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• Oppo A95 Launched With a 4,310Ah Battery and Quad-Camera Setup
• Samsung Galaxy A32’s New Variant Receives Bluetooth SIG Certification
• COAI Pushes for Complete Ban on Illegal Signal Repeaters: Report
• 3 Groundbreaking Initiatives Launched for NIXI by MeitY Secretary
• Sunil Mittal’s Recent Statements on the Indian Telecom Industry
• Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel Allocated 4G Spectrum Bought in Auctions
• Hathway Broadband 100 Mbps Plan, Is It Worth It

Oppo A95 Launched With a 4,310Ah Battery and Quad-Camera Setup Posted: 17 Apr 2021 07:00 AM PDT Oppo has expanded its smartphone lineup with the launch of its Oppo A94 5G phone in the European market. The smartphone is said to be the rebranded version of the Oppo Reno 5Z 5G which was launched in Singapore last week. The highlighted features of the handset are MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset, quad-camera setup, punch-hole cutout design, and a lot more. Let's have a closer look at the price, specifications, and features of the newly launched Oppo A94 5G smartphone. Oppo A94 5G Specifications Oppo A94 5G flaunts a 6.4-inch AMOLED full-HD+ display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels. It has a pixel density of 409ppi, 800 nits of peak brightness, and a 90.8% of screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB internal storage. On the optical front, the Oppo A94 5G sports a quad-rear camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP black and white sensor along with an LED flash. Upfront, the smartphone features a 16MP camera sensor for selfies and video calls. The handset packs a 4,310mAh battery with 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 support. On the connectivity part, the handset offers 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, a USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Oppo A94 5G price The Oppo A94 5G is launched in the European market with a price tag of EUR 359 (approx Rs 32,000) for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The smartphone will be available for sale via multiple European e-commerce sites in Cosmo Blue and Fluid Black colour options. According to the company, the handset will be up for grabs from May 3rd, 2021. The company is yet to reveal anything about the global availability of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy A32’s New Variant Receives Bluetooth SIG Certification Posted: 17 Apr 2021 05:30 AM PDT Earlier in January,  Samsung launched the Galaxy A32 5G’s launch in Germany. Only after a month and a half, the 4G variant of the same handset made it to India. Now another variant of the handset from the South Korean tech giant has been spotted at the Bluetooth SIG certification platform. The launch of A32 4G in India was a disappointment for some users since they wanted a Samsung’s budget 5G device on their hands. However, the upcoming device from Samsung might make them happy. Galaxy Jump Expected to Rebranded Version of Galaxy A32 According to a Gizmochina report, the new variant of the Samsung Galaxy A32 carries model number SM-A326K. The SM-A326K has allegedly been certified by the Bluetooth SIG. The device will go official as Galaxy Jump as per the listing. The handset will mark its importance as the second smartphone after the Galaxy Quantum2 with a different branding than the typical Galaxy names. Similar to Galaxy Quantum2, the Galaxy Jump might be available in select regions. The Galaxy Jump’s model number – SM-A326K, certainly raises speculations for it to be a rebranded version of Galaxy A32. It is however expected that the Galaxy Jump will not be a 4G variant, but a 5G variant of the A32. The Galaxy Jump is anticipated to feature a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD panel with a quad-camera setup. The four lenses in the camera are expected to be – 48MP wide-angle sensor, 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor, 5MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, the phone might come equipped with a 13MP lens. The handset is expected to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 720 SoC. The phone is said to run on One UI 3.0 (Android 11) and packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports a 15W fast charging. The phone is likely to feature a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security purpose. Unfortunately, not much information is available on the Galaxy Jump even the price and availability are a mystery as of now. Since it is a leak we cannot determine anything accurately as of now but the good news is that we all will find out what the Galaxy Jump has to offer in the coming days officially from the company itself.

COAI Pushes for Complete Ban on Illegal Signal Repeaters: Report Posted: 17 Apr 2021 04:06 AM PDT The rising number of illegal repeaters and boosters in the country has forced the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to order the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) a total ban on selling of signal repeaters and boosters, be it offline or online. COAI has asked DoT to pursue the issue with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to prohibit the import of illegal boosters in the country immediately. Furthermore, the DoT has been asked to beseech the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to issue suitable commands to state DGPs/CPs/chief secretaries to take action under the law against the sellers of illegal repeaters in the country. Why Are These Illegal Repeaters and Boosters A Concern? According to IANS’s report, the COAI said the selling and use of repeaters is concerning because these wideband devices attract network signals to provide connectivity to a particular building or area in an unregulated manner. This drains the network strength in other neighbouring areas, thereby resulting in call drops and depleted network quality. The COAI has also mentioned in a letter that grey market outlets and online e-commerce sites are making low-cost repeaters illegally available, and since it is available online, it can be conveniently purchased or installed by anyone. These repeaters are being increasingly installed in the country over the last few years, and it is especially an issue in a densely populated country like ours. The COAI also mentioned that these illegal repeaters are being installed by unauthorized agencies, homes, hostels and offices. It has become a common practice for landlords to install these illegal devices in populated areas to draw tenants, which negatively affects the mobile network availability in the entire area, be it 2G, 3G or 4G networks. The COAI said that earlier, these boosters were especially used in areas where mobile towers could not be easily installed. Current norms say that telecom providers can install repeaters after a careful inspection but only where there is a necessity and after a request being raised. In any case, the TSPs make it a priority to see if the repeater isn’t hindering the network coverage for people outside the distribution area. The TSPs also make sure that the repeater doesn’t interfere with other TSPs allocated spectrum frequency. The telecom industry has expressed its fair share of views on how these illegal repeaters are the biggest cause of the current issues like call drops and depleted network quality.

3 Groundbreaking Initiatives Launched for NIXI by MeitY Secretary Posted: 17 Apr 2021 02:33 AM PDT Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), yesterday launched three groundbreaking initiatives for the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI). The three initiatives are – IP Guru, NIXI Academy, and NIXI-IP-INDEX. All the initiatives focus on the use and implementation of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). For the unaware, IPv6 is the latest Internet Protocol (IP) that helps in providing location and identification system to computers present in a network. Let's take a detailed look at each of the initiatives launched by the MeitY secretary. NIXI Initiatives Launched by MeitY Secretary IPv6 Expert Panel or IP Guru is a group that will help all the Indian entities who are finding it technically difficult for migrating to or adopting IPv6. The group will further help the end customers by finding them a good agency to hire for providing technical support for the adoption of IPv6. The main aim of the IPv6 Guru will be to boost the IPv6 adoption rate in the country. This is a joint effort by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and MeitY for promoting IPv6. The IPv6 Expert Panel is comprised of members from private organisations and government organisations. Then, there is NIXI Academy. It is launched to help Indians with both technical and non-technical background to learn and relearn tech such as IPv6, which usually educational institutes don't focus on. It is an easy-to-use platform that will enable network providers and educators to understand best network practices, efficient management of internet resources, techniques and principles. There are multiple technical modules that the internet community will be able to leverage for enhancing their knowledge of IPv6. The NIXI will also provide the users with certificates if they manage to pass its exams. Lastly, the third initiative is NIXI-IP-INDEX. The NIXI-IP-INDEX is a portal that will reflect the adoption rate of IPv6 in India and around the world. It will enable comparing the adoption rate of IPv6 in India from countries around the globe. Ultimately, this portal will motivate Indian organisations for adopting IPv6.

Sunil Mittal’s Recent Statements on the Indian Telecom Industry Posted: 17 Apr 2021 01:21 AM PDT Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Chairman of Bharti Airtel Limited, had a lot to say about the Indian telecom industry during the Amazon Smbhav Summit 2021. According to a PTI report, the business tycoon said that Airtel had managed to grow its brand identity and market share despite going through one of its hardest phases in the market. Mittal recalled the times when Airtel faced 'near-death’ experiences, including the one when Reliance Jio made its entry to the market with subsidised plans and free offerings. He said that Airtel had become a very healthy company by overcoming all the challenges that were thrown its way. But his biggest statement during the summit was when he said that the Indian telecom industry is being reduced to 2.5 players only. Mittal Might be Referring to Vodafone Idea Mittal said that post-Jio's entry into the market, around 12 operators either had to merge or go out of business. He said that the market had reduced to over 3 operators, out of which one operator's future has become a question mark. Even though Mittal didn't take the name, it is clear he was referring to Vodafone Idea (Vi). Vi hasn't seen profits or subscriber addition on its books for a long-time. The telco is struggling to make ends meet and has been unsuccessful in raising any amount of money. Mittal said that for a country with 1.3 billion people, India now only has 2.5 operators. Mittal's comments might seem rude to the Vi fans, but it is true. Vi has a ton of debt and liabilities but can't even increase tariffs right away because of the market competition. Vi can't push for tariff hikes until and unless the whole industry pushes for it. This is because if other operators offer their plans for a cheap price and Vi increases tariffs, it would further hurt its subscriber count. To recuperate from the heavy losses on the normal consumers front, Vi is now targeting the enterprise segment. The telco has announced Business Plus Postpaid plans, Internet-of-Things (IoT) offerings and more for enterprises to get hold of a different market segment. Hopefully, the telco is able to recover soon, and Mittal's comments don't become a haunting reality.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel Allocated 4G Spectrum Bought in Auctions Posted: 16 Apr 2021 11:03 PM PDT Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have received the spectrum they bought in the recently held 4G auctions by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The DoT completed allocating the spectrum to the telcos on April 16, 2021. For the same, DoT received a total of Rs 2,306.97 crore from the telcos, wherein Jio paid Rs 2,149.59 crore, and Airtel paid Rs 157.38 crore. As per a MoneyControl report, the telcos paid the DoT immediately instead of their scheduled payment time for the same in August-September 2021. Jio and Airtel Received the 4G Spectrum The Indian government, in an official statement, said that the telcos have been provided with the spectrum they successfully bid for in the recently held 4G auctions. The government said that the spectrum assignment was done by a 'frequency harmonisation exercise', where the telcos are provided with the fresh spectrum by adding it directly to the spectrum blocks they already own in different bands in several licensed service areas (LSAs). According to the statement, the harmonisation of the spectrum was done in over 19 LSAs in the 800 MHz band, 8 LSAs in the 900 MHz, 21 LSAs in the 1800 MHz band, 3 LSAs in the 2100 MHz band, and 16 LSAs in the 2300 MHz band. The government said that harmonisation of the spectrum leads to more efficient use of the frequencies by the telecom service providers (TSPs). For the unaware, the 4G spectrum auctions were held on March 1 and March 2, 2021. The DoT had put a total of 2,308.8 MHz of spectrum in several bands for the auctions. The TSPs were seen bidding for airwaves in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2300 MHz bands. There were no takers of the 700 MHz band and the 2500 MHz band due to their high reserve price. The government is expected to further slash the price of the 700 MHz band and avail it during the 5G spectrum auctions slated for the second half of the year or early next year. The 700 MHz band has been termed 'crucial' by the telcos to provide 5G services; thus, the government will have to do something about its reserve price. Reliance Jio bid the most and purchased spectrum worth Rs 57,122.65 crore. Jio was followed by Bharti Airtel, which spent Rs 18,698.75 crore for acquiring fresh spectrum while Vodafone Idea (Vi) only bid for spectrum worth Rs 1,993.40 crore. Vi said that it already has a strong spectrum portfolio; thus, it doesn't need to spend a lot of money on it.

Hathway Broadband 100 Mbps Plan, Is It Worth It Posted: 16 Apr 2021 06:32 PM PDT Hathway is one of the oldest private fiber broadband service providers in India. The company's offerings vary from circle to circle. It provides internet services in over 20 cities of India, including cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, and more. One of its fiber broadband plans with 100 Mbps speed is worth talking about. This is because 100 Mbps is the sweet spot when it comes to purchasing fiber plans by an average consumer. Hathway's 100 Mbps plans are only available in select circles of the country. Further, the plan's pricing is different for each circle. Let's dive into the 100 Mbps plan from Hathway and check if it is worth purchasing at all. Hathway Broadband 100 Mbps Plan Details Note that we are talking about the 100 Mbps plan offering by Hathway in the Mumbai circle. First of all, users can purchase this plan for 1 month. At a minimum, users will have to purchase this plan for 3 months. The name of the 100 Mbps plan offered by Hathway in the Mumbai circle is 'GPON_SuperBlast_ULTD'. It offers users uniform upload and download speeds. With this plan, users get unlimited data every month. However, Hathway has mentioned that post-consumption of fair-usage-policy (FUP) data, the speed for the user will drop to 5 Mbps. Based on this information, we can assume that the unlimited data offered by Hathway isn't truly unlimited data. We couldn't confirm the FUP limit of the plan, but we will update here once it is done. Hathway Broadband 100 Mbps Plan Price As mentioned above, Hathway offers its 100 Mbps broadband plan for at least three months. Users need to pay Rs 2,247 (excluding GST) for the three months, meaning the monthly cost of the plan is Rs 749 per month. Further, for the six months plan, users will have to pay Rs 4,494 (exclusive GST), where the monthly cost of the plan is again Rs 749 per month. Lastly, users can also get this plan for 12 months for a one-time cost of Rs 8,988 (excluding GST), where the monthly cost of the plan would again be Rs 749 per month. So essentially, whether you take the three months, six months, or twelve months plan, you don't get any discounts from the company. Further, users will have to pay for installation cost separately. On its website, Hathway has highlighted that it will provide users with a free Wi-Fi router upon successful purchase of a fiber internet plan. The user will have to return the Wi-Fi router to Hathway the day they decide to discontinue the connection. For purchasing a connection from Hathway, users will have to provide the necessary documents to the company, which include – photo ID proof, passport size photo, and address proof. In certain circles, users also need to pay rent for the modem. Is it Worth It? When there are 100 Mbps broadband plans available from JioFiber, Airtel Xstream Fiber, Excitel, or ACT, purchasing this plan from Hathway doesn't make any sense. First of all, it is expensive, and then you don't get any over-the-top (OTT) benefits. Then, you have to pay separately for installation charges, even for long-term plans. Considering all this, Hathway's 100 Mbps broadband plan isn't worth it.

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