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• Telus to Expand 5G Footprint in 529 Canadian Communities by End of 2021
• WhatsApp Discards May 15 Deadline for Accepting Privacy Policy
• 5G Hasn’t Aggravated the Pandemic in India: COAI
• Samsung Teams Up With Play to Test 5G Trials
• Indian Telecom Coverage Set to Improve, New Tower Construction Faces Timing Issue
• Vodafone, Accenture Announce New Cybersecurity Solution for SMEs
• Samsung Bixby Received Indian English Feature With Bixby 3.0 Update
• Samsung and Ericsson Ink Deal for Cellular Patents, Ending Licensing Dispute
• Twitter ‘Tip Jar’ Feature Will Allow Users to Send Money
• PUBG Battlegrounds Mobile India Comes With Revised Policy for Underage Players
• WPC Delaying the Launch of Smartwatches and Other Wi-Fi Module Products in India
• Gboard Can Now Be Used on Your Wear OS Based Smartwatch
• Oppo Reno6 Pro Spotted on Malaysian SIRIM Certification
• Russian Telecom Operators Gets Green Signal to Share 5G Networks
• 5G Trials in India Without Chinese Tech Makes US Happy
• Samsung Galaxy A82 5G Leaked on Weibo Revealing Design and Camera Layout
• Redmi Flagships to Only Make Use of AMOLED Panels: Report
• Everything You Need to Know About Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum
• Best Broadband Plans Offering Two-Hundred Mbps Speeds to Work From Home
• Vodafone Idea Top 4 Data Vouchers That Will Satiate Your Internet Needs

Telus to Expand 5G Footprint in 529 Canadian Communities by End of 2021 Posted: 07 May 2021 08:30 AM PDT The renowned telecom operator of Canada, Telus, has announced expansion plans of its next-generation 5G network. The expansion plan will include additional 529 urban and rural communities across the region by the end of 2021. As reported by RCR Wireless, Telus 5G expansion plan will include deployments in 187 communities in British Columbia, 161 in Quebec, 136 in Alberta, 24 and 12 in Ontario and Manitoba, respectively. It is also estimated that Telus 5G network will offer high-speed network coverage and nearly cover 70% of the Canadian population by the end of the year by using current spectrum holdings. Telus Will Create Over 250,000 Jobs by Deploying 5G The 5G expansion of Telus is part of the new investment plan that accounts for nearly $44.2 billion in developing infrastructure and operations across the country by the end of 2024. Darren Entwistle, who is the president and CEO of Telus, stated that the investments that Telus is making in its world-leading networks to expand the 5G footprint and PureFibre infrastructure is helping the telco to add more Canadian users, resources and critical information. Telus has shed light on the fact that the development of 5G will create nearly 250,000 jobs and contribute CAD 150 billion to Canada's economy in the next 20 years. Samsung Electronics Will be the 5G Network Infrastructure Supplier for Telus Telus has marked that Samsung Electronics will be the 5G network infrastructure supplier in June 2020. Not only this, but the telco also stated that European vendors Nokia and Ericsson will also be the supporting hands in the deployment of the 5G network. Apart from Samsung and European vendors Nokia and Ericsson, Telus will also partner with the University of Windsor and St. Clair college in Ontario and make each institution 5G ready campus. Under the project, Telus will provide a 5G-enabled wireless network to each institution. Also, the telco will operate these networks at no cost. The students will get complimentary connectivity. With the initiative, Telus will help the institution and students in understanding the different applications of 5G technology. The 5G-enabled wireless network will help students, faculties and researchers to work and collaborate on specific research projects.

WhatsApp Discards May 15 Deadline for Accepting Privacy Policy Posted: 07 May 2021 07:40 AM PDT At the start of this year, WhatsApp brought an updated privacy policy and received huge criticism from Indian users. In the latest privacy policy, the online instant messaging platform claims that the user’s details will be shared with the parent company Facebook. This news created a huge buzz on the internet, and Indian users got very angry about the new policies. As a result, the majority of users started switching to Signal and Telegram. Considering all this, WhatsApp decided to push the deadline until May 15, 2021. During this period, WhatsApp promised to educate people about the policies. WhatsApp  Gives Up on May 15 Deadline However, in the last couple of months, the company didn't educate anyone rather than putting a banner on the app to accept the new policies. We are around the corners of the May 15th deadline, and now the company has confirmed that the deadline is scrapped, and the user’s accounts will not be deleted if they don't agree with the new policies. A report from PTI confirmed the news on its official Twitter handle, stating that WhatsApp has scrapped the May 15 deadline for users to accept the privacy policies update by the company. The tweet also confirmed that the accounts would not be suspended if the users refuse to accept the policies. The company has confirmed that a majority of users have already accepted the privacy policy, and only some people are yet to accept it. The company didn't disclose the reason behind the decision and also refused to disclose the number of users who have accepted the privacy policy. Back in January, when WhatsApp introduced the update to the Indian users, it received backlash on social media and also on news headlines. It seems that the company understands that the removal of the deadline is a good deal; otherwise, it might lose the Indian subscriber base and face difficulty. In India, WhatsApp has a total user base of 390.1 million, and it’s a huge number. Even countries like the United States and Brazil are behind India with 75.1 million and 108 million, respectively. Do share your thoughts in the comment section about the WhatsApp policies.

5G Hasn’t Aggravated the Pandemic in India: COAI Posted: 07 May 2021 07:14 AM PDT The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has just released a notice appealing public not to believe in baseless accusations against the 5G technology. Rumours are that 5G has aggravated the COVID-19 spread in India. Multiple messages conveying the same information are making rounds online. The public is advised not to pay heed to the rumour. COAI said that even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has made it clear that there is no correlation between the COVID-19 virus and the 5G technology. India doesn't even have live 5G networks, so there is no way 5G can be the reason behind the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple Nations Already Have Live 5G Networks Leaving India, there are multiple nations that are well on their path to recovery and have live 5G networks. The fake news regarding the 5G and COVID-19 surge came out when the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) gave its permission to the telecom service providers (TSPs) for conducting 5G trials. Note that the government gave permission to conduct live 5G trials only 3 days back. During the 3 day period, the TSPs didn't install any 5G tower or deploy 5G networks in any part of the country. This means that 5G can't be the reason behind the aggravation of the pandemic. There is still little time for the telcos to start with the 5G trials. If you come across such fake news, please educate the user who sent you the message and don't pass it on to any other group or person. Director-General of COAI, Dr SP Kocchar, said that telecom services are the lifeline of the country at times such as this. He assured that there is no adverse effect on the health of a person because of 5G, nor does it boost the spread of the COVID-19 virus. With the rise in technology, it has become very easy to spread misinformation. People are advised to be wary of such messages and not believe blindly in anything they receive online. The claims made against 5G are completely baseless, and the public is requested to share the same information with their loved ones. Note that the commercial deployment of 5G is not expected in 2021 at least.

Samsung Teams Up With Play to Test 5G Trials Posted: 07 May 2021 06:35 AM PDT The South Korean multinational company Samsung has teamed up with Polish mobile operator P4 operating under the Play brand to aid in conducting 4G and 5G trials in the capital city Warsaw. Samsung, in a press release, expressed its opinion on the partnership and stated that the trials would test the interoperability between Play's 2G/3G network and the latest solutions developed by Samsung. The telco giant has a subscriber base of 15 million users that enjoys messaging, voice, video and data services. Play caters to both enterprise and non-enterprise customers by offering an array of intriguing plans. Samsung R&D Institute Poland Will Take Part in 4G-5G Trial Run As reported by Developing Telecoms, both Samsung and Play will verify the capacity and performance of Samsung's 4G and 5G network equipment in the trial. The trials will be performed in Play's Lab and commercial network. The press release rolled out by Samsung also revealed that Samsung R&D Institute Poland would also take part in the 4G-5G trial. However, the capacity is still not decided. If you are not aware, the R&D Institute of Samsung is the largest research and development hubs in Poland. Also, the high-end software of Samsung electronics is created as per the official information. In the entire trial period, Samsung and Play will be testing 4G and 5G solutions that will also include Samsung's 4G radios, 5G Massive MIMO radios and the 5G baseband unit of Samsung that supports both 4G and 5G frequencies. The R&D Institute of Samsung in Poland is also responsible for advancing 4G and 5G solutions and Network Function Virtualization cloud solutions. Samsung Develops I-Cube4 Chip Packaging Technology In other news, Samsung has developed a new chip packaging technology. The new chip is dubbed to be an efficient and faster chip with an innovative chip-packing technique. The new technology rolled out by Samsung is called I-Cube4, and it is an improved version of the I-Cube2 and X-Cube technologies. The I-Cube 4 chip is a 2.5D heterogeneous chip packaging innovation with multiple application uses such as CPU, GPU and NPU atop a silicon interposer. Not only this, but Samsung is also eyeing other robust technologies as the demand for super-efficient chips is increasing around the globe.

Indian Telecom Coverage Set to Improve, New Tower Construction Faces Timing Issue Posted: 07 May 2021 05:54 AM PDT American Tower continues to "collect and be pleased" with the way its clients are "paying in India," says Rod Smith, executive vice president of American Tower. Smith in the first quarter earnings call on April 29, 2021, said that American Tower is "watching" its clients across the globe including a "couple in Africa and a couple in India." However, the executive vice president of American Tower said that the company is "doing really well" in terms of its accounts receivable and that American Tower hasn't had a "significant increase in accounts receivable." American Tower is said to own and operate around 76,000 sites across India with Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio said to be all engaged with the company. In the previous quarters, American Tower had said that the payments from Vodafone Idea could be "interrupted or delayed." American Tower Continues to Watch India Smith said that American Tower ended up "unwinding a bad debt reserve in India" in its first quarter of the current financial year by "just under US$10 million." Crucially, the executive vice president of American Tower said that the unwinding is "certainly a good sign" but that the company will "continue to watch India." American Tower earlier reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, with the company recording an 8.3% year-over-year (YoY) increase in its total revenues. Smith in the earnings call said that the company saw a 1.6% decline in its organic tenant billing growth in India in line with its expectations. The executive vice president of American Tower said that the company continues to "work through the latter stages" of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) judgement and "consolidated churn in the market." Further, Smith said that American Tower continues to "expect roughly flat organic tenant billings for the year" in India as the company believes the market is in "very late stages of the consolidation process." "We maintain our expectation that we will see elevated churn this year as the post-AGR environment sorts itself out," Smith said in the earnings call. "With that said, we remain optimistic that the long term growth trajectory in the market should be more favourable, particularly given that the structural framework of the wireless sector today is probably the most constructive it has been in the last decade." ATC Expects Timing Issue for New Tower Sites Construction Meanwhile, Tom Bartlett, president of American Tower in the first quarter earnings call said that there could be "some timing issues associated" with the building of new tower sites. While American Tower's outlook is said to be building 6000 to 7000 new tower sites, Bartlett said that the "timing" will be an issue. "The need is there, I'm certain that the sites are going to be built, but particularly in a market like India who are suffering so significantly right now, there can be a timing issue in terms of having essential people out in the marketplace to be able to build," Bartlett said in the earnings call. "Clearly lives saved is more important than towers built, so there could be some timing issues there." However, the American Tower president said that the "same implications" are not seen by him in his company's other global locations such as Africa "at this point in time." Smith said that the business of American Tower is "quite resilient" as "people need connectivity." "I think that's been more obvious than ever over this past year, particularly in many of our global markets, and so our customers are doing everything possible that they can to be able to maintain that kind of connectivity," Bartlett said. Further, the American Tower president also said that the telecom operators across the globe "need a wider swath of spectrum" to roll out 5G in an "effective" way. "Spectrum is the lifeblood of being able to roll out any of these new technologies, and for 5G to be able to truly realize the full 5G experience in terms of speed and latency, you need significant amounts of it," Bartlett said.

Vodafone, Accenture Announce New Cybersecurity Solution for SMEs Posted: 07 May 2021 04:45 AM PDT One of the largest telecom operators of the UK, Vodafone, has announced a new enterprise-grade cybersecurity solution for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in partnership with Accenture. This new security solution will help the SMEs in detecting threats, taking necessary actions on time, and also recovering from them. Vodafone UK and Accenture had announced a strategic partnership last year. Since then, both companies were working together on developing enterprise-grade managed security services (MSS) for SMEs. SMEs to Benefit From Vodafone and Accenture's Managed Security Services The Vodafone and Accenture's managed security services (MSS) will help in strengthening the telco's existing portfolio of cybersecurity solutions. The companies have together added three key solutions – a) Cyber Exposure Diagnostic (CED), b) Penetration Testing/Vulnerability Assessment, and c) Phishing Awareness. 'CED' will help an enterprise understand how their system would respond in case of a cyber attack. It will reveal the key areas where the breaches will most likely happen. The second solution, 'Penetration Testing', will help businesses in planning simulated attacks on their system to identify the weak points of their security infrastructure. Lastly, the 'Phishing Awareness' solution will help the enterprises in gearing their employees with the knowledge about what phishing is and how hackers try to attempt it. According to Hiscox, an insurance firm based out of the UK, there are around more than 65,000 attempts of hacking made every day on the small businesses of the country. Further, every 19 seconds in a day, an SME is attacked online successfully. As per research conducted by Vodafone, a successful cyber-attack results in an average cost of £3,000 for the SME. Around 23% of SMEs said that they wouldn't even be able to survive such a loss if it were to happen to them. Vodafone's entire cybersecurity portfolio aims to keep businesses, and SMEs avoid such losses. Enterprises can leverage the newly announced Managed Security Services from Vodafone and Accenture to keep their data and business secure from potential cyber threats. On top of this, Vodafone is relaunching its one-year free broadband offer for small businesses in the UK. The offer is slated to go live from May 7, 2021, i.e., today.

Samsung Bixby Received Indian English Feature With Bixby 3.0 Update Posted: 07 May 2021 04:21 AM PDT Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, has added a new feature called Indian English to its Bixby virtual assistant to make it easier for Indian users. The company has added the new feature under the new Bixby 3.0 update; this will allow the virtual assistant to understand Indian names, places, relationship, content, recipes, and more. The company claims that the latest update to the Bixby is aimed to make the daily usage of AI more convenient for the users. Let's have a closer look at the new feature added by Samsung. According to the company, the new addition to Bixby will allow the AI to understand Indian names, places, relationships, content, and recipes as well. You can now set a timer for your daily yoga routine, check the weather update, call Maa or Bhaiya, and sharpen your culinary skills with the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. You can also ask the virtual assistant to search for the Diwali pictures on your phone. All you need to do is to ask Bixby. With the new update, the company has also added the ability to connect your Galaxy Smartphone with your television just by asking Bixby. For example, you can say, 'Hi Bixby, show Bengaluru vacation photos on TV.' The newly added Indian English support for Bixby is available on the flagship series smartphones like Galaxy S21 series and the recently launched Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 smartphones. The company claims that the Indian English version will soon be made available on other devices like the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy S20 Series and the Galaxy Note20 Series. How to Enable Indian English on Bixby The users who are already using the Bixby app will see a banner on top of the display prompting to enable the new feature. You need to tap on the banner, and the feature will be enabled on your respective device. if you are using the Bixby app for the first time, then you have to select Indian English while setting up Bixby. So this is how you can enable the newly added feature to your Galaxy smartphone and make better use of the Artificial Assistant. The company also added that the new feature would be soon rolled out to wider devices in the upcoming days.

Samsung and Ericsson Ink Deal for Cellular Patents, Ending Licensing Dispute Posted: 07 May 2021 03:30 AM PDT Korean Smartphone giant Samsung and Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson had been part of a patent licensing dispute that had a sizeable impact on the latter's first-quarter revenue. This ended today since both companies on Friday inked a multi-year deal for global patent licenses, some of which are related to all kinds of cellular technologies, especially fifth-generation or 5G tech. This deal ends complaints that were filed by both companies in front of the USITC (the United States International Trade Commission) as well as ending ongoing lawsuits that were in several countries, as per a statement by Ericsson. What Else Does This Pact include? According to both companies, the cross-license agreement covers sales of network infrastructure and handsets starting from January 1, 2021. According to Christina Petersson, the Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, the company is delighted to sign a mutually beneficial agreement with Korean manufacturer Samsung. Furthermore, as per Ms Petersson, this deal confirms the value of Ericsson's patent portfolio and illustrates the company's commitment to FRAND principles. The details of this agreement are unknown, as both companies refused to divulge into them, citing them to be confidential. With this agreement in place and all the troubles having been resolved, the Swedish company expects its second-quarter licensing revenues to be around 2-2.5 billion Swedish crowns. Ericsson did mention that despite all this, its IPR licensing revenues are still affected due to several factors such as expired patent license agreements that are to be renewed, tech shift from 4G to 5G, geopolitical impact on the handset industry and currency effects. Both companies further said that they would be collaborating on technology projects so as to promote standardization in the mobile industry. Towards the end, Ericsson also mentioned that its IP portfolio extends to over 57,000 granted patents, all of them being strengthened by annual investment in R&D of over 40 Billion Swedish crowns. In addition to this, the company, with a leading global position in 5G, is quite confident of growing its IPR revenues in the long run, further maximizing the overall value of its patent portfolio. For those of you unaware, both companies have been part of agreements in the past, with the first licensing deal between the two being signed in 2001, with a renewal of this deal in 2007. This deal was intended to cover patents for handsets and devices mutually benefitting both parties.

Twitter ‘Tip Jar’ Feature Will Allow Users to Send Money Posted: 07 May 2021 03:00 AM PDT World's biggest microblogging platform, Twitter, recently announced a new feature called 'Tip Jar'. This feature will allow users to send money to show support towards their favourite Twitter accounts. It is a virtual tip system that will direct users who want to send money to platforms such as PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo. According to an AFP report, the feature is currently available for select users who can tweet in 'English'. These select users can add the 'Tip Jar' feature on their profiles through which other users can send them money for showing their support. As per Twitter's senior product manager, Esther Crawford, this select group of users include experts, journalists, creators, and non-profits. Twitter Doesn't Take Any Commission Esther clarified that the money transacted via the 'Tip Jar' feature would solely be meant for the account it is sent to. Twitter won't take any cut or commission out of the said amount. This is Twitter's effort in driving the conversation one step ahead, where users can show their support by going beyond the traditional retweets and likes button. Esther wrote in a blog post that users can add the 'Tip Jar' feature to their profiles, and when another user wants to donate money to them, he/she will be taken to different payment windows of PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo. The feature will soon be extended to other users across the world with support for more languages. This would be the first time in the complete history of Twitter that it will allow users to transact money through its medium. Even though Twitter does not own the payment gateways, it still makes sense to add the 'money' element for the creators and individual accounts so that they take the platform even more seriously. Twitter reported weaker than expected earnings last week, and thus this new feature should help it attract more users and make them spend more time on the platform. With the arrival of new social media platforms, Twitter has been reduced to a platform that's majorly used by politicians, media people, and celebrities to share information or engage in debates. There is no timeline given by the company on when the newly launched feature will be available for users across the world in multiple languages.

PUBG Battlegrounds Mobile India Comes With Revised Policy for Underage Players Posted: 07 May 2021 02:30 AM PDT As announced yesterday by the developers of the game, PUBG Mobile will be making a comeback in the country with a new name called 'PUBG Battlegrounds Mobile India'. But it is not just the name that's new; there are new policies attached to the game as well. One of the key policies that can be found on the 'Privacy Policy' page of the game's website is parental permission for underage players. It is worth recalling the dissatisfaction of the parents with their children playing PUBG Mobile all day long. With the new privacy policy, the company is not only easing the parents' pain but is also keeping the data/information of their children safe. Take a look at the updated privacy policy of the game for underage players ahead. Underage Players Cannot Play PUBG Battlegrounds Mobile India Without Parents Permission PUBG Mobile Battlegrounds Mobile's new privacy policy states that underage players who want to play the game will require parental permission to do so. For clarity, the underage players will be users below the age of 18. Underage players will need to share the mobile number of their parents before they can start playing the game. Thus, now, the control will be in the hands of the parents if they want their children to play the game or not. Parents can even contact the developers of the game to delete any personal information they think their child has provided without their consent. The game's policy reveals that the developers don't collect any personal information directly from the player. Only the smartphone's IP address, device information, and browsing behaviour is collected automatically. All these new policies and features were necessary to bring back the game in India after the ban last year. The government was wary of the kind of data that the game was collecting from its users, and since it had Chinese roots with Tencent being involved, the government didn't have any option but to officially ban it from the country. Krafton has, however, made the new version of the game without any presence of Chinese companies and has assured that it will keep all the data of the users safe and will follow the guidelines given by the Indian government.

WPC Delaying the Launch of Smartwatches and Other Wi-Fi Module Products in India Posted: 07 May 2021 02:00 AM PDT India has become pretty strict with the technologies imported to the boundaries of the nation from China. Major tech companies, including HP and Dell, along with Oppo, Vivo, and Lenovo, have had to delay the launch of their products because of not getting approvals to import to India. Select finished products which carry Wi-Fi modules such as smartwatches, laptops, Bluetooth speakers, wireless earphones, and more are being withheld by the government to be imported to India. The government body responsible for approving the import of these products to India is the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the Communications Ministry. Firms need to get permission from the WPC before importing their products with Wi-Fi modules to India. As per a Reuters report, the WPC has been delaying the approval of products coming from China since November. Due to this, the companies have to delay the launch of their new products in the country. Not Only Chinese Companies, But US Companies Facing Issues as Well The list of affected companies due to the delayed approval from the WPC includes Chinese as well as the US and South Korean companies such as Samsung. Around 80 odd applications from several foreign companies and even some application forms from Indian companies that bring in finished products from China are waiting for approval from WPC. India is making it hard for the companies to import products from China to force them to manufacture within India instead of bringing in products from outside. The government's 'Aatmanirbhar' mission wants companies to invest big bucks in India and produce within its boundaries. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme of the government is also aimed at the same goal of inviting companies to India for manufacturing locally. This policy of the government has made India a prominent smartphone manufacturer throughout the world. However, tech analysts believe that India still lacks the infrastructure scale or size for big tech giants to set up their production plants for smart wearables and more in the country. This has put tech companies in a tough spot since they can't launch their products and import them at a fast rate which is a potential loss in revenues. At the same time, they can't even put a huge investment directly in India and then wait for a long-time to see any returns. Only time will tell whether the delay from WPC to withhold products from several companies will result in India's favour, or it will be a move gone wrong from the government.

Gboard Can Now Be Used on Your Wear OS Based Smartwatch Posted: 07 May 2021 01:30 AM PDT Google's Wear OS, the software that was supposed to bring the fight to Apple's Wear OS, managed to do none of what was expected from it. Be that as it may, it seems Google is not ready to give up on Wear OS since it has announced that it is going to be rolling out the Gboard keyboard to all Android smartwatches. This might sound like a minor feat when compared to what the Apple Watch has to offer, and, indeed, this is not groundbreaking, but it will ensure that Google will have some aid when it comes to pushing Apple. Gboard on Wear OS Devices: Sign Of Hope Google's Gboard is one of the most useful keyboards out there, with features like predictive input, swift typing and the ability to translate text from one language to another, but, in the case of its Wear OS version, it will serve as a tool to improve typing on Android smartwatches. As per a post by Google, the new Gboard, when used, will make it a breeze to reply to a text, enter your password and search for new applications via the play store on your watch, making the process a little less cumbersome. As part of this slew of updates, three key things will be available to Wear OS users who make use of Android smartwatches. The first of these updates will give the user the ability to make use of multiple-input methods for communicating, such as a QWERTY keyboard, gesture-based typing, voice-input based hands-free typing. Emojis will also be supported. Next up, there is enhanced suggestions and corrections which provide relevant text in relation to the conversation or text being typed. There is a preview screen that allows the user to review and edit their messages via predictions. Finally, Google is also adding support for multiple languages, which can be accessed via a shortcut key, much like the Gboard on your smartphone. Gboard will support all languages that are part of Wear OS's compatibility list. Google has mentioned that the new Gboard for Wear OS will arrive in the coming days, so do keep an eye out for the same if you use a smartwatch from Oppo, Tag Heuer, Mobvoi, Hublot or Fossil, amongst others. To top it all off, Google also said that there is more in store for the Android smartwatch ecosystem, which will be revealed at the upcoming Google IO conference, with rumours suggesting the much talked about Pixel Watch being slated for a launch during the conference.

Oppo Reno6 Pro Spotted on Malaysian SIRIM Certification Posted: 07 May 2021 01:12 AM PDT Oppo is gearing up to launch its Reno6 series, and the handsets have already started making headlines. In the recent week, we have witnessed the handsets in a series of leaks and rumours. However, it is still uncertain in which market the company is planning to launch the Reno6 series. In the latest development, popular tipster Mukula Sharma has confirmed that the Oppo Reno6 Pro has been spotted on the Malaysian SIRIM certification website hinting towards an imminent launch in the Asian markets. Let's have a closer look at the Oppo Reno6 Pro certification. Oppo Reno6 Pro Malaysian SIRIM Credit – Mukul Sharma According to the tipster, the Oppo Reno6 Pro has been listed on the Malaysian SIRIM certification site with model number CPH2247. The listing suggests that the handset might also make its way to the Asian markets. The tipster also claimed that the handset is listed on several other certifications sites with the same model number hinting towards an imminent launch. Besides, the listing didn't reveal anything about the price, specifications and features of the handset. Going with the rumours, it has been reported that Oppo is planning to launch the Reno6 series on May 22 at its mid-year gala event. The company launched the first generation of the Reno series at the same event, so we can safely assume that the company might follow the same tradition. Some details about Oppo's upcoming Reno6 Pro are already known from the previous leaks that suggest the smartphone might be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 870 chipset. The handset is said to be backed by up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Rumours claim that the handset is expected to arrive with a punch-hole cutout design that accommodates the selfie camera sensor. The Reno6 Pro is tipped to feature a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate display and runs on ColorOS 11.1 based on Android 11 out of the box. Reports also claim that the Reno 6 series might feature a 65W fast charging support. However, do note the company is yet to reveal anything officially, and we recommend you to take this information with a pinch of salt and wait for the official launch.

Russian Telecom Operators Gets Green Signal to Share 5G Networks Posted: 07 May 2021 12:15 AM PDT A petition filed by Russian telecom operators for building and launching the latest 5G cellular network has been given the green signal by The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The FAS has agreed to a cooperation agreement between the Russian telecom operators for this purpose. As reported by the local media, the petition filed by Russian telecom operators Bashinformsvyaz, Rostelecom, MegaFon and VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) has been approved by the Russian federal competition watchdog. However, to ensure fair play in the competitive cellular network market, FAS had put forth a condition to provide equivalent access to bands for all the market players of that space. Developing Telecoms report that apart from the pre-accepted condition, the telecom operators are yet to sync up on some other conditions with the antimonopoly authority. These would revolve around the sharing of radio frequencies, the use of infrastructure, and the supply of infrastructure for market players like virtual telecom operators (MVNO). Opportunity to Provide New 5G Network Infrastructure and Services: FAS The FAS has notably said that the 5G infrastructure, once built, will be beneficial in providing the latest generation communication services to the people of Russia. They further said that providing access to the radio frequency spectrum that was released for the development of the 5G networks infrastructure and the successive 5G network-based mobile radio telephone communication services will be a great opportunity on the territory of the Russian Federation. The approach in building the 5G network infrastructure in Russia seems to be a team effort rather than a competitive space in Russia. The venture would be likely seen by The Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media as one single infrastructure that would help in the creation of one network to be used by all mobile telecom operators. In this regard, the FAS had also approved a petition to create a joint 5G venture by Rostelecom, MTS, Vimpelcom (Beeline), and MegaFon, in December 2020. Industrial Testing Grounds to be Launched Soon Evgeny Novikov, who is the Deputy Head of The Moscow Department of Information Technologies, has reportedly said that Russia will soon launch the industrial testing grounds in the capital city of Moscow to understand and learn the possibilities and applications of the 5G network.

5G Trials in India Without Chinese Tech Makes US Happy Posted: 06 May 2021 11:45 PM PDT 5G in India has been a long-lost dream which is finally taking shape in the present period. Back on Tuesday, the Department of Telecom (DoT) in India approved the renowned telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and MTNL to conduct 5G trials. However, none of the entities will be using the technologies of Chinese vendors. As the government has barred Chinese companies from supplying telecom equipment and technology for the 5G trials, top US lawmakers have applauded the decision of not allowing Chinese telecom companies to conduct 5G trials in the country. As reported by PTI, the previous Trump administration had designated the Chinese tech companies as posing a national security risk in their reign. India's Decision is Good News for the Citizens and World Michael McCaul, Chairman of China Task Force and Lead Republican of House Foreign Affairs Committee, marked that India's decision to exclude Chinese entities Huawei and ZTE from its 5G trials is good news for citizens of India and the entire world. He also added that the People's Republic of China law requires Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE, to work for the Chinese Community Party if asked. The US is Pushing Nations to Avoid Technology Controlled by Communist Party of China Since there have been many security concerns revolving around technology developed by Chinese companies, the US is asking other nations not to opt for the technology that is controlled by the Communist Party of China. McCaul added that the security risk could not be mitigated unless these companies are excluded from the networks. He also showed his gratitude towards India for recognising the threat and proving its global leadership in the fight against security threats posed by the Chinese Community Party (CCP) controlled technology. Congressman Mike Waltz also expressed his gratitude towards India and marked that since India is the largest democracy in the world, it will be a critical ally in confronting the Chinese and securing supply chains. Even though Huawei and ZTE have explicitly slashed the allegations of security risks made by various nations, slowly nations are turning against the use of Chinese technology in developing the 5G footprint across the globe. India is the newest addition to the list, which is expected to include other developed nations in the coming future.

Samsung Galaxy A82 5G Leaked on Weibo Revealing Design and Camera Layout Posted: 06 May 2021 11:30 PM PDT Samsung seems to be focusing on its S-series of devices and A-series of devices, since both of them are quite important when it comes to the overall sales figures, with the A51 being one of the highest selling devices of 2020. Continuing with this success, the company revamped its A-series with the A32, A52 and A72. Now, it seems like the company is gearing up for the launch of the A82 5G, which has been leaked. As part of the leak, one can now see the design of the upcoming device, with the specifications having been leaked earlier this month. From the leak, one can conclude that the A82 5G is in line with the recent launches from the South Korean company, with the design being one of the neatest ones to have surfaced in 2021. What Do We Know About The A82 5G? We now have the first look of the A82 5G, courtesy of a promo video that was leaked on popular Chinese site Weibo. The promo video shows the device from the front and the backside. Towards the back, the device appears to have four camera sensors in a rectangular camera module that looks pretty clean. Towards the front, the device makes use of a rather dated waterdrop notch coupled with slim bezels and possibly a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is not easy to spot. The colour variant showcased in the video is the Black option, but, as per reports, there will be certain other variants too. The specific details regarding the design are yet to surface, but this video shows us the final design of the A82 5G. Another feature that seems evident from the video is the presence of a large battery. The predecessor to the A82 5G, the A72 5G packed a massive 5000 mAh battery with support for fast charging, so it is safe to say that there could be a 6000mAh battery on the A82 5G. This was all that could be deduced from the leak, but as previous leaks have suggested, we can expect the A82 5G to be the global version of the Galaxy Quantum 2, a device that has already been launched. We do know about the A82 5G due to this, with Samsung having provided additional information by listing the device on its security updates site, revealing that it will receive quarterly security updates. It is expected to feature a 6.7-inch display, a Snapdragon 855+ chipset and up to 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

Redmi Flagships to Only Make Use of AMOLED Panels: Report Posted: 06 May 2021 10:30 PM PDT Xiaomi has been on a roll in recent times, with devices from the company reminding us of the good old days when the company launched the Note 3, a device miles ahead of the competition. The same philosophy is evident with the Note 10 lineup. What sets the Note 10 series, be it the Note 10 Pro Max or the Note 10 is the impressive spec sheet that accompanies the device and, more importantly, the display. Xiaomi decided to include AMOLED panels for all three devices, bringing an FHD+ AMOLED panel at a low price of Rs 12,000 (Rs 12,500 post price hike) It seems that this has played to the company's favour, as it has been confirmed via officials from Xiaomi that the future flagships offered by the budget entity, Redmi will all feature AMOLED panels, with LCD panels being a thing of the past for the company. All Redmi Flagships To Feature AMOLED Panels: Liu Weibing The confirmation regarding this came after a poll that was conducted by Redmi's general manager, who is also the VP of Xiaomi, Liu Weibing on Weibo. According to a report by MyDrivers, the first one to spot this poll, it asks users to select from LCD and LED displays, to which, quite evidently, most chose the latter. In response to this, Weibing responded to a user's query regarding whether or not a Redmi device with the Snapdragon 870 chip will sport an LCD screen. To this, he answered no, with the VP recommending the Redmi K30s, which is available in China for an LCD screen touting device that also sports the Snapdragon 870 chipset. This hints at the possibility of Redmi phones in the future forgoing the LCD display based devices and instead offer AMOLED screens, which, considering the status the display holds amongst the general public might be a step in the right direction. Do note however that this report is for the Chinese market and there is no indication regarding this in the context of the Indian market, so we may be subject to LCD based devices from Redmi, be it budget or flagship, for the time being. This step of moving from LCD to AMOLED panels seems to be one that is being followed by certain Chinese OEMs since Realme too decided to launch its number series devices, currently consisting of the Realme 8 and 8 Pro with AMOLED panels, albeit with a basic refresh rate of 60Hz. Oddly the Realme 8 5G does not sport an AMOLED panel, making use of the older 90Hz LCD.

Everything You Need to Know About Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum Posted: 06 May 2021 09:30 PM PDT Spectrum is one of the powerful resources that is shaping the tech industry. Since 5G is on the shore, it has become more important than ever for countries to allocate spectrum effectively and efficiently. In case you are not aware, spectrum is a range of radio waves that are used for communication purposes. In general, the spectrum is divided into two categories which are licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Follow the article to the end for a detailed guide regarding licensed and unlicensed spectrum. What Are Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum? Spectrum is a finite resource, and its efficient allocation is crucial to facilitate newer technologies in future, just like 5G. When mobile network operators (MNO's) take special licenses to operate with dedicated parts of the radio spectrum bands, it comes under the licensed spectrum. Except, the license holder, no other operator is allowed to use that part of the spectrum band for any purpose. Since the mobile network operators have full rights over the radio spectrum, it will enable them to offer high and reliable transmission speed along with data security and stability. On the other side, the unlicensed spectrum is not owned by any specific mobile network operator. There are no rules associated with spectrum access. Nearly all the operators can use the spectrum band and deploy their services. Even though unlicensed spectrum offers flexibility, there are macro risks of interference and security in the network. LPWA Technologies Differences Deployed on Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum There are two different LPWA (low-power, wide-area) technologies that are deployed in the licensed spectrum. The technologies are known as LTE-M and NB-IoT. Both the technologies are dubbed to be part of the 5G mMTC which will enable mass IoT. Also, LTE-M and NB-IoT are based on the standards set by 3GPP. The LPWA technologies that are used in unlicensed spectrum are LoRA and Sigfox. Both the technologies are said to be effective on the unlicensed bands that are used by multiple mobile network operators. Security Differences Between Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum Since licensed spectrum are owned by specific mobile network operators, it may be slightly difficult for hackers to breach the network and create a hassle. Even though the unlicensed spectrum is flexible, there might be a slight possibility of a data breach. However, being a sovereign asset, the government ensures that both the spectrum categories are safe and secured. To secure the radio bands, special radio jammers are used to avoid hacker attacks. Advantages and Disadvantages of Licensed Spectrum One of the biggest advantages that mobile network operators get from the licensed spectrum is efficiency. Licensed spectrum bands offer more flexibility to the operator in deploying their network to manage interference. As of disadvantage, other than the licensee, no one has the right to offer services in the licensed spectrum. The user gets totally dependent on the mobile network operator. Advantages and Disadvantages of Unlicensed Spectrum Since unlicensed spectrum is free for all, users are not dependent on a single mobile network operator to use an unlicensed spectrum. However, talking about disadvantage, interference management between adjacent users is slightly difficult than the licensed spectrum.

Best Broadband Plans Offering Two-Hundred Mbps Speeds to Work From Home Posted: 06 May 2021 07:54 PM PDT A high-speed fiber broadband connection during the time of the pandemic can come very handy if there are multiple users at your home who need internet to work from home. In addition to working from home, users need an internet connection for several other things, including streaming entertaining content online, downloading heavy files for games, and more. Even smart devices in your home will use some of the bandwidth from your Wi-Fi network. Thus, a 100 Mbps broadband plan might not suffice your needs. If you need an even faster broadband connection, you can choose a 200 Mbps speed plan. There are multiple internet service providers (ISPs) in India who provide users with 200 Mbps speeds. Let's take a look at all of them. BSNL Bharat Fibre BSNL Bharat Fibre offers a 200 Mbps broadband plan that is also suitable to work from home. It is called the 'Fibre Premium' plan that comes for Rs 999 per month (exclusive of taxes). This plan offers 3.3TB fair-usage-policy (FUP) data to the users. Post consumption of FUP data, the internet speed reduces to 2 Mbps for the rest of the month. There is also a free over-the-top (OTT) benefit of Disney+ Hotstar Premium for 1-year. Further, Users also get a free landline connection with unlimited voice calling benefit. ACT Fibernet The 'ACT Blast Promo' from ACT Fibernet is one of the best plans users can choose if they want 200 Mbps speeds to work from home. This plan's monthly rental is Rs 1,075 (excluding taxes), and it offers users benefits of Netflix, ZEE5 Premium, and more. There is a fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit of 3.3TB or 3,300GB applicable on the data offered with the plan. This plan is currently on offer for the users living in Chennai. The company offers 200 Mbps broadband plans in other circles of India as well. Excitel Broadband Excitel offers its 200 Mbps broadband plan to work from home for Rs 799 (exclusive of taxes) per month. Users can also purchase it for the long term for up to 12 months. There is no FUP restriction on the amount of data a user can consume. Users don't get any OTT benefits with this plan, and the company doesn't take anything extra for the installation of the connection. Airtel Xstream Fiber The 200 Mbps plan from Airtel Xstream Fiber comes for Rs 999 per month (exclusive of taxes), and it can be your perfect plan to work from home. This is because the broadband plan comes with multiple OTT benefits, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar VIP, Airtel Xstream Premium, and more. The user gets up to 3.3TB of data with this plan as well. Users can also request an unlimited voice calling connection from the company at no extra cost. You Broadband You Broadband offers its 200 Mbps broadband plan for a mere price of Rs 1,062, which is even inclusive of taxes. The company doesn't offer any OTT benefits but offers 3.5TB FUP data with the plan. This plan is also available with long-term validities. The plan is applicable on Ahmedabad and select other circles of India.

Vodafone Idea Top 4 Data Vouchers That Will Satiate Your Internet Needs Posted: 06 May 2021 06:33 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) is the third-largest telecom operator in India. The company offers unique prepaid plans and data vouchers to its users. Today, we will focus on the top 4 data vouchers from the telco that will satiate your internet needs. Note that all the data vouchers that Vi offers come with standalone validity, unlike Jio, which offers most of its 4G data vouchers with the same validity as that of the user's base plan. Also, once the data voucher expires, all the leftover data will expire as well. Let's take a look at the top four data vouchers from Vodafone Idea (Vi) that you can purchase today. Vodafone Idea Top 4 Data Vouchers The four data vouchers from Vi that we will be focusing on cost Rs 251, Rs 351, Rs 355, and Rs 501. Out of the four, the Rs 355 and Rs 501 vouchers come with over-the-top (OTT) benefits as well. The first voucher that costs Rs 251 offers users 50GB of data for 28 days. The company launched it as an offering to help the users with their work from home routine. There are no other benefits associated with the voucher. The Rs 351 data voucher from Vi ships with 100GB of data for 56 days. This voucher was also announced by the telco to help users working from home. Users don't get any other benefits with the voucher. Further, Vi users get 50GB of data for 28 days with the Rs 355 4G data voucher. As mentioned above, this voucher comes with an OTT benefit of ZEE5 Premium for one year. Lastly, with the Rs 501 data voucher, users get 75GB of data for 56 days, and there is an added OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP for one year. These are the top four vouchers offered by the company. None of the vouchers offers users voice calling or SMS benefits. There are multiple other vouchers on offer as well, which are suitable for users looking to get a small boost of data for their unlimited packs. Note that the cheapest voucher that the company offers comes for Rs 16 and offers users 1GB of data for 1 day. The most amount of data that a Vi voucher offers is with the Rs 351 plan. With the vouchers that are expensive than Rs 351, users get less data, but they are fairly compensated for the money they paid with an OTT benefit. How Can You Recharge With a 4G Data Voucher of Vi? For recharging with a 4G data voucher of Vi, all that you need to do is go to the company's website or mobile app. Post that you can log in to your account by entering your Vi mobile number and the OTP that you receive. After that, just find the data vouchers in the website/mobile app of the telco and recharge with your desired voucher. You can make payments online via multiple mediums, including debit card, credit card, and UPI apps. In the same way, you can also recharge with Vi's unlimited packs offering all the benefits, including data, voice calling, and SMS.

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