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• AMD Lifts Revenue Forecast Post High Chip Demand
• Bharti Airtel Cautions Users From Falling Prey to Cyber Crimes
• Samsung Launches Three Versions of Much Awaited Galaxy Book
• OnePlus Nord N10 Successor Passes IMDA Certification
• Redmi K40 Gaming Edition Might Be Rebranded as POCO F3 GT for India Launch
• BSNL, MTNL Will Provide Telecom Services to the Indian Bank
• Indus Towers Positive About Vodafone Idea Survival
• Google I/O 2021 Event Might Bring Pixel 5a and Android 12 Beta
• Singtel Deploys 5G SA Sites and Rolls Out 5G SIM Cards Across Singapore
• Galaxy M42 Is the Cheapest Samsung 5G Smartphone in India
• OneWeb Sold 24% Stake of the Company to Eutelsat For $550 Million
• Internet Subscribers in India Reach 795.18 Million Users Mark: Report
• Realme X7 Max 5G Might Launch on Mega Event of May 4
• FTTH vs FTTC vs FTTX: Differences You Should Know
• Airtel and Vi Can Add Millions of Fresh 4G Subscribers This Year
• Broadband Plans From Top ISPs to Learn and Work From Home

AMD Lifts Revenue Forecast Post High Chip Demand Posted: 28 Apr 2021 09:30 AM PDT Popular PC and laptop chip manufacturer AMD or Advanced Micro Devices announced on Tuesday that it would be raising its annual revenue forecast, with the company betting on strong demand for its chips used in both personal computers and data centres. This comes after a lacklustre year for the company's primary competitor, intel, which failed to offer equally good chips at the same price, with AMD besting intel multiple times over the course of 2020. What Does The Company Have To Say? The CEO of AMD, Lisa Su, said that she was happy and confident that the company would be able to source chips despite the ongoing supply shortage, which has affected not only local markets but global sales as well. To add to the good news factor, the chip designer saw a 4% rise for its shares during extended trading post announcement of a better than expected result for the first quarter in terms of overall sales. Ms Su mentioned that AMD had good visibility into being able to get additional chips through its manufacturing partners. According to a statement offered to analysts by Ms Su, the entire semiconductor supply chain is supposedly very tight. To tackle this, AMD has been working very closely with its supply partners, observing improvements that have led to an overall improvement guide for the entirety of the year. One of the key reasons for AMD's success is the surge in demand for the company's graphics chips, a pivotal component that saw more sales due to gamers becoming more active and upgrading their older rigs during the Covid-19 pandemic. As per the chip maker, it now expects its 2021 revenue to rise 50% in comparison to 2020, at a figure of $14.64 billion in comparison to the prior forecast of a rise of 39%. In terms of the revenue during the first quarter, it soared to 93% to reach $3.45 Billion, beating out the estimate of $3.21 billion due to the higher selling price (on average) for its chips. In regards to this, Ms Su said that she felt very good about this progress, especially for notebooks. The company is seeing traction within the premium ultrathin, commercial and gaming notebook markets. To add to all of this, the company's enterprise, embedded and semi-custom segment, which is a unit housing data centre chips, posted a jump in sales to reach $1.35 billion. If one excludes the items, the company saw an earning of 52 cents per share, in contrast to the forecasted 44 cents.

Bharti Airtel Cautions Users From Falling Prey to Cyber Crimes Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:58 AM PDT With the advancement of technology, we have also seen a rise in the number of crimes committed using this very thing. It seems that the instances of cybercrime have risen quite a bit, as Bharti Airtel's CEO, Gopal Vittal, has mentioned that users need to be wary of cyber crimes and be safe. In an open letter meant for the telco's 307 million subscribers, Mr Vittal explained how Bharti Airtel has been carrying out home delivery of SIM cards, cautioning them against cyber fraud. He also felt that with telecom being such an important sector, home delivery of SIMs would ensure the safety of the individual without affecting access to the same. Airtel Investing Heavily to Enhance Network Capacity Apart from this, he mentioned that the company had invested Rs 38,000 crore in the spectrum and network capacity so as to make sure that customers remain connected in the time of a global pandemic. Vittal said that Bharti Airtel had made an investment of over Rs 18,000 crore meant for procurement of spectrum that will help it improve indoor coverage in the upcoming months. Adding to this, he said that Airtel had invested an additional Rs 20,000 crore in a bid to enhance the company's network capacity so that the user's experience is improved despite higher consumption. Vittal also mentioned that the telco's investments are expected to keep the data available to the dependent user at a time when a wireless communication surge has occurred in India as a result of offices announcing work from home. In the period of last year, which saw covid wreak havoc, telecom networks witnessed a surge of 33% in overall data consumption, forcing the telcos to add infrastructure to their networks and offer fibre-based home connections. During the second wave of Covid, the demand for mobile data network has risen 10-15%, and fixed-line broadband demand has risen up to 50-60%. In response to this, tower firms and telcos also boosted their infrastructure by deploying over 69,000 new mobile towers during the February 2020- April 2021 period as per TAIPA (Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association) The top three telcos of India, namely Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, invested around Rs 9,000 crore in network infra expansion after the first strike of Covid-19. This, in turn, ensured preparation for a situation like the one occurring now, with a second wave having much more severe implications.

Samsung Launches Three Versions of Much Awaited Galaxy Book Posted: 28 Apr 2021 08:31 AM PDT Samsung has been rumoured to launch its new Galaxy Book series of laptops for quite some time, with the rumour having become a reality today. As part of its Galaxy Unpacked event held today, the company launched three new devices. The devices in question include both laptops and 2-in-1 notebook, catering to both kinds of audience. All of these device feature OLED panels, depend on 11th-Gen Intel and Snapdragon chips with the promise of longer battery life. Without any further ado, let us dive deep into what Samsung's latest products offer and take a look at their specifications. Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360: Specifications Firstly, we will delve into the higher end Galaxy Book Pro series of devices, with two kinds of devices being part of the series. The standard model, dubbed Galaxy Book Pro, is offered in two variants, namely a 13.3-inch and a 15.6-inch variant. In contrast, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is available in the same sizes, but the differing factor for the device is a 2-in-1 design for multiple use cases. As for the specifications, both devices feature Full-HD AMOLED panels with a resolution of FHD+ (1920*1080p). The only differing factor is the touch-enabled foldable screen for the 360 models, offering support for styluses as well. For the performance side of things, both devices make use of Intel's latest 11th-Gen Core i7 and i5 chip. The Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 feature up to a Core i7-1160G7 processor paired with Intel's Iris XE GPU. All models also pack up to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 512 GB of M.2 SSD based storage. Samsung also states that both devices offer great battery life despite lightweight designs. This is evident as the 13.3-inch Galaxy book Pro is dependent on a 63Wh battery, with the device weighing only 868g. In comparison, the 15.6-inch variant makes use of a larger 68Wh battery, with the device weighing in at 1.04Kg. As for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 models, both of the variants feature the same batteries found on the non-360 models. In terms of the weight, the Pro model is slightly heavier at 1.04Kg and 1.39 Kg for the 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch variants, respectively. Both variants also offer an array of ports, including a USB-A port, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a Thunderbolt 4 supporting USB-C port. Unlike the 360 models, the non-360 models offer an extra HDMI port. All models feature a fingerprint sensor with Windows Hello support for security. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 with LTE on the standard model and 5G connectivity on the 360 variant are also on offer. Both models of the Galaxy Book Pro run on Windows 10, with the colour options for the Galaxy Book Pro being Mystic Silver, Mystic Blue and Mystic Pink Gold. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 meanwhile offers a Mystic Bronze, Mystic Silver and Mystic Navy colourway. Samsung Galaxy Book: Specifications Moving on from the Pro variants, Samsung is also offering a standard variant, dubbed as the Samsung Galaxy Book. The device comes with a 15.6-inch FHD+ LCD panel. The Galaxy Book comes in a single screen size, but users can choose from three varying configurations. These include an 11th-gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 chip, an 11th-gen Core i5-1135G7 or a Core i7-1165G7 chip. There are also two different GPU options, including either an Nvidia MX450 or an Intel Iris XE GPU. Storage remains similar to the Pro model, with the device packing 8GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 512 GB of M.2 SSD based storage. The battery is smaller at 54Wh, but the Windows Hello support and the fingerprint sensor is retained. As for I/O, the Galaxy Book offers 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, one HDMI connector, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. The device comes in an aluminium finish with two colour options, namely Blue and silver. Pricing and Availability The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro starts at $999.99 in the US, whilst the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is priced at $1,199.99. Both laptops will go on sale starting May 14.

OnePlus Nord N10 Successor Passes IMDA Certification Posted: 28 Apr 2021 07:35 AM PDT OnePlus launched its affordable Nord lineup back in 2020 and introduced three new smartphones in the mid-range segment. These smartphones include the vanilla OnePlus Nord, Nord N10 and the Nord N100. This year the company didn't reveal the Nord series smartphone at the March event, but it seems that the company is gearing up to bring the successor of the Nord N10. No, we are not claiming that, but the IMDA certification site is hinting towards an imminent launch of a new Nord device. A smartphone codenamed Ebba has appeared on the IMDA certification site, hinting towards an imminent launch. OnePlus Nord N10 Successor IMDA Certification Popular tipster Mukul Sharma has spotted the smartphone on the IMDA certification with model number EB2103, suggesting that the OnePlus Nord N10 successor will soon hit the global market. The model number has also been spotted on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website. The certifications site didn't reveal much about the handset, but at least we get to know that the company is working on an affordable smartphone. Tipster OnLeaks has posted some leaked rendered images, which suggest that the smartphone might arrive with a glossy plastic back on a metal frame. The N10 successor is said to be launched with a triple rear camera setup, but there is no information about the camera sensors available so far. Going with the rumours, the upcoming Nord device is tipped to arrive with a 6.49-inch flat display with a punch-hole cutout design to make some room for the selfie camera setup. The handset is also expected to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, and it might feature a side-mounted fingerprint scanner embedded on the power button instead of the in-display fingerprint reader. Currently, the company is yet to reveal anything officially regarding the launch of the upcoming OnePlus smartphone. We recommend you take this information with a pinch of salt and wait for the official launch. Meanwhile, we can expect more information about the smartphone in the upcoming days.

Redmi K40 Gaming Edition Might Be Rebranded as POCO F3 GT for India Launch Posted: 28 Apr 2021 06:51 AM PDT Xiaomi has recently launched its first-ever gaming smartphone in the home country of China under its Redmi brand called the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition. The company is yet to reveal any information regarding the global rollout of the newly launched gaming smartphone. However, a popular tipster Kacper Skrzypek has claimed that the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition smartphone might be launched as the POCO F3 GT in the Indian market. Since there is no concrete evidence for this information we recommend you to take this with a grain of salt. POCO has recently confirmed that the company is working on the POCO F3 smartphone which is going to launch in India soon. According to the previous reports, POCO India Head Anuj Sharma has confirmed that the phone is in development and will be launched at a higher price point. The Redmi K40 Gaming Edition smartphone is the first Redmi phone to launch with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC. Recently Realme has also confirmed that it will be the first one to launch a smartphone in India with Dimensity 1200 chipset. Realme India CEO has confirmed the launch of the handset on May 4th, 2021. POCO is yet to reveal any launch date of the upcoming POCO F3 GT in the Indian market. Redmi K40 Gaming Edition Specifications Just to recall, the Redmi K40 Gaming Edition phone comes with a 6.67-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 480Hz touch sampling rate. The display offers a resolution of 1,080×2,400 pixels with HDR10+ support. Under the hood, the handset is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of storage. For heat dissipation, the smartphone uses vapour chamber LiquidCool technology with white graphene to keep the phone cool even during long hours of gaming. As far as cameras are concerned, the Redmi K40 features a triple-rear camera setup with the combination of 64MP primary camera + 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens + 2MP sensor along with an LED flash. Upfront, it houses a 16-megapixel selfie shooter that sits underneath the hole-punch cutout.

BSNL, MTNL Will Provide Telecom Services to the Indian Bank Posted: 28 Apr 2021 05:52 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) are serving over 5,000 branches and ATMs of the Indian Bank. The Indian Bank is a state-owned finance service and banking body. According to a report from The New Indian Express, the state-run telco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Bank for providing high-quality, uninterrupted telecom services. The MoU underlines the commitment of BSNL to provide seamless telecom services to the Indian Bank at competitive market rates. This means the telco might be availing its services to the bank for a lower market rate than usual. BSNL and MTNL See Some Positive From The MoU BSNL and MTNL both will see some respite to their financials after the MoU signed with the Indian Bank. This is a good move from the government to ensure that both the state-run telcos have enterprise clients that will bring them good revenues in the long run. Dr VK Sanjeevi, Chief General Manager of Chennai Telephones, said that both MTNL and BSNL are already connecting over 5,000 branches of the Indian Bank and its ATM machines as well. We can't confirm for how long the MoU will stay in place. The Indian Bank will be using the latest technologies and connectivity services from both BSNL and MTNL at competitive market rates, and this will not only help the telcos but also the bank since it will be able to scale operations online. It would be great if BSNL could sign more MoUs with other institutions and companies to scale its enterprise business. All the private telecom operators are already in the race for providing the best enterprise services by leveraging their 5G ready networks. The government should ensure that BSNL doesn't fall behind such an important segment of the market. Further, the state-run telco is expected to roll out 4G with such equipment that will only require a software upgrade to become compatible with providing 5G services. Thus, in the coming years, we can even see BSNL competing with the private telcos in the enterprise business. With the help of a quick 4G rollout, BSNL can completely change the current structure of market competition.

Indus Towers Positive About Vodafone Idea Survival Posted: 28 Apr 2021 05:13 AM PDT The Indian telecom market is currently “witnessing” almost 40% year-on-year (YoY) growth in data volumes, said Bimal Dayal, managing director of Indus Towers in the fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday. According to Dayal, the surge in data volumes is "fairly rapid" and will "continue to drive growth" for all the industry players. Indus Towers on Thursday reported its fourth-quarter results for the period ended March 31, 2021, with the company recording Rs 1364 crores as consolidated profit after tax, translating to a 38% YoY increase. Data Volume Continues to Grow in India The company engaged in the passive telecom infrastructure space reported Rs 6492 crores as consolidated revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, translating to a 3% YoY increase. It has to be noted that the results reported by the company on Thursday was its first full quarter of operations following its merger with Bharti Infratel effective November 19, 2020. In its quarterly report, the company highlighted that it has 179,225 towers for the period ended March 31, 2021, as compared to 175,510 towers in the previous quarter. Indus Towers highlighted that its towers portfolio increased by 3715 quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and by 10,223 YoY. "I think data volume continues to grow constantly and this actually drives and makes addition of additional sites an ongoing requirement," Dayal said in the earnings call on Friday. Indus Towers in its quarterly report also highlighted that the net co-locations, sites where a tower company installs telecom antennas of multiple carriers on a single tower, increased by 4128 during the quarter. However, ICICI Securities in a report on Friday said that it is "concerned about the sustainability of strong tenancy" additions due to the "huge spectrums" purchased by Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. "This growth must have come from Bharti Airtel's continued network rollout and has been likely driven by both coverage and capacity requirements, in our view," ICICI Securities said in its report. "Our concern is on rising single tenancies, which puts pressure on margins. Also, Bharti and RJio have bought huge spectrums in the 2021 auctions, which may impact capacity-led tenancy demand." Dayal in the earnings call noted that the spectrum acquired by the operators in March 2021, auctions will be used equally for coverage and capacity and that historically hasn't had an impact on tower demand. Vodafone Idea Shutdown May Significantly Impact Indus Towers: Analysts Crucially, Dayal said that the telecom market in India will "certainly" be a three-player market with the managing director of Indus Towers "aware" of the struggles Vodafone Idea is "facing currently." "Chronology tells us that where they (Vodafone Idea) are and where they were maybe around the last year, I think they have managed to do quite a lot of things and from a tower company perspective, we certainly believe that it would be a three-player market," Dayal said. Dolat Capital, a financial firm engaged in trading markets in a report on Friday said that Vodafone Idea (VIL) survivability is a "medium-term risk for Indus." The firm said that VIL shutdown may "significantly impact the business of Indus." "That said, Indus is fairly covered for receivables from VIL for next one year led by advance rentals from VIL on Indus stake sale and security cover from Voda Plc (Vodafone Group)," Dolat Capital said in its report. "In the interim, significant fundraise by VIL and steep tariff increase are inevitable for a three-private player market." Motilal Oswal, an Indian firm engaged in financial services, in a report on Saturday said that Vodafone Idea’s "long-term business concerns" continues to "remain an overhang" for Indus Towers. "VIL remains a large client for Indus Towers, and the tower sharing business has limited business case for single tenancy operations," Motilal Oswal said in its report. The firm also said that Reliance Jio with its enhanced focus on tower infrastructure "may weaken" the positioning of Indus Towers.

Google I/O 2021 Event Might Bring Pixel 5a and Android 12 Beta Posted: 28 Apr 2021 04:36 AM PDT Back in 2020, Google cancelled one of its biggest annual events called Google I/O due to the ongoing COVID-19 scenario. But this year, the company has decided to organize the entire event virtually, and the search giant is all set to launch an array of products that it has missed launching last year. The event will take place at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, though the amphitheatre will not be filled by media and experts, and the event will be broadcasted online across the globe. In this article, we have garnered all the information about the devices which might be part of Google I/O 2021. Google I/O 2021 Details According to the company, the Google I/O 2021 is going to kick start on May 18th, 2021 and run until May 21, 2021. The first part of the event will have a keynote from Google CEO Sundar Pichai along with other Google executives. The event will start at 10 AM PT (10:30 PM IST). To watch the entire event, you need to register for the show by clicking here. What to Expect from Google I/O 2021? Here is the list of products that you can expect from the company in the upcoming Google I/O 2021. Android 12 and First Beta There are many reports and rumours claiming that Google is planning to majorly focus on Android 12 for the event. It's been expected that the company will introduce the first beta of the upcoming Android 12 operating system. We have already seen a few developers previews, but the beta is different from the developers’ preview. It can be downloaded and used by the general public. So we can expect the First Beta of the Android 12 update at the Google I/O 2021. Google Pixel 5a Second on the list is the Google Pixel 5a, which is highly speculated to launch at the Google I/O 2021. The smartphone is going to be the successor of the Pixel 4a. The smartphone is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 765G chipset. It is tipped to launch with a 6.2-inch FHD+ resolution display along with a punch-hole cutout design. Some reports also suggest that the handset might ditch the Google I/O event and will be launched later this year. The company is yet to reveal anything about the smartphone. Google Pixel Buds A Search giant Google is also expected to launch the second generation of its Pixel Buds with the launch of the Google Pixel Buds A. This is going to be the first truly wireless earbuds from the company; currently, we are unaware of any details about the upcoming audio device. We can only expect to see more information about the Pixel Buds A in the upcoming days. Google Chipset Whitechapel The company is said to be working on its in-house chipset in collaboration with Samsung. It has been rumoured that Google is planning to equip the upcoming Pixel 6 smartphone with its first-ever custom builds mobile processor. According to the reports, the company has codenamed the SoC as Whitechapel.

Singtel Deploys 5G SA Sites and Rolls Out 5G SIM Cards Across Singapore Posted: 28 Apr 2021 03:38 AM PDT The finest telecom operator of Singapore, Singtel, is accelerating the pace of rolling out new 5G networks by deploying hundreds of 5G Standalone (SA) sites that are based on the 3.5Ghz spectrum across Singapore. Not only this, but the telco is expanding its 5G in-building coverage that started with VivoCity. The coverage includes prominent locations like Ngee Ann and selected Singtel shops across Singapore. To aid the customers, the telecom operator has also started providing 5G SA compatible SIM cards. As reported by 5G Radar, Singtel has designed its 5G SIM card to offer higher bandwidth and low latency connection for a seamless and secure 5G network experience. Singtel Will Enter into New Era of Connectivity with 5G SA Ms Anna Yip, Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said that the telco is ready to enter into the new era of connectivity with 5G SA. The entire customer base of Singtel will be introduced to the transformational benefits of high-speed internet connection that will elevate their experience every day. She also said that the entire engineers had joined hands with key handset manufacturers to complete testing and prepare the next-generation network for commercial launch. She also invited the customers of Singtel to upgrade to the new 5G SIM cards to future proof and enhance their mobile experience. Singtel has Upgraded 5G Radio Access with Advanced Radio Technologies To provide ultra-fast speed and connections, Singtel has upgraded its 5G radio access network with advanced radio technologies to merge it with a cloud-native standalone 5G core network that will make the 5G independent. Also, the 5G network will offer slicing, which will allow dynamic distribution and optimization of network resources for broad applications. Singtel has been offering the fastest 5G NSA network in Singapore on a trial basis by offering speed up to 1.2Gbps. With the help of the 5G NSA network, Singtel customers are enjoying an array of benefits such as virtual reality live music, data-free gaming and more. Singtel customers must also be aware of the fact that the new 5G SA network will require compatible 5G handsets. All the handset manufactures will slowly roll out 5G SA software updates and launch more 5G SA compatible models in the coming period.

Galaxy M42 Is the Cheapest Samsung 5G Smartphone in India Posted: 28 Apr 2021 02:32 AM PDT Samsung has just launched its Galaxy M42 5G for India. It is the cheapest 5G smartphone from Samsung in the country as of now. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC and packs a big battery for longer performance. It has almost everything an average user would want from their smartphone. There is plenty of memory, a decent processor, and most of all; it is priced in the mid-range segment. Let's take a look at the complete specifications and price of the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G. Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Specifications The Samsung Galaxy M42 5G comes with a quad-camera setup at the rear where the primary sensor is a 48MP GM2 primary lens paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5MP macro sensor, and a 5MP depth sensor. The Galaxy M42 5G's camera is equipped with features such as Super-Slow Motion, Scene Optimiser, Night Mode, Single Take, and Flaw Detection. For selfies and video calling, the device comes with a 20MP sensor at the front. The Galaxy M42 5G comes with a 6.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage (up to 1TB with a microSD card). The Samsung Galaxy M42 5G has a 5,000mAh battery inside with support for 15W fast-charging. The company has claimed that it will be able to provide users with 34 hours of video playback on a single charge. It also comes with Samsung Pay and Knox security. Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Price in India Samsung has launched the Galaxy M42 5G in two different variants in India. The base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage comes for Rs 21,999, and the superior variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage comes for Rs 23,999. Samsung is providing an introductory offer to the users where the price of each variant will go down by Rs 2,000. So effectively, users can get the base variant for Rs 19,999 and the superior variant for Rs 23,999. The device will go on the first sale on May 1 via Amazon and the official website of the company.

OneWeb Sold 24% Stake of the Company to Eutelsat For $550 Million Posted: 28 Apr 2021 01:42 AM PDT OneWeb, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company recently sold a 24% stake of the company to Eutelsat for $550 million. For the unaware, Eutelsat is a major global satellite operator that has connections with governments across the globe. This investment is a good sign for OneWeb as it will be able to leverage the resources and connections of Eutelsat to expand operations faster. This investment brings the company's total funding to $1.9 billion and further makes Eutelsat a major stakeholder in the company along with Bharti Global, the U.K. Government, and SoftBank. As per a release from the company, the investment will be completed in the second half of 2021. OneWeb Aims For $1 Billion Annual Revenues Once OneWeb has completed the deployment of the full constellation of LEO satellites, the company expects to reach annual revenues of $1 billion in the third year or soon after that. OneWeb's fleet of 648 satellites aims to provide high-speed internet to users with low latency. OneWeb's partnership with Eutelsat will enhance both the companies commercial potential around the globe. Eutelsat already has established enterprise customers and connections with governments across the world. More importantly, the company has the technical expertise which it can pass on to OneWeb. At the same time, OneWeb excels in addressing the needs of several applications that require low-latency internet. By combining their resources, both the companies will be able to offer GEO/LEO satellite integrated services and packages in the future. With this partnership, OneWeb not only secures more funding for fresh equity but also gets more resources for being able to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper. All three companies are in the race of providing the best LEO satellite internet services. Starlink has already started accepting payments from Indians for pre-booking of the satellite internet connection. The company expects to start providing services in the Indian landscape by mid-2022 and that is the same time where we might see OneWeb coming to the Indian market as well. It will be interesting to see how satellite broadband from OneWeb and Starlink will change the way people consume the internet in India.

Internet Subscribers in India Reach 795.18 Million Users Mark: Report Posted: 28 Apr 2021 12:45 AM PDT Demand for the internet has surged through the roof, and the reason for that is work from home, new Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications, and a rise in consumption of over-the-top (OTT) content. This has helped the Indian telecom industry add new internet subscribers in 2020. India had 795.18 million internet subscribers by the end of the December quarter in FY2020-21. This number signifies a quarterly growth rate of 2.41% since the number of internet subscribers in India by the end of the September quarter in FY2020-21 were 776.45 million. The total number of internet subscribers can further be bifurcated into wireless and wired internet subscribers. Wired internet subscribers in India were only 25.54 million users, whereas the remaining 769.64 million subscribers were wireless internet users. Broadband Internet Subscribers Grew in India Further, the total internet subscriber base is comprised of broadband and narrowband users. There were a total of 747.41 million broadband subscribers and 47.77 million narrowband users in India by the end of December 2020. Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ), the broadband subscriber base in India grew by 2.90% to 747.41 million users at the end of December 2020 from 726.32 million users at the end of September 2020. At the same time, narrowband subscribers saw a decline in QoQ growth rate from 50.14 million users at the end of September 2020 to 47.77 million subscribers at the end of December 2020. At the end of December 2020, out of the total internet subscribers, 96.71% of users came under the 'mobile wireless' category, 3.21% of users came under the 'wired' category, and 0.08% of users came under the 'fixed wireless' category. The complete data comes from a report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The rising number of internet subscribers throughout the country is a positive sign for the telecom industry of India. Other private internet service providers (ISPs) will also be looking to capitalise on the growing number of wireline subscribers. The pandemic should further fuel the number of internet subscribers in the last quarter (January to March) of FY2020-21, and the positive quarterly growth trend should continue for the FY2021-22 period as well. More internet subscribers in the country would mean overall higher revenues for the industry, and the companies can also bank on the opportunity to increase average revenue per use (ARPU).

Realme X7 Max 5G Might Launch on Mega Event of May 4 Posted: 27 Apr 2021 11:39 PM PDT A new launch event from Realme is slated for May 4, 2021. The company is expected to launch multiple products in the online event including the Realme X7 Max 5G. Realme India CEO, Madhav Sheth confirmed that the company will conduct a launch event on May 4. He said that it will be the company's biggest launch event of the year. Just yesterday we reported that Realme X7 Max 5G is expected to be the rebranded version of the Realme GT Neo launched in China. Let's take a look at what the device might come with and what more other products might launch in the event. Realme X7 Max 5G Specifications (Expected) and Other Products Expected Sheth confirmed that during the launch event, Realme will launch India's first MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC powered smartphone. Thus there is a strong speculation that the device is none other than Realme X7 Max 5G. According to the previous leaks, the device is further expected to come with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The device might pack a 4,500mAh battery with support for 50W rapid charging. There are no rumours about the price range of the device. But we expect Realme to price the device aggressively in the market to take on the recent launched smartphones from Xiaomi and iQOO. Since the Realme X7 Max 5G is expected to be the rebranded version of the Realme GT Neo, it is expected to arrive in three colours – Milky Way, Mercury Silver, and Asteroid Black. The smartphone might feature a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 120Hz refresh rate. In the camera department, it might feature a triple camera system at the rear with a 64MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. At the front, the device is expected to house a 16MP sensor for selfies and video calling. Sheth further said that the company will be bringing a new cinema experience for the users with Dolby Vision and Audio. This means that the company will be launching new Smart TVs as well. Realme might bring two new Smart TVs of 43-inch and 49/50-inch to India on May 4.

FTTH vs FTTC vs FTTX: Differences You Should Know Posted: 27 Apr 2021 09:30 PM PDT There are different types of fibre optic cables that are available in the market. In case you are not aware, fibre optic cables are network cables with strands of glass fibre inside a casing. The cables are used for providing high-speed data and telecommunications services. Since there are different types of fibre cables, it gets difficult to pick the best one from the lot. One of the best features of all the fibre optic cables is a better and streamlined internet connection as compared to traditional copper wire cables. Some of the commonly used fibre optic cables are FTTP, FTTH and more. Follow the article to the end for detailed information on different types of fibre optic cables. FTTP/FTTH (Fibre-to-the-premises or fibre-to-the-home) These are two of the most common fibre optic cables you might have heard. In reality, both fibre optic cables have been designed for individual residences. FTTP and FTTH cables are directed to an individual home or premises by an internet service provider (ISP). One of the best features that users get from these fibre optic cables is higher bandwidth. Since internet service providers offer a single connection and higher bandwidth, the cost of these fibre optic cables is usually expensive in some areas. FTTC (Fibre-to-the-curb) Fibre-to-the-curb or FTTC is another commonly used fibre optic cable by network service providers. As evident from the name, the fibre optic cable does not mean the home's concrete curb. All the grey or green cabinets that are installed by internet service providers are the curbs. Customers get an internet connection via this passive broadband equipment. From the curb, signals are transferred via coaxial cables to the actual residence. Since there are multiple connections installed in a single curb, customers face bandwidth loss at times. However, the blend of fibre optic cable and traditional copper is helpful for internet service providers as they can serve several customers within a specific range. FTTX In simple terms, FTXX includes all types of Fibre infrastructure. Whether it’s FTTH, FTTC or FTTP. The X in the FTTX is used for a particular place or object, such as a curb or home. Mostly, FTTX is used in the local region between the end-user premises and the edge of the carrier network. The fibre optic infrastructure provides internet connection in home, businesses and other organisations. Since FTTX offers better speed and connectivity, multiple copper-based connections are switched with the new infrastructure.

Airtel and Vi Can Add Millions of Fresh 4G Subscribers This Year Posted: 27 Apr 2021 08:00 PM PDT If things go well, it can be a good year for the Indian Telecom industry. While the operators are prepping for rolling out 5G services in the country, there is no way they would ignore their 4G subscribers. In fact, India stands to be a major 4G market for at least the next two to three years until 5G is deployed in most parts of the nation. Thus, the operators will be focused on adding as many 4G subscribers as possible. Since a large number of mobile subscribers in India use 2G or 3G SIMs, they will be soon looking to upgrade to 4G services when the telcos shut down older generation networks. This is where both Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel can gain plenty of subscribers. Airtel and Vi Will Need to Make Efforts to Migrate 2G/3G Customers to 4G Crisil Research, a ratings agency, believes that Airtel and Vi will need to make more efforts to covert their 2G and 3G customers to 4G. The telcos have been refarming their 3G spectrum for 4G. Thus users will need to shift to 4G networks very soon when the telcos shut down their 3G networks. Both the operators can benefit a lot if the legacy network users switch to 4G this year. If the telcos can pull all their resources into providing 4G services only, they will reduce their operational costs that 2G and 3G entail. Further, the refarming of spectrum would allow the telcos to increase their 4G capacity meaning they can add more users without worrying about issues such as network congestion. Currently, there are up to 300 million users in India that are using feature phones and have not upgraded to 4G devices. Since India has a plethora of options when it comes to low-cost or entry-level 4G devices, feature phone users can upgrade to 4G supportive devices very comfortably. Also, the recent spectrum purchase will help the telcos in comfortably adding more subscribers. Post the auctions, all the private operators of the country now have plenty of spectrum in their bags to add new subscribers. Crisil Research pointed out that the telcos will be competing with each other indirectly now. Instead of reduced price of the plans, users will see more bundled over-the-top (OTT) offers coming their way. Further, the industry will push for lower-level 4G entry points for the legacy network subscribers to subscribe to 4G services. The ratings firm expects that if things stay bullish and the lockdowns are only limited to the April-June 2021 quarter, by the end of FY22, the industry would see the 4G subscriber base at 820 million. Even if things go wrong and the industry’s fate turns bearish, the total 4G subscriber base would reach 800 million. Reliance Jio can also benefit from the new 4G subscribers since the telco offers plans at the lowest tariffs. Jio's network coverage is also better than Vi and Airtel's network, which gives it an upper hand when the feature phone users in rural areas upgrade to 4G devices and 4G networks.

Broadband Plans From Top ISPs to Learn and Work From Home Posted: 27 Apr 2021 06:31 PM PDT Fixed-line broadband Internet has become a very important part of people's lives in the last year. After going through multiple lockdowns, one thing that people have understood is that they need a reliable internet connection with high bandwidth and low latency to do most of the things they did from their offices at their homes. High-speed fiber broadband plans will not only allow users to work from home but also attend online classes and learn on the go. There are multiple internet service providers (ISPs) present in India that offer fiber broadband services. We are going to list plans from the top operators that are present in most of the cities of India so that you can choose an offering from one of these companies for work from home purposes. The ISPs we are going to focus on are – JioFiber, Airtel Xstream Fiber, Tata Sky Broadband, Excitel, ACT Fibernet, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Bharat Fibre, and You Broadband. Further, we will focus on all the broadband plans ranging from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps speed. We are selecting the range of 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps speed because these plans can work well for homes that have multiple users connected to the same network for several purposes, including online gaming, streaming, working, and learning. JioFiber Broadband Plans For Work From Home JioFiber is the fiber broadband arm of Reliance Jio. The company offers fiber internet plans ranging from 40 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Its 100 Mbps plan comes for a monthly cost of Rs 699. Users get unlimited data capped at a 3.3TB fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit with this plan. Users also get a free voice calling connection with the plan. There are no over-the-top (OTT) benefits included. The company doesn't offer a 200 Mbps plan, but it does offer a 150 Mbps plan. The 150 Mbps speed plan from JioFiber comes for Rs 999 per month and offers the same 3.3TB FUP data along with a free voice calling connection. Users get OTT benefits of major platforms such as Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Amazon Prime Video, Voot Select, Voot Kids, Eros Now, JioCinema, JioSaavn, and more. Both the plans are also available in quarterly, semi-annual, and annual validities. Note that none of the prices mentioned above includes taxes. Users will also be eligible to receive the Jio Set-Top Box (STB) at no extra cost. Further, there is a Rs 1,000 installation charge that is applicable on the purchase of a new broadband connection. ACT Fibernet Broadband Plans For Work From Home ACT Fibernet also offers a 100 Mbps and 150 Mbps broadband plan. We are taking its broadband offerings from Vijayawada. Note that the company's offerings differ in price and benefits in different circles. The ACT Silver Plus plan provides users with 100 Mbps speed, and the ACT Gold plan provides users with 150 Mbps speed. The monthly rental of the 100 Mbps plan is Rs 749, for which users get 1,500GB FUP data, and the monthly rental of the 150 Mbps plan is Rs 1,024, for which users get 3,000GB FUP data. There are OTT benefits of ZEE5 Premium, Hungama Play, and more included in the plan. The prices mentioned above are exclusive of taxes. Users can get either of these plans with long-term validities depending on their needs. Tata Sky Broadband Plans For Work From Home Tata Sky Broadband offers its 100 Mbps, 150 Mbps, and 200 Mbps plan at standard rates across multiple cities of India. The 100 Mbps plan from the company comes for Rs 950 per month, while the 150 Mbps and 200 Mbps plan come for Rs 1,050 and Rs 1,150 per month. Users will get a free dual-band router with either of the plans, and the installation will also be free of cost. There is a free landline calling included in all the plans. The company doesn’t offer any OTT benefits with the plans. Further, users get 3.3TB FUP data with all the plans mentioned above. None of the prices mentioned above includes taxes. Tata Sky Broadband avails all three plans with long-term validities as well. Airtel Xstream Fiber Broadband Plans For Work From Home Airtel Xstream Fiber offers both 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps speed plans. The 100 Mbps broadband plan from the company comes for Rs 799 per month, and the 200 Mbps plan costs Rs 999 per month. Both plans come with OTT benefits. However, the OTT benefits such as Disney+ Hotstar VIP and Amazon Prime Video are only available for the users going for the 200 Mbps plan. The company doesn't charge for installation from the users who purchase the plans for at least 3 months or more. Further, users get a free dual-band Wi-Fi router for their connection. Users have the option to pay Rs 1,500 as refundable security for getting the Xstream Box. Further, users get a free fixed-line calling connection. Note that the prices are exclusive of taxes. Airtel Xstream Fiber offers both the plans with long-term validities of up to 1 year. Excitel Broadband Plans For Work From Home Excitel offers its 100 Mbps broadband plan for a monthly cost of Rs 699 and the 200 Mbps plan for a monthly cost of Rs 799. These prices don't include GST. There is no installation charge on the connection, but the users will have to pay a refundable security deposit of Rs 2,000 for the ONU devices that the company will provide. There are no OTT benefits offered with either of the plans. However, users are offered truly unlimited data without any FUP limit. Both the plans can be purchased for the long term as well. You Broadband Plans For Work From Home You Broadband recently announced new broadband plans for the Ahmedabad circle. The 100 Mbps plan now costs Rs 826 per month, and the 200 Mbps plan costs Rs 1,062 per month. The prices of both the plans are inclusive of GST. Users get 3.5TB FUP data with both plans. Further, the ONU devices offered by the company come against a refundable security deposit of Rs 1,999. There are no OTT benefits offered with the plans. Both the plans are also available to be purchased with long-term validity. BSNL Bharat Fibre Broadband Plans For Work From Home BSNL Bharat Fibre also offers users 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps broadband plans. The 100 Mbps plan comes for Rs 799 per month, and the 200 Mbps plan comes for Rs 999 per month. Both the plans provide users with 3,300GB of FUP data and a free voice calling connection. The 200 Mbps plan offers users a free subscription of Disney+ Hotstar Premium, while the 100 Mbps plan offers users no OTT benefit. Note that none of the prices mentioned above includes GST.

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