with 67W wireless charging support. The company already has the fastest wireless charging phone- the Mi 10 Ultra with 50W wireless charging. The new Mi Air Charge feels like a fresh whiff of air.

Telcos Object to Tower Installation Cost Hikes in Delhi Posted: 28 Jan 2021 08:06 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/telcos-object-tower-installation-charges/331179/, Telcos Object to Tower Installation Cost Hikes in Delhi The rates for installation of mobile towers, which have been recently revised by two Delhi municipalities, saw a massive spike from around Rs 2 lakh per tower for a five-year span to Rs 5 lakh per tower for a five-year period, a senior industry executive aware of the matter stated in conversation to the ET Telecom. To add to this, each application for setting up new towers in the National capital also attracts a fee of Rs 10,000, meant for administrative expenses. The charges also rise by another 25% if the tower is shared by multiple telecom providers, making matters worse and the objections stronger. In Delhi, both North as well as South municipal corporations, as part of separate circulars dated January 21 and January 5, respectively stated: "the revised installation charges for cell towers/poles would be Rs 10,000 per month or Rs 1 lakh per annum," adding that in case of tower-sharing between telcos, an "extra 25% would be applicable" per instance of such sharing. Telcos, as well as tower companies, have been quick to object to the recent 150% jump in charges for the installation of towers. What is Being Done to Tackle this? In between all of these issues, problems seem to keep on coming, as one local municipality portal that accepts applications for the installation of new towers is malfunctioning, thanks to a technical snag, resulting in further delays and, more importantly, triggering higher charges for previously filed applications, all due to a delay, which if avoided, would not have these charges levied. A separate industry executive, in conversation with ET stated: "We have recently apprised telecom secretary Anshu Prakash about the surprise decisions of two local Delhi municipalities to unilaterally increase the cell tower installation charges without discussing the matter with the operators and tower firms," He added that "a failure to resolve the matter quickly" could trigger disruptions in mobile coverage in the capital. In other news, the government is all set to hold the next spectrum auction in March 2021, which is just a month away. The next spectrum auction will see Reliance Jio going all guns blazing to renew its expiring spectrum. The current market leader will be looking to renew its license in 12 telecom circles and the RCom spectrum which it is currently sharing is also expiring in July. We might not see active participation from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea in this spectrum auction. Right after this auction, we could see the 5G spectrum auction happening in the country with 5G bands for purchase.

BSNL Rs 485 Prepaid Recharge: 1.5GB Daily Data and Unlimited Calling for 90 Days Posted: 28 Jan 2021 06:26 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-rs485-prepaid-recharge-benefits/331130/, BSNL Rs 485 Prepaid Recharge: 1.5GB Daily Data and Unlimited Calling for 90 Days Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is the only telecom operator in India right now to offer competitive prepaid plans. For example, it has a 1GB daily data plan with 30 days validity for just over Rs 150. After the tariff hike that happened in December 2019, apart from Reliance Jio, other telcos (Airtel and Vodafone Idea) are offering 1GB of daily data with 28 days validity at Rs 219. Jio has a similar plan, in fact, a better plan with 1.5GB daily data at just Rs 199. Beating Reliance Jio is BSNL which has a Rs 153 recharge with 1GB daily data benefit. Besides the plans priced under Rs 200, BSNL also has a Rs 485 prepaid recharge with 90 days validity- something no other telco is offering right now. The Rs 485 BSNL prepaid plan comes with 1.5GB daily data and unlimited voice calling benefits. BSNL Rs 485 Prepaid Recharge: Benefits Detailed BSNL’s Rs 485 plan is an unlimited combo offering with 1.5GB daily data, unlimited voice calling to any network without any FUP limit and 100 SMSes per day benefits. As BSNL revised recently, all its unlimited combo plans come with unlimited calling benefit without any FUP limit. Earlier, BSNL had a FUP limit of 250 minutes per day on every prepaid and postpaid plan, but that has changed now to stay competitive in the industry. Data speeds will be reduced to 40 Kbps after the daily 1.5GB limit. The validity of the plan is 90 days from the date of recharge. For the unaware, private telcos are providing prepaid plans with 84 days validity, but BSNL’s plan offers additional six days of validity. In contrast, Bharti Airtel Rs 598 prepaid plan comes with 1.5GB daily data for 84 days, whereas Vi has a similarly priced plan. Jio’s 1.5GB data per day plan costs Rs 555 and comes with 84 days validity. Time and again, BSNL is beating the private telecom operators, especially in the tariff plans department. The telco wasn’t able to add many subscribers in recent months despite such aggressive tariff plans. The major reason behind BSNL not adding subscribers in a large number is the lack of 4G services. The government is expected to allocate required 4G spectrum to BSNL in the next couple of months and the telco will roll out high-speed 4G services with affordable 4G plans across all the 22 telecom circles. And yes, the voice calling benefit offered by BSNL PV 485 applies even to Mumbai and Delhi telecom circles where MTNL operates.

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