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• Xiaomi to Launch 75-inch Mi QLED TV in India on April 23
• Realme 8 5G India Launch Teased, What You Should Know
• Bharti Airtel Separates Digital Assets by Creating New Company Structure
• Samsung Neo QLED TV Range With Quantum Matrix Technology Launched in India
• Hyperbat Joins Ericsson and BT for 5G Digital Twin Technology
• 5G Extremely Crucial in India, Set to Radically Transform Network Performance
• Vivo V21 5G Presumed to Launch in India Soon: Report
• DoT Will Reward PLI Incentives to Companies that Promise More Investments
• Excitel Broadband Expands Services to 10 New Cities of India
• MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G SoC Launched for India
• Apple ‘Spring Loaded’ Event Confirmed for April 20, What to Expect
• 5G Testing in India Made Easier for the Telcos
• Bharti Airtel Might Pay DoT Rs 1,376 Crores
• OPPO A35 With 4,230mAh Battery and Helio P35 SoC Launched
• AccessParks, FreedomFi to Provide 5G Connectivity Across USA’s National Parks
• Vodafone Idea 100 Mbps Broadband Plan Offers Only 350GB Data

Xiaomi to Launch 75-inch Mi QLED TV in India on April 23 Posted: 14 Apr 2021 08:34 AM PDT Xiaomi tweeted to tease us all about the launch of the new Mi TV in India. Speculations started surfacing ever since, that it can be the Mi TV Q1 75-inch from Europe. It is only today that Xiaomi confirmed the Mi QLED TV 75-inch is launching in India on April 23. Xiaomi India is going to have one of the biggest events this year since we know that the company is bringing the premium Mi 11 Ultra Flagship and Mi 11X series as well. Xiaomi’s upcoming QLED TV will also be the second QLED TV for India. The disclosure of the Mi QLED TV 75-inch was made through a Twitter post. The microsite page had also gone live which further showed the images that proved that it is the Mi TV Q1 from Europe. In December 2020, Xiaomi had officially rolled out its first-ever QLED TV in India but the variant had a 55-inch display size. What Will the 75-Inch Mi QLED TV Feature? No India-specific changes have been announced by Xiaomi yet, therefore, it can be safely assumed that the Mi QLED TV 75-inch should have a 4K display panel that will support a 100% NTSC colour gamut. It has up to 1.07 billion colours and 1,024 different colour shades. The viewing angle of the display is likely to be at 178 degrees and the contrast ratio will be 10,000:1. The upcoming QLED TV will support a 120Hz refresh rate which will come along with MEMC, HDR10+ certification and lastly support for Dolby Vision. Connectivity options will include HDMI 2.1 port, ALLM, 360-degree Bluetooth remote, 30W speakers with Dolby Audio. The TV will run on Android TV 10 OS and will come equipped with assistant support such as Google Assistant/ Alexa voice. Moreover, the QLED TV will also contain pre-installed popular apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube. No information has been disclosed regarding its price and availability. We will have to wait for further intimation from the company to know more about the price and availability of the Mi QLED TV 75-inch.

Realme 8 5G India Launch Teased, What You Should Know Posted: 14 Apr 2021 07:54 AM PDT   Realme has officially released the teaser of its upcoming 5G smartphone in India and it could be the Realme 8 5G. The company has teased the handset on Flipkart hinting towards an imminent launch. The Flipkart listing does not reveal the model name but it confirmed a 5G smartphone. Last month the Realme 8 was launched by the brand in the Indian market and it seems that the company is now planning to bring the 5G variant of the same phone in the country. Moreover, the company has been teasing about the Realme 8 5G for quite some time now and the official Thailand Facebook page has also confirmed that the phone will launch on April 21, 2021. Let's have a closer look at the newly listed Flipkart teaser. Realme 5G Phone India Launch Confirmed Realme has listed a dedicated Flipkart page for the upcoming 5G smartphone. The listing confirmed that a new Realme phone is "Coming soon" in India, but no launch date has been mentioned in the entire teaser. The phone is expected to be the Realme 8 5G as the company has already launched four new 5G phone in the country. The Flipkart listing also suggests that the smartphone is going to arrive with India's first MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset. The listing states that the Dimensity 700 5G SoC is built on a 7nm process which is 28 per cent faster than the 8nm chipset. The listing also shows some comparisons between 4G and 5G connectivity. According to the comparison, 5G connectivity will deliver a peak speed of 2.34gbps with a low latency of less than 10ms. Realme Thailand Facebook page shared a post last week confirming the launch of the Realme 8 5G on April 21st, 2021 in the country. Post this announcement, reports were popping up on the internet claiming that the smartphone will make its way to the Indian market at the same time. The smartphone is tipped to arrive with a triple rear camera setup with a 48MP primary camera sensor. The handset was also listed on the Geekbench certification site confirming that the phone will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, clubbed with 8GB RAM and packs a 5,000mAh battery.

Bharti Airtel Separates Digital Assets by Creating New Company Structure Posted: 14 Apr 2021 07:10 AM PDT Bharti Airtel today announced a new corporate structure. This is expected to sharpen the focus of the company in driving the rapidly unfolding digital opportunity in India while enabling it to unlock value. The new structure envisages Airtel Digital Limited folding into the listed entity, Bharti Airtel. This will now house all of the digital assets spanning Wynk Music, Airtel X stream, Airtel Thanks, Mitra Payments platform used by a million retailers, Airtel Ads, Airtel IQ, Airtel Secure, Airtel Cloud and all future digital products and services. The digital ambition of Bharti Airtel Limited is closely intertwined with the spine that connectivity provides across the country. It is therefore intended to house all the telecom businesses in a newly created entity, Airtel Limited – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited. Airtel to focus on four distinct verticals – Digital, India, International and Infrastructure Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel said: "The new structure sets the exciting future course for Bharti Airtel and provides focus on the four distinct businesses – Digital, India, International and Infrastructure, each, in a razor-sharp way. We believe this will provide agility, expertise and operational rigour to serve our customers brilliantly while providing flexibility to unlock value for our shareholders. This structure will serve us well over the coming years and is a win-win for all stakeholders." Bharti Telemedia, the 100% arm operating DTH services will sit alongside Airtel Limited for now. It is intended to eventually fold the DTH business into Airtel Limited to move towards the NDCP vision of converged services to customers. The company has moved the government to seek clarity on licensing policy given that carriage i.e telecom and DTH is currently being regulated and managed under two separate ministries of Communications and I&B respectively. Airtel Payments Bank will remain a separate entity under Bharti Airtel and work closely with the growing customer base to play a pivotal role in realising the digital opportunity that payments and financial services provider. All of the company's infrastructure businesses such as Nxtra and Indus Towers will continue to remain in separate entities as they are currently. So will international subsidiaries and affiliates. The Board in its meeting held today approved the scheme enabling the company to file for all statutory approvals to give effect to the proposed rearrangement.

Samsung Neo QLED TV Range With Quantum Matrix Technology Launched in India Posted: 14 Apr 2021 06:40 AM PDT Samsung has launched its ultra-premium Neo QLED TV range today in India. The new range features a nearly bezel-less Infinity One Design, which is said to deliver a seamless user experience. According to the company, the Neo QLED TV will take QLED TVs to the next level with Quantum Mini LED. Let’s have a closer look at the newly launched Neo QLED TV range. Samsung Neo QLED TV Specifications and Features As mentioned above, the Neo QLED arrives with a Quantum Mini LED panel which is controlled by Quantum Matrix Technology and Neo Quantum Processor. Samsung claims that these mini LEDs are 40 times smaller than regular LEDs, which are capable of delivering perfect contrast and fine light. It increases the luminance scale, making dark areas darker and bright areas brighter, resulting in a more precise HDR experience. Now the most important thing, the Neo QLED flagship TVs, comes in 8K and 4K display resolution. The smart TV lineup is launched in 5 sizes, including 85-inch, 75-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch, and 50-inch. Under the hood, the Neo QLED TVs are powered by the Neo Quantum Processor with enhanced upscaling capabilities. The chipset makes use of 16 different neural network models, which are trained in AI upscaling and deep learning technology. The Neo Quantum Processor is capable of delivering 4K and 8K output irrespective of input quality. Besides, the company has also kept the bars up by including the Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ feature, which offers an ultra-wide gaming experience. This feature will allow gaming enthusiasts to connect their PC and console with the TV to experience a Super Ultra-Wide Game View. Samsung Neo QLED TV Price and Offers Samsung's new range of Neo QLED 8K TVs will be available in two models – QN800A 75-inch and 65-inch and QN900A 85-inch. On the other hand, the 2021 Neo QLED 4K TV will be up for grabs in two models – QN85A in 75-inch, 65-inch and 55-inch and QN90A in 85-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch and 50-inch. Coming to the pricing, the Neo QLED TV range available for sale in India, starting at Rs 99,990 onwards. The newly smart TV range will be available at all Samsung retail stores, leading consumer electronics stores, and across online platforms, including Samsung's official online store Samsung Shop. Consumers who are pre-booking Neo QLED TVs can avail of up to Rs 20,000 cashback on Galaxy Tab S7+, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite LTE. Buyers can also avail EMI option starting as low as Rs 1,990 from April 15th to April 30th, 2021. The pre-booking offers will be available on Flipkart, Amazon and at all leading consumer electronics stores as well.

Hyperbat Joins Ericsson and BT for 5G Digital Twin Technology Posted: 14 Apr 2021 06:17 AM PDT The Coventry based company Hyperbat is eyeing on 5G technology to accelerate the manufacturing process for hybrid and electric vehicle production by developing 'digital twins.' The new technology can be manipulated and viewed using VR headsets. To give wings to the project, Hyperbat has partnered up with Ericsson, BT and NVIDIA to enable root teams to connect and interact with each other using a virtual 3D engineering model. Hyperbat is Excited to Lay Foundation for Smart Factory Architecture Hosein Torabmostaedi, who is an innovation manager at Hyperbat, stated that the company is proud to work with industry best partners to lay the foundations for smart factory architecture. Not only this, but the partnership will also pioneer solutions for efficient and collaborative manufacturing. He also stated that the solution would be targeted at a collaborative mobile workforce with the use of 5G native headsets and seamless integration of design and manufacturing systems with the upcoming digital twin technology. Hyperbat is also hunting down on opportunities to extend the solution to the use of 5G connectivity for machines for flexible production lines. 5G Digital Twin Technology to Benefit BT Customers Jeremy Spencer, who is the 5G innovation senior manager at BT's Enterprise unit, stated that 5G digital twin technology is a powerful call that indicates that 5G connectivity and edge compute is near the cliff and is delivering real business benefits to customers. He also stated that the blend of 5G connectivity with evolving tech has the power to produce incredible gains that will also boost the manufacturing sector of the U.K, which is still recovering from covid-19. Also, the blend will boost many other potential industries in the process. Hyperbat Colleagues Will be Able to Manage Workflow Effectively The Digital Twin technology will be the first 5G experience that will offer design and manufacturing teams to interact and walk around a 3D model in real-time. Also, the Hyperbat colleagues in different locations will be able to work with a 1:1 product scale hologram of the design on the factory floor and manage workflows effectively. As reported by 5Gradar, the 5G VR digital twin solution will be done by BT and Ericsson on a 5G mobile private network using the VR headset by Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 platform. The headset will run on the Masters of Pie Radical Platform.

5G Extremely Crucial in India, Set to Radically Transform Network Performance Posted: 14 Apr 2021 04:50 AM PDT The launch of 5G services will "radically transform network performance" in India, says Adriane Blum, vice president of marketing and communications at Ookla. Blum told TelecomTalk that 5G, the fifth generation mobile network standard is "extremely crucial" in the Indian telecom market. However, Blum said that the Indian telecom operators need to have "sufficient wireless spectrum" as it is "crucial for the development of 5G." While Indian telecom operators have not yet rolled out 5G services commercially, the telcos along with equipment vendors and others in the ecosystem have been preparing for the launch of the next generation technology. More Spectrum will Help Facilitate 5G Roll Out: Ookla VP Bharti Airtel in late January, said that it has become the "first telco" in the country to "successfully demonstrate" and "orchestrate live 5G service over a commercial network." The second largest wireless operator in India said that its 5G demonstration was done "over its existing liberalised spectrum in the 1800 MHz band" through Non Stand Alone (NSA) network technology. However, Airtel highlighted that its users will experience 5G only "when adequate spectrum is available and government approvals received." The second largest wireless operator in India has since announced a collaboration with Qualcomm for "accelerating 5G in India." Airtel said that it will "roll-out virtualized and Open RAN-based 5G networks" in India by utilising Qualcomm 5G RAN platforms. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio, the largest wireless operator in India has been consistently vocal about its 5G solutions. Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries chairman at the Annual General Meeting in July, 2020, said that the operator has "designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch." However, Ambani highlighted that the "Made-in India 5G solution will be ready for trials as soon as 5G spectrum is available." In early March, 2021, the Indian government held the spectrum auction for the first time since 2016, with the three large operators acquiring 855.60 MHz spectrum worth Rs 77,814.80 crores. The government said that the operators bid for spectrum across the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. Notably, the Department of Telecom (DoT) did not hold the auction for the 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz bands which the analysts say is the "most popular band" for 5G. It is expected that the government will hold a second auction later this year for the spectrum in the 3300 MHz to 4200 MHz bands. Additionally, the pricing for the 700 MHz band is also expected to be revised for the upcoming auction. Ookla, the company behind the Speedtest platform in early March in a report said that the operators need "sufficient amount of wireless spectrum" to "deliver the ultra-fast speeds" promised by 5G and LTE. "Sufficient wireless spectrum is crucial for the development of 5G," Blum told TelecomTalk. "More spectrum being available to operators will help facilitate 5G rollouts, but we won’t know the full level of impact to consumers and the timeline to realize that impact until after spectrum is allocated in the auction." Countless Factors Contributed to Network Improvements in India: Ookla VP The report released by Ookla highlighted that India recorded the "fastest mean download speed over fixed broadband" among the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. The report said that Indian government has been "instrumental" with its Digital and the Smart Cities Mission for the "improvements" in the fixed broadband speed. "While Digital India and Smart Cities Mission certainly support Indian broadband growth, there are undoubtedly countless other factors (including ISP investments) that have contributed," Blum said. Image courtesy: Ookla Ookla's report said that Reliance Jio recorded the fastest speed over fixed broadband while Vi clinched the top spot in the mobile segment. Further, the report had offered insights into user sentiment by providing customer rating and an Net Promoter Score (NPS). "Net Promoter Score calculates the percentage of respondents who answer that they would be likely to recommend a provider, which is a question we ask users after they take a Speedtest," Blum said. "A high NPS score means that Speedtest users are more likely to recommend an operator." Image courtesy: Ookla In the fixed broadband space, the report said that Jio had the highest rating while also being the only operator to have a positive NPS. Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT), Airtel, Excitel, Hathway and BSNL registered negative NPS in the fixed broadband space. Meanwhile, Vi India and Airtel recorded identical rating of 3.1 in the mobile space with Vi narrowly edging out Airtel in the NPS column. "A lower NPS score means that Speedtest users are less likely to recommend an operator," Blum said. "The report examines the relationship between performance and NPS scores, which does show some correlation between faster speed and a higher NPS score. This would suggest that improving network performance for customers could have a positive impact on NPS scores."

Vivo V21 5G Presumed to Launch in India Soon: Report Posted: 14 Apr 2021 03:53 AM PDT The Chinese tech giant Vivo is suspected to roll out its newest 5G phone Vivo V21 5G, in India. The phone was found on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website creating a suspicion of its launch in India. Tipster Mukul Sharma has recently shared an ostensible BIS listing of the smartphone. The smartphone was first spotted on the Indonesian certification website and the leak started surfacing about the BIS listing just after. To learn more about what Vivo V21 5G is going to bring to the table keep on reading. Vivo V21 5G Series Will Succeed the Vivo V20 Series Although no solid information is available about the upcoming 5G phone by Vivo, one thing that can be certainly said is that the V21 series is likely to pack new and improved features, a better camera and more powerful hardware in comparison with the V20 series. Tipster Mukul Sharma’s tweet states that the Vivo V21 5G carries a model number V2050. The number matches the model number of the smartphone listed on the Indonesian certification site. Not much information is available yet except the fact that Vivo V21 5G will be a successor of Vivo V20, which was a 4G phone. Interestingly enough, Vivo V20 Pro was the only phone that was launched as a 5G phone in the series in India. Besides, Vivo is likely to announce the launch of the upcoming 5G smartphone soon or will at least start teasing the smartphone in various markets. As previously mentioned, not much information is known about the design, specifications, price or availability of Vivo’s V21 5G but the Chinese tech giant may pursue last year’s structure to launch a low-end Vivo V21 SE, a vanilla Vivo V21, and a top-end Vivo V21 Pro. But there are chances that the company might just roll out various 5G handsets in the lineup and break the last year’s structure. As far as the design and specifications are concerned, they are expected to roll out with a better camera, a different design equipped with more powerful internals than its predecessors (Vivo V20 series). We all will sadly have to wait for its launch to know more about the 5G model.

DoT Will Reward PLI Incentives to Companies that Promise More Investments Posted: 14 Apr 2021 03:02 AM PDT The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has finalised the draft of the guidelines for the telecom sector's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. According to a Financial Express report, the DoT has drafted the guidelines in such a manner that companies who promise to invest more than other companies will be given the PLI incentives. Companies such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Ciena, Cisco, and more have 'shown interest' in taking part in the telecom PLI scheme announced by the Indian government with an outlay of Rs 12,195 crores. MSMEs Minimum Investment Threshold Set at Rs 10 Crore As per the draft guidelines, the minimum threshold of investment for micro, small, and medium enterprise would be Rs 10 crores. However, the threshold for all the other companies that play in the big leagues is Rs 100 crores. According to the estimates, the telecom sector PLI would bring the Indian government tax revenues of about Rs 17,000 crores and generate investments of Rs 3,000 crores in the next five years. However, the DoT has a very clever plan of generating maximum investments as possible for the country. The telecom department plans to extend the benefits of the PLI scheme to only 20 companies. Out of the 20 companies, 10 would be MSMSes and 10 would come from the big leagues or the general pool. The latter 10 companies will have to promise more investments than all the other companies to receive the benefits of the PLI scheme. So if companies such as Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung, and more want to be part of India’s PLI scheme, they would need to invest a minimum of Rs 100 crores or even more to be able to compete with the other companies. For the unaware, the PLI scheme from the government was announced for several sectors of India, including the telecom industry, for motivating global vendors and local companies to manufacture equipment at a large scale within the boundaries of the country. This would bring tax revenue for the government and decrease its dependence on importing products from outside. Further, the PLI scheme would also enable the Indian government to receive export revenues since global manufacturers such as Foxconn, Wistron, and more are setting shop in India to produce and sell internationally.

Excitel Broadband Expands Services to 10 New Cities of India Posted: 14 Apr 2021 02:05 AM PDT Excitel is one of the fastest-growing private fiber broadband companies in India. The internet service provider (ISP) is known for providing users with cheap internet plans and truly unlimited data. Excitel has been expanding its footprint in India very fast. With the addition of new locations, the company is now providing services in a total of 28 cities of India. Excitel recently added Nizamabad & Khammam in Telangana; Rawatsar in Rajasthan; Kakinada & Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh; Farrukhabad, Padrauna, Akbarpur and Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh and in Mangalore, Karnataka. Excitel said that it aims to strengthen the presence of its services across India and offer users the benefit of truly unlimited data. Excitel Targeting Underserved Regions of India Excitel's CEO, Vivek Raina, said that the company is looking to provide services in underserved areas of the tier-1, tier-2, and tier-3 cities of India that are overlooked by the other operators. He confirmed that Excitel is now providing services in 28 cities of India. Further, the company release said that Excitel plans to expand its operations to over 50 cities of India by the end of 2021. Users can now also get over-the-top (OTT) benefits of ZEE5 and Voot Select with the company's economical plans. As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) data, Excitel is already included in the top 10 fiber broadband service providers of India. In comparison with JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber, the plans from Excitel are much cheaper even though they come with lesser OTT benefits. One of the best things about Excitel is its standard offerings. Most of the private ISPs provide varied offerings in different circles of the country, but not Excitel. There are three standard speed plans of 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 300 Mbps that are available for the users living in different regions of the country for the same price and the same benefits along with the same policies. To check if the company provides services in your city, you visit the website of Excitel and find all the information there. The company offers one of the cheapest 300 Mbps broadband plans for a monthly cost of Rs 449 only.

MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G SoC Launched for India Posted: 14 Apr 2021 01:05 AM PDT MediaTek has just announced the Dimensity 700 5G SoC for the Indian market. It is a chipset built on the 7nm process that is designed to enhance the 5G capabilities, power efficiency, and camera capabilities of smartphones. Further, MediaTek has confirmed that Realme will be the first company in India to feature the Dimensity 700 5G SoC on its device. The chipset is aimed to make 5G more affordable for the Indians. The company said that it expects more original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will join hands and incorporate the Dimensity 700 5G SoC on their devices to increase 5G availability in India. MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G SoC Features The MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G SoC can support displays ramped up to 90Hz refresh rate. Further, it can support FHD+ resolution and smooth animations to reduce the strain that's caused to the eyes of the users when they are playing games. In the optics department, the Dimensity 700 5G can support multi-camera systems with sensors of up to 64MP. It can also support AI-enabled camera modes and features such as AI-bokeh, AI-beauty, and AI-colour. The chipset can support video recording at 2K @30fps and video playback at the same quality. For connectivity, the chipset features advanced 5G Carrier Aggregation (2CC 5G-CA) and can support dual-SIM 5G smartphones with 5G-exclusive Voice over New Radio (VoNR) services from either of the connections. It can further support Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and peak download speeds of up to 2.77 Gbps. The chipset comes equipped with the 'MediaTek 5G Ultrasave'. The basic aim of this technology is to save battery and improve the efficiency of the device by consuming the same amount of power. Overall, it will ultimately lead to a fewer number of times for charging the device per week. Adding to all this, the chipset can support multiple voice assistants. The chipset is designed primarily for mid-range devices and is not expected to come with a flagship smartphone. In the memory department, it can support a maximum of 12GB LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.2 internal storage. The MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G is expected to be seen on several affordable or mid-range 5G smartphones that will launch in India this year.

Apple ‘Spring Loaded’ Event Confirmed for April 20, What to Expect Posted: 14 Apr 2021 12:26 AM PDT Cupertino tech-giant Apple has officially confirmed its most awaited Spring Loaded event, which is slated for April 20th, 2021. The company confirmed the news after Siri disclosed the date when it was asked, "When is the next Apple event?" It seems Siri knows everything about Apple, and we can rely on the information provided by AI. Here are more details about the upcoming Apple event and the devices expected to launch during the April 20th event. Apple Spring Loaded Details According to the company, the event will be streamed from Apple Park on the company's official website. The event will kick off at 10 AM PDT (10:30 PM IST) on April 20th, 2021. The official announcement didn't reveal anything about the upcoming products which are going to be launched or showcased at the event. However, it is expected that the company is planning to launch the new Apple Pencil and Apple iPad Pro at the event. Do note that it’s just a rumour, and there is no concrete evidence to this rumour. It’s advisable to take this information with a pinch of salt. Apple iPad Pro Expected Launch Going with the earlier rumours, Apple is prepping to launch a new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro later this month. Considering all the leaks, we can expect that both the iPad Pro models might be launched at the April 20th  event. Reports also suggest that the top-end variant of the iPad Pro is going to pack a Mini-LED display. The much-awaited AirTags are also expected to launch during the event. The AirPods lineup is also expected to launch in the first half of 2021, dubbed as Apple AirPods 3. It was tipped to arrive with a similar design to the Apple AirPods Pro. The TWS from the company is also expected to make a debut at the event. Besides, the company is also expected to tease some of the upcoming devices which are going to make their way to the global market in the second half of the year. It would be interesting to see what else Apple is planning for the Spring Loaded event.

5G Testing in India Made Easier for the Telcos Posted: 14 Apr 2021 12:00 AM PDT The next-generation connectivity technology, 5G, is on the brink of entering the Indian landscape. The private operators of the country have already said that their networks are ready for 5G. In a recent development, the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), formerly known as the telecom commission, has made it convenient and simpler for the telcos to test 5G and other new technologies outdoor with easier access to spectrum. As per a PTI report, the DCC will now allow telcos to take spectrum that's remained unsold and unallocated for testing their new technologies. Telcos Can Take Unsold and Unused Spectrum for Testing New Technologies It is worth noting that back in 2019, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had already allowed the companies in India to use the spectrum for testing new technologies by just giving a notice to the department. However, the local companies still found it difficult to test new technologies because of only having permission to conduct tests on licensed bands. But the DCC has changed that with its new circular allowing telcos to test new technologies on short notice and in unused, unsold, and unallocated spectrum frequencies. Note that the telcos can still test their products and services in the licensed frequencies. The new testing model approved by the DCC is called 'Spectrum Regulatory Sandbox'. The new model is aimed to allow telcos to test new technologies with ease. It will further affect how telcos and companies in other sectors use 5G to test new products and services. When Will 5G Rollout in India? The telcos have the option to roll out 5G in India by the end of the year with the help of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology if they aren't allotted dedicated frequencies for 5G. Telecom operators are waiting for the government to hold 5G spectrum auctions to bid for spectrum in the desired high-frequency bands for delivering true 5G speeds to their customers. Overall, by early 2022, either Jio or Airtel or both the telcos are expected to launch commercial 5G services in at least one or few parts of India. Initially, only metro cities are expected to be included in the soft-launch plans of the telcos. Pan-India 5G rollout is very far away at the moment, at least 2 to 3 years.

Bharti Airtel Might Pay DoT Rs 1,376 Crores Posted: 13 Apr 2021 11:22 PM PDT The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has decided that companies under insolvency proceedings can't use or sell the spectrum they own. Spectrum is frequency airwaves that the government allots to the telcos for a limited period and is considered a sovereign property. Looking at the decision announced by the NCLAT, Bharti Airtel might have to pay Videocon's adjusted gross revenue dues (AGR). The appellate tribunal said that companies first need to clear the dues on the spectrum, and only then can they use or transfer the spectrum to some other company. Further, the appellate tribunal said that the government dues wouldn't be wiped off the books under bankruptcy proceedings. It is worth noting that NCLAT has accepted spectrum as an 'intangible asset' of the company, which DoT was arguing against. Even so, the companies can't sell or use that asset if they are under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Airtel Might Pay Videocon's AGR Dues After NCLAT's Recent Judgement The DoT had asked Airtel to pay Rs 1,376 crores for AGR dues on the spectrum it purchased from Videocon. Airtel said that it isn't liable to pay anything for another company's dues. However, looking at the NCLAT decision, Videocon couldn't have transferred or used the spectrum it had. Do note that Airtel purchased spectrum from Videocon back in 2016; thus, it might just get relaxation on the front that the regulations were not in place at that time. Airtel had purchased spectrum from Videocon in the 1800 MHz frequency band for Rs 4,428 crores. The telco is denying to pay anything on behalf of Videocon, and rightly so. The DoT really has no grounds for asking Airtel to pay the dues since the telco acquired the spectrum from Videocon by fair means in 2016. The NCLAT not only denied DoT's views on the spectrum's definition as government property, but it also said that telcos couldn't sell it or use it as a security to take money from lenders. So at the end of the day, it was a win for neither of the parties. A few days back, DoT had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC) asking Airtel to pay the dues of Videocon on the spectrum it purchased from the latter. The SC is yet to hear on the matter.

OPPO A35 With 4,230mAh Battery and Helio P35 SoC Launched Posted: 13 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT Smartphone manufacturer Oppo has quietly expanded its A-series portfolio in the home country China with the launch of its latest smartphone called the Oppo A35. According to the reports, the handset is a rebranded variant of the Oppo A15s, which was launched in India last year in December. It comes with a MediaTek Helio SoC, 13MP triple-camera setup at the rear, a 4230mAH battery, and more. Here’s a detailed look at the price, specification, and features of the newly launched OPPO A35. Oppo A35 Specifications The Oppo A35 is an entry-level smartphone that comes with a 6.52-inch IPS LCD HD+ display with a resolution of 720×1600 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It supports refresh rate of 60Hz, pixel density of 269ppi, 480 nits of peak brightness, and a 1500:1 contrast ratio. The smartphone flaunts a waterdrop notch design that accommodates the front camera sensor. Under the hood, the Oppo A35 is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC clubbed with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. If that's not enough, then you can also expand the storage via a microSD card. The smartphone houses a 4,230mAh battery with support for 10W charging and runs on ColorOS 7.2 based Android 11 OS. On the security part, the smartphone houses a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. As far as cameras are concerned, the Oppo A35 features a triple rear-camera module placed at the top-left corner of the back panel in a square layout. The camera sensors include a 13MP primary lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth lens along with an LED flash. Upfront, it features an 8MP camera sensor for selfies and video calling. Oppo A35 Pricing At the time of the launch, Oppo didn't mention anything about the price of the smartphone. It seems that Oppo will soon pull the wraps from the suspense of the pricing. The smartphone is expected to go live in China in the Ice Jade White, Glass Black, and Mist Sea Blue colour option.

AccessParks, FreedomFi to Provide 5G Connectivity Across USA’s National Parks Posted: 13 Apr 2021 08:30 PM PDT AccessParks is a major Wi-Fi solution and connectivity provider in national parks, campgrounds, and more such areas across the USA. In a recent development, AccessParks has partnered with FreedomFi to provide 5G connectivity to hundreds of sites across the USA National Park system. According to an RCR Wireless report, the companies will start with targeting 200 California state parks by using an open-source 5G network software and CBRS spectrum. AccessParks will use FreedomFi's turnkey private LTE/5G solution, which is usually used in enterprise settings for providing day-to-day connectivity to the users who visit the concerned parks. Further, the 5G connectivity will also be used for more critical applications such as security and safety in the park. No Plans to Go With 3G or 4G, Will Directly Deploy 5G Boris Renski, CEO of FreedomFi, said that since there is no legacy network present In these parks/areas, deploying 5G straight-away is the best option. He said that going with something such as outdated 3G wouldn't have made sense since then they would eventually have to upgrade it to 5G. Thus the companies are directly going with 5G networks from day one in these locations. Renski said that the decision for going with AccessParks was made because the latter uses open-source networks heavily at which FreedomFi already specialises in. The open-source software further simplifies the process of deploying 5G. FreedomFi has been developing an open-source software package called Magma for the last two years. It is a software aimed to help enterprise customers build small to medium-sized private 5G networks very easily. Renski said that an operator could very conveniently set up a 5G network with FreedomFi's Magma software. All that the operator has to do is buy a 5G radio and pair it with the Magma software and switch the radio on. According to Renski, the idea behind this project is to get several mobile network operators and MVNOs to roam in the network area. This aim makes the project unique and different from others. The companies have already delivered 5G connectivity in 9 locations of the USA, including the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Vodafone Idea 100 Mbps Broadband Plan Offers Only 350GB Data Posted: 13 Apr 2021 06:32 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) has a broadband arm called 'You Broadband'. It is a broadband service that Vi provides to the users, much as Airtel and Jio do. However, the plans from You Broadband are very behind what other operators or internet service providers (ISPs) offer to their users. Vi needs to increase its overall revenues, and the broadband offerings can help the telco do so. However, that's a topic to be discussed some other time. Today, we are focusing on the 100 Mbps broadband plan that the telco offers through 'You Broadband'. Note that this plan we are listing below is limited to the Mumbai circle and You Broadband’s offerings and benefits differ from circle to circle. You Broadband 100 Mbps Plan You Broadband offers its 100 Mbps plan in four different configurations – 30 days (1 month), 90 days (3 months), 180 days (6 months), and 360 days (approximately 1 year). To get this plan for one month, the users will have to pay Rs 1,326 (including tax), and they will get 350GB fair usage policy (FUP) data. Post consumption of FUP data, the speed for the user will drop to 5 Mbps. When compared with other 100 Mbps broadband plans from JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber, this plan from Vodafone Idea's broadband arm falls very short. It's not only much expensive but also offers lesser benefits. In fact, the 100 Mbps plan from other private internet service providers such as Excitel is much better than this plan. However, moving on, this plan is also available for 90 days (3 months). This plan would cost users Rs 3,962 (including tax) and will offer 1125GB of data. Then the 6 months and 12 months plan would cost Rs 7,905 and Rs 15,761, both including taxes, and offer 2,400GB and 5,100GB data, respectively. Post consumption of FUP data, the speed drops to 5 Mbps in each of the plans mentioned above. What's strange about the 100 Mbps offering from Vodafone Idea's You Broadband is that it is not available with unlimited data. Almost every other private ISP is offering 100 Mbps plans with unlimited data or more than 1,000GB FUP data. So, any sane and rational user won't be too excited to get the 100 Mbps limited data plan from You Broadband. Further, the company doesn't offer any over-the-top (OTT) benefits with its plans. Users at least get some if not many OTT benefits from other service providers. You Broadband offers a free router to the users, but that is against a one-time fully refundable security deposit of Rs 1,999. According to the company, for its 100 Mbps plans, if you are purchasing a router of your own, ensure that it is a dual-band router with ethernet and LAN ports. The only way we see someone going for these expensive and unfair broadband plans is when they have not got the option to buy a connection from any other private ISP in their area. It is not like You Broadband doesn't offer unlimited data plans, it does, but they are very odd plans ranging from 16 Mbps to 60 Mbps speeds. Even unlimited plans with a ton of data with such less speeds from You Broadband are not a lucrative option when you can get around 3.3TB data with more speeds for a lesser price from any other operator in the area.

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