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Vodafone Idea Approaches Supreme Court on AGR Calculation Errors

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 07:51 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-idea-court-agr-calculation-erros/323571/, Vodafone Idea Approaches Supreme Court on AGR Calculation Errors

Ailing telecom operator, Vodafone Idea, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a modification on the previous order as part of which the telco is required to pay Rs 58,400 crore towards AGR dues. Vodafone Idea urged there are ‘arithmetical errors’ in the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) calculations by the government. Earlier today, we reported that Bharti Airtel also moved to the Supreme Court touting the same arithmetical errors made by DoT while calculating the AGR dues. An ET Telecom report highlights that Vodafone Idea has just asked for a modification in the earlier order, unlike Bharti Airtel which sought the Supreme Court to recall its three mistaken orders. The Supreme Court is yet to respond to these queries from both Airtel and Vi.

Vodafone Idea Seeks Modification on SC Order of Final AGR Dues

The Supreme Court gave out the verdict on AGR dues in September 2020, saying telecom operators can repay the amount in the next ten years. Back then, telcos accepted the move. At the end of 2020, DoT asked the telcos to make another instalment of AGR dues on March 31, 2021. In reply to DoT, Bharti Airtel said it paid AGR dues of over Rs 18,000 crore towards the first instalment, and the next instalment will be due in FY22. After the reply from Airtel, DoT officials said it would move to the Supreme Court for clarification on the matter.

As we move into 2021, both Airtel and Vi are flaring up the AGR dues matter again. As we already know, Vodafone Idea is the worst hit by the AGR dues judgement by SC because the telco is required to pay over Rs 58,400 crore. The financial situation of Vodafone Idea is not the best at the moment. “Vi is seeking a modification, pointing out that the arithmetical errors in the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) (AGR) calculations need to be looked into,” a person aware of the development said ET Telecom.

To recall, Vodafone Idea’s self-assessed AGR dues came around Rs 21,533 crore, whereas the DoT claimed an amount of Rs 58,400 crore. The Supreme Court did not listen to the telecom operators and gave a verdict based on the telecom department’s dues. Vodafone Idea has paid Rs 7,854 crore as AGR dues and the operator is required to pay Rs 50,800 crore in the next ten instalments.

The Supreme Court is yet to reply to the modifications asked by Airtel and Vodafone Idea. In other news, Tata Teleservices may also approach the apex court seeking modification in the AGR dues judgement.

Samsung Slashes Prices of Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 in India by Rs 2,000

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 06:40 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/samsung-galaxy-a71-a51-price-cuts/323561/, Samsung Slashes Prices of Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51 in India by Rs 2,000

The Samsung Galaxy A71 and the Galaxy A51 are the latest phones to receive fresh price cuts in India. The South Korean smartphone manufacturer Samsung has slashed the prices of both the phones by Rs 2,000 in India. The Galaxy A51 is one of the popular smartphones launched by the brand in 2020 in the offline market. Introduced at a price of Rs 23,999, the A51 will be available at a starting price of Rs 20,999 going forward. The Galaxy A71, on the flip side, can be purchased for Rs 27,499. The new prices are already effective on Samsung Shop Online and Amazon, but Flipkart is yet to reflect the new price cuts on both the models.

Samsung Galaxy A51 and A71 Price Cuts in India

The Galaxy A71 that was available for Rs 29,499 can be purchased for Rs 27,499 going forward. Unlike the Galaxy A71 which comes in a single variant, the Galaxy A51 comes in two variants with 6GB of RAM and 8GB of RAM. The 6GB+128GB model was available at Rs 22,999 until now, but it is now down to Rs 20,999, whereas the 8GB-128GB used to retail for Rs 24,499 and it is now down to Rs 22,499. Do make a note that these are permanent price cuts.

Samsung Galaxy A51 at Rs 20,999: Should You Purchase?

The price reduction on the Galaxy A51 comes right after the introduction of Xiaomi Mi 10i in India. Samsung always reduces the prices of its smartphones especially the Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A51 flaunts a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone is powered by Exynos 9611 chipset, coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone offers a quad-camera setup on the back with 48MP primary lens, 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 5MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor. To the front of the phone is a 32MP selfie snapper.

The device runs Android 10 out of the box but it will pick up Android 11 update in the coming days. Samsung has added a 4000mAh battery and 15W charging support to the Galaxy A51.

The Galaxy A51 is not a great smartphone when compared to the likes of Xiaomi Mi 10i, Moto G 5G and Realme 7 Pro which are currently present in the sub-Rs 25,000 segment. The Mi 10i especially is a great smartphone with Snapdragon 750G SoC, 5G support and 108MP primary camera.

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea Set to Only Partially Renew Expiring Spectrum

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 04:38 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-vodafone-idea-to-partially-renew-spectrum/323544/, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea Set to Only Partially Renew Expiring Spectrum

airtel-vodafone-idea-to-partially-renew-spectrum
ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank on Thursday said that it expects Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to "renew their expiring spectrum only partially" in the upcoming spectrum auctions. The firm engaged in the broking and distribution of financial products in a report said that Airtel and Vodafone Idea currently have "excess spectrum holding." The report is on the heels of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in a notice invited applications for the spectrum auction currently scheduled to start on March 1, 2021.

Spectrum Available in Excess Supply

ICICI Securities said that "spectrum supplies across bands remain excessive" with the firm also including the spectrum up for renewal in 2021. The firm highlighted that Airtel has 57 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band along with 6.2 MHz of spectrum in the 900 MHz up for renewal in 2021.

"[Airtel] has amassed huge spectrum via M&As, which should significantly lower its renewal requirement in the upcoming auction," ICICI Securities said in its report.

Similarly, ICICI Securities highlighted that Vodafone Idea has 46 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band along with the 6.2 MHz of spectrum in the 900 MHz up for renewal in 2021. The firm said that it expects "very little renewal requirement" for the third largest wireless operator in India as well.

However, it has been said that Reliance Jio would require capital expenditure of Rs 28,000 crore to renew its expiring spectrum at reserve price. Motilal Oswal in a report in October said that the largest wireless operator in India has 115 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band up for expiry in 2021.

ICICI Securities Says 700 MHz Spectrum "Very Expensive"

In its report, ICICI Securities said that the final reserve price for 800 MHz spectrum in the upcoming auctions is 18.5% lower than the reserve price set in October, 2016. The firm said that the reduction in the reserve price of 800 MHz spectrum "should benefit the relevant operators."

In comparison, ICICI Securities said that the final reserve price of the 1800 MHz band along with the 2300 MHz band are priced 14.5% and 17.5% higher respectively. While the 700 MHz spectrum reserve price has been reduced by 43%, the firm said that the price continues to be "very expensive."

"We expect the upcoming auction to be restricted to airwaves coming up for renewal, and we don't expect the 700MHz spectrum to find bidders," ICICI Securities said in its report.

Samsung Announces Neo QLED TVs, MicroLED TVs and The Frame 2021

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 03:14 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/samsung-neo-qled-tv-microled-tv-the-frame-2021/323529/, Samsung Announces Neo QLED TVs, MicroLED TVs and The Frame 2021

samsung-neo-qled-tv-microled-tv-the-frame-2021

Samsung has announced the new flagship Smart TVs which will make way to the market in 2021. The new Smart TVs namely 'Neo QLED TV' and 'MicroLED TV' will arrive with improved backlighting, better contrast, and offer next-gen features such as Sign Language Zoom, Multi-Output Audio, and more. Samsung also announced its new 'The Frame TV' which will come this year with a thinner form and better features. Keep reading ahead to find out more about these Smart TVs.

Samsung Neo QLED TV

Samsung Neo QLED TV will be available in both 8K and 4K options. The Smart TV will use Quantum Mini LED, which is a next-gen light source. In addition to this, the Neo QLED TV will also use Quantum Matrix Technology of Samsung, which is said to provide balanced lighting with precise control of LEDs behind the display.

Together, the Quantum Mini LED, and the Quantum Matrix Technology allows the Smart TV to increase the luminance scale to 12-bit in 4,096 steps. It further results in an immersive HDR experience where the dark areas get darker, and the light areas become lighter.

The Neo QLED TVs will come with a bezel-less design and will be very slim in form. In the audio department, the Smart TV comes with Object Tracking Sound Pro, which is an advanced sound technology developed by Samsung. There will be Samsung Health, and Super Ultrawide GameView features pre-loaded in the Smart TV.

Samsung MicroLED TV

The Samsung MicroLED TVs will come in two different sizes, 110 and 99-inches. The Smart TV will come with 24 million individually-controlled micrometre-sized LED lights which will provide a great viewing experience to the user. It will offer 99% screen-to-body ratio display to the users. There is support for Majestic Sound which will enable the Smart TV to produce sound through 5.1 channel-audio output dropping the need of external speakers.

samsung-tv-micro-led

Samsung The Frame 2021

Samsung also announced the new version of 'The Frame'. It is thinner than the previous version and matches the depth of how a traditional picture frame looks when hanged on the wall. The company is offering five different attachable bezel options with various customisation and colour options. Samsung said that it has sold over a million units of 'The Frame' TV since 2017 which is a good sign since the Smart TV is only made for a niche customer base and not the masses.

samsung-tv-the-frame-2021

Samsung did not reveal the prices of the new Smart TVs. But one thing is for sure; the South Korean tech giant is all set to launch these Smart TVs later this year.

 

Airtel Offered Highest Excellent Consistent Quality Network Amongst Jio, Vi and BSNL in December 2020

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 02:04 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-jio-vodafone-idea-bsnl-downloading-speed/323494/, Airtel Offered Highest Excellent Consistent Quality Network Amongst Jio, Vi and BSNL in December 2020

airtel-jio-vodafone-idea-bsnl-downloading-speed

When it came to downloading speeds in December 2020, Airtel was ahead of any other telecom operator in India. On the other hand, Vodafone Idea (Vi) offered the highest upload speeds to the users. Followed by Airtel and Vodafone Idea came Reliance Jio at the third position and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) at last the last in offering downloading speeds. Airtel was the best network in India providing users with a suitable network experience for use cases of 4G internet such as 1080p video streaming, HD video calling, or online mobile gaming — More on the story ahead.

Airtel Provided Users With the Most Responsive Network

As per a report from Tutela, Airtel had the highest Excellent Consistent Quality (ECQ) with 55.4% of users having an internet connection suitable for heavy usage. Just 6.9% behind was Vi, followed by Jio with an ECQ of 45.1%. BSNL had the lowest ECQ of 14%, which is comparatively very low when compared with Airtel, which was at the top position.

When it came to Consistent Core Quality (CCQ), none of the operators in India could top the 90% mark in common coverage areas. Airtel did come close with a CCQ of 83%, followed by Jio with CCQ of 77.9% and Vi with 73.8%. Again BSNL came at last with the worst CCQ of 48.5%.

Airtel topped the list by offering 10 Mbps median downloading speeds in common coverage areas. Second to Airtel was Vi offering a median downloading speed of 9.4 Mbps which was followed by Jio in the third place with 6.5 Mbps median downloading speed and at last, was BSNL offering 2.8 Mbps median downloading speed.

In upload speeds, Vi stayed ahead of all the operators by offering 5.1 Mbps median speed followed by Airtel offering 4.2 Mbps, Jio offering 3.4 Mbps, and BSNL offering a median upload speed of 1.7 Mbps.

When it came to latency test, Airtel turned out to be the most responsive network provider in the country. Airtel offered a network with 24.0ms which was ahead of Vodafone Idea by 2.5ms and Jio by 4.5ms. BSNL had the worst network amongst the lot with 49.1ms network. This means the network quality offered by the top three operators in the country is very close to each other.

Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel said that the company aims to offer the best network experience to its users. These reports are just evidence and validation for all the efforts that Airtel has been putting in its network to stay ahead of the competition.

Airtel Flares Up AGR Drama Again, Asks DoT to Recalculate Dues

Posted: 07 Jan 2021 12:25 AM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-agr-drama-asks-dot-recalculate-dues/323489/, Airtel Flares Up AGR Drama Again, Asks DoT to Recalculate Dues

Telecomtalk

Bharti Airtel recently submitted a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) of India asking the telecom department to recalculate the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. The telco said that there are 'arithmetical errors' in the calculation of dues by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). With the recalculation, Airtel further asked for clarification on the three orders given last year which adjudged the telco to be in dues of Rs 43,980 crore. In its petition at the SC, Bharti Airtel has also requested DoT to take into account the operator’s calculation before arriving at the final amount of dues. More details on the story ahead.

Airtel Points Out the Errors in DoT's Calculation of AGR Dues

As per an ET Telecom report, Airtel said that DoT didn't factor duplication of revenues and incorrect interest rates for calculation of spectrum usage charges (SuC) along with payments made by the company already before calculating the final amount. This resulted in a higher total amount that what it should have been.

It is worth noting that the SC has been against recalculation of the AGR dues since last year. When the government made a plea for the telcos to be able to pay their dues in a span of 20 years in March 2020, the SC said there would be no reassessment of the dues. Later in July, the apex court again said no to recalculations and then in September, when it came out with the verdict for the operators to pay the dues in 10 years, it finalised the dues amount which DoT had assessed.

Airtel said that the three mistaken orders given last year cause tremendous prejudice against the operators. The telco said there are multiple arithmetical errors in the DoT assessment and has requested the apex court to allow the telecom department to further make an assessment factoring in the points put forth by the applicants and then announce a final figure of the dues.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Tata Teleservices (TTSL) is expected to follow in the footsteps of Airtel and file a petition as well. This might lead to another legal battle between the telecom department and the operators related to AGR dues.

The operators need every bit of money they can get for the upcoming spectrum auctions. As per the current assessment, AGR dues for Airtel is about Rs 44,000 crores, Vi is Rs 58,400 crores, and TTSL is Rs 16,798 crores.

Out of this, Airtel has already paid Rs 18,004 crore, Vi has paid Rs 7,854 crore, and TTSL has paid Rs 4,197 crore.

OnePlus 8T OxygenOS 11.0.6.8 With One Major Fix Out for India Now

Posted: 06 Jan 2021 11:26 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oneplus-8t-oxygenos-11-0-6-8-update/323475/, OnePlus 8T OxygenOS 11.0.6.8 With One Major Fix Out for India Now

oneplus-8t-oxygenos-11-0-6-8-update

OnePlus 8T received the OxygenOS 11.0.6.7 update just last week. The update brought many improvements along with the Android Security Patch of November 2020 for the device. But after the users downloaded the update, several of them flocked to the forum of OnePlus and complained of a video playback issue. They said that videos abnormally paused while playing on their devices after downloading the update. Thus OnePlus has rolled out this new update: OxygenOS 11.0.6.8 for the OnePlus 8T worldwide with a hot fix for the issue — more details on the story ahead.

OnePlus 8T OxygenOS 11.0.6.8 Changelog

It is worth noting that there is no big difference between the changelog of OxygenOS 11.0.6.7 and OxygenOS 11.0.6.8. The only difference in the latter is the addition of hot fix for the video playback issue.

The build number of the over-the-air (OTA) update for India is OxygenOS 11.0.6.8.KB05DA, for the European devices, is OxygenOS 11.0.6.9.KB05BA and North America is OxygenOS 11.0.6.8.KB05AA.

The update still brings the same November 2020 security patch for the devices. This is a little surprising since OnePlus 8T is the latest flagship device of the company and it is expected to receive up-to-date security patches.

Again, the changelog has mentioned about the download of a new OnePlus Store app. It will be an optional app for the users meaning once downloaded; they can either keep it or uninstall it depending on their wish.

For the unaware, OnePlus Store is an application made especially for OnePlus users which allows them to purchase new products from the company with the convenience and also get in touch with the customer support in an easier manner.

The issue of Wi-Fi connection drops on certain occasions and images not displaying on the gallery sometimes has been fixed. Adding to this, the update will also fix the stability of calls and optimises the quality of pictures taken in nightscape mode.

Since it is an OTA update going out in a staged manner, some users will receive it earlier than others. Thus, keep on checking for the update if you haven't received it yet. You can manually check for the update by going to the Settings > System > System Updates. If there is an update, you will be notified.

If you downloaded the previous update and are facing the issue of video playback, download this new update (OxygenOS 11.0.6.8) as soon as you receive it as it will fix the issue for you.

Facebook Updates Features of Public Pages, No More Like Button

Posted: 06 Jan 2021 09:50 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/facebook-updates-features-of-public-pages/323465/, Facebook Updates Features of Public Pages, No More Like Button

facebook-updates-features-of-public-pages

Facebook has removed the 'Like' button from public pages on the platform. The social media giant’s focus is on the 'followers' of a page instead of 'likes'. Now users will be able to see the number of people a page is following and the number of followers it has. Facebook in a blog post said that they have made the recent changes to their pages for enabling public figures, businesses, and creators to build a community and interact better with them. Facebook’s six major changes to the pages include a redesigned layout, a dedicated news feed, easy navigation, updated task-based admin controls, actionable insights, and safety and integrity features.

All Changes Brought to the Public Pages by Facebook

Starting with the redesigned layout, users will now be able to clearly differentiate between public pages and private accounts. The look of public pages is cleaner now and streamlined for an elegant appearance.

Facebook has added a dedicated news feed for public pages. This will enable pages to discover and join conversations. Basically, it will increase the engagement of pages with its audience. The dedicated news feed will also suggest new connections to the pages. Any comment from a public figure or a verified page will be bumped up in the comments sections so a wide number of people can see it.

A question and answer (Q&A) format has also been introduced for the pages. This will allow users or fans of the page to ask questions about a certain topic. All the answers provided by the page can become a part of a stack of questions on the page which followers can swipe through anytime they want.

But one of the biggest updates to the pages is the removal of 'Like' button. Facebook is aiming to simplify the way people interact with their favourite pages. Instead of liking a page, now users can follow it. Followers will be those group of users who will receive updates and posts from the page. This will give public figures and high-profile businesses a stronger sense of their fan base.

Management tools for pages have been improved. Public pages will assign and manage admin access permissions in a better way for specific tasks. This will bump up the safety and security of the page as well.

Facebook also said that it has increased its ability to detect activity that isn't appropriate for the public platform. So users spreading hate speech, sexual or spammy content on the platform will be identified very fast.

Xiaomi Hikes Prices of 7 Mi TV Models in India by Up to Rs 3,000

Posted: 06 Jan 2021 08:02 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/xiaomi-mi-tv-models-price-hike-india/323441/, Xiaomi Hikes Prices of 7 Mi TV Models in India by Up to Rs 3,000

mi-tv-4a-mi-tv-4a-pro

Xiaomi has increased the prices of various Mi TVs in India. The Chinese company is hiking the prices of its Smart TVs across online and offline channels. Xiaomi is currently the top Smart TV brand in India and it recently announced the achievement of five million Mi TV sales in just over two years. We don’t usually get to see Xiaomi hiking the prices of existing devices. Xiaomi has hiked the prices of seven Mi TV models in India which are part of Mi TV 4A Pro, Mi TV 4X and Mi TV Horizon Edition series. The Mi TV Horizon Edition TVs were introduced recently, whereas the Mi TV 4A Pro and Mi TV 4X range of TVs were launched in early 2020. Xiaomi is yet to give an official statement regarding the price hike, but the new prices are already effective on the e-commerce websites and Xiaomi’s own Mi.com.

Mi TV Horizon Edition, Mi TV 4A Pro and Mi TV 4X Models Receive Price Hike

The Mi TV Horizon Edition and Mi TV 4A received a price hike last month, and they are getting a second hike in recent months. Starting with the Mi TV 4A Pro 32-inch model, the Smart TV used to retail for Rs 13,999, however, the price has been increased to Rs 14,999 now. The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition 32-inch model will now be available for Rs 15,999, up from the previous price of Rs 14,499.

The Mi TV 4A Horizon Edition 43-inch model received a major price hike and it now retails for Rs 25,999 from the old Rs 23,499 price tag. The Mi TV 4A 43-inch model can now be picked up for Rs 24,999, up from the usual Rs 22,499.

The Mi TV 4X 43-inch model’s price has been increased to Rs 28,999 from the earlier Rs 25,999 price. The 50-inch Mi TV 4X received a price hike of Rs 3,000 which takes the price of Rs 34,999 from the old price of Rs 31,999. Lastly, we have the Mi TV 4X 55-inch model whose price has been hiked by Rs 3,000 to Rs 39,999 from Rs 36,999.

Gadgets 360 reports the new prices of Mi TVs will be applicable across online and offline channels. As noted, there’s no official statement from Xiaomi on why it decided to increase the prices of its existing models. With these new prices, Xiaomi now has a wide-range of Smart TVs at every price point in India.

BSNL Removes Blackout Days for 2021

Posted: 06 Jan 2021 05:36 PM PST

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-blackout-days-2021-removal/323421/, BSNL Removes Blackout Days for 2021

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is again getting rid of Blackout Days for 2021. The telco has made the same move over the last two years and to stay competitive in the industry, BSNL decided to do the same this year as well. For the unaware, mobile phone subscribers are generally charged as per base tariff on some particular days like New Year, Christmas, etc. On such days, telecom subscribers send a lot of SMSes and make a lot of voice calls to wish their family/friends. Telcos cash on such occasions to generate some revenue which is why these days are called ‘Blackout Days.’ Ever since the arrival of Reliance Jio, telcos are forced to remove blackout days as the Mukesh Ambani-led telco does not have any policy.

No Blackout Days on BSNL Network in 2021

At the beginning of every year, telecom operators announce the removal of Blackout Days. While there’s no such official announcement from Airtel and Vodafone Idea this year, BSNL confirmed the removal. “In order to be competitive in the market with the other service providers, the competent authority has decided to dispense with the blackout days for the year 2021 under GSM mobile services,” said BSNL in a release.

As mentioned above, Reliance Jio has no blackout days since its inception, so the other two private operators- Airtel and Vi also seem to have removed the blackout days permanently. Some of the Blackout Days in the past include New Year- January 1, Holi, Diwali, Christmas and New Year- December 31.

BSNL 4G Launch: When Can We Expect?

In other news, BSNL is looking to launch 4G services at the earliest in 2021. The much-awaited 4G services launch from BSNL has been delayed for several years. As per the latest development, BSNL had its disagreement with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The DoT asks BSNL to use locally-made 4G gear, whereas the telco says the 4G gear from local OEMs is unproven and the tender price could be on the costlier side.

Launching 4G services will allow BSNL to compete with private telcos in a better way. BSNL is the only telecom operator that is providing competitive plans in both the prepaid and postpaid segment. For the unaware, BSNL is still the only telco to offer 2GB data per day under Rs 200. After the latest tariff hike, Reliance Jio also increased tariff prices. The next round of tariff hike in the telecom industry is expected to happen in the coming weeks.

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