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Airtel Digital TV Receives Channel Updates Along With New Audio Feeds

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 09:05 AM PDT

Airtel Digital TV Bharti Airtel's DTH arm, Airtel Digital TV, is one of the most liked DTH operators in India right now. With the launch of the Airtel Black postpaid plans, a lot more subscribers are migrating from other platforms to Airtel Digital TV for better benefits which come with a single bill under the banner of Airtel Black. However, this pertains to you if you are already an Airtel Digital TV subscriber. Not only this, but even subscribers of Dish TV and D2h would like to know which new channels have been removed from their platforms. Although new channel addition and deletion keep on happening every other day, but some of the channels that have been either removed or added are popular ones, and the users might like to know the update about the same.

Airtel Digital TV Channel Changes

Firstly, talking about Airtel Digital TV, the subscribers would be keen to know that Sonic channel, which is also known as Soni @ 2, for its price has received a new audio feed. Previously, the Sonic channel was only available in languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam. But, now two more audio feeds have been added to these channels. These include Marathi and Bengali. The audio has been added in the AAC-ADTS format. Another channel that has received a new audio update is Zee Marathi @ Rs 19. Zee Marathi is a GEC that is popular in the Marathi audience. It has also received Marathi audio, and as the name suggests, the channel is available for the price of Rs 19. In other related news, Airtel Star Promo Home has been removed from the Airtel Digital TV platform and is no longer available for subscribers.

Dish TV and D2h Channel Changes

Another related news regarding the removal and addition of channels is about ABZY Dhakad. The channel was removed from both Dish TV and D2h, but it has now been added back to Dish TV.

OnePlus 9T Might Not See Light of the Day

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 07:48 AM PDT

OnePlus 9T OnePlus, one of the top smartphone brands in India and globally, has a tradition of launching 'T' model devices in the second half of the year. The company launches its flagship phones usually in the early summer in India, and the 'T' model makes it to the market by October or November. Many users don't purchase the devices that come into the market during the summer just so that they can get their hands on the 'T' model of the same device. Just like every year, OnePlus is expected to launch the OnePlus 9T in India in October. But the company might have shelved its plans of launching the smartphone.

OnePlus 9T Might Not Launch in India, Here's Why

According to a popular tipster Max Jambor, OnePlus will not be launching the OnePlus 9T this year. The tweet from Jambor doesn't mention the reason behind this, but it could be due to the global chip shortage. Every smartphone brand has been facing a chip shortage, and especially the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is in high demand, isn't available very easily. This could be one of the crucial reasons for OnePlus to not come out with the product. Last year, OnePlus didn't come out with the OnePlus 8T Pro like the 7T Pro because the company didn't really offer many enhancements with the 8T over the regular OnePlus 8, and it might have been the same case with the 8 Pro and the 8T Pro. Thus, another reason for OnePlus to not launch the OnePlus 9T in India can be the fact that it doesn't really have a lot to offer to the users. Note that this is just an unconfirmed rumour from a tipster. If OnePlus actually doesn't plan to come out with the OnePlus 9T, the company will surely come out with a statement explaining the reason.

Nothing ear (1) Buds Is Tech Art

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 06:48 AM PDT

Nothing ear (1) Nothing has launched the 'ear (1)' buds globally today. The company has chosen to price the device a little cheaper in India than what it is offering to the users globally. Nothing ear (1) buds truly look like a piece of art. The ear (1) buds have all the 'premium' features that a truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphone has. But most importantly, the Nothing ear (1) buds stand out in the market when compared with Apple AirPods, OnePlus Buds, and more similar looking products. Let's take a look at the complete features of the product and understand what makes it click.

Nothing ear (1) Buds Specifications

Nothing ear (1) Nothing ear (1) buds come in a transparent case. This might be a turn off for few users, but there's a big reason behind it. The transparent case allows users to check if they have their earbuds inside the case without opening it before they carry it out of their home. Then they are super light and weigh only 4.7 grams. The ergonomic design of the ear (1) will allow it to sit perfectly in the ears of the users and not fall out easily. To ensure that users get a rich sound experience with solid bass, Nothing equipped the ear (1) with an 11.6mm dynamic driver. The earbuds support Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) in two different modes – the light mode and the maximum mode. Users can switch between the two ANC modes depending on their needs. There is also a transparency mode to allow users to hear almost everything that's happening around them. The ear (1) can run comfortably up to 4.5 hours, and with the charging case, that time jumps to 25 hours which is decent. For charging, the ear (1) can deliver 1.2 hours of performance in just 10 minutes of charging. It can also charge wirelessly. Further, the Nothing ear (1) comes with an IPX4 rating making it sweat and splash resistant and it also supports in-ear detection to intelligently pause and play content depending on what the user is doing.

Nothing ear (1) Buds Price in India

The Nothing ear (1) Buds have launched for a price of Rs 5,999 and will be directly sold through Flipkart in India. Compared to other nations, the pricing of the ear (1) buds in India is slightly at the cheaper end. The true quality and functionality of the earphones will only be out once we have reviewed them. They will be available in India starting August 17, 2021.

5G Support Across All Bands Might Increase Smartphone Prices, Says Chinese Companies

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 05:22 AM PDT

5G The putting in of 5G modems in the smartphones was a big leap for the smartphone manufacturers to make. It goes without saying that the inculcation of 5G capability makes the cost of smartphones skyrocket. This was visible from the price hike done by phone makers on their flagships with the launch of 5G enabled smartphones. However, that is not the only issue, the support of various 5G bands on the smartphone is yet another thing to be taken into consideration. The smartphone manufacturing companies like Realme and OnePlus have played a strategic move by launching devices that support 5G bands especially pertaining to the Indian sector.

OnePlus to Launch Only 5G Phones in India

Navnit Nakra, vice president, chief strategy officer of OnePlus India, told ET Telecom that if they decide to support all 5G bands being globally used across the world, then the smartphone prices will also rise. On these lines, currently, the band which dominates India is the N78 5G band, and hence the OnePlus series 8 and 9 smartphones support the N78 5G band only.

Brands Balance Price and 5G Support

Realme CEO Madhav Sheth has also shed some light on the launches of Realme smartphones and which band they support in India. According to him, Realme is bullish on launching 5G smartphones in the budget segment; as such, the phones offer support to N77 and N78 bands which operate within the 3.2 GHz to 4.2 GHz frequency range. The range of around 3.3 GHz and 3.8 GHz offers a balance between coverage and speed; hence, these bands will be most preferred globally for 5G services. OnePlus, on the other hand, has decided that it will launch 5G smartphones only for Indian markets. Realme also said that it would be aiming to launch a smartphone in the Rs 10,000 marker with 5G capabilities. An executive from a leading Chinese brand said that the brands take caution while pricing their smartphones, lest they increase the prices unnecessarily. Hence, a lot of smartphone manufacturers, including the likes of Realme, are working in tandem with Indian telecom operators to keep in check which bands are supported in the Indian telecom industry so that they can be supported in smartphones as well.

Indian Telcos Asking for More Band Support

As for the telecom operators, they want the OEMs to support bands like 1800/2100/2300 MHz and sub-GHz bands 800/900 Mhz because the telcos might use Dynamic Spectrum Sharing or spectrum refarming for 5G deployment. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already started the task of 5G field trials.

Nokia Phones to be in Healthy Competition With JioPhone Next: HMD Global

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 04:05 AM PDT

Nokia HMD Global, the maker of Nokia phones has a unique niche in India that caters to the rural population and their feature phone needs. As per the latest reports, HMD Global has remarked that the introduction of JioPhone Next, which will be the first android smartphone from Jio, will create healthy competition in the segment. Nokia currently sells feature phones which do not come under the "smartphone" category, whereas, Jio's target with the launch of JioPhone Next is to bring the 2G population under the umbrella of the 4G network. The quirk here is the migration of the customers from 2G to 4G, and there is a huge market for it, not only in India but globally, HMD Global officials said.

HMD Global Seeing New Opportunities

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, HMD Global told ET Telecom, that despite the pandemic, the handset market in India stayed resilient. He also agreed to the opportunities that are available in this new market. However, he further added that the feature phone serves a unique purpose to the rural population and there is still a lot to be done. The VP also added that Nokia debuted the C series of phones for this very purpose, which has been well received by the buyers. Tuesday saw the launch of the Nokia XR20, Nokia 6310, and Nokia C30, along with new audio devices from Nokia.

JioPhone Next to Invoke New 4G Using Population

It's worth noting that the biggest telecom operator for India, Reliance Jio has partnered up with Google to develop the JioPhone Next which will be launched on September 10. The precursor to this device, the standard JioPhone has done a lot to add a massive number of subscribers to Jio's basket. In the last quarter only, Reliance Jio added 14 million subscribers, out of which most are being said from the JioPhone segment. A figure of around 300 million is said to be belonging to the 2G crowd, which is going to be the target market for JioPhone Next, which aspires to bring the customers to the 4G network. As for HMD Global, the manufacturer is leveraging the PLI scheme to produce more and more gear not only for the Indian market but the global market as well.

Android 12 for TV to Offer 4K UI Rendering, Variable Refresh Rate Support

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 03:34 AM PDT

Android 12 TV Google recently announced Android 12 for its Pixel series of smartphones, as well as all other Android smartphones, with the update slated to be pushed to the public later this year. The key difference in contrast to Android 11, which is built on Android 10 is the inclusion of an all-new design and a bunch of worthwhile features that can improve overall usability whilst boosting privacy. To cater to users who might want to try the same out prior to the launch, Google offers its beta build program, which got its latest build, Android 12 beta 3.1 today. Now, the new Android 12 TV beta has also been released, bringing with it a couple of new features. Google has also listed some of the key features coming to supported TVs later in 2021.

What Does Android 12 TV Offer?

Google seems to be planning some major upgrades to its Android 12 TV UI, with the highlighting feature of the update being the introduction of native 4K UI rendering, which is different from what previous versions offered, which was just 4K content playback. This will be the first instance of the UI rendering in 4K, as per an XDA Developers report. This is different by quite some extent, as in earlier instances, the UI was rendered in 1080p and was subsequently scaled up to 4K. This should allow for better and sharper visuals, which is a must-have for a good viewing experience. Another new addition to Android TVs will be dynamic refresh rate switching, with developers having been given the option to integrate the same seamlessly so as to allow for seamless switching of frame rates. To add to all of this, the new Android beta build also brings with it an updated Tunnel mode, which, according to Google will make it easier for app developers to support efficient and consistent playback across various devices by reducing the media processing overhead that is in the framework of Android. There are also two new global privacy settings on offer, which allow the user to quite easily toggle access to both camera and microphones. When these toggles are disabled, the applications will not be able to access the audio and video, which is quite similar to what is on offer for the smartphone side of things. For those of you wishing to try this out, the latest build for the TV, Android 12 beta 3 is now on offer as a system update to ADT-3 devices starting today, 27 July.

Disney+ Hotstar Just Got More Expensive With Plans Starting at Rs 499

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:47 AM PDT

Disney+ Hotstar Apart from Netflix and Amazon Prime, if there is any other streaming service that people flock to relentlessly, it's Disney+ Hotstar. The OTT platform has been known for having some of the most liked shows from HBO and Showtime which include the likes of Game of Thrones and Westworld. Apart from these, since the addition of Disney+ to its name, the app also boasts of having content from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century. In a new development, Disney+ Hotstar has announced the launch of several new special series and movies. However, apart from this, there is little good about the other news that Disney+ Hotstar has shared with its potential subscribers.

Disney+ Hotstar Changes Subscription Tiers

If you are already a subscriber of Disney+ Hotstar, then you need not worry. But, for the new subscribers of the service, the prices have surely gone up. To recall, Disney+ Hotstar, previously used to offer a two-tier subscription model with a VIP subscription and a Premium subscription. Now, the model is yesterday's story and there will be three available options which will include a "Mobile", Super and Premium plan.

Disney+ Hotstar Plan Details

Firstly, the Mobile plan from Disney+ Hotstar would allow you to have a single device streaming capability and that too on a mobile. However, the subscribers will be able to enjoy the entire range of content available on Disney+ Hotstar, regardless of the fact whether it was previously under Premium or VIP tag. The quality available to the subscribers would be HD and the subscription would be available for Rs 499 per year. To recall, the VIP subscription of Disney+ Hotstar used to cost Rs 399, so the baseline price for the subscription has gone up. The second category subscription is the "Super" one which allows for two screens without the limit of mobile or other devices. The quality available to the subscribers will be HD and 4K will not be available. The price for this subscription has been kept at Rs 899 per year. As for the Premium subscription, the subscribers will have 4 screens available and they will be able to stream content in 4K. The price of the Premium subscription stays the same at Rs 1,499 per year.

BlackBerry 5G Smartphone Coming Soon

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 02:08 AM PDT

BlackBerry BlackBerry will make its return to the smartphone market with 5G devices. For the unaware, the smartphone company was purchased by Onward Mobility last year and since then the fans of the company have been anticipating what BlackBerry has in store. Much recently, Onward Mobility launched a new pre-commitment program through which it aims to understand the key requirements of smartphone users. To do so, the company is taking feedback from the users so that it can thorough its market research before coming out with the final product.

BlackBerry Planning a 5G Smartphone

Inside the program launched by the owner, there is a clear reference to "new and innovative BlackBerry 5G smartphones'. Onward Mobility might be working on a new BlackBerry smartphone that comes with complete 5G connectivity. Whomsoever joins the program launched by the company will directly influence the end product that BlackBerry comes out with. All of the inputs given by the users on the program will be taken seriously. There's a big chance that the huge signature keyboard of BlackBerry might not make it back to new generation 5G devices. But the biggest hint which confirms that Onward Mobility is coming out with a new smartphone is that the company has said users on the program will be able to pre-order the device. Further, the users on the program will also be the first ones in the world to receive the new smartphone. The company hasn't mentioned anything about when it plans to launch smartphones in the market. But it could be very well in 2022. This data collection exercise will help BlackBerry in coming out with smartphones that the users truly need. BlackBerry is not a small name. Even though new brands have come in, BlackBerry still has a significant brand value because of what it has achieved in the past. It will be interesting to see how Onward Mobility plans to launch BlackBerry smartphones in the market.

Vodafone Idea Might File Review Petition for AGR Dues Reduction

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:31 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea is taking all the necessary steps to reduce the AGR liability and eliminate the financial burden. In the latest development, the cash-strapped telco is planning to file a review petition in the Supreme Court to have its AGR dues recalculated and reduced. As reported by ET Telecom, if the review of the Vodafone Idea will be rejected, the telco will still have the option of a curative petition. Since the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of telco and directed them to pay their AGR dues, Vodafone Idea is knocking on all the legal doors to have its AGR dues reduced significantly.

Vodafone Idea has to Pay Rs 58,254 Crore AGR Dues

Vodafone Idea is desperately looking out for options to get a positive outcome and avoid the situation of bankruptcy. In total, the telco giant has to pay Rs 58,254 crore towards AGR dues, out of which only Rs 7,854 crore has been paid to date. The major problem that Vodafone Idea is facing in the AGR dues is the calculation strategy. As per the calculations made by DoT, Vodafone Idea has to pay Rs 58,254 crores. However, the telco believes that the calculations made by DoT are incorrect, and it has to pay Rs 25,000 crore towards AGR dues. Tracing back to the results of the review petition, the chances of  Vodafone Idea getting a favourable outcome is low. It can only rely on the curative petition filing if the review petition is rejected by the Supreme Court. Since Vodafone Idea is the worst affected telco from the verdict, the chances of Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices filing for the review petition is minimal.

Vodafone Idea Needs Multiple Aids to Continue Operating in the Indian Telecom Space

For the past few months, Vodafone Idea is hunting down investors to raise funds of nearly Rs 25,000 crores. If the telco receives funding from different companies, it will be able to pay its AGR dues of Rs 24,000 crores to DoT. As per various analysts, Vodafone Idea would need multiple aids to continue operating in the Indian telecom space. Some of the major events that would aid the telco would be a coordinated tariff hike, moratorium from the government on spectrum pricing, reduction in license fees and spectrum usage charges.

Tata Group Planning Satellite Broadband Operations in India

Posted: 27 Jul 2021 12:01 AM PDT

Tata Group Tata Group is one of the most successful Indian business conglomerates around the world. The group has several entities and subsidiary companies in different sectors of the economy. Now, Tata Group is eyeing to take a slice of the Indian satellite broadband market in partnership with Telesat. According to a report from BusinessLine, both Tata Group and Telesat are in the process of finalising their strategy for offering satellite broadband services in India. For the unaware, Telesat is a Canadian satellite communications services company.

Tata Group and Telesat to Compete With Starlink, OneWeb

The Tata Group and Telesat are soon going to come up with something solid regarding their plans of offering satellite broadband services in India. With companies such as Starlink and OneWeb announcing their intention of coming to the Indian market, the excitement around the satcom industry has increased. Since the time the government allowed private players to jump in on the satcom sector, multiple companies have been planning their arrival in the Indian market. It is worth noting that Tata Group's subsidiary Nelco has been in partnership with Telesat since September 2020 so that the companies together can offer their satellite broadband services leveraging Telesat's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. One of the biggest debates that is going on in the industry is whether the satellite spectrum should be auctioned or not. Some people believe that satellite spectrum should be auctioned at the regular auctions and some believe that auctioning microwave spectrum for satellite services do not make any sense. Whatever it is, the wait for the Indian government to come out with the necessary policies is still going on. Companies including OneWeb, Starlink, and Project Juniper from Amazon are working out their plans of offering satellite broadband services in India once the government comes out with the policies. From the developments, it looks like the satcom sector would see a healthy competition in India.

BSNL, Vodafone Idea Merger Only Solution: Deutsche Bank

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 11:14 PM PDT

BSNL Both Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are struggling really hard to maintain their position in the Indian market. Neither of the telcos has been profitable for a long time and are also not getting sufficient cash-inflow to sustain for a long period. Vi is looking for raising capital while BSNL is trying to push its 4G operations, but neither of the telcos has gotten any further. Looking at this, Deutsche Bank said that the only viable solution for the government to save either of the telcos is to merge them, reported ET Telecom.

Vi Investors Shouldn't Have Very Big Problem With This

Deutsche Bank said that Vodafone Idea's debt is too high, and the government can ease the telco's pain by converting that debt into equity for itself by merging Vi with BSNL. The brokerage further said that even if this happens, the investors of Vi shouldn't have a very big problem because the telco's debt is 6x more than its current market cap, which is not a good sign. If a merger takes place this way, the shareholders of the company would be diluted heavily. At present, Vodafone Idea owes the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Rs 1.5 lakh crores in adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues and deferred spectrum payment dues. As per a report that came in yesterday, both of the Vi promoters, including the Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group Plc, are ready to reduce their stake in the company if there is another investor who is ready to take over the company. But for that to happen, the promoters have a condition that the new investor would need to purchase the shares of the company at a premium over the current market rate. This could actually be a viable solution for the government to ensure that both BSNL and Vodafone Idea don't go out of business, turning India into a duopoly market for the telecom sector.

Google Is Rolling Out Android 12 Beta 3.1 to Fix Beta 3 Bugs

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 09:45 PM PDT

Android 12 We recently covered the release of the Android 12 beta 3 update for supported devices, with users who have opted for the update having used it for around a week or so. But, if you are one such user, you might be sick of the stability issues that are plaguing this beta release. The beta 1 and beta 2 versions were pretty stable, but, this third iteration seems to have brought with it some big issues that hamper usability. Some of the top complaints include the System UI crashing without any reason, apps dying in the background without any prompts and, bootloop sequences occurring when restarting the device.

Google’s Android 12 beta 3.1 Fixes Multiple Issues of beta 3

Google seems to have taken note of all this and, to cater to such users, it is releasing Android 12 beta 3.1, which fixes all these issues and comes in as a measly 738kB update. This comes around 2 weeks after the debut of beta 3. Do note that a number of big bugs are still listed under Android 12 beta 3 in the Google official issue tracker, but what this does is make the update much more stable. This is good for the user who installed the latest Android 12 beta in hopes of testing out the latest and greatest version of Android in hopes to try it out before the generic public. As of now, there are a couple of devices supported, by Google and other manufacturers such as OnePlus. It is worth noting though that if you wish to wait for a stable release, Android 12 beta 4 is expected to be released in mid-late August and is rumoured to bring a stable build, as it is listed as a stability-focused update. The stable update for Pixels is expected in Fall. If you are running beta 3 and wish to get rid of these bugs, just head over to your settings menu on the supported device and press download to get the latest Android 12 beta build. For those of you wondering, with beta 3, Google finally started offering native scrolling screenshots, which was a welcome addition for users who wanted to take a screenshot of an app or a thread, with this latest feature on offer via the new Capture More option that shows up after taking a screenshot. The build also included an on-device search engine dubbed AppSearch and employed the ability for better use of auto-rotation via the use of your front camera.

Samsung Exec Reveals S Pen Support for Z Fold 3, Leaving Note Series Future Unknown

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 08:57 PM PDT

Z Fold It seems that Samsung will not be able to surprise its fans this year at its Unpacked events, owing to how the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, the new Galaxy Smartwatches and the new Galaxy Buds 2 have been leaked to a great extent. To add to this, Samsung’s mobile president, TM Roh has had a habit of publishing a pre-event blog that reveals certain things, confirms some leaks and sets the tone for the event. This time, Roh has promised improved durability for folding screens and, more importantly, stylus support, with the blog also adding that the Galaxy Note will not be released this time.

What Can We Expect From the Z Fold 3?

He writes that the company’s third generation of foldable will open up amazing new multitasking capabilities and enhanced durability, which is quite interestingly, since there is a mention of enhanced durability, adding that the next foldable will have an even more refined style, armed with more durable, stronger materials. This comes as no surprise, as it has been the case with each foldable from the company, starting with the Galaxy Fold, the company introduced this form factor. The Z Fold 2 brought with it UTG or Ultra-Thin Glass which could flex. Now, it seems that there will be further improvements to the same. Durability is key for a foldable phone but this time it will be even more important since Roh confirmed that the Z Fold 3 will support stylus functionalities. It is not clear as to whether the device will work with the S Pens present on the Note 20 Ultra, but, Roh has indicated that Samsung will be announcing its first-ever S Pen designed specifically for foldable phones. When it comes to the Note series of devices, he mentioned that instead of unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, Samsung would aim to broaden the key Note features to more Samsung Galaxy devices. Finally, the post also includes a mention of Google and Microsoft, hinting at support for multitasking on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. In case you missed it, a recent leak courtesy of 91Mobiles had mentioned that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 would be offered with a case that sports a housing area for the S Pen. Reports have also hinted at IPX8 ratings for the foldables. We will know for sure about what these devices have to offer in some time, as the Samsung fall 2020 Unpacked event will go live on August 11th at 7:30 PM IST.

Airtel and Jio Chase the Same Goal of High ARPU With Differing Methods

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 08:00 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel Until now, the story of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel has almost run a parallel course in the industry when it comes to the highly sought after metric of Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). Bharti Airtel, the Sunil Bharti Mittal led telecom operator, has been focusing on driving up its revenue via high-quality services and high paying subscribers. At the same time, Reliance Jio has equally diversified its subscriber base with massive additions and expanding the basket of goods being offered to these subscribers, from the ultra-cheap data packets to premium, extravagant gigabit connections. However, with the latest quarter reports from Reliance Jio, the industry experts doubt if the paths of the two biggest telecom companies in India are diverged from one another. But, as per our estimates, the current methods of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel seems to be simply a means to an end.

Bharti Airtel's Focus on High Paying Consumers

Bharti Airtel, instead of introducing cheaper plans for its subscriber, has sought to take the opposite stance of increasing the prices using postpaid plans. It's quite well known that postpaid subscribers bring in a big chunk of the revenue, and they are a better deal for the customers. Leveraging this phenomenon, Bharti Airtel has bundled all its high-ARPU services like DTH connection, broadband and postpaid plan coupled with premium services into a single banner of Airtel Black. The telecom operator has made no recent attempt to revamp its prepaid portfolio; on the contrary, it has introduced plans which are highly priced and bundle OTT benefits.

Reliance Jio's Focus on Volume

Speaking of Reliance Jio, the telecom operator added a massive chunk of 14 million subscribers to its total pie. With the analysts estimating that the total subscriber count of Reliance Jio would reach 530 million by 2024. However, the thing to note is that these subscribers mainly come from a low-paying background courtesy of the heavy JioPhone subscriber addition and the launch of subsequent JioPhone plans. This also remains the reason why the profits and EBITDA of Reliance Jio soared higher than expectations, but the ARPU did not.

Consideration of Active Subscriber Base

In such a scenario, a point worth considering is also the active subscriber base situation. In this metric, which is the most important one after ARPU and subscriber base, Bharti Airtel stands ahead. This means although Bharti Airtel is devoid of fancy numbers when it comes to subscriber addition, whatever subscribers it has have a higher tendency of paying more. Now Bharti Airtel seems to be upping the ante for these subscribers by making them pay for better services. Metaphorically, it can be said that Bharti Airtel is building slow, but it's laying a strong foundation for its telecom business. Reliance Jio's path towards higher ARPU, which is the common denominator for success and sustainability in this industry, invites a higher investment in operational costs. With the costs low in the previous quarter, Reliance Jio was able to post impressive figures. However, it remains to be seen how the telco bears the brunt of the market in the coming days. It's no doubt that both telcos are chasing the same goal but with different methodologies. While Airtel is bullish on retaining its subscribers and loosening up their pockets, Reliance Jio is aspiring for more volume. It will be interesting to see what problems both the telcos face in an industry that is unpredictable, like Pandora's box and which one of them comes out more resilient.

Reliance Jio and Airtel Offer This Postpaid Plan for Same Price

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 06:30 PM PDT

Reliance Jio Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are the two top telecom operators of India. Both the companies keep trying to gain the upper hand over each other by offering competitive prepaid/postpaid/broadband plans. To make the competition even stronger, these companies also offer few plans that cost exactly the same but offer different benefits. I am talking about a postpaid plan offered by both the companies that come for the exact same price. However, the benefits that users get with either of the plans are totally different.

Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel Offer This Postpaid Plan for the Same Price

For the users who are familiar with the postpaid offerings from the companies would know about the plan that I am talking about. Regardless, for the unaware, the plan that I am talking about here is the Rs 999 postpaid plan. Both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio offer users a Rs 999 postpaid plan. However, their benefits differ by a great margin. To no one's surprise, Bharti Airtel offers a 'little' premium plan, and thus the benefits offered by Airtel's plan are a lesser than what Jio offers for the same price. With Bharti Airtel's Rs 999 plan, users get 150GB of data with a data rollover facility of up to 200GB. Users get 100 SMS/day, and post-consumption of the FUP SMSes, they are charged 10 paise for every SMS sent. There is also unlimited voice calling included, along with two add-on SIMs. Users are also entitled to receive Amazon Prime Membership, a free subscription of the Disney+ Hotstar VIP, along with other Airtel Thanks benefits. Coming to Reliance Jio's Rs 999 plan, users get 200GB of data, which is 50GB more than what Airtel offers. Data rollover facility of up to 500GB is provided with the plan, and users also get 100 SMS/day and unlimited voice calling. Users also get over-the-top (OTT) benefits of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar VIP, and other Jio applications. This is absolutely everything that you are entitled to receive with both the plans. If compared, it is very clear that Reliance Jio's Rs 999 postpaid plan is way better than the same offering from its competitor Bharti Airtel. The OTT benefits offered by both the plan are almost the same, but Jio's plan takes the lead here as well because it also offers the benefit of Netflix, which none of the other companies does with any of their postpaid plans for the same price.

BSNL Should Be Privatised: CUTS International

Posted: 26 Jul 2021 01:06 PM PDT

BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Vodafone Idea (Vi) both need to stay in the market to ensure that India doesn't become a country with a duopoly of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Pradeep Mehta, Secretary-General of CUTS International told ET Telecom that BSNL should be privatised and Vodafone Idea should be provided temporary relief to ensure the survival of the two struggling telcos. Mehta warned that if this doesn't happen, India will suffer from a lack of competition since only two telecom operators would be functioning.

BSNL's Subscribers Market Share Declining

People are slowly shifting from legacy networks (2G and 3G) to 4G networks. Further, with 5G on the way, there's less chance that BSNL would be able to survive on the back of its 3G and 2G networks anymore. The telco's subscribers market share has been declining very rapidly. Mehta said that BSNL should be privatised. The comments from Mehta are completely understandable and they make sense to some extent. In the case of Vodafone Idea, the telco is struggling really bad to find a new investor so that it can pay off the debt and also invest in network expansion. When the Supreme Court (SC) announced its decision on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues matter, it hurt Vodafone Idea a lot. The telco was expecting to see a major reduction in the amount of dues that it had to pay to the government. But the SC has said that it won't allow any change in the final amount that was given by the Department of Telecommunications. It is worth noting that Sanjay Dhotre, former Minister of State for Communications had said that BSNL won't be privatised because the telco will launch 4G in two years around India. But things aren't looking too good for the telco and privatisation might be in the government's books. As for Vodafone Idea, the telco is still on the lookout for raising funds.

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