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• Jio Approaches NCLT to Understand Why Creditors Termed RComs Accounts Fraudulent
• Wearable Market in India Grew by 170% in Q1 of 2021 as per IDC Report
• 5G Device Shipments to Jump by Over 100% in 2021 as per IDC Prediction
• OnePlus Nord CE 5G Confirmed to Launch on June 10 in India
• ASM Global and Mobilitie Partner to Establish 5G Across International Venue Portfolio
• Realme to Host 5G Summit on June 3 With Other Ecosystem Players
• Oppo Launches Worlds First 5G SA-Compatible eSIM
• Twitter Agrees to Implement New IT Rule but Need 3 Months Extension
• AirFiber Networks to Utilise Nokia’s GPON Solutions for Providing Services
• Nokia’s New 5G Small Cells to Improve Connectivity
• Netgear Orbi RBK852, a New Mesh System Can Provide Internet Speeds Up to 6 Gbps
• Reliance Jio, Google Still Working on Low-Cost Smartphone
• Starlink Completes 13th Satellite Launch of the Year
• Airtel Deploys 15 MHz of Spectrum Across Multiple Bands in Kerala
• Protect Your Internet Broadband Connection from Viruses Using VPN
• Do Regular Users Really Need a Gaming Phone?
• Vodafone Idea’s Ultimate Broadband Plans

Jio Approaches NCLT to Understand Why Creditors Termed RComs Accounts Fraudulent Posted: 27 May 2021 08:50 AM PDT Earlier today Reliance Jio Infocomm or Jio moved the bankruptcy court against Rcom or Reliance Communications tower unit, Reliance Infratel as per ET Telecom. This was done with the intention of seeking disclosures of the forensic audit reports of the tower company whose accounts were called fraudulent by some lenders. In a virtual hearing, Vikram Nankani, representing Jio stated that they wanted a copy of the forensic audit report that was disclosed to them so that they could make an assessment of how it would impact the resolution plan. For those of you unaware, back in December, the NCLT or National Company Law Tribunal’s Mumbai bench had allowed Jio’s resolution plan to take place which would pick up the tower and fibre assets held by RCom for under Rs 4,000 crore which would have gone to the lenders. What Else Do We Know About This Then, a week weeks post this, SBI, Union Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank clarified accounts of the bankrupt telco as well as its units as fraudulent. These units included Reliance Telecom and Reliance Infratel. The allegations came a year post a forensic audit that led to the reveal of transactions of Rs 5,500 crore in the three Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group entities. The probe that focused on the transactions that took place between May 2017 and March 2018 found three large entries that were hidden under hundreds of thousands of others that, as per the SBI-headed lenders' group suspects could conceal fund diversion. On Thursday, Jio via its Reliance Project and Property Management Services unit sought the audit details from Reliance Infratel's Committee of Creditors or CoC consisting of SBI, Union Bank and Indian Overseas Bank. In the application, the telco told NCLT that it wanted to see the audit reports to know why the accounts were called fraudulent. Nankani stated that, as it appeared that the forensic audit report was available with the banks back on the 15th of October 2020. So, on the day on which their lordships approved the plan, which was the 3rd of December 2020, this report was available with the banks. They did not disclose the same, they did not disclose this to their Lordships, in fairness, they should have done it. This development could further delay the lender’s bid to make recoveries from the bankrupt telecom infra company which according to legal experts is the only one among the three whose resolution plan had been finalised by the NCLT.

Wearable Market in India Grew by 170% in Q1 of 2021 as per IDC Report Posted: 27 May 2021 07:20 AM PDT Wearable tech has become increasingly common in recent years with the fitness band and watch boom playing a key role. According to a report published by famed research company IDC, India’s wearable market grew by around 170.3% on a year-over-year or YoY basis in Q1 of 2021, shipping around 11.4 million units. Amidst this rise, watches grew by 463.8% YoY in Q1 2021 to become the fastest-growing category when it comes to wearables. The segment, consisting of wrist bands and watches rose by a whopping 74.8% YoY this quarter. In contrast, the earwear category rose by 209.3% YoY to reach 9.3 million shipments in Q1. As per the data, Noise was able to maintain its position at the top of the watch sales chart in the last quarter, accounting for 25.7% of the India market, with fellow Indian brand BoAT accounting for 21.9% of the market share. Both of them being local brands hint at India’s booming watch market. Overall, the shipments of watches rose to 1.4 million in Q1 with higher demand for low-cost products. Was There Demand For Other Categories? When it comes to wristbands, Xiaomi took the crown with a market share of 37.3 % in the last quarter. OnePlus, which recently launched its first band captured the second spot swapping places with Realme with a 25.2 per cent market share. In terms of the earwear segment, it grew by 209.3 per cent YoY with 9.3 million shipments in the first quarter of the year, with BoAt leading the overall earwear segment with a 29.3 per cent share with OnePlus playing second fiddle with a 15.1 per cent share. The TWS or Truly Wireless Stereo category grew by 284.4% YoY with a 35% share in the overall earwear segment. BoAt remained on top with a 25.6% share with OnePlus in second with a share of 11.9% due to the OnePlus Buds Z’s sales. Do note that the overall shipments for wearables fell by 24.9% in Q1 of 2021 due to a drop in earwear shipments. The cause for the decline can be pinpointed as leftover inventory due to a lack of fresh sales. Anish Dumbre, Market Analyst, IDC India stated that the ongoing consumer enthusiasm when it comes to earwear devices is an indication of the category's healthy appetite. Vendors are now trying to capitalize on the ride by offering low and mid-priced devices. This not only helps lower the category's ASP but also adding improved features to acquire new users.

5G Device Shipments to Jump by Over 100% in 2021 as per IDC Prediction Posted: 27 May 2021 06:45 AM PDT 5G has been dubbed as the next big thing in networking and, to its credit, why should it not be referred to as such. When 5G does see a global rollout, it will amount to great network speeds over large coverage areas, something that still plagues multiple parts of the world. But, do not forget the words ‘when it does see a global rollout’, since 5G as of now is a promise that is yet to deliver, at least in India. Smartphone manufacturers are playing on the gullibility of the users to make them purchase 5G devices which feature one 5G band that will probably be extinct or out of date by the time we see a proper rollout in the country. That does not seem to bother users however since they seem to be falling for the 5G hype. Reviewers and critics have been warning against this, since adding 5G hardware in devices, at least in 2021 in the context of India is like adding a rocket to the back of a Maruti Suzuki, since, it is a feature that will make the device faster, but the utility of the technology is far from being accessible. It seems however that when it comes to overall devices being shipped, 5G will play a key role, since, as per a prediction by the IDC, 5G phones with a decent rollout in the world will result in a triple-digit growth by the end of 2021. What Does IDC Have To Say The latest prediction from IDC in regards to smartphones paints a rather optimistic picture, with the data forecasting a total of 1.38 billion smartphone shipments for 2021 with an overall increase of 7.7% in comparison to 2020, with the numbers being the highest since 2015. The upward trend is supposedly going to continue in 2022, but with a growth of 3.8%. The IDC believes that the wide-scale deployment of 5G networks around the world paired with lowered costs of 5G phones will result in a triple-digit percentage jump in 5G phone shipments by the end of 2021. China is also expected to be the driving force behind this, with nearly half of all recorded 5G smartphone sales. The US is expected to play second fiddle with a 16% market share. In case you were wondering, the average selling price or ASP of 5G Android devices is predicted to dip to $456 which is a 12% decrease in comparison to the ASP in 2020, with a steeper decline to $400 by 2022 forecasted.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G Confirmed to Launch on June 10 in India Posted: 27 May 2021 05:59 AM PDT Oneplus, the smartphone manufacturer which is known for its wide range of smartphones across the globe has finally confirmed the launch of the budget segment phone. By budget segment we meant the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, Yes you read it correctly, the brands have confirmed the launch of the handset on June 10th. The company CEO also confirmed the existence of Nord N2005G, which is said to be exclusive for the US and Canadian market. Lau also confirmed some of the vital information about the Nord CE 5G. Let's have a closer look at the official confirmation about the OnePlus Nord CE. OnePlus Nord CE 5G India launch Confirmed In an exclusive interview with TechRadar Peter Lau confirmed the launch of the upcoming Nord CE smartphone in India. According to him, the CE stands for Core Edition and it's a revamped version of last year's original Nord. Lau confirmed that the company will launch the smartphone on June 10th, 2021. Further, he suggested that the CE 5G is going to be the revamped version of the original Nord and it will arrive with few extra features at more affordable pricing. Considering this statement we can expect that the Nord CE 5G might launch between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 mark in the country. The smartphone was launched in India at Rs 24,999 back in 2020. It will launch on June 10 in India and Europe. Lau told TechRadar that the company is also planning to launch the Nord N200 5G this year in the Us and Canada. The specification and features of the device are yet to be revealed by the company. We can safely expect that the phone will launch in the budget or mid-range segment. He also confirmed that the Nord devices are getting upgraded to 5G connectivity which is a flagship feature for the brands. Lau didn't mention anything about the phone so far. We need to wait for the official launch on June 10 to get more details about the upcoming smartphone from OnePlus. Meanwhile, the OnePlus U1S LED TV is also expected to launch on the same date, it seems to be an interesting launch for India.

ASM Global and Mobilitie Partner to Establish 5G Across International Venue Portfolio Posted: 27 May 2021 05:15 AM PDT As the world is learning to live and cope up with Covid-19, sports and entertainment venues across the globe are returning to live events at full capacities. A new partnership has been announced today between ASM global, which is the world's leading venue management and services company, and Mobilitie, which is the largest privately-held telecommunications company in the US. This partnership will enable fans to experience a new era of boosted streaming capacities and dynamic digital engagement experiences. More on the Innovative Partnership The partnership between ASM Global and Mobilitie is a multi-year agreement brokered by AEG Global Partnerships. This agreement will allow ASM Global that has established itself as a leading producer of entertainment experiences, to make its vast international venue network faster and more powerful leveraging advanced 5G connectivity solutions from Mobilitie. A robust and scalable 5G infrastructure offered by Mobilitie will help improve broadcast production and immersive viewing experiences from ASM Global Arenas, stadia and Convention centres. Technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will also be seamlessly integrated using these solutions. ASM Global's operational excellence and data analytic capabilities, along with its Venueshield security and safety protocols and procedures, will all be enhanced using the industry's most reliable and seamless connectivity. Committed to Providing Fans Ability to Share Their Incredible Experiences: ASM Global ASM Global's President and CEO Ron Bension have stated that ASM Global is known to create memorable live events every night worldwide, and they are committed to providing their fans with the ability to share their incredible experiences seamlessly in real-time. He further added that ASM's partnership with Mobilitie would help fuel creativity to envision and implement reimagined in-venue experiences. Looking Forward to Working with ASM in the future: Mobilitie Christos Karmis, President and CEO of Mobilitie, has called ASM Global an international innovator to deliver memorable entertainment experiences. He said that Mobilitie was excited to further expand their relationship with ASM Global, and they look forward to work closely with ASM's global leadership and venue teams. Shedding more details on Mobilitie's role in the partnership, he said that they currently provide neutral-host wireless networks at several ASM Global properties. This includes the recently announced Coliseo de Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Convention Center venues. Mobilitie is excited and looking forward to expanding these networks globally.

Realme to Host 5G Summit on June 3 With Other Ecosystem Players Posted: 27 May 2021 04:45 AM PDT 5G has been spreading over different markets around the world at a rapid pace. Everyone wants to reap the benefits that 5G has to offer and lead in the race of mobile networking. In this regard, a 5G summit will be hosted by Chinese Electronics manufacturer Realme along with players like Qualcomm, GSMA and Counterpoint on June 3. The agenda of this summit would be to collectively discuss the worldwide growth opportunities of 5G, its impact on consumers and look at 5G as an enabler of smart living. 5G's role as an agent of change, its transformational impact on society, barriers to 5G adoption, and 5G accelerating smart living are other topics on which respective speakers of these companies will share their insights. 5G Is the network of The future: Realme Realme commented as the host of the 5G summit by noting that 5G is going to be the network of the future and that a future with 5G is getting closer every day. It further added that Industry leaders understand the breakthroughs that 5G will bring, and 5G trials are accelerating worldwide. 5G development globally has now entered a new phase of momentum, said Realme. Many prominent speakers from players of the ecosystem will be a part of the event sharing their insights like Realme's Brand Director Mr Johnny Chen, Mr Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India and Europe and VP of Realme, GSMA Intelligence's Principal Economist Mr Kalvin Bahia, Mr Peter Richardson, VP and Co-Founder of Counterpoint Research, Qualcomm India's VP and Presider Mr Rajen Vagadia. The 5G summit is themed 'Making 5G Global| Accessibility for All' with a panel discussion by leaders brought together to discuss the opportunities with 5G. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube on June 3rd at 2:30 PM (IST) on Realme's YouTube channel. Different Insights on 5G by Market Players Using the event as a platform to share their respective company's contribution and insights on 5G, GSMA will put forth its opinions on comparing 5G growth expectations across emerging markets, barriers to 5G adoption in the mobile internet space and how 5G can boost a post-pandemic growth across the world. Counterpoint's focus would revolve around how 5G is changing the way people use technology, 5G becoming popular in lower price tiers, some statistics on key smartphone players in 5G. It will also share insights on hot specifications in new smartphones in 5G development. Qualcomm will share how it works together with smartphone makers to ensure excellent performance and how it focuses on specific applications that play a vital role in providing a 5G experience. Event's host Realme will share insights on their role in the 5G era, their reasons to believe that 5G will become the most significant driver accelerating smart living amongst young people across the globe. Surveys on young users have indicated the increased demand for 5G. These surveys and a range of upcoming product lines from lower tiers to premium will also be showcased by Realme.

Oppo Launches Worlds First 5G SA-Compatible eSIM Posted: 27 May 2021 04:31 AM PDT Oppo the popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer on May 27, 2021, launched its first-ever 5G standalone eSIM on its Oppo Find X3 Pro 5G. The smartphone brand has joined hands with eSIM connectivity management firm Thales to launch the technology. The company is known for its wide range of products across the globe. Let's have a closer look at the newly launched 5G eSIM enabled Find X3 Pro. Oppo Find X3 Pro with 5G standalone eSIM Support According to Oppo, the 5G standalone eSIM-based Oppo Find X3 Pro will allow users to take advantage of the 5G connectivity offered by 5G SA networks. Moreover, it will allow mobile operators and users to take advantage of the eSIM technology. IANS report suggests that the two companies have collaborated on eSIM server validation, verification, device debugging, development and more. Just to let you know an eSIM or embedded SIM comes integrated with the device and the user needn't have to insert a physical SIM into the device. eSIMs have become popular among smartphones and wearable devices in the last couple of years. The technology has also been introduced to the automobile sector especially in self-driven cars. We have also witnessed the use of eSIMS in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices. Further, the report also claimed that the eSIM solution has also been introduced for the Oppo Watch, which is the company's first smartwatch with built-in cellular connectivity. According to Oppo, in collaboration with Thales the company has made the first smartphone in the world to be equipped with 5G SA-Compatible eSIM. Xia Yang, Senior Director of Carrier Product, Oppo claims that the 5G SA networks are being developed across the globe but Oppo has become the first one to equip the Find X3 Pro with 5G SA-Compatible eSIM solution. Oppo Find X3 Pro Specifications The Oppo Find X3 Pro comes with a 6.67-inch WQHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate support. According to the company, it’s the first Android phone across the world to feature an end-to-end 10-bit colour management system. Under the hood, the handset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, clubbed with 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.1 internal storage. It packs a massive 4,500 mAh battery with 65W fast wired and 30W wireless charging. The smartphone features a quad-camera setup with the combination of 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera sensor + 50MP ultra-wide sensor + 13MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom + 3MP microlens with up to 60x zoom.

Twitter Agrees to Implement New IT Rule but Need 3 Months Extension Posted: 27 May 2021 03:01 AM PDT Yesterday WhatsApp filed a legal case against the Indian government, saying that the new policies are going to be a big threat to users’ privacy in India. The new guidelines will force the online messaging app to break the end-to-end encryption, and that is not possible. Now in the latest development, the microblogging platform Twitter has requested the IT Ministry for an extension of at least three months in order to implement new guidelines. According to the reports, the company's latest statement comes just after Facebook and Google said that they are planning to comply with the new rules. Twitter Seek an Extension of 3 Months Twitter also expressed its concern about the raid conducted by the Delhi police at its Gurugram office. Indian government wrote to the company against the 'manipulated media' tag. According to the Twitter statement quoted by IANS, the company stated that it is deeply committed to the Indian users and to keep the services available in the country; Twitter will strive to comply with applicable law in India. Further, the company stated, "we will continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency, a commitment to empowering every voice on the service, and protecting freedom of expression and privacy under the rule of law." The company suggests that it's concerned about the recent events happening with the Twitter India employees, which seems to be a potential threat to freedom of expression for the Indian users. Twitter is planning to advocate the changes to implement the new regulations. "We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian Government and believe it is critical to adopt a collaborative approach. It is the collective responsibility of elected officials, industry, and civil society to safeguard the interests of the public," reads the official statement. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has already explained all its plans to comply with the new IT regulations last night. Just in case you don't know, the rule became effective on May 26, which was the last day for social media handles to be implemented. Numerous reports are claiming the ban of these platforms for not implementing the new regulation. However, do note that the ban news was just fake news to create panic among the rumours. The government is seeking an update on the statutes from all the social media firms.

AirFiber Networks to Utilise Nokia’s GPON Solutions for Providing Services Posted: 27 May 2021 01:56 AM PDT AirFiber Networks, an upcoming internet service provider (ISP) of India, is going to utilise the Gigabit Passive Optical Networking (GPON) solution from Nokia to provide services. It is worth noting that AirFiber Networks is a broadband company that currently services in Bangalore and Tamil Nadu, keeping its focus on South India. Leveraging the GPON solution from Nokia, AirFiber Networks will be able to offer high-speed broadband plans to its users in Bangalore and under-penetrated areas of Tamil Nadu. AirFiber Networks is an ISP based out of Hosur, Tamil Nadu. AirFiber Networks Already Started Deployment The ISP has already started deploying the GPON solution from Nokia in April. The work is expected to complete in the coming months with no specified deadline from the company. Once the deployment is finished, AirFiber Networks will be able to provide customers with access to a very high-speed internet connection to help them with remote working. Nokia will further provide Network Management Services to AirFiber Networks so that a timely and efficient solution can be provided whenever there is an issue in the networks. With the help of Nokia, AirFiber Networks will be able to take its network capacity, and speeds offered to the next level. Sasidev MG, Director, AirFiber Networks, said that the company is very confident in partnering up with Nokia and leverage its solution to provide broadband services to the customers. Sasidev further said that a reliable broadband connection had become the need of the hour for people who are working and learning from home. Vinish Bawa, Head of Emerging Business, Nokia India, said that the company is excited to help AirFiber Networks in setting up a state-of-the-art fibre network line and provide innovative services to its customers. Bawa said that AirFiber Networks would be able to attract new customers on the bedrock of Nokia's premium and industry-leading GPON solution. In simple words, Nokia's GPON solution will help AirFiber Networks in launching more high-speed broadband plans, which will help the company in adding new subscribers and retaining the old ones by enhancing the overall offerings. This should be a good partnership between both the companies and bring fruitful results for both of them.

Nokia’s New 5G Small Cells to Improve Connectivity Posted: 27 May 2021 01:15 AM PDT Nokia is a global telecom vendor that invests heavily in its research and development wing to come out with new and better technology products for enhancing the way people connect. One of Nokia's major products is its 5G AirScale portfolio. The company provides a ton of value to the operators around the globe who are trying to roll out 5G networks with its AirScale portfolio of products. Now, Nokia has introduced a new generation of 5G small cells under its AirScale portfolio. These 5G small cells are designed to support the C-band spectrum in the U.S. Nokia AirScale micro Remote Radio Heads Are Cost-Efficient Nokia's latest generation 5G small cells, technically called AirScale micro Remote Radio Heads (mRRH), will be able to deliver a strong 5G coverage to the users outdoors in heavily populated and dense urban areas. For the unaware, the 3G/4G networks also utilise small cells to enhance the network coverage for the users. However, with 5G in the high-frequency spectrum bands, the need for the small cells will go up since high-frequency bands can be interrupted very easily. The operators will need to install more small cells to provide the same range of coverage for 5G that they did for 3G/4G with a lesser number of small cells. The latest AirScale 5G small cells technology from Nokia is meant to keep the costs for the operators down. They consume lesser power than the older generation small cells, and the overall operational cost is also lower. The updated portfolio of Nokia also offers better mid-band capabilities with a new n79 product. The new portfolio of products from Nokia also includes the AirScale indoor Radio (ASiR) solutions with an ASiR-pRRH (pico Remote Radio Head) that will be able to support the U.S. C-Band spectrum. This new generation portfolio of 5G small cells from Nokia is bound to reduce not only overall costs for the operators but also enhance the 5G network coverage by multiple times so that users can experience a uniform network wherever they go. With the mmWave spectrum band, the need for these 5G small cells reaches new heights, and Nokia's update AirScale portfolio can cater to its needs.

Netgear Orbi RBK852, a New Mesh System Can Provide Internet Speeds Up to 6 Gbps Posted: 27 May 2021 12:50 AM PDT Netgear Orbi RBK852 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that has just launched in India. It is pretty expensive, however, it is worth it. It can cover the distance of your complete home (up to 350 square metres). On top of that, with Wi-Fi 6, the mesh system can deliver internet speeds of up to 6 Gbps. The Netgear Orbi RBK852 (AX6000) is capable of supporting voice assistants including Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. The system comes included with a satellite and the latest-generation Wi-Fi router. Let's take a deep look at the specifications of the router. Netgear Orbi RBK852 Specifications The Netgear Orbi RBK852 (AX6000) can support the latest Wi-Fi standard which is Wi-Fi 6. It comes with one satellite and one router which can provide internet coverage in an area of up to 350 metres. The maximum internet speed that the mesh system can support is 6 Gbps and it can support around 60 devices at the same time. A thing worth noting here is that the Wi-Fi router you get isn't a dual-band router, instead, it is a tri-band router. It means that this router provides networks in three different frequencies – 2.4 GHz (2400 Mbps) + 5 GHz (2400 Mbps) + 5 GHz (1200 Mbps). The router comes with security standards including 128-bit AES encryption with PSK, WPA2, and a guest Wi-Fi secure access system. The Netgear Orbi RBK852 comes with nine 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports where the five ports are present on the router and the remaining four are on the satellite. The system is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 2.4 GHz coupled with up to 1GB of RAM and 512MB NAND flash storage. The features of the mesh system include Beamforming, MU-MIMO, Smart Connect, support for voice assistants, and more. Users can leverage the Orbi application for setting up the Wi-Fi connection and for further monitoring it. Let's take a look at the price of the Netgear Orbi RBK852 Wi-Fi 6 mesh system. Netgear Orbi RBK852 Price The Netgear Orbi RBK852 (AX6000) has launched for a price of Rs 61,999 in India. As mentioned above, the purchase package would include a satellite and a router which are both white in colour. Users can purchase the product from Amazon and the company's website right away.

Reliance Jio, Google Still Working on Low-Cost Smartphone Posted: 27 May 2021 12:03 AM PDT Reliance Jio and Google had last year joined hands together and announced that they would work together to introduce a low-cost smartphone for the Indian market. But since the announcement in Reliance Industries Limited's (RIL's) Annual General Meeting (AGM), neither of the companies were too vocal about the smartphone. According to a PTI report, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google said that both the companies are still working closely and developing the low-cost smartphone which can fit well in the Indian market. Google is Working With Jio to Develop the Low-Cost Smartphone Pichai said that Google would help Jio in developing a low-cost smartphone. But the Google CEO didn't reveal any single detail about the smartphone. Pichai was speaking in a virtual conference that included only select reporters from the Asia Pacific. For the unaware, Google had acquired a 7.7% stake in Jio Platforms by paying a handsome sum of Rs 33,737 crore. A thing worth noting here is that Google understands the smartphone market better than Reliance Jio because the search-engine giant already manufactures its Pixel smartphones and sells them across the world. However, even this would be a new experience for Google since the company has only focused on mid-range or high-end smartphones with its Pixel offerings. There is no clear timeline given by either of the companies for the launch of the smartphone. It might arrive this year or next year, or the year after that. Both the companies can introduce a 5G smartphone in the same way Jio launched JioPhone for its 4G offerings. Since 5G networks are expected to go live in India by the first half of 2022, the low-cost 5G smartphone would make a lot of sense for the market. Pichai further talked about Google's plans of investing Rs 75,000 crore ($10 billion) over the next five to seven years in India. The Google CEO said that the company is looking for new opportunities where it can invest its planned funds into India. One thing is for sure, whenever Google and Jio announce their low-cost or affordable smartphone in India, it will be a super hit right away because of the stock Android it is expected to come with and the expected 5G support.

Starlink Completes 13th Satellite Launch of the Year Posted: 26 May 2021 11:40 PM PDT SpaceX owned Starlink recently completed its 13th satellite launch of 2021. During the latest launch, the company used Falcon 9 first stage booster to send 60 new satellites to the orbit. The 60 new satellites were launched from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. With the launch of these new satellites, Starlink inches a step closer to its vision of connecting the world with low-latency and high-speed satellite broadband. Youmei Zhou, Starlink's Dragon propulsion engineer, was very happy with the recent launch, given the company's enhanced ability to connect people now. More Satellites Increase Uptime Dramatically Zhou said that with the addition of more satellites in the space, more ground stations are installed, and with the improvement in the company's network software, the data speed latency and uptime of the broadband connection improves dramatically. It is worth noting that Starlink has been launching new satellites very rapidly now. The launch of Falcon 9 rockets is the fourth time in the last four weeks that the company has launched new satellites. This will help Starlink in enhancing its satellite broadband connection at a rapid speed allowing it to stay a step ahead of its competition. Starlink has plans to keep adding more satellites into orbit in the month of June. Another major thing to note is that this was the 85th landing of the reusable launch system developed by SpaceX. This helps the company not only save costs but also saves the environment from more waste. The rapid launch of new satellites clears the way Starlink is planning its business. The company doesn't want to stay behind other satellite broadband companies, including Bharti owned OneWeb and Amazon's Project Juniper. Both OneWeb and Starlink will be in a head-to-head competition when it comes to Asian and European markets. By 2022, both the companies are also expected to start providing services in India. Starlink has been under a lot of scrutiny because of pre-selling its connection in India when it doesn't even have any frequency allocation from the government and is yet to receive its license of providing services in the country. It remains to be seen what these companies have in store for India.

Airtel Deploys 15 MHz of Spectrum Across Multiple Bands in Kerala Posted: 26 May 2021 11:29 PM PDT Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, has just added 15 MHz of spectrum in Kerala. This is the third state in Southern India that Airtel has deployed additional spectrum in recently. With the deployment of additional spectrum, the quality of network services of Bharti Airtel in the state is bound to go up. Airtel has added 5 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band and 10 MHz of spectrum in the 2300 MHz band. It is worth noting that Airtel had acquired spectrum across the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2300 MHz band in the recently held auctions. Airtel and Jio Adding Spectrum Rapidly in Multiple States It is worth noting that yesterday, Reliance Jio had also announced that it was adding 20 MHz of spectrum in Kerala. The Ambani led telco added 5 MHz of spectrum in the 850 MHz band, 5 MHz of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band and the remaining 10 MHz of spectrum in the 2300 MHz band. Both Jio and Airtel have been adding spectrum in multiple states rapidly to enhance the quality of their networks. With the newly added spectrum, both the companies are positioned to offer less congested networks, better speeds and connectivity to their customers. Airtel has spectrum across the 1800 FDD, 2100 FDD, 2300 TDD, and 900 FDD bands meaning it is well-positioned to offer 5G services in India by leveraging its 4G spectrum. For the unaware, just a few days back, Airtel announced that it had added 5 MHz of spectrum in Tamil Nadu and 11.2 MHz of spectrum in Karnataka. All of the states mentioned above fall under the Southern region of India. With the recent spectrum deployments, the top two operators are ensuring that their customers in South India get the best quality network services. Bharti Airtel is further ensuring that it is also up to speed with Reliance Jio when it comes to spectrum deployment across various states. This will help Airtel keep stay head-to-head in competition with Jio when it comes to providing the best network to its users. Both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are further expected to deploy more spectrum to other states in the coming days to enhance their network services across India.

Protect Your Internet Broadband Connection from Viruses Using VPN Posted: 26 May 2021 09:30 PM PDT The Internet has several use cases and applications in the current world scenario. However, as we continue to use the internet more and more, each user activity is tracked. This tracking might not necessarily be malicious, but it is an invasion of our privacy. The reason behind our internet activity being tracked by various sites and networks is to precisely target us with advertisements. These networks understand our browsing habits and acquire that data to accurately target us. This is why if you lookup for a product online and then move to general browsing, you'll see ads of that product across websites and applications. An internet user can hide their browsing patterns and avoid being tracked by using a VPN connection. Follow the article to the end to know everything about VPNs. What exactly is a VPN and What it Does? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN just establishes a secured connection between you and the internet. Whenever you connect to a VPN connection, you're just connecting to a secondary network. VPN's for broadband connection restricts any internet activity from being tracked by sites and networks. It extends a private network across a public network. A VPN is also used for remote working as it enables a company to give access to its employees working remotely, to access their private files and data. How does a VPN Connection work? A VPN home network provides internet anonymity because of which a user can freely browse and enjoy surfing the internet without fear of being tracked. It connects your device to a private server and also hides your true IP address. Using a process called Tunneling, a VPN connection encapsulates and encrypts your data. Encrypting your data makes the data unreadable, which means that no site or network would be able to access and discover it. Choose a VPN Router Even though VPN has a lot of benefits for an internet user, having internet anonymity can mean that if someone does something which is against the rules and regulations, it'll become difficult to track him. This way, there are not many VPN routers available in the market. There are a handful of VPN home routers that can support VPN Client and Client Mode. With a limited number of options available, one should carefully choose a VPN router offering the most benefits and security. Protecting Yourself from Threats Using VPN Once a trustworthy VPN broadband connection provider has been selected, the next step is to make sure the VPN technology for home streaming allows you to enable a kill switch. A kill switch helps you protect your home broadband connection using VPN technology. Enabling the kill switch will allow the VPN for broadband connection to automatically cut off your broadband connection if the VPN is lost. This means you will not be able to access the internet if your VPN connection is lost, keeping all your internet activity secured. Your VPN broadband connection should be updated with the latest security protocols to get the latest bug fixes and provide you protection against viruses and threats.

Do Regular Users Really Need a Gaming Phone? Posted: 26 May 2021 08:00 PM PDT Gaming phones have become increasingly common in recent months, with Asus leading the charge in India when it comes to gaming phones. There are certain alternatives, such as Blackshark from Xiaomi, which also provide gaming phones that take the fight to the ROG series of devices. Now, most users know what a gaming phone is. But, the question that they struggle with is whether or not they, as regular consumers, should splurge the extra amount charged for gaming phones given their moderate to light usage. If you too were wondering about this, worry not, as we will discuss the same in this article. Should You Buy A Gaming Phone The basic concept of a gaming phone is to go above and beyond in key areas such as the display and performance, be it via hardware or by software. Most companies opt to make use of the best processor and graphics chip on offer and couple it with features embedded in the software to maximise this performance. What these specifications translate to is the ultimate performance, be it for menial tasks or heavy gaming. That being said, gaming is not the only thing a person does on their mobile phone, so that gives rise to the question of whether or not a gaming phone can be used by a regular consumer, the answer to which is indicated best by listing out the pros and cons of a gaming phone, from the things it gets right to those that it fails at. What Does A Gaming Phone Get Right The presence of high tier specifications guarantees peak levels of performance in certain scenarios wherein a decent device might struggle. This is one of the best things when it comes to gaming phones. Certain other pros include the presence of a good display, especially since most gaming phones including panels with high refresh rate panels. What a 120Hz or 144Hz display guarantees is speedy performance and no lags at all. Most offerings in 2021 pack in at least a 120Hz refresh rate panel, which is more than adequate, even for a gaming enthusiast. Scrolling through Twitter or whilst playing intense games, the difference is extremely substantial. The next best thing with a gaming phone is the number of ports on offer. Most gaming phones offer multiple ports for use cases in relation to gaming, be it from an SD card slot which has become an increasing rarity to, at times, two USB ports so that you can plug your accessories in whilst charging the phone at the same. Modular controllers and peripherals can also be connected fairly easily. Certain devices also come with fans that can be plugged in to reduce overall heating, but 9 times out of 10, these are gimmicks rather than useful tools. For users who like flashy devices, a gaming phone will make you feel right at home. They offer unique designs with lots of cuts and curves and logos that are everything but minimal. The Asus ROG II features copper panels to the back that look like vents, but, in reality, they are just artificial grilles. Most gaming phones also feature RGB lighting to the back and the sides, especially on the logo present on the device, with a feature that allows the logo to keep glowing at all times when the device is switched on. The colour scheme for these RGB areas can be edited to the liking of the user. Do Gaming Phones Have Any Negatives? Yes, the first of these issues or compromises come in terms of weight. To provide the best of hardware and all these accessories and I/O ports, most gaming phones are as thick as a slab. To ensure streamlined gaming, most gaming devices feature massive batteries, which should be listed as a pro, but due to the brick-like feel that accompanies a gaming device, they are dropped to cons. The second and more important issue with the devices is in terms of cameras. A rational consumer would care for the cameras as they are one of the most integral parts of a device, but, in a bid to focus more on the display and performance, the cameras are often looked over, with minimal tuning and poor hardware. So, should you buy a gaming phone? The simple answer, No. A Gaming phone retails for over $500, and that is just the base price for these devices, often going up to $1000 or more. They do offer a plethora of features, but out of those, only a few will be fully utilised by the regular user. If you feel like gaming, you could take a look at handheld consoles from Nintendo or just splurge on a console that will last a couple of years at a similar rate.

Vodafone Idea’s Ultimate Broadband Plans Posted: 26 May 2021 06:34 PM PDT Vodafone Idea recently stepped on the gears and started revamping its broadband business around the country. The company has been introducing new unlimited data plans across major circles that it operates in. The customers have largely ignored Vi when it comes to broadband services since the telco didn't offer any competitive broadband plans. But all that has changed now since the telco has revamped its plans, and the newly introduced unlimited data plans are as competitive as the plans from Reliance Jio or Bharti Airtel. There are a few plans from Vi that become an ultimate deal for the users right away. Let's take a look at all of such plans. Vodafone Idea Broadband Plans That are the Ultimate Deal First of all, note that Vi runs its broadband business through its subsidiary company known as You Broadband. You Broadband provides services only in select circles of the country. The ultimate plans that we are focusing on are available in Ahmedabad as of now. The same plans might be extended by the telco in other parts of the country. To check for the availability of these plans in your area, you can go to the website of You Broadband. Anyway, the plans that we are talking about are the 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 200 Mbps speed plans. There are two more plans offered by the company in the circle with 30 Mbps and 75 Mbps speeds. However, these two aren't in as high demand as the three mentioned above. The reason why these plans are the ultimate deal is because of two reasons – a) the price at which they come, and b) the benefits they provide to the users. It is worth noting that all of the plans come with a fair usage policy (FUP) limit of 3.5TB or 3,500GB of data. This is a higher limit than what Reliance Jio or Bharti Airtel provides their users with. The 50 Mbps plan starts at Rs 679 per month, which also includes the tax. The same plan is also available for longer validities with bonus days on offer. The other two plans with 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps speeds start at Rs 826 and 1,062 per month, and the price of these plans are also inclusive of taxes. This is essentially the same price for the plans that Jio and Airtel offer to their users. But since these plans come with a better FUP limit, they become even better than the offerings of Jio and Airtel. Vi also provides users with a Wi-Fi router and modem but charges a deposit amount for the same, which is refundable during the discontinuation of the connection. Further, the company excludes installation charges for select plans. These plans from Vi are the ultimate broadband deals until the time users also want over-the-top (OTT) benefits from their broadband connection. Vi doesn't offer a single OTT benefit with its plans in any circle of the country. Maybe this is something Vi can improve upon.

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