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• Loongson Technology Makes History, Announces Self-Developed CPU Architecture
• Samsung Galaxy F52 5G Might Come to India Soon
• MediaTek Might Become Key Supplier of 5G SoCs For Flagships
• Cost of Telecom Products Made in India Increased by 6%: Report
• Samsung Announces Pick Up and Drop Service of Smartphones for Rs 99
• Beta Online Portal Listing ‘Trusted’ Telecom Gear Companies Live Now
• Infinix Hot 10 Play Debuts in India for Rs 8,499: Specifications
• Poco M2 Reloaded With MediaTek Helio G80 SoC India Launch on April 21
• One Broadband Adds More Than 1 Lakh Subscribers in Q4
• Oppo A54 Launched in India With 5,000mAh Battery Under Rs 14,000
• COAI Might Push to Lower Reserve Price of 700 MHz Spectrum
• Starlink Broadband Services Will Come to India Very Soon: Elon Musk
• Satellite Broadband Industry Has a Bright Future
• Singtel Brings ‘GENIE’, a Portable 5G Platform
• Airtel Xstream Box Can Be Availed By Existing Fiber Users

Loongson Technology Makes History, Announces Self-Developed CPU Architecture Posted: 19 Apr 2021 09:33 AM PDT Loongson Technology, a renowned chip manufacturer based out of Beijing, China, has unveiled its first-ever self-developed CPU architecture that makes use of an original instruction set. As per a CGTN report, the company is calling it LoongArch, which is the short form for Loongson Architecture. According to the company, the LoongArch has passed the assessment of a "leading third-party intellectual property evaluating agency." If you don't know, an instruction set architecture (ISA) is the interface between the hardware and software of a computer. Long story short, it’s the underlying architecture that provides support to run the operating system (OS) along with the entire software ecosystem. To make it easier for your understanding, it’s just like how Windows operating system runs on Intel's x86 architecture and the Android mobile operating system runs on ARM architecture. Loongson Technology Aims to Help China Become Completely Self-Dependent So far, the two popular ISAs brands (Intel and ARM Holding) have been dominating the entire computers and smartphones market respectively across the globe. However, it seems that the well-established companies are going to witness a new rival that is all set to step into the market. It would be interesting to see how the US and UK based companies are going to get affected by the entrance of Loongson Technology in the CPU architecture business. According to Hu Weiwu, chairman and chief scientist of Loongson, who’s also the chief engineer of the Institute of Computing Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), foreign CPU manufacturers use ISAs from the two above mentioned brands to control their software and ecosystem because they haven’t got any other alternative. If Chinese companies are going to rely on the ISAs from foreign brands, then it would be difficult for them to create an independent industrial ecosystem. It seems that this is the only reason Loongson Technology has created its self-developed CPU architecture to break this duopoly. Furthermore, Hu added that the company’s new CPU chip based on the new architecture is called 3A5000. It went under internal testing, and the processing performance is tipped to be equivalent to the mainstream CPU performance that is currently available in the market. Hu also suggested that a complete operating system based on the “LoongArch” has also run stably on computers during the internal tests.

Samsung Galaxy F52 5G Might Come to India Soon Posted: 19 Apr 2021 08:00 AM PDT The South Korean tech giant Samsung might launch the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G in India soon. It will be the latest addition to Samsung’s F-series which already has devices such as Galaxy F62, Galaxy F12 and Galaxy F20s. This became a piece of news after the upcoming handset Galaxy F52 5G was seen at a fresh listing at the Bluetooth SIG. The details about the same are mentioned below. Galaxy F52 5G Will Carry Support For Bluetooth 5.1 A fresh listing at the Bluetooth SIG authority listed a Samsung phone which carried a model number SM-E260 thereby confirming that the forthcoming phone will debut as Galaxy F52 5G in the market and will carry support for Bluetooth 5.1. The handset will mark its presence as the first F-series from the brand to support 5G connectivity. Not much information was available on the Bluetooth listing. But the listing is evidence that the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G will arrive in the country shortly. A variant of this exact phone was certified by the 3C authority of China which means that China could be the other market to be served by the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G. The model number revealed via the certification for the variant was SM-E526. The listing dropped minute details such as the smartphone might launch with support for 25W fast charging. With many possibilities that the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G brings, one could be the fact that the upcoming phone might be a rebranded version of the existing Samsung smartphone. Further, Samsung is said to be gearing up for the launch of a new smartphone called Galaxy M42 5G on April 28 in India. The phone, however, is expected to be a rebadged version of the Galaxy A42 5G which made its debut in the European markets last year. The price and the detailed specifications are not known as of now and sadly, we will have to wait for Samsungs’s notice or the launch of the upcoming phones to know more information about them.

MediaTek Might Become Key Supplier of 5G SoCs For Flagships Posted: 19 Apr 2021 07:30 AM PDT MediaTek seems to be working towards the next-generation 5G flagship chipset based on the 4nm and 3nm process. According to a MoneyUDN report, the chipset maker is said to be aiming above Qualcomm’s 5nm process built chipsets. With that, MediaTek might become a key supplier of 5G SoCs for the upcoming next-gen flagship Android devices. According to the report, MediaTek is one of the first companies to place an order with TSMC for 4nm SoCs and 3nm SoCs. Just to let you know, TSMC is the world's largest contract chipset maker and MediaTek has placed an order for 4nm chips along with 3nm based chips with the company. MediaTek After Qualcomm to Beat It in the 5G Race In simple words, MediaTek is one of the first customers of TSMC for the 3nm process SoCs, and Apple and Qualcomm are still yet to make their move. This suggests that the company is thinking way out of the box and aiming to achieve something which is going to fulfil the needs of all the smartphone manufacturers in the near future. Furthermore, the report also claims that the company has started to witness huge orders from various smartphone brands like Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. It has been reported that MediaTek might become the key supplier of 5G chipsets in the upcoming top-end smartphones and tablets. This is the first time MediaTek is eyeing to become a perfect contender for the flagship-grade smartphone segment. The company is trying all possible strategies to keep the pace high and even suppressing the rival chipset maker. This is a clear move from MediaTek, which says that the company is shifting towards a more advanced process and taking a step up before any other chipset maker. Just to let you know, 4nm and 3nm SoCs are more advanced than the currently available 5nm process based chipsets. The 5G technology will be more advanced on these chips. That said, we can expect the price of the chipset to rise from USD 35 to USD 80, and this could lead to a significant price hike in smartphones. The company is yet to reveal anything about the specifications of the chipset, but we can expect more information in the coming future.

Cost of Telecom Products Made in India Increased by 6%: Report Posted: 19 Apr 2021 06:30 AM PDT During the budget session earlier this year, the Indian government removed certain exemptions on the components and printed circuit board assembly (PCBAs) used for manufacturing telecom products within India. Because of this, the overall production cost of the equipment and products will go up by 5% to 6%. According to a PTI report, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) has written to the finance ministry and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to reverse the decision of excluding exemptions from the critical components and PCBAs that are imported to India for enabling the 'Make-in-India' initiative of the government. Higher Production Cost Will Null PLI Benefits If the production cost for the companies increases, the benefits offered under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme will be nullified. BIF President, TV Ramachandran said that the exemptions provided under custom notifications since 2017 should be continued for several of the critical components. If the exemptions are removed, the overall cost for manufacturing products in India will go up by 5% to 6%. If higher production costs offset the benefits of the PLI scheme, major companies will withhold their decision of manufacturing within India. Most of the critical components that are imported from outside the country need to be exempted from certain duties and taxes to keep the overall production costs low. The BIF has also claimed that in certain cases, the finished product made in India will become costlier than the product manufactured and imported from outside the country. The broadband body said that PCBAs are now under a significant duty of 11%. Since PCBAs are required for the manufacturing and production of several products, including smartphones, controllers, base stations, and more, it will result in an increased manufacturing price for each of these products. The government is pushing its own 'Make in India' program a few steps back if it continues with the increased duties on the critical manufacturing components and PCBAs. The BIF has requested the government to overlook its decision so that local manufacturing in the country can be boosted and companies can not only sell in India but also export it to other nations.

Samsung Announces Pick Up and Drop Service of Smartphones for Rs 99 Posted: 19 Apr 2021 05:39 AM PDT Samsung has just announced its 'Pick up' and 'drop' service for the users living in 46 cities of India. This initiative from the company will save the customers from the need of stepping out of their homes for getting their device serviced. Because of the pandemic, people want to stay inside their homes and only go out for purchasing essentials. The Samsung 'Pick up', and 'drop' service aims to help users do just that. Users can not only give their smartphones but also tablets for servicing. The service doesn't cover any other Samsung products such as Smart TVs, refrigerators, or more. Samsung Pick Up and Drop Service Cost, Cities, and Other Details Users will be able to opt for both 'pick up and drop' and 'drop only’ service from the company. The 'pick up and drop' service will cost users Rs 199, and the 'drop only' service will cost Rs 99 only. This will allow users to give their devices for servicing from the convenience of their home. Samsung users owning either the Galaxy A, Galaxy S, Galaxy M, Galaxy F, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy Fold smartphones or tablets can opt for the new service from the company. As mentioned above, the service is live for users in 46 cities of India. The names of the 46 cities are –  Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Lucknow, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Durgapur, Ranchi, Varanasi, Dehradun, Thane, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Surat, Vadodara, Bhopal, Indore, Raipur, Rajkot, Madurai, Kochi, Calicut, Tirupati, Hubli, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Coimbatore. Users living in the non-containment zones of the above mentioned 46 cities can avail the pick up and drop service from Samsung. For booking a service online, Samsung users can choose to get in touch with the customer support team of the company or go to its official website. For making the payment for the pick up and drop service, Samsung users can choose to pay via several digital channels.

Beta Online Portal Listing ‘Trusted’ Telecom Gear Companies Live Now Posted: 19 Apr 2021 04:30 AM PDT The Indian government has launched the beta online portal that lists all the trusted companies and its gears for the telecom operators of India. The beta portal was scheduled to go live on April 15, 2021. The National Cybersecurity Coordinator (NCSC) was designated as the body that will launch the platform. According to a Livemint report, the beta portal is currently accessible to only select operators. Since it is in the beta phase, the government and the developer team will be checking how it is performing and remove any errors or problems from the portal before its official launch, slated for June 15, 2021. Operators and OEMs to Help Government Collect Sample Data on Gear The opening of the beta portal is also aimed to help the government collect sample data from the operators and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) about the different gear that could be included in the trusted list. The official related to the matter said that the government might be able to stay on track given the timely launch of the beta portal and launch the portal officially on June 15, 2021. The NCSC head, Lt. General Rajesh Pant, has been toiling since December 2020 to configure the criteria that will determine which companies and gear will be included in the trusted list of the government. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will be issuing the final list to determine the companies and gear on the 'trusted' list. The list will reflect on the final portal that is slated to go live on June 15, 2021. The suppliers and companies can track their applications for being on the trusted list through the portal. The Indian government has taken such a move because of the increasing cybersecurity threats from the neighbouring nation China. That is why Chinese gear makers, including Huawei, which had a great impact on the rollout of 4G in India along with ZTE, aren't expected to make it to the final list. Huawei still has hopes that the Indian government will make the right call and include it when the final list is released. At the same time, the centre has asked the telcos not to reward any new project to the Chinese vendors for the time being.

Infinix Hot 10 Play Debuts in India for Rs 8,499: Specifications Posted: 19 Apr 2021 03:49 AM PDT Monday, April 19, marked as the debut day for Infinix Hot 10 Play in India. The device is awaited to go on sale in a week. The handset is positioned to be an affordable one and will be under the Rs 10,000 bracket. The phone was rolled out in Indonesia in January and now has made its way to India. The device is powered by an octa-core MediaTek SoC and has a large battery. The specifications and price of the handset are mentioned below. Infinix Hot 10 Play Specifications The Infinix Hot 10 Play features a 6.82-inch HD+ (7,20×1,640pixels) TFT IPS display with a waterdrop-style notch. The screen-to-body ratio amounts to 90.66 per cent. The device supports a maximum brightness of 440 nits with an aspect ratio of 20.5:9 and a 1500:1 contrast ratio. The phone is powered by the 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio G35 SoC coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and runs on the Android 10 OS. As for the camera, the Infinix Hot 10 Play comes equipped with a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP main sensor (f/1.8 aperture) and an AI lens. For selfies, the phone features an 8MP sensor at the front with (f/2.0 aperture) and LED Flash. The Infinix Hot 10 Play packs a 6,000mAh battery with Power Marathon Technology that is known to increase battery backup by up to 25 per cent. According to claims made by the company, the battery gives a standby time of more than 55 days and can deliver up to 23 hours of non-stop video playback, 53 hours of 4G talktime, 44 hours of music playback, 23 hours of web surfing etc. Infinix Hot 10 Play Launch Price The Infinix Hot 10 Play is priced at Rs 8,499 in India for its lone 4GB RAM+64GB variant. People who are interested in this budget phone can find it on sale from April 26 exclusively via Flipkart. The phone will be offered in four colour variants- Morandi Green, 7-Degree Purple, Agean Blue, and Obsidian Black. Infinix Hot 10 Play comes with launch offers that include a Jio offer through which users get a prepaid recharge of Rs 349 and benefits worth Rs 4,000. The offer also includes 40 cashback vouchers worth Rs 50 and brand partners coupons which are worth Rs 2,000.

Poco M2 Reloaded With MediaTek Helio G80 SoC India Launch on April 21 Posted: 19 Apr 2021 03:00 AM PDT Poco is gearing up to expand its M-series portfolio in India with the launch of the Poco M2 Reloaded. The company is going to launch the smartphone on April 21, 2021. The smartphone might arrive with similar specifications to the original M2. According to the reports, the Poco M2 Reloaded is expected to launch with a 4GB RAM variant. The earlier variant comes in 6GB RAM as standard and now the company might launch a 4GB RAM base variant which might arrive at a cheaper price point. The handset offers highlighted features like MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, quad-camera setup at the rear, and a lot more. Let's have a closer look at the specifications, features and expected price of the Poco M2 Reloaded. Poco M2 Reloaded Specifications As mentioned above, the Poco M2 Reloaded might arrive with similar specifications to the Poco M2 original. The smartphone is expected to flaunt a 6.53-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel with a waterdrop notch that accommodates the selfie camera sensor. The display is said to be protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. According to the Flipkart listing, the smartphone is confirmed to be powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset. The listing also confirmed that the smartphone has managed to score 238891 in the AnTuTu benchmark test. The smartphone is tipped to arrive with a massive 5,000mAh battery and 18W fast charging support via a USB Type-C port. It might run on the Android 10 operating system out of the box with MIUI on top. On the optical front, the Poco M2 Reloaded is tipped to feature a quad-rear camera setup with the combination of a 13MP primary camera + 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens accompanied by a 5MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor along with an LED flash. Underneath the waterdrop notch, the smartphone houses an 8MP front camera sensor for selfies and video calls. Poco M2 Reloaded Expected Price Poco m2 Reloaded is expected to launch in India on April 21 via the e-commerce site Flipkart. The original Poco M2 was launched with 6GB of RAM and 64GB internet storage at Rs 10,999 and the new variant is expected to launch with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. We can safely expect that the handset will be launched under a price point of Rs 10,000.

One Broadband Adds More Than 1 Lakh Subscribers in Q4 Posted: 19 Apr 2021 02:17 AM PDT One Broadband has added more than 1,00,000 or 1 lakh subscribers in the Q4, meaning January 2021 to March 2021 period. According to a release from the broadband service provider, it continued with its momentum of gaining 1,000 subscribers a day during the quarter. If the company adds new subscribers at the same rate, it will soon cross the 6,00,000 or 6 lakh subscribers mark. Further, the company said that it had retained its position as one of the top five internet service providers (ISPs) of India. One Broadband On Its way to 6 Lakh Subscribers ONEOTT iNTERTAINMENT LTD (OIL) is the subsidiary company of NXTDIGITAL Limited (NDL), which is the media vertical of the global Hinduja Group. It announced that One Broadband has successfully achieved the milestone of adding more than 1 lakh subscribers in the Q4 of FY2020-21. The CEO of OIL, Yugal Kishore Sharma, said that the dependence on the internet has gone up to a record high. He said that the use-cases of the internet have evolved and now aren't just restricted to browsing but also facilitate online gaming, streaming, and more. According to him, a reliable broadband connection is very important to ensure that every online activity of the user goes smoothly. According to the release shared by OIL, the company implemented unique business models to achieve rapid growth. The company is leveraging its Digital Sales Team (DST) to push the number of subscribers higher every quarter. Sharma pointed that One Broadband has grown by 42 times in the last five years to reach where it is today. Further, Sharma shared that the company doubled its internet capacity for the users without charging them anything extra to meet their demands of working from home. Sharma noted that One Broadband gives a lot of importance to providing customers with consistent and high-quality service and that it will continue to be one of the company's primary goals in the years to come. For the unaware, One Broadband offers fiber internet plans to customers ranging from 15 Mbps to 1 Gbps. The company is currently providing services in select regions of the country. You can go to the company's website to check if there are services available in your region or not.

Oppo A54 Launched in India With 5,000mAh Battery Under Rs 14,000 Posted: 19 Apr 2021 12:44 AM PDT Oppo has just launched its latest smartphone in India called the Oppo A54. Note that the device has already launched for the international market and is making its way to India just now. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek SoC and is coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. It has a triple camera setup at the rear and a very subtle design but is also available in a very flashy colour. Let's take a complete look at the specifications and price of the Oppo A54 launched in India. Oppo A54 Specifications Oppo A54 has launched in India with a 6.51-inch HD+ display with support for standard 60Hz refresh rate and offers an 89.2% screen-to-body ratio. The device will run on ColorOS 7.2 based on the Android 10 out of the box. The Oppo A54 is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The internal storage can be expanded up to 256GB with the help of an external microSD card. In the optics department, the device comes with a triple-camera setup at the rear, where the primary sensor is a 13MP lens paired with a 2MP macro sensor and a 2MP bokeh camera. At the front, there is a 16MP sensor for selfies and video calling. The Oppo A54 packs a 5,000mAh battery that supports 15W fast-charging. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for additional security. The device further supports face unlock. It is a 4G device that supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5; and also has a 3.5mm audio jack with a USB Type-C port. It comes with IPX4 certification meaning it can resist water. Oppo A54 Price The Oppo A54 has launched in three different variants for India. The first variant comes with 4GB+64GB, priced at Rs 13,490. The second variant comes with 4GB+128GB and is priced at Rs 14,490 for the same. Lastly, the 6GB+128GB variant has launched for Rs 15,990. The device is available in three colours – Moonlight Gold, Starry Blue, and Crystal Black. The first sale of the device will start tomorrow at 12 PM through Flipkart, and it will also be available on other retail channels soon.

COAI Might Push to Lower Reserve Price of 700 MHz Spectrum Posted: 19 Apr 2021 12:05 AM PDT The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) might soon ask the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on behalf of the telcos to push the sector regulator for bringing down the reserve price of the frequencies in the 700 MHz spectrum band. According to an ET Telecom report, all the private operators are likely to write to the telecom department for asking the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to lower the reserve price of the 700 MHz band. The telcos are expected to route the letter to the sector regulator via COAI. For the unaware, COAI is a non-governmental body that represents Indian telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi). Industry Wants 700 MHz Spectrum Price to be Same as Other Sub-GHz Band The telcos want the TRAI to lower the reserve price of the frequencies in the coveted 700 MHz spectrum band and make it nearly the same as the reserve price of 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands. The operators believe that all the sub-GHZ bands, including the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, and 900 MHz bands, behave the same way in nature; thus, their reserve price should also be nearly the same. Further, the telcos want the regulator to include the 600 MHz band in the spectrum auction. The 700 MHz band spectrum has been left unsold in the previous auctions because of its high reserve price. The regulator had cut the reserve price of the 700 MHz band for the auction held on March 1 and March 2. Even then, the operators ignored the band owing to its high-reserve price. Through the letter, the operators want to convey to the TRAI that if the reserve price of the 700 MHz band is not reduced, then it will go unsold again in future auctions. The 700 MHz band is considered important by the telcos for rolling out 5G services. But the current reserve price of the band makes no sense. Telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel have been very vocal about the same. Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel will want to stock up the frequencies in the 700 MHz band for their future operations if the reserve prices are brought down.

Starlink Broadband Services Will Come to India Very Soon: Elon Musk Posted: 18 Apr 2021 11:07 PM PDT Starlink, the satellite broadband company backed by Elon Musk's SpaceX is finding its future very difficult in India owing to policy reasons. Multiple bodies in India have argued about the company's 'premature' launch of services in the country and taking money from the people when its future is not decided. But clearing all doubts, according to an IANS report, Elon Musk said Starlink will start its upgraded satellite internet service by the end of the year in multiple new regions, including in India. Musk believes that Starlink's broadband service will make the internet 'more affordable' for the people living in remote areas of the world. Starlink Broadband to Offer Up to 300 Mbps Speed Starlink will be upgrading the threshold of maximum speed offered to the customers. Currently, the company offers a maximum speed of up to 150 Mbps, but that will soon be upgraded to 300 Mbps. The company plans to provide such high-speed internet services with the help of a network of 12,000 satellites. Starlink has already sent 1,200 satellites to orbit and is in the process to send more soon. Musk confirmed this to a user on Twitter. The billionaire said that Starlink's services will be fully 'mobile' later in the year and further said that users will be able to carry the 'Dishy McFlatface', (the dish terminal provided by the company) anywhere they wish to. This would mean that users can carry their high-speed broadband connection anywhere they go to. Musk further said that Starlink's service uptime in addition to bandwidth and latency are improving rapidly. The new program is expected to come out of beta by the summer. People in India can currently pre-book a connection from Starlink by opting for a $99 payment. The company has said that it is completely refundable in case the user doesn't want to avail the services in future. Even though Musk has said that the services will come to India very soon, it remains to be seen what are the updated guidelines for satellite internet services. The government will reveal the new guidelines very soon.

Satellite Broadband Industry Has a Bright Future Posted: 18 Apr 2021 10:00 PM PDT The progress of the satellite market is no news to us all, but the leap that the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband has made is quite intriguing. The satellite broadband market is likely to reach 3.5 million subscribers by the end of 2021. Assuming the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8%, the satellite broadband market will reach 5.2 million subscribers in 2026. According to a report from ABI Research, the 5.2 million satellite broadband subscribers are expected to rake in $4.1 billion in revenues for the industry. LEO Satellite vs GEO Satellite Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites were traditionally deployed to render broadband services to rural areas where mobile or fixed broadband deployment is a challenge for the operators. GEO satellites provide a pretty decent speed of over 100Mbps, but the problem is that they are very far from Earth. GEO satellites are about 36,000km from Earth, leading to higher latency that can be as high as 600ms. Therefore, it limits the use of an application that requires lower latency. This is when LEO satellites come into the picture, explained Khin Sandi Lynn, an industry expert from ABI Research. LEO satellites will play an important role shortly as they orbit around 800-1600 km from the Earth. Disrupting the GEO satellites, the LEO satellite systems offer a major advantage on latency which can be as low as 30-50 milliseconds. The LEO satellites will allow users to use low-latency applications and tasks, say, online gaming or live streaming. Nevertheless, on the flip side of the coin, the LEO satellite broadbands will cost relatively higher than the existing satellite broadbands. However, flexible packages according to the personal use of a person could make the services affordable and convenient in both developed and developing markets. Lynn also added terrestrial broadbands would give a huge competition to the Satcom industry at least for a while due to the expansion of fixed broadband networks and mobile networks. The Satcom industry will also summon LTE and 5G for competition since they supply Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services to residential users.

Singtel Brings ‘GENIE’, a Portable 5G Platform Posted: 18 Apr 2021 08:30 PM PDT GENIE is the latest technology launched by Singtel, a Singapore-based telecommunications company. It is the world's first and only device that can provide companies with a portable 5G platform and help them create an independent 5G network at any location it is deployed at. This device will allow companies to conduct 5G trials and experience 5G's capabilities before deciding to invest huge sums of money into getting their own dedicated or private 5G network. GENIE, a Portable 5G Platform That Can Fit in a Suitcase GENIE comes with a 5G network control kit and a standing mount with a 5G radio antenna. The most striking feature of this device is that it can fit a suitcase-sized container. It is a hassle-free device since it doesn't require any prior installation of other equipment to work. All it requires is an electrical outlet and can be installed within an hour. Dennis Wong, vice president of Singtel, said, even though many companies know that the 5G technology will be useful for them, they don't actually know how its applications will help them operator their business better. By using GENIE on their premises, the companies can quickly validate their applications with their partners or verify the performance of their use cases without any major cost. He also mentioned GENIE would predominantly be useful for the large enterprises that need to test 5G before they decide to invest in their dedicated network. "Seeing what 5G can do in their premises will help more enterprises adopt 5G and speed up their digital transformation," he added. Explaining further, Won said Customers could host and deploy applications while connecting their devices to GENIE's high speed and low latency network, removing the reliance on an external network like the internet. Consequently, this will prevent leakage of sensitive information, enhance data security and help solution developers and device manufacturers to validate prototypes in their customers' premises. GENIE can work with Singtel's 5G Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) infrastructure for enabling testing of ultra-low latency applications indoors on a 5G network. The 5G network of GENIE can support most of the industry 4.0 applications. It is truly an innovative product from Singtel and the latest addition to its 5G ecosystem that stands to benefit the industry as a whole.

Airtel Xstream Box Can Be Availed By Existing Fiber Users Posted: 18 Apr 2021 06:32 PM PDT Airtel Xstream Box is an Android TV Set-Top Box (STB) provide by Bharti Airtel. The STB can be bought at a standalone price of Rs 2,499 only. However, users can get it for refundable security of Rs 1,500 if they purchase a fiber broadband connection from the operator. But the offer isn't just limited to the new users; even the existing Airtel Xstream Fiber users can avail the box at the same rate of Rs 1,500 (fully refundable). However, the terms are slightly different for existing users than the new ones. If an existing broadband user wants to avail the Xstream Box for Rs 1,500 refundable deposit, he/she needs to subscribe to either the Rs 999 plan or more. The Rs 999 plan from Airtel Xstream Fiber offers 200 Mbps uploading and downloading speeds to the users. However, the Rs 1,500 refundable deposit also has some terms and conditions. Airtel Xstream Box Refundable Deposit Terms and Conditions Not all customers of the company will be refunded the initial deposit of Rs 1,500. The company will only offer a complete refund to users when they keep the connection for a year or more at least. Users who return the STB to the company before 12 months won't be eligible to receive the refund. Further, uninstallation charges will also be borne by the user when he/she is getting the connection removed from their homes/offices. Airtel Xstream Box Total Price There's also another cost that the user will have to pay on top of the security deposit. This charge would be for activating the STB. Note that the customer will have to keep recharging with a DTH plan from the company to keep the STB active. For activation of the STB, the user will have to pay Rs 452 extra on top of Rs 1,500. This would make the total price of Airtel Xstream Box Rs 1,952. However, if it is a secondary connection, the additional cost of the plan would drop from Rs 452 to Rs 360 since there is less NCF charge. The total price of the secondary connection would become Rs 1,860. The activation channel pack brings users a ton of HD channels along with free-to-air (FTA) channels and DD channels. Going forward, the user would have the option of changing the TV plan they are subscribed to for keeping their STB active. Airtel Xstream Box Features The Airtel Xstream Box comes with an in-built Chromecast for enabling the casting of content to other devices. It runs on the Android TV 9 platform and supports voice commands through Google Assistant. With the STB, users can stream content from their favourite over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Note that the subscription charges to these platforms won't be covered under the purchase of the STB. Users will have to pay the subscription charges separately. At present, it is available for Rs 2,499 on the company's website. However, users can use the code 'ADTV10' for getting an additional 10% discount on their purchase. So the effective price of the Airtel Xstream Box after using the discount code would become Rs 2,250.

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