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• Smartphone Sales Rose by 26% in Q1 2021, Samsung Takes Top Spot: Gartner Report
• OnePlus Nord N200 Leaked by Pete Lau, to Offer a FHD+ Display and 5G Support
• Jio Saavn Users Can Now Access Music Channels and Playlists Within the App
• COAI Calls 5G Tech Safe, Says Concerns Around Health Consequences Misleading
• India’s Active Internet Population to Grow Nearly 45% by 2025
• OnePlus Nord CE 5G Key Features and Price Leaked Days Before Launch
• Vodafone Idea Has the Largest Network in Gujarat
• Bharti Airtel Was Chosen by 2 Out Every 3 Customers: TRAI
• Opinion: BSNL Is Not Wrong About Investing on 4G
• Vodafone Idea Announces Cloud Firewall Solution to Keep Enterprises Secure
• Facebook’s Big Move Might Irk the Indian Government
• MTNL Now Offering 4TB FUP Data With Broadband Plans
• Bharti Airtel Betting on Digital Business to Grow
• TRAI to Help in Deciding Spectrum Bands Apt for Satellite Broadband Companies
• GPON Broadband Technology Benefits Explained
• This Feature by Google Will Make Using a Pixel Camera Even More Fun
• BSNL Ahead of Jio, Airtel, Vi in Offering Year-Long Validity Plans

Smartphone Sales Rose by 26% in Q1 2021, Samsung Takes Top Spot: Gartner Report Posted: 07 Jun 2021 09:03 AM PDT On Monday, Anshul Gupta, the senior research director at Gartner stated that smartphone sales grew by 26 per cent in Q1 2021 after a steep decline during the year 2020-21 as per a report by the research company. The improvement in terms of consumer outlook sustained learning and working from home coupled with pent-up demand from 2020 boosted sales of smartphones in the first quarter as per Mr Gupta. He added that consumers started spending on additional or discretionary items as the pandemic situation improved in multiple parts of the world and markets opened up. Do note that one cannot ignore that the base for comparison is also lower in 2020 than it was in the previous year of 2019, thus explaining the double-digit growth. According to the report, the top three global smartphone sellers have maintained their respective positions in the first quarter or Q1 of 2021. The launch of mid-segment smartphones, such as phones priced under the barrier of $150 or approximately 10,920 boosted Korean giant Samsung's unit sales globally. The early shipping of 5G smartphones, especially the flagships added to the company's smartphone sales growth. What Does The Data Reveal? In terms of the data, Apple shifted back into the second position in the first quarter of 2021, after getting the top spot in the fourth quarter of 2020. The launch of the Cupertino giant’s first 5G iPhone series led to increased demand in 2021. Mr Gupta said that 5G will continue to be the major growth driver for Apple in 2021, with device upgrades fueling demand for Apple's flagship phone throughout the year. The top five smartphone vendors on a global scale registered strong YoY growth in 2020 hinting that the phone market is focused around the top five vendors. Chinese smartphone vendors such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi saw a growing demand for 5G smartphones and used the opportunities due to lower sales of Huawei and LG globally in this quarter due to the US trade ban and lack of competitive products. When it comes to raw numbers, Samsung sold 76,611 thousand units with a market share of 20.3% in Q1 of 2021, higher than the 55,332.6 thousand units and market share of 18.4 per cent in 2020. Like this, Apple was able to sell 58,550.8 thousand units and garner a market share of 15.5% in Q1 2021 in comparison to 40,920.1 thousand units and a market share of 13.6% in 2020. Xiaomi was able to sell 48,938.6 thousand units in Q1 2021, quite higher than the previously recorded  29,678.4 thousand units in 2020 with the market share rising from 9.9% to 12.9%. Furthermore, the likes of Vivo and Oppo sold 38,715.2 thousand units and 38,393 thousand units respectively, with a market share of 10.2% each.

OnePlus Nord N200 Leaked by Pete Lau, to Offer a FHD+ Display and 5G Support Posted: 07 Jun 2021 07:24 AM PDT In recent times, OnePlus has started to take a different approach when it comes to pre-release promotions of a new device. Earlier the company would drop bleak hints, but, since 2020, the company decided that going public in one way or the other or by revealing the design, something good might come out of it, and the hype train would keep on running. This is what Ex-OnePlus employee and co-founder Carl Pei did by unveiling the highly talked about and anticipated Nord in a youtube video prior to the launch and, today, almost a year later, the CEO of the company, Mr Pete Lau went public and decided to leak an upcoming device from the brand which will be launched in the US. Pete Lau sat down with the folks at PC Mag in order to talk about the next budget phone in the Nord lineup, which will be under the moniker of the Nord N200, which is the successor to the Nord N100 that was launched back in 2020. What Do We Know About the Nord N200 Out of expectations that you might have regarding the device, the design will not surprise you as it will be quite similar to the original mould. Lau does mention that two new features are coming to the new device, namely the FHD+ display and support for 5G. As for the design that was mentioned above, at first glance, you can see that the device takes inspiration from the S21 by Samsung and the OnePlus 8T. Do note that it is actually a rebranded Oppo A93, which was launched back in January of 2021. This is similar to the Nord N100, which in itself was a rebrand. The device opts to remove the alert slider that sets the OnePlus flagships apart. When it comes to optics, going by the Oppo A93, the device might make use of a 48MP primary camera coupled with 2MP depth sensors. Other features will be in relation to microSD card support and the inclusion of a headphone jack. The handset might also feature a 5,000mAh battery and a Snapdragon 480 chipset. In terms of the display, the device could make use of a panel with a refresh rate of 90Hz and a resolution of FHD+. Pete Lau has mentioned that the Nord 200 will be launched in the United States of America for under $250. Given the relative success that its predecessor currently holds, it might be another hit in the making.

Jio Saavn Users Can Now Access Music Channels and Playlists Within the App Posted: 07 Jun 2021 06:20 AM PDT Jio Saavn, the largest streaming platform for music and audio-related entertainment in the whole of South Asia on Monday released its new product which aims to tackle video streaming platforms, This new product has been given the name of  JioSaavnTV. The unique video feature from Reliance Jio aims to bridge the gap between expert curation and ease of consumption. JioSaavnTV is the newest addition to the video products on offer via the platform. With JioSaavnTV, the platform aims to create and organise a new television experience when it comes to music in addition to its widely popular audio service. This feature will intend to provide users with a one-stop entertainment hub via the highest quality streaming technology. When it comes to usage, with expert curation and ease of consumption, users will be able to access Music TV Channels and Music Video Playlists on a new tab on the homepage, which will allow them to make a choice on what the user would like to watch. TV Channels will have recommended videos that will play one after the other, with Video Playlists being playlists curated by mood, genre and artists. What Else Does Jio Include in the New Platform? By the newly introduced Music TV channel and the Music Video Playlists, JioSaavn intends to provide a differentiated experience by letting users discover and gain access to a whole range of music videos from the artist, era or mood. The new feature will enable users to switch seamlessly between videos that they wish to watch as well as previously queued audio tracks. To get access to the full in-app video experience JioSaavn users can flip between horizontal and vertical modes. To start off the launch, JioSaavnTV will provide curation around popular artists, moods, genres and eras in music. The release of the new product is being aided by a marketing campaign via video ads showcasing music videos from artists such as  Badshah, Justin Beiber, Dua Lipa, K-Pop sensation BTS and Akul. The launch will also be amplified across various different social channels, digital and influencer outreach as well as a VR experience by making use of Instagram. In terms of usage, Jio Saavn Pro users will be able to enjoy an ad-free and unlimited access to the video library, with free users being given the option to watch up to three videos per month, providing access to those who do not wish to splurge on a membership, but limiting their overall access.

COAI Calls 5G Tech Safe, Says Concerns Around Health Consequences Misleading Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:45 AM PDT The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has said that there multiple shreds of evidence available which confirm that the next-generation cellular network technology 5G is safe. The industry body further added that the concerns about the impact of 5G technology amongst people are totally misplaced. As reported by PTI, COAI contended that 5G would be a game-changer in the cellular network space, and the economy as a whole will witness an exponential increase in benefits because of 5G. India Has Stringent Norms and Prescribed Standard for Electromagnetic Radiation Limits In India, COAI, as an industry association, represents players in the telecom market like Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. With that position, COAI has argued that compared to other globally accepted standards, India has much stricter norms and prescribed standards in place for electromagnetic radiation limit in the telecom sector. This comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed a lawsuit by Indian Actress Juhi Chawla. Her lawsuit that challenged the setting up of 5G wireless networks in the country was described as defective and an abuse of the process of law. As a result, the Delhi High Court stroked the petitioner and other co-petitioners down with Rs 20 lakh fine, which the court thought was filed to gain publicity. COAI's Director-General, Dr S.P. Kochhar, welcomed the court's decision on the lawsuit against 5G and said that it puts various rumours spreading to rest. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been several rumours linking 5G technology with the spread of the airborne virus. Just last month, the industry association had slammed these rumours and dismissed the unsubstantiated and unverified claims around the adverse health effects of 5G. Fallacious Fears Always Surface When New Technology Is Introduced Dr S.P. Kochhar commented on the matter to defend 5G technology and said that the radiation permitted in India is one-tenth of the globally accepted standards. He said that the system has already accounted for these radiations, and any notion or concerns around them and their impact are misplaced. He further added that such fallacious fears always surface whenever a new technology is introduced.

India’s Active Internet Population to Grow Nearly 45% by 2025 Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:35 AM PDT India, being the second largest population in the world, serves as a growing customer base for companies of different sectors. One such industry that will benefit the most from an increasing customer base is the technology Industry. According to a recent study, the number of active internet users in India is expected to grow by nearly 45% by 2025. With this substantial growth, the number of active internet users in India will touch 900 million in the next four years. In 2020, the number of active internet users in India stood at 622 million. Rural Internet Population Grew More than Urban India in 2020 A research report by IAMAI-Kantar Cube revealed that by 2025, rural India would have a higher number of internet users than urban centres. According to that research, a need to strengthen the digital ecosystem in the country is indicated. Telecom companies need to start building infrastructure that can support and reach the rural corners of the country in anticipation of the upcoming demand. The report also included statistics comparing the growth of the internet population between rural and urban India. It showed that in 2020, the rural internet population grew by 13% compared to just a 4% growth in urban India. In terms of the reach of the internet, 323 million users have access to the internet in urban centres, which constitutes 67% of the entire urban population. In rural India, 299 million users have access to the internet, constituting just 31% of the entire rural population of the country. This shows that the digital adoption rate in urban centres in 2020 was over two times more than in rural areas. Statistics on Uses of the Internet Revealed According to the reports, nine out of ten active users access the internet on a daily basis. On average, an active user spends 107 minutes on the internet every day. Of every five internet users in India, two are from small towns of the country. The top 9 metro cities in India account for 33% of the active internet user base. The report further dwells into the use case of the internet in the country as well. It shows that 96% of total internet users access the internet for entertainment. This is followed by 90% use of the internet for communication and 82% use to access social media.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G Key Features and Price Leaked Days Before Launch Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:27 AM PDT OnePlus launched the OnePlus Nord in 2020 to enter into the popular mid-range smartphone segment of the market. A new model in the Nord Series, namely the OnePlus Nord CE 5G, is all set to launch on June 10th in India. As it has become customary for companies to tease features of their upcoming smartphones to build interest, OnePlus has also been teasing features of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G bit by bit. According to the teasers released by the company itself, the smartphone is set to sport a hole-punch display design and a 64-megapixel main sensor at the rear of the device. New Leaks Offer Details on Price and Launch Offer Details A released teaser posted of the OnePlus Nord CE 5G smartphone has been recently spotted on Amazon three days ahead of the launch. The poster reveals key specifications of the smartphone that includes a 4500mAh battery and a 64MP triple camera setup at the back of the device. The poster also revealed that the budget-friendly smartphone would come with Warp Charge 30T Plus charging technology. On the other hand, Tipster Ishan Agarwal tweeted that the price of the upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 5G and the OnePlus TV U1S that is said to launch alongside the mid-range smartphone. According to the leaks, the phone is expected to be priced at a starting price of Rs 22,999. The OnePlus TV U1S is expected to launch in three models with varied sizes, that are, 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch. The leaked prices of these models are Rs 37,999, Rs 45,999 and Rs 60,999, respectively. Customers will be able to enjoy a launch offer of an additional Rs 1,000 discount from HDFC bank. OnePlus Nord CE 5G to Be Powered by Snapdragon 750G SoC OnePlus has also teased several specifications ahead to slowly unveil the upcoming smartphone. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G will have a 6.43-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will come with up to 8GB RAM and up to 128GB internal storage. It will be powered by the mid-range Snapdragon 750G SoC chipset. The triple camera setup in the back will include a 64 MP main sensor, 8 MP ultra-wide camera and 2 MP depth sensor. The smartphone will also include a headphone jack. The OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus TV U1S are set to launch side by side at 7 PM IST on June 10th. OnePlus's upcoming smartphone and television will be available on Amazon and the OnePlus India website.

Vodafone Idea Has the Largest Network in Gujarat Posted: 07 Jun 2021 05:21 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-top telecom operator of the country has just announced that it has the largest mobile network in Gujarat. For the unaware, the telco has over 25.08 million subscribers in the state. Through its 4G network, Vodafone Idea serves 15,468 towns in Gujarat, India. All of this has been possible because of the impressive spectrum holdings of the operator in the state. In Gujarat, Vi has a total of 113.6 MHz spectrum in several bands including 900, 1800, 2100, and 2500 MHz. Vodafone Idea Has Most Spectrum in 900 MHz Band Vodafone Idea has the most spectrum in the state in the 900 MHz band. This helps the telco in providing great coverage throughout the state which further results in better voice call and data experience for the user. Even when indoors, users get good connectivity. Leveraging its efficient mix of FDD and TDD sites, Vodafone Idea has been able to provide enhanced network speed and capacity. Giganet from Vi offered the fastest 4G speeds to the users in Gujarat for three consecutive quarters from July 2020 to March 2021. Vodafone Idea has made several advancements in its networks as well as the offers that it provides to users. The company has partnered with multiple online platforms such as Udemy, Upgrad, and Pedagogy to help its customers with learning online during the pandemic. For entertainment purposes, Vi customers can also download and use the Vi Movies & TV application. Even heavy data users can make the most out of their plans from Vodafone Idea by utilising its offers such as 'Weekend Data Rollover' and 'Binge All Night'. For the unaware, the 'Weekend Data Rollover' offer provides users with all the leftover fair-usage-policy (FUP) data during the weekends. Further, the 'Binge All Night' offer allows users to consume as much data they want at high speeds between 12 AM and 6 AM every day. Both the offers are only provided by the company in select plans. Vodafone Idea also offers plans for enterprises starting at just Rs 299. The telecom operator has a ton of offerings specially created and curated for enterprises in India. Vi is helping enterprises in the country scaling their business online.

Bharti Airtel Was Chosen by 2 Out Every 3 Customers: TRAI Posted: 07 Jun 2021 03:01 AM PDT Bharti Airtel is right at the top when it comes to the brand image. The telco associates itself as a company that focuses on quality users who can pay more for getting excellent services. The company has just announced a new brand campaign to highlight just how world-class its network is. According to a release by the company, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had published a data for the September 2020 – February 2021 period in which 2 out of every 3 customers chose Bharti Airtel's networks over other operators' networks. Further, the telco added over 25 million customers in the same period. Bharti Airtel's 5G Ready Network to be a Boost Bharti Airtel is investing a lot on its network and that is why the company has a 5G ready network already. Airtel has already started deploying the 355.4 MHz of additional spectrum it purchased across several brands in the recently held auctions by spending about Rs 18,699 crore. Pallavi Chakravarti, Executive Creative Director, Taprut Dentsu, said that the change is taking place slowly in the industry. She meant that Airtel is overtaking the industry and leaving Jio behind. While the company had been adding more subscribers than Jio for quite some time, it is not at all true that it is even near to the point where it can overtake Reliance Jio. Opensignal, in its March report, had said that Airtel's mobile network is the best in India when it came to gaming and video experience for the users. One thing is for sure though, Airtel has been innovating at its own pace. It is not worried about Jio eating up the complete market share. This is because the telco not only offers very competitive prepaid plans, but also made net profits during the last calendar year. It was a big positive for the investors of the company and further promised that Airtel is going in the right direction. Bharti Airtel offers a variety of unique services and one of them is One Airtel plans. Even the digital businesses of the company are roping in many new users which is again a positive for the company.

Opinion: BSNL Is Not Wrong About Investing on 4G Posted: 07 Jun 2021 01:13 AM PDT For a long-time now, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been trying to proceed with its 4G roll out operations in India. But one after another, problems and hurdles keep arising for the state-run telecom operator. BSNL has been in a grave situation for the last few years and is still running because of the grace of the government's revival package. The Himachal Pradesh (HP) High Court (HC) recently called out BSNL for wasting the taxpayers' money. The court said that while the whole world is looking to roll out 5G networks, BSNL is still stuck in using people's money for rolling out 4G. While the court's comments come in concern of keeping taxpayers' money safe, BSNL can still do wonders with 4G. BSNL's 4G Will be Important for Indian Telecom Just because companies and the world is moving towards 5G, it doesn't mean that 4G will be rendered useless as soon as a single 5G network is introduced. Both the technologies have a multitude of differences in terms of performance; hence their use cases are completely different. While there's no doubt that the future of connectivity is 5G only, 4G still has a major role to play, at least in India. 5G is still at least 3 to 4 years away or even longer to reach PAN-India coverage. Further, the 5G plans are expected to be significantly more expensive than the 4G plans on offer today. A lot of average consumers who are happy with 4G networks and their speeds won't want to pay more for 5G plans regardless of how much extra speed they get. On top of this, India hasn't even seen true 4G yet. But BSNL can change all of this. True 4G speeds will be very much sufficient for users to carry out almost every internet need they have. Since 4G networks of Airtel and Jio are congested, BSNL coming out with cheap 4G plans and good network coverage will enhance the 4G services in the country. The state-run telecom operator needs to ensure that it is building an excellent 4G network throughout India with great coverage in the rural as well as urban areas. The operator also needs to ensure that its networks can support higher capacity. Rural India still doesn't have true 4G networks. BSNL, with its support from the government, can utilise the taxpayers’ money to invest in 4G in offering a great network experience to users in rural areas. At the same time, yes, BSNL can also look at 5G and build 4G sites with equipment that can be upgraded to support 5G with a simple software rollout. But there's one more thing, BSNL can't wait anymore. The longer it takes for the telecom operator to rollout 4G in India, the more its chances of reaching an endpoint.

Vodafone Idea Announces Cloud Firewall Solution to Keep Enterprises Secure Posted: 07 Jun 2021 12:27 AM PDT More and more businesses are adapting to the digital way of conducting operations and providing services in this pandemic struck world. Understanding the requirements of these businesses, Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced a new security solution for them. For the unaware, the telco has a 'Business' arm called 'Vi Business', which caters to the needs and demands of enterprises in the country. The new security solution called 'Vi Cloud Firewall' is a cloud-deployed security solution that enterprises can leverage to keep their sensitive data and information secure. Vodafone Idea Partnered With Firstwave Cloud Technology to Create Cloud Firewall Vodafone Idea (Vi) had partnered with Firstwave Cloud Technology, an industry-leading security technology provider, to develop the 'Vi Cloud Firewall'. The aim of the 'Vi Cloud Firewall' is to understand and cater to the modern security needs of enterprises. The 'Vi Cloud Firewall' has been engineered for Vi's OpenStack RedHat cloud environment, which is managed using FirstWave's Cloud Content Security Platform (CCSP). The security solution developed by both companies is powered by the VM Series Virtual-Next Generation Firewall (NFGW) technology by Palo Alto Networks, which is one of the market leaders. As per the company, the 'Vi Cloud Firewall' is a next-generation firewall technology that will keep enterprises secure. Further, the technology comes with DDoS protection, content filtering, real-time intelligence, data loss prevention, secure VPN and more. One of the best things about the security solution is that the companies won't need to incur capex for installing it. There is no need for a premise infrastructure for a business or an enterprise to install the solution and run it. The enterprises won't even need their IT teams to manage the solution. It is a one-stop solution that is very cost-effective for companies if they are thinking about investing in their data's security. The need and utility of cloud applications will grow even further as 5G connectivity arrives in India. The 'Vi Cloud Firewall' solution from Vodafone Idea will prove to be very useful for the companies which are looking to invest in their security infrastructure. The 'Vi Cloud Firewall' is just one of many solutions that Vodafone Idea offers to enterprises in India.

Facebook’s Big Move Might Irk the Indian Government Posted: 07 Jun 2021 12:08 AM PDT Facebook has been changing policies regarding its content aggressively. This is because the company wants to be identified as a platform that treats everyone's content respectfully and in the same manner. There will be no difference in norms for regulating the content of an average person and a politician. The company received a lot of flak because of the different way it treated the content that came from the government officials and the content that came from a normal citizen. But not anymore; Facebook is going overboard with its policies and will look to regulate all the content in the same manner and with the same policies regardless of whose content it is. Facebook's New Approach Towards Content For the unaware, Facebook had suspended Donald Trump from its platform back in January. However, the company has now decided to extend the suspension until 2023 at least. The suspension might be extended even further to an indefinite period. One of the notable things here is that this is the first time that Facebook has suspended an account of such a powerful person. Now, if a politician engages in harmful/hateful speech, his/her account and content will be under the purview of the same regulations that the company uses for normal citizens. These changes will be coming to India as well. This is a much-needed change that Facebook had to bring in, given the power of influence its platform holds. People go berserk if a politician makes a hateful comment or speech on the platform. Facebook had to come up with such a policy to keep people in the country and its platform safe from being exposed to propaganda and agendas that politicians spread. The new content policy of Facebook might not sit well with the Indian government officials. This is because a lot of people in high power inside the government use Facebook to say whatever they feel like. If their account is also suspended, they will not look at Facebook in a very light manner. This is a strong, bold, brave, and much-needed decision from Facebook. The company will decide what posts need to stay on the platform and what doesn't on the basis of their value to the users. If the company finds that the content is hateful and harmful, it will remove it.

MTNL Now Offering 4TB FUP Data With Broadband Plans Posted: 06 Jun 2021 11:51 PM PDT Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) is now offering users more data with its broadband plans. The company used to offer very less fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with the broadband plans, which compelled the users to go with other internet service providers (ISPs) such as Airtel Xstream Fiber, JioFiber, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Bharat Fibre. However, much recently, the telecom operator has increased the FUP data that is offered to the users with the broadband plans in Mumbai. Let's take a look at the total FUP data that users get with different plans now. MTNL Broadband Plans Offering More FUP Data MTNL is offering up to 4TB of FUP data with its broadband plans now. The two major plans offered by the company in Mumbai are 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps plans. There is a Rs 600 plan for getting both 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps speeds. This plan offers users 600GB of data (50 Mbps plan) and 500GB of data (100 Mbps plan). Users further get 150 calls free from the company and 2 Mbps speed post FUP data consumption. Then with the Rs 800 plan, users will now get 1,000GB FUP data (50 Mbps plan) and 900GB FUP data (100 Mbps plan). There is an added benefit of 200 calls. Once the FUP data is consumed, the speed drops to 2 Mbps. With the Rs 1,000 plan, users get 1,500GB FUP data (50 Mbps plan) and 1,400GB FUP data (100 Mbps plan). The benefit increases to 300 calls with this plan, and the speed for the user again drops to 2 Mbps once the FUP data is consumed. There are three more plans that come for Rs 1,200, Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000. For Rs 1,200, the FUP data offered with the 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps plan is 2,000GB and 1,900GB FUP data, respectively. Users are eligible to get 500 free calls from the company. The internet speed drops to 2 Mbps after the FUP data is consumed. For Rs 1,500, the 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps plan come with 2,800GB and 2,700GB FUP data. The voice calling benefit remains the same at 500 calls. The internet speed post-consumption of FUP data is 2 Mbps. Lastly, with the most expensive Rs 2,000 plan from the company, users get 4,000GB (4TB) and 3,900GB data with the 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps plans. There is no limitation on the number of calls a user can make, and the speed will again drop to 2 Mbps once the FUP data is consumed.

Bharti Airtel Betting on Digital Business to Grow Posted: 06 Jun 2021 11:00 PM PDT Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator in the country, has been investing very heavily in the digital business of the company. Airtel understands where the future of the communication and telecom industry lies. Thus the operator had also restructured its entire organisation recently so that it could focus on the digital aspects and business in a much better manner. According to a report from ET Telecom, Bharti Airtel has increased the headcount in its digital verticals by up to 150%. This is because the company wants to in-source a big chunk of its digital business and build products that are customer-focused. Bharti Airtel's 50% Business is Through Digital Channels As the days go by, the need for convenience and demand for a frictionless and virtual experience by the customers is increasing. Airtel understands this and is ramping up its digital business quite fast. At present, the company's 50% of the business is through digital channels only. Airtel is investing in people with really good knowledge about the digital industry. The telco wants to ensure that it can build a digital platform that can be monetised in the future. Bharti Airtel has even hired people who used to work at NASA and silicon valley to ensure that it can build a solid digital business. Airtel X-Labs, Bharti Airtel's technology startup, is building artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that will be able to communicate with the customers of the company in over 12 languages. The chatbot will be able to resolve the issues of its customers in the country. Airtel X-Labs is also working on other digital aspects such as creating high value and super powerful mobile applications, voice bots, distributed computing, and more. Bharti Airtel has already shown the world that it can build high-quality digital platforms such as Wynk Music, Airtel Xstream, and Airtel Thanks. The investors of the company will be very happy with its vision of the future. Other telecom operators, including Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi), have also been working on their digital businesses. For the unaware, Bharti Airtel had recently announced 'Airtel IQ', which is a first of its kind cloud communications suite for India.

TRAI to Help in Deciding Spectrum Bands Apt for Satellite Broadband Companies Posted: 06 Jun 2021 10:38 PM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be helping the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in coming up with the norms that need to come into place to regulate the satellite broadband companies. The telecom department has asked the sector regulator to unveil a comprehensive discussion paper that will focus on creating a new licensing framework for the low earth orbit (LEO) operators. As per an ET Telecom report, TRAI will also be seeking to provide recommendations of which spectrum bands should be provided to the satellite broadband companies for offering services. TRAI to Suggest Whether New Licenses Are Required or Not TRAI, through its comprehensive discussion paper, will seek to understand whether a new category of licenses will be required or the satellite broadband companies can work with the existing licenses. As per the report, through the discussion paper, TRAI will also seek views on the spectrum bands that need to be provided to the satellite broadband companies. It is only a short period left before global companies such as Starlink and OneWeb will start providing services in India. In addition to these two companies, Amazon's Project Juniper is also looking to enter the Indian market to provide satellite broadband services through LEO satellites. OneWeb believes that 'Q' and 'V' bands will be very important for providing satellite broadband services in the country. The Q and V bands are typically the mmWave spectrum bands which come in the 33-75 GHz band. Looking at the current satcom policies, a VSAT company needs approval from the Department of Space (DoS) to establish satellite earth station gateways in India. The companies won't get any separate license only to establish gateway operations alone because it is a part of the VSAT license. As per a senior industry executive, the government and the regulator should seek to simplify and widen the scope of the existing satcom licenses. This is because if there are new licenses created, it will create new restrictions for the industry, which would result in delays and slow growth for the companies. It will be interesting to see what rules the government comes up with for the satellite broadband companies. Both OneWeb and Starlink plan to provide services in 2022 in India, which means the government needs to decide fast on the policies.

GPON Broadband Technology Benefits Explained Posted: 06 Jun 2021 09:30 PM PDT A broadband internet connection is delivered at your doorstep mainly in two different ways which in the form of a wired connection or a wireless connection. A wired connection uses an ethernet cable that delivers access to your computer or laptop. A wireless connection uses a Wi-Fi router that can be used to connect multiple devices in a single broadband connection. Underwired connection, a Passive Optical Network or PON technology uses fibre optic cabling to provide ethernet connectivity from the main data source to endpoints. Since its launch in the mid-90s, PON has constantly been evolving. Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) is the next big thing in structured cabling technology. It uses a fibre-optic broadband connection to create a point to multipoint network. This grants individual users all fibre access to any ethernet end-point. There are many benefits of GPON Broadband technology. GPON System Can Transmit Data Over Greater Range Where conventional copper cables have a limited range of only 100 meters, GPON systems can transmit data over 10 to 20 kilometres. This means that even if you are situated far away from your Internet Service Provider, GPON Broadband Technology can deliver high-speed internet despite the distance. GPON Can Provide Much Faster Speed The GPON technology is built on fibre optic cables. Fibre optic cables are built of glass strands and are as thick as human hair. They can transmit data at the speed of light. The fibre optic network of GPON technology provides high-performance bandwidth of up to 5 gigabits per second downstream and 25 Gbps up to the hub. These speeds are impossible to achieve with copper wires over a great distance. GPON Technology is Environmental Friendly As fibre optic cables are much thinner than copper cables, they save much space underground and above the ground. This makes fibre optics an efficient choice of transmitting data to your doorstep. The fibre optic technology uses fewer components and also does not have any strict operating temperature requirements. Since it uses less electricity and air conditioning at the backend, it makes GPON Technology environmental friendly. GPON Is a Sophisticated Technology GPON can employ burst-mode, which is a high-speed transmission with statistical usage capabilities. This feature allows dynamic control and sharing of bandwidth using committed and excess information rate parameters. It enables ISPs to provide their users with a minimum guaranteed bandwidth at peak time. Features like these make GPON a sophisticated technology compared to others.

This Feature by Google Will Make Using a Pixel Camera Even More Fun Posted: 06 Jun 2021 08:00 PM PDT Google’s Pixel series has been one of the most popular yet underwhelming series of devices in terms of net sales, losing out not only to primary competitors like Samsung and Apple but also to lower brands like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi. Despite this, the devices from the Android provider offer amazing features, one of them being a great camera. The Pixel lineup, be it the flagship Pixel 5 or the budget 4a offers an amazing camera, be it a dual-camera setup or a single camera, the company seems to have a magical potion that it applies to its devices to allow for cameras that can trade blows with devices that might cost twice as much, if not more. Now, it has been revealed that Google is working on a new feature that could make the pre-existing astrophotography mode on the Pixel series of devices much cooler. XDA Developers have found evidence of a new Astrotimelapse feature, which might be something that could revolutionise night-mode photography, especially astrophotography. Google’s Upcoming Astrotimelapse Feature Seems Pretty Cool The feature was spotted in the latest Pixel Tips app running the version v3.4.0.373287606. Google has been known to roll out updates to its Pixel Tips app a couple of days prior to a feature drop related update, so it might be so that the new Astrotimelapse feature will arrive alongside the June Feature Drop applicable for all the Pixel phones that have support for Astrophotography mode. As of now, there are no details regarding the name, but, by the unique yet simplistic moniker, we can fathom that the upcoming feature will allow the Pixel users to shoot and capture timelapse videos of the night sky. In case you did not know, the Realme 8 Pro, a device that was launched earlier this year, already has a similar feature called “Starry Timelapse.” on offer. The only detail that has surfaced regarding this is in relation to the basic necessity for the feature, as the feature will require version 8.2.3 of the Google Camera app. As of the day of writing this article, the latest version of Google Camera is 8.2.2, so it looks like an update could start begin rolled out very soon. Additionally, the latest Pixel Tips update will also include a “tip” in relation to the Locked Folder feature which was showcased initially during the Google I/O event held last month. The feature will be restricted to Pixel phones initially, but it could be provided to the best Android phones from certain brands in the near future.

BSNL Ahead of Jio, Airtel, Vi in Offering Year-Long Validity Plans Posted: 06 Jun 2021 06:30 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has its shortcomings in providing services and overall management of the network, but the company still offers very competitive prepaid plans. The telco offers such economical and benefits packed year-long validity plans that it just beats what Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea offer to their customers. If BSNL had an existing 4G network with impressive coverage, it would have been the top operator of the country. Regardless, the company offers very attractive plans with long-term validity; let's take a look at them. BSNL Plan Vouchers For Long-Term BSNL offers two plan vouchers for the long term. Both the plans come with a validity of 365 days (1 year) and provide users with multiple benefits. The special thing about both the vouchers is that they are cheap in terms of the benefits they provide to the users. The two plans that we are talking about come for Rs 1,999 and Rs 2,399. Jio, Airtel, and Vi also offer users long-term plans for the same amount. But none of the private operators offers as much benefit as BSNL does with its plans. Starting with the PV_1999 that costs Rs 1,999, it comes with 2GB daily data and truly unlimited calling for the whole year. Once the user has consumed the fair-usage-policy (FUP) data for the day, the internet speed reduces to 80 Kbps. Users also get 100 SMS/day and a free over-the-top (OTT) subscription of Eros Now. There is a free caller tune benefit with unlimited song changing and Lokdhun content (60 days) included as well. The second voucher is PV_2399, and it costs Rs 2,399. Users get 3GB daily data with 100 SMS/day and truly unlimited voice calling with the voucher. Post consumption of FUP data, the internet speed drops to 80 Kbps only, and users also get a free caller tune benefit and OTT benefit of Eros Now. The benefits of both the plans are valid for 1 year. It is important to note that both the vouchers might not be available for users in all the circles. It is also worth noting that these are the two most expensive plan vouchers offered by the company to users for plan extension and plan migration. While Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) don't offer the same benefits packed prepaid plans like BSNL, all of the private operators have a good 4G coverage throughout the country. This helps them in staying ahead of the state-run operator even though their plans are slightly expensive and offer lesser benefits in most cases. BSNL's quest for rolling out 4G services in India is still going on.

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