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• Galaxy S21 FE Production Not Yet Suspended: Samsung
• Indian Telcos Ask TRAI Not to Restructure Validity Span of Prepaid Plans
• Satellite Broadband Services to Be Launched by Viasat
• Apple Notes Record Sales for MacBooks, iPads in Q1 2021
• BSNL Landline Customers Can Save Rs 600 on Their Broadband Plans
• Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active Will Come With SpO2 Sensor, GPS and More
• Vodafone Partners With Samsung and Others to Develop O-RAN, 5G Rollout
• TVF to Partner With ZEE5 for Complete Library and Fresh Content
• Huawei Won’t be Out from Restricted Entities List of the U.S.
• Vivo V21e 5G Might Compete Directly With Realme 8 5G and Poco M3 Pro 5G
• SIA India Wants a Levelled Playing Field for Satellite Broadband
• Huawei Has a Tough Road Ahead
• Vodafone Idea, Airtel, Jio and BSNL Did a Good Job Maintaining Mobile Networks
• Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea Wants Spectrum Auction for Satcom Industry
• Bharti Airtel Tests 5G Network in Gurgaon With Mid-Band Spectrum
• Tata Sky Announces New Reduced Pricing for Five of Its Services
• Xiaomi Believes 200W HyperCharge Won’t Have Noticeable Drawbacks
• RailWire Broadband Plans Can’t Compete With Airtel, Jio, Vi and BSNL
• OnePlus Nord 2 Might Be Another Rebranded Phone

Galaxy S21 FE Production Not Yet Suspended: Samsung Posted: 14 Jun 2021 08:50 AM PDT Samsung S20 series, starting from the S20 all the way up to the S20 Ultra brought with it multiple new changes that gave the Korean giant’s offerings a chance at the best Android device title. There were some issues, which were then addressed with this year’s S21 series, which effectively built on the advancements of the S20 series. However, Samsung did manage to bring out a new trump card in the form of the S20 FE, which was a Samsung Galaxy S20 with some minor cuts and a major price difference, providing mid-range users a chance at testing out a flagship-level product from a company familiar with such devices, minus the expensive costs. Despite this success, it has been the talk of the town since the last couple of days that the S21 FE’s production has been halted due to a global chip shortage that has plagued almost every tech giant in the world. Today, Samsung responded to the initial report that claimed the halt, stating that it had not yet made any decision on stopping production of the S21 FE. What Did Samsung Have to Say In a statement to Bloomberg, the company mentioned that although it cannot discuss the details of the unreleased products, the so-called suspension of production has not yet been determined, confirming these rumours to be just rumours and nothing that could actually happen, at least for the time being. Do note that the news of Samsung halting the production of the handset was first revealed by the Korean blog ETNews and it was mentioned that the reason for this was the shortages in the semiconductor industry. The report also stated that the Qualcomm processors that were set aside for the S21 FE had been reassigned to foldable devices that are scheduled to launch in August. The report now stands deleted post this clarification. The basis of the S21 FE will be to be a trimmed version of the base S21 without any significant reduction in the key functions, but the device will be more affordable. The new version will succeed the Galaxy S20 FE which was released in 2020, The FE moniker refers to the Fans Edition which reflects the premium build and affordable pricing for which the series has been known. Keep in mind though that Despise this debunk of the report, Samsung has not confirmed that the production is still going on, so it might take time for more news to emerge. The S20 FE was announced in September of 2020, so we might need to wait for concrete news regarding the handset.

Indian Telcos Ask TRAI Not to Restructure Validity Span of Prepaid Plans Posted: 14 Jun 2021 07:19 AM PDT India’s top telcos, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio on Monday asked the TRAI on Monday not the intervene in matters related to fixing validity spans of prepaid tariffs, according to a report by ET Telecom. The telcos have urged the telecom regulator not to intervene when it comes to the fixing of prepaid tariff validity spans and keep this particular issue under forbearance, stating that this type of intervention is unwarranted and might result in the disruption of mobile tariff structures which would hurt the consumers. The market leader, Jio has suggested that the TRAI issue an advisory that calls on telcos to offer one prepaid plan voucher, special tariff voucher and combo voucher with a 30-day validity to meet the needs and address the complaints in regards to the 28-day validity currently in place. In case you missed it, TRAI in May had mentioned that it was being plagued by multiple complaints from users who felt that they were being cheated as they had to recharge 13 times in a year for a monthly plan. In relation to this issue, Jio, as part of its submission to the regular mentioned that it had launched prepaid tariffs with a validity of 30,60 and 90 days that would address the concerns that the TRAI had received. What Do Other Companies Have to Say Consumer Voice, the leading mobile consumer association though said that it was sceptical and would like the TRAI to standardise all tariff validity spans to either"1 day, 7 days, 15 days or 1-month variants and make all other validity periods in the market, invalid. The telcos however dismissed this suggestion stating that this would be infeasible and that such a move would go against consumer behaviour, as most prepaid users opt to recharge 2 or 3 days post the expiry date. Bharti Airtel, in its submission, mentioned that the policy of forbearance on setting validity of tariff must continue, as a selective ex-ante intervention on a particular non-price aspect of tariff framework, such as validity, would end up forcing service providers to adjust or rebalance other important price aspects of the tariff. Jio too backed this view stating that realigning the validity of current recharges would not make business sense and would rather force them to come up with new price-points. Vodafone Idea said that any kind of change to the current 28, 56 and 84 days prepaid structure would be quite massive and would require gigantic efforts when it comes to consumer awareness, configurations in billing systems, publications in own as well as third-party channels and retail channel education. Furthermore, the cash-strapped telco Vodafone Idea has urged the TRAI to see all such tariff-related issues holistically and conclude the pending consultation depending on floor pricing for data services on priority.

Satellite Broadband Services to Be Launched by Viasat Posted: 14 Jun 2021 07:00 AM PDT US-based geostationary satellite operator Viasat has followed its peers to reportedly launch fast internet from space in India very soon. The global satellite player valued at $2.25 billion is seeking approvals from the Indian government, which once approved would allow the operator to deploy two new satellites to deliver advanced broadband connectivity solutions in India. This update comes as Viasat's competitors OneWeb and Elon Musk-led SpaceX have announced their plans to launch satellite internet operations. Satellite Broadband Connectivity Solutions to be Provided by Two Under Construction Satellites Viasat's spokesperson has commented on the matter by saying that their company has filed applications with the Indian government and relevant agencies. Viasat seeks authority to use two of their Ka-band Viasat-3 satellites. These satellites are currently under construction, but Viasat looks forward to leveraging them once the Indian market opens to advanced broadband connectivity solutions. Other players in the market like SpaceX and OneWeb are also ready to start satellite internet operations in the country next year. Amazon is currently exploring the space broadband connectivity segment as part of its Project Kuiper, which is a global space internet initiative. In India, Viasat has offices in Chennai, where the company's staff is working on satellite access platforms and gateways. They are also working on developing web applications and management systems for their products and broadband businesses. Viasat's spokesperson stated that the employee base in Chennai influence every aspect of Viasat's broadband business and are key players in its global expansion. Indian Government to Create a Level Playing Field for Private Satellite Builders To ensure that global market players get to serve the Indian market, in 2020, India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured that the Indian government would create a level playing field for private satellite builders, satellite launchers and space-based service providers. This step would not only ensure fair competition in the market but also provide consumers with a number of alternatives to choose space-based broadband service providers. A new space communications policy was also introduced in this regard which will bring a foreseeable regulatory mechanism in this upcoming market. A policy like space communication is very crucial in markets like India, where a few major players face cutthroat competition with each other. Leading telecom operators in India like Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have been pressuring the government to auction half of the coveted 28 GHz frequency band on which Viasat plans to run their satellites. The local telecom operators wish to use these high-value airwaves for 5G services.

Apple Notes Record Sales for MacBooks, iPads in Q1 2021 Posted: 14 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has been on a roll in recent times ever since moving away from the Intel processors and switching to the in-house Apple chip that is the M1. To further add to its portfolio, the company has been offering a good portfolio of devices that are spread across different requirements, be it the smaller iPad Mini to the iPad Pro which can meet most of your daily needs. It seems that this hard work has paid off, since on Monday it was revealed that Apple had registered strong sales in the first quarter of 2021 in India, with the company had recorded its best quarterly sales when it comes to laptops and tablets, two key tech products that have seen an increase in demand during the global pandemic. As per a Canalys report that was revealed via QuartzIndia, the Cupertino based giant has seen a great number of sales in the first three months of 2021. What Else Does the Report Indicate The report further indicates that the company has recorded overall PC sales of 208 million units, which is nearly double that of the sale period from a year earlier. Canalys has also added that the iPhone maker's growth in India was largely aided by the availability of its official online store. In case you did not know, the company had officially launched its official online store in the country of India in the second half of 2020. This launch was called and dubbed to be apt and timely by certain experts as well as the brand's CEO Tim Cook who credited the online store for the company's increase in iPhone sales in the country last year. Do not forget that this growth that is evident for most OEMs is not just due to great performances during 2021, but, due to a drop in sales that was seen in 2020, a result of the initial wave of the COVID-19 virus. In terms of the overall figures, despite the supply chain issues that have plagued most vendors since last year, the overall PC sales, inclusive of the tablets market has increased by 72% on a year on year (YOY) basis. This figure had peaked to 4 million units between the period of January and March 2021. The market had seen growth due to the increasing trend of working from home as well as online education becoming more and more common. However, Apple had stated that it’s MacBook and iPad production are currently undergoing delays due to the worldwide semiconductor shortage.

BSNL Landline Customers Can Save Rs 600 on Their Broadband Plans Posted: 14 Jun 2021 06:11 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has just announced a new promotional offer for the Bharat Fibre customers. For the unaware, Bharat Fibre is BSNL's fiber broadband service. The state-run telco has just announced a new offer for BSNL Fibre Customers under which they can save up to Rs 600 on their broadband plans. Since it is a promotional offer, it will stay in effect for 90 days starting from today, i.e., June 14, 2021. But it is worth noting that this offer will only be provided to the existing BSNL landline customers who don't have a broadband connection from the company. BSNL's Offer for Landline Customers Who Opt for Broadband Connection If an existing landline customer of BSNL who doesn't have a broadband connection purchase a plan from the company's Bharat Fiber's offerings, he/she can save up to Rs 600 on his/her broadband plan. The offer is applicable in all the circles where the telco provides broadband services. Any eligible customer for the promotional offer will get Rs 100 off on his/her Bharat Fibre broadband plan for the first six months. The customer will receive the bill from the company for the first six months with Rs 100 discount on the total amount. After six months, this offer would result in a discount of Rs 600 for the customers. The promotional offer will stay in place for 3 months (90 days) meaning it will end on September 12, 2021. Until this period, existing landline users of BSNL can purchase a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) plan from the company's Bharat Fibre service and avail the benefits. BSNL Bharat Fibre Plans You Can Buy Today There are plenty of options you can choose from if you are thinking of purchasing a Bharat Fibre plan. The entry-level plan comes for Rs 449 per month and it offers 30 Mbps speed. Then there are more plans that cost Rs 599, Rs 799, Rs 999, Rs 1,277, and Rs 1,499 per month which offer 60 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 300 Mbps speeds. The Rs 999 and 1,499 plans also come with a free subscription of Disney+ Hotstar Premium for the users. Note that all of the plans come with 3.3TB FUP data except the Rs 1,499 plan that comes with 4TB data.

Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active Will Come With SpO2 Sensor, GPS and More Posted: 14 Jun 2021 05:38 AM PDT Xiaomi is all set to launch another smart product in India. The company has announced the launch date of Mi Watch Revolve Active on June 22, 12 PM. It will be interesting to see whether this smartwatch will be an upgrade over the existing Mi Watch Revolve or will it just be a completely different product altogether. Xiaomi has already teased the product on its website, and some details about the product are also known now. The smartwatch will be geared and loaded with features that a lot of fitness enthusiasts will appreciate. Let's take a look at the expected specifications and the price of the Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active. Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active Specifications Few of the features of the smartwatch have already been confirmed by Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve Active will come with a SpO2 sensor that can monitor blood oxygen saturation levels for a user. Further, the teaser of the smartwatch shows that it will come with the integration of Amazon's Alexa. Users will be able to access all the call and SMS notifications from their smartphone directly on their smartwatch. To track your distance better, the smartwatch will come integrated with GPS. It will also help the user with location tracking. The smartwatch will further come with a body energy monitor and heart rate monitor to keep tracking your health at all times. Since it is a smartwatch geared for fitness enthusiasts, it will come with a variety of sports modes. Further, the Xiaomi Mi Watch Revolve is also said to come with a sleep monitoring and stress management feature. For stylish people, the smartwatch will come with interchangeable straps in several colour options. The smartwatch might come with a circular AMOLED display as seen on the Mi Watch Revolve and could offer users up to 2 weeks of battery life. More details and clarity on the price and specifications of the Mi Watch Revolve Active will clear once the smartwatch is launched on June 22, 2021. The smartwatch is further expected to be available for sale via Amazon once it launches and is available in India. The Mi Watch Revolve is currently available for sale via the official website of Xiaomi India.

Vodafone Partners With Samsung and Others to Develop O-RAN, 5G Rollout Posted: 14 Jun 2021 04:42 AM PDT Vodafone, one of the largest mobile and broadband network operators in Europe, is now partnering up with major tech companies, including NEC Samsung, Wind River, Dell Technologies, Capgemini Engineering and Keysight Technologies, to build one of the largest Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) in Europe. According to a report from Reuters, it won't only be one of the largest O-RAN developments in Europe, but the whole world. One of the biggest advantages for Europe of getting O-RAN would be that it won't have to rely on companies such as Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia anymore. With O-RAN, network operators can purchase different components of a network from different companies. Vodafone said that the partnership would go ahead with the companies working on the telco's new Open RAN lab in Newbury, Southern England. Further, Vodafone's digital skills hubs in Spain, Malaga, Germany, and Dresden would also be utilised under the partnership. Vodafone Selects Samsung for 5G Network Rollout in Britain As per another report from Reuters, Vodafone has awarded the contract for 5G rollout in Britain to Samsung Electronics. This is a major win for the South Korean tech giant as it has bagged one of the major projects in Europe's telecoms gear market, where other companies such as Ericsson and Nokia have had a stronghold after the ban of Huawei. Samsung is expected to win more projects in Europe as its rival Huawei won't bag any deals anymore for the 5G networks in the region. As per one of the senior executives, Samsung will be relying heavily on the European market to expand its network equipment business. It is worth noting that Samsung helped Reliance Jio, India's top telecom operator, in rolling out 4G networks throughout the country. Further, Samsung is also participating with Reliance Jio to help the telco in conducting 5G trials smoothly. This might mean that Samsung could also bag telecom equipment projects from the Indian operators for rolling out 5G. One of the biggest projects for Samsung was when it bagged a $6 billion deal from Verizon, a U.S. telecom operator. It was an unexpected development that shocked the market.

TVF to Partner With ZEE5 for Complete Library and Fresh Content Posted: 14 Jun 2021 04:15 AM PDT ZEE5, one of India’s top video streaming platform, which is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) on Monday said that it had entered into a partnership for more content with TVF or The Viral Fever, in order to bring in more youth-focused content to the platform that has been the host to some much-anticipated movies and shows. This move comes just after the platform premiered Salman Khan’s Radhe on a pay-per-view model and aired the much awaited ‘Friends: The Reunion’ to its customers in India. The partnership with TVF will consist of launches related to originals as well as new seasons of the top TVF shows for ZEE5's paying subscribers, whilst the current 13 titles will be on offer to advertising video-on-demand or AVOD customers. Some popular shows include Engineering Girls' 'The Aam Aadmi Family', 'Permanent Roommates', 'Tech Conversations with Dad', 'Awkward Conversations', 'PA-Gals 'Pitchers', 'Tripling', 'Humorously Yours' and more. What Do The Companies Have to Say According to an ET Telecom report, Manish Kalra, the CBO of ZEE 5 India stated that the company’s focus for this year is 'Entertainment Inclusion', which is to ensure that everybody, irrespective of demographic and language preference has access to purposeful entertainment on ZEE5. In order to achieve this, the first step has been to further bolster our content offering followed by ensuring that ZEE 5 is able to take that content to the right user. He further added that over 60% of the audiences are from Hindi-speaking markets and TVF is able to cater to that group without any issues. The deal will allow a lot of TVF fans to sample existing content on our AVOD platform and ZEE 5 intends to put the new seasons of marquee shows behind the paywall, which will scale up the OTT platform’s SVOD base added Kalra. To add to this, Arunabh Kumar, the founder of TVF said that the company has always been focused to push the boundaries with characters and stories. TVF is confident that with the power of the ZEE5 platform, its teams and stories will win the hearts of millions of new viewers across the country and the world over. The iconic TVF shows that will find a home on ZEE5 are just part of this new beginning, and together ZEE5 and TVF will be bringing their viewers shows that will surely win their hearts and put a smile on their faces added Nimisha Pandey, the Head of Hindi Originals at ZEE5 India.

Huawei Won’t be Out from Restricted Entities List of the U.S. Posted: 14 Jun 2021 04:08 AM PDT Chinese telecom gear makers were a crucial aspect for the development of the 5G network since they were supplying the essential telecom equipment required for the deployment of the next-generation network. However, the US started a tech war against the Chinese gear makers stating that it hampers the security and privacy of customers. Not only this but to make things difficult for the companies, the US also urged its allies to restrict Chinese gear makers from supplying telecom equipment. However, a new report by ANI reveals that renowned Chinese telecom gear maker Huawei won’t make it out from a list of restricted entities who are banned from gaining access to US hardware and software. Huawei was Deemed as Competitor to US Interests Huawei has witnessed a roller coaster ride in the recent period. The entity rolled out its financial results since 2000, and the figures were concerning for the officials. Huawei reported its weakest annual revenue growth in a decade last year. Tracing back to the reign of the Trump administration, Huawei was dubbed as a competitor to US interests under the guise of national and cybersecurity. Back in 2018, Trump outwardly stated that under his supremacy, the US could kill any Chinese entity by banning their native companies from exporting to ZTE, which is a direct rival to Huawei. Currently, the US Innovation and Competition Act from which Huawei has been left out awaits passage in the US House of Representatives. Huawei's Future Remain Gloomy Till May 2019, Huawei was under the radar of the US government. The Chinese telecom gear maker was added to the list of entities that were not allowed to purchase parts and components from the US without US government approval. As per SCMP quoted analysts, Huawei's future remains gloomy in the US chip blockade as the entity has recently transitioned from a pure hardware provider to a software service company, including cloud and its own operating system. The tech war has resulted in the lowering of the brand value of Chinese gear makers. Washington has labelled all the Chinese tech companies, including ZTE, Huawei, Hytera Communications and Dahua technology, as national security threats.

Vivo V21e 5G Might Compete Directly With Realme 8 5G and Poco M3 Pro 5G Posted: 14 Jun 2021 02:48 AM PDT Vivo has been catering to the smartphone needs of consumers in India by offering both budgeted and high-end smartphones. In its latest move, the Chinese technology company might launch the Vivo V21e 5G in the Indian market. Currently, Vivo V21e 5G is available in the Malaysian market along with the Vivo V21 5G variant. Since the launch news is on the cliff, multiple rumours about the device specification and price have surfaced on the internet. Vivo V21e 5G has already appeared on Geekbench and BIS certification websites. However, no official information has been confirmed by Vivo. Vivo V21e 5G: Expected Specifications and Features As per multiple reports, Vivo V21e 5G would feature a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. Under the shield, Vivo V21e 5G might be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC bundled with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage for a smooth and hassle-free experience. Talking about camera specifications, Vivo V21e 5G is expected to feature a 64MP primary camera and an 8MP wide-angle lens. Towards the front, the smartphone is tipped to feature a 32MP camera for video calling and selfies. The smartphone is expected to source energy from a 4000mAh battery that would come with a 44W fast charging support. To recall the Vivo V21 5G variant, the smartphone packs a triple camera setup with OIS support in front and back. Once the full specifications of Vivo V21e 5G are revealed, Vivo fans will not have to speculate the features and specifications of the device. Vivo V21e 5G: Expected Price Since no official details regarding the price and launch have been rolled out by Vivo, we would advise the readers to take the expected price details with a pinch of salt. The Vivo V21e Malaysian variant holds a price tag of MYR 1,299, which is around Rs 23,600. Talking about the Vivo V21 5G price, the 8GB RAM and 128GB variant is priced at 29,990, and the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 32,990. It would be interesting to see how Vivo will price the new offering for a price-sensitive market like India.

SIA India Wants a Levelled Playing Field for Satellite Broadband Posted: 14 Jun 2021 01:45 AM PDT The Satcom Industry Association – India (SIA-India) has just submitted a response to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI's) consultation paper on 'Road to Promote Broadband Connectivity and Enhanced Broadband Speed'. SIA-India said in its response that the industry regulator should provide a levelled playing field for both the satellite broadband operators and the fixed-line broadband operators. Here are all the points that SIA-India wants TRAI to consider in regards to the regulation of satellite broadband in India. TRAI Must Include Satellite Broadband for all Future Consultations In its response, SIA-India has asked TRAI to must include satellite broadband in all the future debates and consultations that revolve around broadband in India. Further, the satcom industry body wants the regulator to create special incentives for VSAT and satellite broadband service providers just as the fixed-line broadband providers get. SIA-India said that the way fixed-line broadband networks are incentivised to proliferate, the same way satellite broadband sector should be incentivised so that a levelled playing field can be provided between different technologies. Further, the industry body said that any form of streamlining or liberalising the licensing framework must also include the satellite broadband sector with a 'single access window'. SIA-India also suggested that broadband delivery through satellite should be prioritised through Bharat Net. On top of this, SIA-India suggested that if there is any form of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) provided to subscribers of the fixed-line broadband connection, the same benefit should also be provided for the satellite broadband sector. All of these requests by SIA-India is to ensure that all the benefits are provided equally to the broadband service providers. This would not discourage the companies from providing quality broadband services to their subscribers. Lastly, SIA-India has suggested that if there is any exemption period applicable for the fixed-line broadband providers, the same shall be extended to the satellite broadband providers. For the unaware, SIA-India is an industry body (non-profit) that represents and looks after the interests of the satellite ecosystem of India. The need for such rules and regulations will become more apparent once the satcom companies start providing satellite broadband services in India by the next year.

Huawei Has a Tough Road Ahead Posted: 14 Jun 2021 12:56 AM PDT Huawei isn't having a very jolly time in the international markets. The company has been banned from providing telecom equipment in several countries where it had a major presence. Further, last year, even Google had removed the GMS support for Huawei's Android smartphones. Due to security concerns, multiple nations have removed Huawei from their plans of rolling out the 5G networks. This has hurt Huawei a lot because its major chunk of revenues came from supplying telecom equipment to various operators around the world. Huawei's Profits Dip in the UK After Ban Post its ban in the UK; the Chinese telecom equipment supplier has seen a significant decline in the profits and revenues that it used to generate from the region. A while back, UK's government had banned Huawei from supplying equipment that would be used for rolling out the 5G networks in the country. That's a big loss for Huawei. Further, the UK government has asked the local telecom service providers (TSPs) to remove Huawei's equipment and its presence from the already live networks in the country in a phased manner by 2027. While this is a positive for other telecom equipment suppliers such as Nokia and Ericsson, it is hurtful for Huawei. On top of this, the U.S. and India have also bluntly put that they don't want the presence of Huawei in its mobile networks in any manner. The U.S. isn't going to remove Huawei from its restricted list of companies anytime soon. It is the same with India. The Indian telecom operators have already started working with other companies, including Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung, to conduct 5G trials and ignore Huawei. The Indian government is going to come out with a list of trusted vendors very soon, and as per the recent developments, there is no way Huawei or ZTE would be a part of that list. According to a FinancialTimes report, Huawei's total sales dropped by 27% YoY to $1.28 billion in 2020, which resulted in very less profits of $51.3 million in the UK. The company has a tough road ahead, with multiple nations now getting worried about including Chinese companies in their telecom networks given the threat of national security. It will be interesting to follow how Huawei tackle's these issues in the near future.

Vodafone Idea, Airtel, Jio and BSNL Did a Good Job Maintaining Mobile Networks Posted: 14 Jun 2021 12:23 AM PDT All the telecom operators, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), improved the capacity and the quality of their network significantly in the past year. This is because the average downloading speeds for the users didn't drop when the second wave of COVID-19 hit India, and the mobile data consumption soared. According to an Opensignal report, unlike the previous year, when the lockdowns came into effect because of the second wave of COVID-19, the Indian users started consuming significantly more data. But that increase in data consumption didn't affect the average downloading speed that the users got. Indian Users Got a Seamless Downloading Experience from BSNL, Airtel, Jio and Vi It is important to note that the Opensignal report doesn't specify the operators or single out any operator for providing good services. The report focuses on the data consumption by Indians as a whole which means that all the telecom operators' networks' are automatically included. Further, the report doesn't mention that the telcos 'improved' their networks. But looking at the results of the tests, it is directly implied that if BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) didn't improve their networks, the average downloading speeds would have been affected the same manner they did during the previous year when the first wave of COVID-19 came to India. But this time, with the second wave of COVID-19, even after seeing a surge in data consumption by the users, the mobile networks provided seamless downloading speeds to the users. During the first wave of COVID-19 and lockdowns in March 2020, the downloading speeds were found to be inversely proportional to the amount of data users consumed. The more data the users consumed, the lesser downloading speeds they got. This meant that the networks of the mobile operators were getting congested due to less capacity. But in the last year, all the operators must have worked on improving the capacity of their networks to ensure a seamless connectivity experience could be provided to the users when there is a surge in data consumption yet again.

Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea Wants Spectrum Auction for Satcom Industry Posted: 13 Jun 2021 11:49 PM PDT Reliance Jio, India's number one telecom operator and Vodafone Idea (Vi), want the satcom industry to receive spectrum via spectrum auctions. However, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) believes that going with the auctions isn't the best route to provide spectrum to the satcom industry. According to a FinancialExpress report, BIF believes that since the spectrum used by the satcom players isn’t exclusive to an operator like it is with the terrestrial spectrum allocated to the telecom companies, the auctions for the satcom industry won't make any sense. BIF Against Views of Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea BIF President TV Ramachandran told the publication that globally, spectrum to the satcom industry is provided on a 'right-to-use' basis, and the spectrum is allocated via an administrative process. The charge against this spectrum is only to cover the cost that's borne by the administration for the allotment. Ramachandran further said that satellite spectrum is not provided in the same terrestrial manner the way it is provided to the telecom operators. Instead, in the case of satcom companies, the spectrum is shared by multiple operators and coordinated internationally for all types of satellites and orbital slots. Multiple operators are going to enter the Indian market with their satellite broadband services in the next year. Companies including Bharti Airtel backed OneWeb, Elon Musk owned Starlink, and Amazon's Project Juniper has plans of providing satellite internet in India very soon. The satellite broadband services will ensure that even in the remotest areas of India where the traditional mobile networks are inaccessible, these satellite broadband signals reach and keep the people connected. No wonder why Bharti Airtel has no stance in this matter yet because one of its companies (OneWeb) is planning to provide satellite broadband services in India. But Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have voiced their opinion, and they want all the operators to get their spectrum via auctions in a fair and square manner. Reliance Jio wants that any spectrum that can be utilised for providing mobile network services should be included in the auctions. Further, the telco wants both terrestrial and satellite operators should be allowed to participate in the auctions so that they can bid for the spectrum they want.

Bharti Airtel Tests 5G Network in Gurgaon With Mid-Band Spectrum Posted: 13 Jun 2021 11:07 PM PDT Bharti Airtel has been on the move for the last few weeks and has deployed additional spectrum at several regions/circles of India. Now, as per sources, the telco has made its 5G network live in Gurgaon's Cyber Hub with the help of the mid-band spectrum (3500 MHz) as part of the 5G trials all the operators have been allowed to conduct. The second-largest telecom operator of India has followed all the guidelines of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the trials. During the results, the 5G network of Bharti Airtel was able to deliver a throughput of over 1 Gbps speed. If you look closely Airtel is using its camouflaged antenna in green which is an existing 4G infra and the one antenna in white colour is a 5G radio in 3.5Ghz band. Bharti Airtel Has Mid-Band Spectrum for 5G in These Regions The DoT has allocated Bharti Airtel mid-band spectrum (3500 MHz) in four regions/circles of India – Mumbai, Kolkata Bengaluru, and Delhi/NCR. The telco is soon expected to test its 5G networks with the help of the mid-band spectrum in other regions of the country as well. The announcement of 5G trials was a big relief for the Indian telecom operator. Especially for Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio who already have 5G ready networks. The other two operators, Vodafone Idea and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) do not have plans of rolling out 5G networks any time soon. It is worth noting that Bharti Airtel became the first operator in the country to test a 5G networks using spectrum in the 1800 MHz band with the help of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology. This is a good sign for the operator. Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have both said that their mobile networks are 5G ready and all they are waiting for is the adequate spectrum from the government. The possibility of 5G spectrum auctions getting conducted by the end of this year looks very bleak. Regardless, this is a positive development for Airtel and the Indian telecom industry is moving towards a faster and reliable connectivity era with 5G.

Tata Sky Announces New Reduced Pricing for Five of Its Services Posted: 13 Jun 2021 09:57 PM PDT Tata Sky has announced a 'Summer Camp' offer for its subscribers. The Direct-to-Home (DTH) operator has reduced the pricing for five of its services under the 'Summer Camp' offer. These five services include 'Tata Sky Fitness', 'Tata Sky Dance Studio', 'Tata Sky Fun Learn', 'Tata Sky Comedy', and 'Tata Sky Smart Games'. All of the above-mentioned services will now be available for the users at 50% discounts. The offer has already started on June 13 and will stay in place until June 19, 2021. Let's take a look at the new price of these services. Tata Sky New Price for Above Mentioned TV Services Tata Sky will be offering all the five services mentioned above for a nominal cost of Rs 1 per day. Users can find the 'Tata Sky Fitness' in channel number 110, 'Tata Sky Dance Studio' in channel number 656, 'Tata Sky Fun Learn' in channel number 664 & 665, 'Tata Sky Comedy' in channel number 135, and 'Tata Sky Smart Games' in channel number 668. The 'Tata Sky Fitness' will help users with elevating their fitness levels. Users can get Yoga for kids on the channel and more. The 'Tata Sky Fun Learn' will provide users with access to animated series such as Bahubali – The Lost Legends, Rhymes, and Motu Patlu. With 'Tata Sky Comedy', users will be able to access shows such as Shakalaka Boom Boom, Karishma ka Karishma, Delnaaz ki Paathshala, and more. The 'Tata Sky Dance Studio' will help users in watching and learning new dance moves from Bollywood stars and more. As per a statement from Tata Sky, the company has rolled out this Summer Camp offer to help kids enrich their skills during the school holidays and also not get bored at the same time. As mentioned above, it is a limited period offer that has already started and will stay there till June 19, 2021. All of the services are now just available for a nominal cost of Rs 1 per day. Tata Sky is also offering users the opportunity to earn double Tata Sky Zeetos points and redeem them against popular toys. The company said that all the five services are available at a 50% discount than their original price. So this is a good deal even for users who want to try out different services of the company.

Xiaomi Believes 200W HyperCharge Won’t Have Noticeable Drawbacks Posted: 13 Jun 2021 08:00 PM PDT Since the last couple of years, faster charging has become more and more common, to the point that most brands, be it budget or flagship offers 30W fast charging as a base, with the only exception being Apple. That is just the baseline though since 65W and, at times even 100W fast charging can be spotted on phones these days. Whilst this does guarantee faster charging, there are some effects that can be commonly seen, with battery health being key to these issues. We already listed out the various effects that prolonged faster charging can offer, from the minor effects to the ones that can truly harm your smartphone usage in the long run. 100W fast charging has become the new industry goal, with more and more companies focusing on breaking the triple-digit barrier. However, Xiaomi had recently showcased its ‘HyperCharge’ fast charging technology, capable of offering 200W fast charging, which would effectively make it possible for a 4,000mAh battery to be fully charged in just 8 minutes. What Do We Know About This Fast Charging Technology While there’s no doubt that the technology is short of amazing, there are concerns about its long-term impact on battery health. To address this, Xiaomi on Saturday, in a Q&A posted on the company’s Weibo page answered certain questions in regards to the battery degradation with its 200W charging solution as was reported by Android Authority. According to Xiaomi, a battery could lose around 20% of its capacity after 800 charging and discharging cycles at a speed of 200W. This effectively means that a phone with a 5,000mAh battery will have approximately 4,000mAh of capacity left post a two-year span of speedy 200W charging. Xiaomi also claims that the impact of the company’s ‘HyperCharge’ tech in relation to battery health is within the Chinese regulatory standard that is set for battery degradation. China has a requirement for smartphone batteries to retain at least 60% of their rated capacity after 400 cycles. In contrast, Oppo’s  125W Flash Charge technology has listed out a similar impact on battery health, with approximately 20% degradation after 800 full charge and discharge cycles. Similarly, OPPO’s 65W fast charging tech results in a much lower 9% battery capacity degradation after the completion of 800 cycles. Do note that despite downplaying the effects of the company’s 200W charging tech when it comes to battery health, Xiaomi is yet to launch a new phone with over 100W fast charging since the launch of the Mi 10 Ultra. Xiaomi’s Mi 11 Ultra, which is one the best Android phones on offer in 2021 offers a comparatively measly 67W wired and wireless charging speed.

RailWire Broadband Plans Can’t Compete With Airtel, Jio, Vi and BSNL Posted: 13 Jun 2021 06:32 PM PDT RailWire is the retail broadband arm of RailTel. One of the biggest strengths of the company is its presence in multiple states and several cities. At the same time, one of the biggest weaknesses for the company is the presence of other companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The telecom operators of the country are a weakness for RailWire because users can get cheaper plans with essentially the same benefits and even more from them. This signifies a need for RailWire to revamp its offerings, but that's a discussion for another day. Today we will look at the broadband plans offered by RailWire and compare them with the plans offered by other companies. RailWire Broadband Plans That Are Just Not Worth It! Note that RailWire offers different plans in different circles. For now, we will be taking the Chhattisgarh circle for comparison. In Chhattisgarh, RailWire offers three broadband plans with – 20 Mbps, 50 Mbps, and 100 Mbps speeds. These plans cost Rs 599 per month, Rs 799 per month, and Rs 999 per month. Charging Rs 599 per month (exclusive of taxes) from the customers for offering them 20 Mbps speeds is just senseless. There is one thing though, with all the plans, users get truly unlimited data without any fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit. But still, this is no reason why RailWire is charging exorbitant prices for its retail broadband plans. Because, for much less, other companies offer more speeds and also give users more than 3TB of data for the month. For an average user, 3TB data is more or less unlimited only since he/she won't be able to consume all of it in the first place. Bharti Airtel offers its 100 Mbps plan for Rs 799 per month, which RailWire offers for Rs 999. In fact, for Rs 799, RailWire is offering 50 Mbps speed which is half of what Airtel offers its users. Reliance Jio, on the other hand, offers an even cheaper 100 Mbps plan for Rs 699 per month. For Rs 999, Airtel, Jio, and BSNL all offer internet plans with more than 100 Mbps speeds and over-the-top (OTT) benefits as well. But with RailWire, users only get 100 Mbps speed and no OTT benefits. The only way any rational user would ever go for the plans from RailWire is when he/she doesn't have any of the aforementioned operators providing services in his/her area. The private internet service providers (ISPs) should understand that if they want any success in the retail business, they will have to price their plans more competitively or just offer more benefits with the currently priced plans.

OnePlus Nord 2 Might Be Another Rebranded Phone Posted: 13 Jun 2021 08:30 AM PDT To most of the OnePlus ardent fans, the company is but a sliver of its past, offering sub-par budget devices that fail to offer anything that can separate the handset from the offerings of Xiaomi or Realme, two of the country’s biggest smartphone players in the mid-range and budget segment. The company’s Nord CE 5G did promise something different, but, upon launch, it turned out to be another device that was decent and could take the fight to the likes of Xiaomi and Realme, but, ultimately, at least on paper, ends up being dominated by iQOO’s latest offering, the iQOO Z3 5G. Now, a leakster has claimed that the Nord 2, which is the upcoming successor of the OnePlus Nord that was launched in 2020 will be a rebrand of Realme’s X9 Pro, complete with the same Mediatek Dimesity 1200 chipset. Whilst this is not bad news per se, it does demotivate a OnePlus fan that expects something different from a company that has been a strong entity. The leak might seem confusing, considering how the Realme X9 Pro make uses of a Snapdragon 870 processor, but, as per the leakster who goes by Arsenal on Weibo, the device will be on offer in two different models, one with a Snapdragon 870 processor and a curved display, with the other model making use of a Dimensity 1200 processor and a 90Hz flat panel. What Else Do We Know About the Nord 2 This duality does mean that Realme will choose not the launch the Mediatek version in China, as it will be launched as the OnePlus Nord 2 on a global scale. The source has also revealed that the device will launch in July of 2021, similar to what we have been hearing in the last couple of days. According to a TENAA listing though, the Reale X9 Pro makes use of a 16MP ultrawide-angle camera but, from a prior leak that surfaced earlier this week, it was revealed that the OnePlus Nord 2 will feature an 8MP ultrawide angle camera. Do note that the rest of the sensors will be the same across both devices. Both phones will make use of a 4500mAh battery and support 65W fast charging. When it comes to the design, the rear panel will be different from the description of the Nord 2. Whilst Realme has opted for a pill-shaped LED flash that is positioned near the top camera, reports suggest that the OnePlus Nord 2 will feature its LED flash at the bottom, close to the third sensor. We can also expect the Nord 2  to future an alert slider, a feature missing from Realme’s phones. If you are into tech, this should be of no surprise, since both companies are owned by BBK Electronics and there is no end in sight for this trend, with Oppo, Vivo and Realme usually sharing certain aspects of their devices.

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