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• India Likely to Become a 5G Manufacturing Powerhouse
• The OnePlus Tablet Might Just Break the Market!
• Vodafone Idea Requires Help From Multiple Sources to Sustain in Industry
• Airtel Improves Indoor Network Coverage in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh via 900MHz Spectrum Deployment
• Stop Unsolicited Calls Using This New Method, Govt Brings New Penalties for UCCs
• Redmi Note 10 Pro Now Even More Expensive After Second Round of Price Hike?
• BSNL Trade Body Opposes Plans to Raise Rs 40,000 Crore by Monetising Towers, Optical Fibre Assets
• Leakster Suggests OnePlus Could Launch Nord 2 in Last 10 Days of July
• Amazon ‘Smartphone Upgrade Days’ Is Here, Deals to Check Out
• Dizo Launches Dizo Star 300 and Star 500 Feature Handsets in India
• Bharti Airtel Has Appointed Harish Laddha as CEO for Emerging Business
• Nokia G20 Now Available in India at a Cheeky Price
• OneWeb to Bring Down Prices of Access Terminal for Satellites
• BSNL Makes Major Announcements Regarding Prepaid Plans
• Airtel Payments Bank Logs High Growth Courtesy of Lockdown
• Vodafone Idea Planning to Sell Fiber Broadband Business for Raising Money
• Satellite Broadband Might Be Useless for You
• Vodafone Idea (Vi) Not Making Large Orders to Vendors
• Reliance Jio Charges Rs 8 for 1GB Data With This Plan
• Relief to Telcos Will be Good for Govt and Consumers Also

India Likely to Become a 5G Manufacturing Powerhouse Posted: 05 Jul 2021 08:30 AM PDT The next revolution in the tech industry is near, and the entire globe is eyeing to be the early adopters of the 5G technology and reap multiple benefits. Talking about the domestic landscape, India stands at a very unique position in the 5G hub. The nation can be considered a unique market for 5G equipment if we play our cards well. One of the factors that will favour us in becoming a 5G manufacturing powerhouse is the backlash towards Chinese telecom gear makers. Nearly all the developed and underdeveloped nations are running away and barring Chinese gear makers in their 5G development. The benefit of backlash is being enjoyed by competitors like Ericsson and Nokia. It would be too early to assume that India is set to become a 5G manufacturing powerhouse. However, the entire nation is restructuring its perspective towards the 5G ecosystem. Let's look at three points that could aid India in dominating 5G global supplies. Fair Bit of Innovation If India wants to incline towards becoming the 5G equipment hub, a fair bit of careful innovation would be required to elevate the manufacturing. Talking about innovation, in a new development, IIT Hyderabad has developed a narrowband IoT chipset that will enable long battery life and perform well with low bit-rate IoT applications. Another interesting innovation where India could capitalise on is E-waste. The e-waste can be reengineered to make 5G equipment in a cost-effective manner. Spectrum Acquisition The spectrum acquisition will be another major factor for India in becoming the 5G manufacturing powerhouse. Since the asked 26GHz band would burn the pockets of telecom operators, relying on existing airwaves and short Wi-Fi airwaves could be the game-changer for India. Not only this but, global nations can also reap benefits if India completely capitalises on its existing structure. Boosting Manufacturing Under Atmanirbhar Bharat India holds immense power and capacity to boost manufacturing. There are ample manufacturing facilities that are currently obsolete. However, if the government revive these facilities and divert them towards 5G equipment manufacturing, the demand curve will rise in the future. With the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, the MSMEs can stand on their feet in emerging technologies. In case you are not aware, the newly developed 5G IoT Chipset named Koala also fulfils the promise of Atmanibhar Bharat. Apart from this, India is also eyeing its own locally developed technology, which is 5Gi. Since the technology is still under development, the benefits and loopholes cannot be rolled out. We can wait and witness the transition of India in becoming self-reliant while developing the 5G ecosystem.

The OnePlus Tablet Might Just Break the Market! Posted: 05 Jul 2021 07:14 AM PDT OnePlus has not had it easy over the past few weeks, from concerns regarding the future of the company owing to the merger with Oppo to the not so well received Nord CE 5G, which is also under the eye of critics world over. This might not be an easy phase for the company that, at a time was the primary choice for enthusiasts in India and around the world. A recent rumour has suggested that OnePlus seems to be on the horns of a dilemma, of whether or not to join the tablet market. As spotted by MySmartPrice, the company on Monday filed a  trademark with the EUIPO for the OnePlus Pad naming scheme, hinting at the company’s first foray when it comes to tablets. The filing, which was published back on July 1, fails to shed light on what the OnePlus Pad could offer in areas such as features, design, specs, but the intent on trademarking the title suggests plans of extending the product portfolio beyond just smartphones and wearables, which is currently what the company is restricted to. Do note that previous rumours have hinted that OnePlus is not the only BBK brand that is working on a tablet, since in June it was revealed that Realme might be working on a Realme Pad and, rumours of Vivo and Oppo tablets have also been making the rounds in 2021. Why Should You Care About the OnePlus Pad Now, given as to how OnePlus and Oppo are now part of a much closer relationship and how some devices have been rebrands or very similar to Oppo handsets, it is but obvious for someone to think that the tablet could be a result of this merger and the end result might be offered by both companies with minor differences. Whilst the fans will probably be upset at this decision, since, up till this point, both companies have taken a fairly different strategy for the market, both in terms of what to offer and how to price it and, if the Oppofication, as some might term it does take effect, we could see rather uncompetitive pricing for the OnePlus Pad, but that is again a guess from us. More importantly, though, there is a reason to be excited about the OnePlus Pad. Whilst you might think that an Android tablet no longer makes sense, as iPad users, we can tell you how useful a tablet is in certain scenarios even if one owns a laptop. Whilst there are budget Android tablets or competitively priced tablets, the only good Android tablet is the S-series tablet from Samsung, which retails from around 30-40k INR all the way up to 60-70k INR. With the OnePlus Tab, if OnePlus can do something competitive and offer a half-decent product with good specifications, if not more, it could lead to the revival of the budget to mid-level tablet segment and, with the upcoming Realme Pad and certain other tablets from leading companies, we could see a smartphone market like scenario taking place in a year or two. Do note that the filing does not confirm the launch of the OnePlus tablet, with the filing probably being a move by OnePlus to claim the moniker so as to avoid issues in the future.

Vodafone Idea Requires Help From Multiple Sources to Sustain in Industry Posted: 05 Jul 2021 06:00 AM PDT Vodafone Idea is the worst off when it comes to telecom companies being handed the short arm. Both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular were looking forward to smooth years after synergising their assets and revenues after the Reliance Jio data revolution. However, sadly for them, the situations have only grown worse with the AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) issue and dues piling up on their balance sheets. In the latest revelation, it has come to our eyes that Vodafone Idea is likely to require a Rs 70,000 crore equity infusion for a healthy streak in the industry. But, even that is likely to be a part of the help that Vodafone Idea requires in total. Vodafone Idea Seeking ARPU of Rs 200 Apart from the equity infusion of Rs 70,000 crore, Vodafone Idea in total will require Rs 1 trillion in financial relief by the means of equity infusion, higher ARPU, and some relief on the GST and AGR front. ICRA has presented a smooth situation in the future where the telecom companies are supposed to touch Rs 220 ARPU, but when that is going to happen is the real question. As per an ET Telecom report, Deutsche Bank remarked that Vodafone Idea will require to hit the Rs 200 ARPU mark to reach sustainable levels in the industry. Vodafone Idea Setting Eyes On Fundraiser It's also worth noting that Vodafone Idea has recently had a positive subscriber growth in the industry after more than a year-long stint of showing negative growth in this department. Secretary of Vi, Anshu Prakash had written to DoT saying that it seeks another year to pay off its spectrum dues of Rs 8,292 crore since the AGR burden is eating off its revenue already. Although Vodafone Idea has talked about a fundraiser, the plans have not been finalised yet. Vodafone Idea talked about a Rs 25,000 crore fundraiser involving both equity and debt. Vodafone Idea has pushed for floor pricing in the industry, which seems inevitable in the future given the unsustainable prices in the industry.

Airtel Improves Indoor Network Coverage in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh via 900MHz Spectrum Deployment Posted: 05 Jul 2021 05:18 AM PDT Bharti Airtel, which is one of India’s top telcos and premier communications solutions providers, on Monday announced that it had augmented the company’s mobile network in the area of  Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh so as to deliver users with the top indoor network experience for the customers, which is being done by the deployment of 5 MHz in 900 MHz spectrum band for high-speed data services. In case you were wondering, the high propagation and reach that comes due to the 900 MHz spectrum allows for wider network availability as well as improved data speeds alongside better coverage within homes and buildings in both urban and rural areas. This augmentation comes after the provider had recently deployed an additional spectrum of 30 MHz across the region of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with this move promising further strengthening of the network capabilities, benefitting the access of high-speed data services to customers. What Does Airtel Have to Say About this Deployment? The Hub CEO of Upper North, Bharti Airtel, Mr Manu Sood stated that the deployment of 5 MHz in 900 MHz spectrum band for high-speed data services is in line with the company’s endeavour which is to deliver deep indoor & wider reach to our customers across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Airtel will continue to invest aggressively in network upgrades and new spectrum to deliver a world-class service experience at a time when the customers need it the most added Sood. Interestingly, Airtel as of now has the largest spectrum bank, which stands at 71.2 MHz in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh with around 40 MHz in 2300 MHz band, 25 MHz in 1800 MHz + 2100 MHz bands as well as 6.2 MHz in 900 MHz band. According to Airtel, post the pandemic, the adoption of work from home, online classes and video streaming have surged by quite an amount. Airtel’s intervention so as to build additional capacities will go a long way in helping the customers stay connected during these times when networking is an essential feature. To add to all of this, Airtel has also been responsible for the deployment of advanced network technologies and tools that include the likes of pre-5G Massive MIMO, 4G Advanced and Carrier Aggregation in order to step up high-speed network capacity and coverage.

Stop Unsolicited Calls Using This New Method, Govt Brings New Penalties for UCCs Posted: 05 Jul 2021 05:00 AM PDT Telemarketers have been at loggerheads with TRAI and other government agencies for the last few years as the center has tried to bring in reforms to reduce scams. TRAI has been going stringent on both telecom operators and telemarketers and in a new move, the government has issued guidelines which if implemented will become Achilles heel to the telemarketers who act as a nuisance for the consumers. To recall, TRAI launched a stringent action against call drops against the telecom operators a few years back, slapping them with severe penalties to ensure QoS norms. While the mobile networks have largely become reliant, telemarketers are another source who spoil the experience of users. Government Tackling UCCs By Bringing New Rules and Heavy Penalties Source – Aseem Manchanda (@aseemmanchanda) The new guidelines issued by the government detail fines in various slabs for unsolicited calls. In the first slab, for a given month if the telemarketer makes one to ten UCCs, then they will be charged at the rate of Rs 1,000 per violation. In the second month, the penalty would be Rs 5,000 per violation along with a warning letter to be issued. In the third month, the penalty would be Rs 10,000 along with revocation of license for telemarketing. Of course, in all the slabs, regardless of how many times the violation happens if it keeps on going for the third month, then the telemarketer’s license can be cancelled. Stopping Unsolicited Calls By Telemarketers For cases between 10 to 50 times per month, the first-month penalty would be Rs 5,000 per violation and Rs 10,000 per violation in the second month. The third month would include the Rs 10,000 penalty mixed with revocation. Whereas for all violations involving more than 50 cases, the violation, warning, and revocation on the first, second and third month respectively would invoke a Rs 10,000 penalty. The customers will have the option of stopping these UCCs by messaging "STOP-header name" to 1909. It is worth noting that these provisions may require implementation under TCCCPR 2018 after consultation with TRAI.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Now Even More Expensive After Second Round of Price Hike? Posted: 05 Jul 2021 04:15 AM PDT Redmi had launched the Redmi Note 10 series in India in March 2021. There were three devices that made it to the market, namely Redmi Note 10, Redmi Note 10 Pro, and the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. In the first 3 months from launching, the Redmi Note 10 Pro has received two price hikes already. The first price hike came last month for the 6GB+128GB variant. Now the same variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro (6GB+128GB) has received yet another price hike. Let's take a look at the new price of the device. Redmi Note 10 Pro New Price in India The 6GB+128GB variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro is now selling at Rs 17,999. Note that the device was launched in India for Rs 16,999. But over the course of 3 months, the device has seen multiple price hikes and is now Rs 1,000 more expensive than its original price. The first price hike that came last month increased the price of the smartphone by Rs 500 to Rs 17,499. Now, another price hike of Rs 500 has brought the final price of the smartphone to Rs 17,999. What's the Reason Behind Price Hike? There's a solid reason behind the price hike of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. Even the vanilla Redmi Note 10 has gone through multiple price hikes in India already. Other products from the company will also be getting a new higher price soon. This is because of the supply chain issues that the manufacturing companies are facing. Xiaomi and Redmi have to source components from suppliers to assemble their products. But due to lockdowns and the pandemic, the shipping and supply chains have been hurt. Even the shipping costs have risen multiple folds. Because of all this, to ensure that the company's overall profit margins' don't take a hit, the price of the devices are going up. You can expect to see multiple other devices seeing a price hike in the coming days.

BSNL Trade Body Opposes Plans to Raise Rs 40,000 Crore by Monetising Towers, Optical Fibre Assets Posted: 05 Jul 2021 03:15 AM PDT The All Unions and Associations of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (AUAB) opposed the Government's plans to raise Rs 40,000 crore by monetising BSNL's towers and optical fibre and a proposal to restructure manpower. "The present Government's plans for raising Rs 40,000 crore by monetisation of BSNL's infrastructure, towers and optical fibre, was severely opposed in the meeting. The management's proposal for restructuring BSNL manpower also came under severe criticism," a source close to the development said. The umbrella body of all BSNL's unions demanded upgrading of the State-owned telecom operator's base transceiver stations or BTSs to enable it to launch 4G services "immediately". BSNL 4G BSNL had its network 4G-ready with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore in 2018 and got spectrum in October 2019, even though it is yet to roll out the services. The unions estimate that the company will take another two-three years to fully roll out 4G services; by then, other operators would be offering 5G services. Earlier, the public sector unit has also sought permission to upgrade all its 2G and BTSs supplied by ZTE to support 4G services. Of its total 49,300 BTSs, 36,000 were installed by ZTE and the remaining 13,300 with Nokia. AUAB also demanded a payment of salary on the last working day of every month, improving fibre-to-the-home service, proper maintenance of transmission network, landline and broadband services, among others. The BSNL management's policy of continuing to rely on Indian Telecom Service officers to run the company was also "severely" criticized in the meeting BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P K Purwar on July 2, 2021. Representatives of 13 unions and associations of the BSNL took part in the meeting. Earlier, a BSNL union – Sanchar Nigam Executives Association – had sought withdrawal of 128 additional Principal General Managers and General Managers (GMs) posted on deputation with the company, who were incurring Rs 90-100 crore per year as salary and other expenses. This came at a time when BSNL had reduced its own employee strength by more than 50 per cent through a voluntary retirement scheme, and the company was not able to pay its own employees' salaries on time.

Leakster Suggests OnePlus Could Launch Nord 2 in Last 10 Days of July Posted: 05 Jul 2021 02:33 AM PDT OnePlus the popular enthusiast brand, has been under flak in recent months after offering sub-par software support to its devices, which were usually purchased due to great software support. Add to this the decision of OnePlus merging with Oppo, the enthusiast fan base of the company has been in turmoil regarding the future of the brand. Recently, the company launched the Nord CE 5G in India, which borrows certain core features from the Nord launched last year, in order to provide good features for a lower than usual price. Now, it seems like OnePlus is gearing up for the launch of the next Nord device, which will supposedly be called the Nord 2 and act as the successor of the original Nord that was launched in July of 2020. What Do We Know About the Nord 2 Release Famed Tipster Mukul Sharma on Monday claimed that the Nord 2 launch has been slated for the last 10 days of July. OnePlus has not yet made an announcement regarding the same. The tipster also revealed key details regarding the possible launch date of the upcoming OnePlus handset. It seems that OnePlus could launch the Nord 2 later this month as a new leak has suggested that the device could launch in the month of July. Tipster Mukul Sharma has claimed that the upcoming Nord series device will be launched in the last 10 days of July, with a likely debut date set for July 24 in India. Do note that OnePlus has not yet confirmed the official launch date; however, the company is expected to make an announcement regarding the same. Interestingly, OnePlus on Monday deleted all of its posts from the Nord Instagram account. This seems to hint at the company preparing for a fresh bit of marketing for the upcoming Nord phone. We can also expect the release of some hints and details via the same account in the upcoming days. As for what we know about the Nord 2, previous leaks have revealed the design renders and specifications of the Nord 2. The device might use the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC for performance and, as for storage, the device had been listed on the AI Benchmark website complete with 8GB of RAM. OnePlus might launch additional RAM and storage options in the country. The phone is also supposedly going to feature a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90Hz, complete with an in-display fingerprint sensor. It is also expected to run Android 11 based OxygenOS out of the box. The device might feature a triple-camera setup towards the rear, with rumours suggesting that the Nord 2 could make use of a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor, coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and an additional 2MP sensor. Towards the front, the device could use a 32MP shooter present in a punch-hole notch for selfie-snapping duties. The device could also have a 4500 mAh battery with 30W fast charging.

Amazon ‘Smartphone Upgrade Days’ Is Here, Deals to Check Out Posted: 05 Jul 2021 02:00 AM PDT Amazon India is bringing together a host of deals and offers on a range of smartphones and accessories, providing up to 40% off, under its 'Smartphone Upgrade Days'. The sale, which was announced today, is on till July 8, 2021. The latest launched Samsung M32, OnePlus Nord CE 5G, Redmi Note 10S, Tecno Spark 7T are on sale. A 10% discount of up to Rs 1,250 using SBI Credit Cards or EMI payments, apart from exchange offers and convenient no-cost EMIs for up to 12 months on select smartphones and accessories are also being provided. OnePlus The newly-launched OnePlus Nord CE 5G will be available starting at Rs 22,999. OnePlus 9 5G series will be on sale during the event starting at Rs 39,999 with bank offers. Up to Rs 4,000 discounts on OnePlus smartphones, along with bank offers and nine months of no-cost EMIs are being offered. Xiaomi Smartphones Xiaomi's Redmi Note 10 series – including the Redmi Note 10S, Mi 11 series – are available with exchange offers and discounts. Mi 11X is available at the lowest price of Rs 29,999 along with no-cost EMI offers. Samsung Smartphones Amazon India is offering up to 25% off on top Samsung smartphones, along with bank offers and up to nine-month no-cost EMI during upgrade days. Samsung M31s will be available at Rs 16,999. India's first 7000mAh smartphone Samsung Galaxy M51 will be available with discounts up to Rs 8,000 and additional bank offers. iPhone The company is providing iPhone 12 at Rs 70,900 with a discount of Rs 9,000. It is worth noting that the iPhone 12 was launched at a starting price of Rs 79,900. Vivo smartphones Up to 30% off on Vivo smartphones is being provided during the sale, with an additional up to Rs 2,500 off with exchange. Oppo Up to 35% off on Oppo smartphones with up to 12 months of no-cost EMI. Further, offers are also being provided on brands such as Tecno, Itel, Coolpad, Honor and Lava smartphones, and up to 65% off on power banks and mobile accessories starting at Rs 99.

Dizo Launches Dizo Star 300 and Star 500 Feature Handsets in India Posted: 05 Jul 2021 01:30 AM PDT Realme has been on a roll in recent years, owing to the success that it has had since its inception in India in 2018. The company, which was touted to be a strong player for the Indian market, grew into a brand that could go head to head with Xiaomi and its Sub-brand Redmi, the market segment’s undoubted leader. Recently, the company announced its Dizo sub-brand, which also launched the first two products from its roster, the Dizo GoPods D and Dizo Wireless, both of which were audio products, with one of them being a truly wireless option and the other being a neckband styled earphone. Today, Realme’s Dizo launched two new feature phones in the Indian market, but with a rather subtle launch. These two products have been dubbed the Dizo Star 300 and Dizo Star 500, with them being budget feature handsets. Both of the products are priced under the Rs 2,000 mark in the country, with both handsets featuring 32MB of storage, a 0.3 MP camera for optic work and a large battery to get you through the day. What Do We Know About the Dizo Star 300 and 500 Starting with the pricing, the Dizo Star 300 has been priced at Rs 1,299 in India whilst the Dizo Star 500 is on offer for Rs 1,799 in India. Both handsets will be sold via Flipkart soon. These feature phones might also be sold via the offline medium. In terms of specifications, the Dizo Star 300 make use of a 1.77-inch display and a 2,550 mAh battery to keep the phone running all day long and then some. To store any pictures or songs that you might have, the Dizo Star 300 comes with 32MB of internal storage. The feature phone also has a whopping 8 local languages on offer, namely English, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarat, Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi and Kannada. For taking pictures, the device offers a 0.3MP rear camera towards the rear with an LED flash. From the product pictures, we can see that the Dizo Star 300 will be on offer in a sky blue colour variant, with a massive Dizo branding to the back. For the second device, the Dizo Star 500 makes use of a larger 2.8-inch display, but it drops in overall battery size since the handset has a 1900 mAh battery. The Dizo Star 500 comes pre-loaded with key tools like Bluetooth, Alarm, Calculator, Calendar Sound recorder and a dedicated Files manager. The phone also offers 5 different languages to choose from, namely English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati. It offers a 0.3MP VGA rear camera paired with an LED flash on the back. Much like the Dizo Star 300, in order to store your pictures, the device has 32MB of internal storage.

Bharti Airtel Has Appointed Harish Laddha as CEO for Emerging Business Posted: 05 Jul 2021 12:57 AM PDT Airtel Business, the B2B unit of Bharti Airtel ("Airtel"), India's premier communications solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Harish Laddha as CEO – Emerging Business. Harish will report to Ajay Chitkara, Director & CEO – Airtel Business. In his new role, Harish will be responsible for identifying and leveraging growth opportunities in emerging categories such as the Small and Medium Business (SMB) segment. He will lead a dedicated team to bring to market highly differentiated offerings for these emerging segments. Airtel Business Poised Well to Help SMBs Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are going to be a major market for the companies that are looking to sell their digital solutions. In the words of Ajay Chitkara, Airtel Business understands this. Chitkara said that over the next decade, the Indian market would see a huge opportunity in driving up digital transformations on the back of SMBs. The Airtel Business CEO said that he is confident about Harish Laddha’s ability in leading the team with a sharp focus on emerging growth opportunities. Harish Laddha is an alumnus of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management and holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from MIT, Pune. Harish has over 25 years of rich experience across Ingram Micro, Tata Communications and Tech Pacific. In his last role as the Executive Director – India Sales at Ingram Micro, Harish Laddha was responsible for driving a $3B+ annual revenue stream. Prior to leading Sales, he was the Director for Ingram's Cloud Business in India, wherein he built the business from the ground up. Airtel Business is an important part of Bharti Airtel. For the unaware, Airtel Business clocked Rs 14.407 crore in revenues for FY ended March 2021. It is India's largest player in the B2B connectivity space, and its portfolio includes Cloud, Data Center, IoT, Cyber Security and Ad Tech. With this end-to-end portfolio, Airtel Business stands to serve the requirements of SMBs in India.

Nokia G20 Now Available in India at a Cheeky Price Posted: 05 Jul 2021 12:35 AM PDT India is witnessing the launch of premium and budgeted smartphones in 2021. Among the wave of new smartphones launches, the Finnish multinational company Nokia has listed the Nokia G20 on Amazon along with price and sale date. Nokia was hinting towards the launch of the G20 for a long period. The new Nokia G20 is dubbed the next budgeted offering, which will be available for Rs 13,000. Even though the smartphone has been listed for sale, neither Nokia nor Amazon has revealed any official information regarding the launch details. Nokia G20: Specifications and Features The newly launched Nokia G20 features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio that is touted to provide an immersive experience. Under the rock, the smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor. To provide fast functionality and a smooth experience, the Nokia G20 is equipped with 4G RAM and 64GB storage. However, buyers can also opt for 128GB storage. Talking about camera specifications, the Nokia G20 sports a 48MP primary camera, 5MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth-sensing camera. Towards the front side, the smartphone has an 8MP front camera with special camera features. The Nokia G20 comes to life from a massive 5050 mAh battery with 10W fast charging support via USB-C port. As of operating system, Nokia G20 will run on Android 11. Not only this but, customers will get guaranteed two years of an upgrade for a hassle-free experience. Nokia G20: Price and Sale Date Since Nokia is aware of the price-sensitive market of India, it has launched the new smartphone in the budget segment to intrigue buyers. The Nokia G20 4GB RAM and 64GB variant is priced at Rs 12,999. There is a 128GB storage variant available. However, the availability is still in darkness. The first sale of the Nokia G20 is scheduled for July 7. All the customers who wish to purchase the smartphone can visit Amazon or Nokia's online store to make their bookings. Since there was no hype around the launch date, we can expect that Nokia is eyeing to develop a loyal customer base.

OneWeb to Bring Down Prices of Access Terminal for Satellites Posted: 05 Jul 2021 12:12 AM PDT Bharti Airtel is one company that has been known to delve its hands into almost every tech arena possible. The Sunil Mittal led company's latest bet is on satellite arm OneWeb, under which it wants to reduce user access costs to different types of satellite. To make this possible, OneWeb is in talks with multiple companies, some domestic and other international, to make this transition to low cost possible. Some of the companies OneWeb is talking to include Sasken Technologies and NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the recently registered commercial arm of ISRO. The move, as purported by Sunil Bharti Mittal, will reduce user access terminal costs before Bharti Airtel launches satellite-based broadband services in India two years from now. Reducing Costs for ESA and DPA Terminals The two satellites terminals which India uses for different purposes right now include ESAs (electronically steered antenna systems) and DPAs (dual parabolic antenna systems). As per Mittal, the prime objective of OneWeb will be to reduce the cost of using these terminals by just half. As per an ET Telecom report, an access terminal is a strategic piece of gear that finds its place on a satellite to make sure it can provide connectivity on the ground to the users. The highly-priced DSA, which takes the higher end of the two options, is used to provide satellite broadband connectivity to the oil rig stations or maritime ships. OneWeb Key Player in Starlink Speaking about the plans of OneWeb in the near future, Mittal said that the company plans on reducing the price from $1,000, which is the current cost for ESA access terminal, down to $500 or $600. As for the other DSA variant, the company seeks to reduce costs down to $2,000 to $2,500 from the current price of $5000 or more. He also highlighted that the costs could be expected to come down once the volume increases. It is worth noting that OneWeb is co-owned by Bharti Airtel and the UK government and is one of the major players in deploying the Low Earth Orbit Starlink satellites, which is the pet project of Elon Musk. In India, OneWeb is slated to operate in a B2B model.

BSNL Makes Major Announcements Regarding Prepaid Plans Posted: 04 Jul 2021 11:57 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has made major announcements regarding its prepaid plans. The telco is known for providing prepaid plans that are full of value. In the previous week, BSNL made two major announcements. First was the announcement of two new special tariff vouchers (STVs) and the second was the extension of a promotional offer. The two new STVs cost Rs 75 and Rs 94. The promotional offer that's been extended is for the Rs 699 plan that is still coming with increased validity now. Let's take a look at all that BSNL announced. BSNL Converts PV75 and PV94 to STV75 and STV94 As per KerelaTelecom, The state-run telecom operator has discontinued the PV75 and PV94 but has reintroduced it again as STV75 and STV94. The price and benefits of the said plans still remain the same. The STV75 comes with 2GB of total data with 100 minutes of voice calling for 60 days along with BSNL tunes. Further, the STV94 comes with 3GB of total data and 100 minutes of voice calling for 90 days. The default benefit of BSNL tunes is there for the first 60 days with this plan as well. Note that after the freebie calling minutes are consumed, customers will be charged 30 paise per minute for calling. BSNL Rs 699 Plan Promotional Offer Extended On April 1, BSNL had announced a promotional offer for its Rs 699 plan. Under the promotional offer, the validity of the plan increases from 160 days to 180 days. The other benefits of the plan remain the same. On April 1, the telco had announced the promotional offer for 90 days. But now, the telco has decided to extend the offer for another 90 days. Meaning, if you recharge with the Rs 699 plan from BSNL right now, you will get a validity of 180 days instead of the original 160 days. The BSNL Rs 699 plan comes with unlimited free voice calling, 0.5GB daily data, and 100 SMS/day for 180 days under the promotional offer.

Airtel Payments Bank Logs High Growth Courtesy of Lockdown Posted: 04 Jul 2021 11:41 PM PDT Bharti Airtel is seemingly adding a new revenue source to its existing base of customers, and that seems to be Airtel Payments Bank. The Payment Bank, which was one of the first of its kind to start operations in India, is now expecting to break even this year. This means that all the investments that Bharti Airtel has poured into Airtel Payments Bank until now will start giving back returns, thus easing financial tensions for the telecom company and allaying investor fears as well. The major reason for a swing in Payments Bank activity seems to be helped by the lockdown curbs and the returning migrants who have sought to make hassle-free payments, deposits, and increased insurance activity. Airtel Payments Bank Logs 5.5 Crore Customers Cross-selling of products such as insurance through the Payments Bank along with other services like direct benefit transfer, the expanded scale of operations, payment solutions, and growth in revenue are driving factors behind this new revelation of breaking even. The PTI report highlighted some more news broken through by an anonymous Airtel official who said that Bharti Airtel is "confident" of touching the break-even point this year. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel clarified that its investment in digital infrastructure has been ample, which means that its fixed costs and incremental expenses will stay stable, allowing the revenue to surpass it. It is worth noting that the current user base of Airtel Payments Bank stands at 5.5 crores. High Growth Rate for Revenue The losses for the full FY21 stood at Rs 420 crore, whereas in the last quarter, the losses amounted to Rs 70 crore. On the revenue growth side, the uptick was 32%, amounting to Rs 627 crore in the latest financial year. The advantage of Airtel Payments Bank is that it has 5 lakh neighbouring banking points, and the growing lockdown situations in the country drove new accounts. The company is confident about the growing role of digital payments in the country and will be riding the wave as the numbers roll by.

Vodafone Idea Planning to Sell Fiber Broadband Business for Raising Money Posted: 04 Jul 2021 10:58 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) has been on the news since the time the telco came out with its financial reports last week. The operator has even started testing 5G networks with Nokia and Ericsson. However, there's one thing that's become very evident – the telco's cash flow is in a severe condition. Regardless, the recent positives, such as subscriber addition in the months of February and March, is something the telco can build its recovery on. But Vi will need cash and lots of it to ensure that it can keep investing in its networks and keep paying off debts. To solve the cash issue, Vodafone Idea is planning to sell its fixed-line broadband business, data centre business, and optic fibre unit. Vodafone Idea's You Broadband Might be Sold Vi had just started revamping the broadband plans offered to the users in multiple cities across India. However, now, according to an ET Telecom report, the telco is planning to raise $1 billion by selling assets, including the fixed-line broadband business, data centres business, and its optic fibre unit. The company has a ton of debt on its shoulders. If it only focuses on paying off the debt, it won't be able to invest in expanding its network. However, if it only focuses on expanding the network, it won't be able to pay off its debts. The telco's peculiar cash crunch situation can only be solved through more cash. But the company hasn't succeeded in getting a single investor until now. As per the words of Ravinder Takkar, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Idea, the telco will have investors on board in the coming week. Vi needs cash desperately to keep on functioning and be able to compete with its rivals, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Just in between December 2021 and March 2022, the telco will have to shell out Rs 22,500 crore for spectrum-related dues and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. If Vi could get some relief from the government on paying the spectrum dues later, it will be able to focus on improving network services rapidly, which might mean new users for the telco in the short term.

Satellite Broadband Might Be Useless for You Posted: 04 Jul 2021 09:56 PM PDT The era of digital connectivity will be boosted by the arrival of satellite broadband. India might see live commercial services from satcom companies starting 2022. Companies such as Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon's Project Juniper are all eyeing the Indian market's deep numbers to make a ton of money by providing quality broadband internet connections. While the arrival of satellite broadband technology excites people, it is worth noting that it might not be for everyone. It is very simple to understand. Every technology is built around specific use-cases and then leveraged to make money from that. It is the same case with satellite broadband. Satellite Broadband Is Not For Regular People Understand that satellite broadband has specific use cases that are largely not meant for regular people. From regular people, I mean people who have basic internet needs living in urban cities and working in offices or their homes. All the urban cities in India today have a decent 4G network coverage. The networks might not be very fast and might be congested, but at the end of the day, you still have internet connectivity through which you can do the most basic things. Then, if you are at your office or home, you can utilise the power of a fixed-line fiber broadband connection. It can provide you with speeds of up to 1 Gbps. So the question arises, what will satellite broadband actually solve for you? The answer is if you have an enterprise and have offices located in remote regions of the country, or you are travelling to a place where there is no good internet connectivity, you can purchase a satellite broadband connection. Purchasing a satellite broadband connection living within urban cities just makes no sense because the arrival of 5G will ensure good and strong connectivity in the coming time anyway. Further, the biggest reason why someone would avoid satellite broadband connection is the pocket heavy plans it comes with. Satellite broadband companies are expected to offer very expensive internet plans that might not make sense for you if you are living in cities where there is strong mobile network coverage, and you also have the facility of fiber broadband connection.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) Not Making Large Orders to Vendors Posted: 04 Jul 2021 08:00 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) has stopped making large orders to the telecom vendors. The company is doing so because of its hurt cash flow. Even the vendors aren't too eager to provide the telco with very large orders hence keeping their exposure to the company's struggling finances lower. According to an ET Telecom report, a senior official of Vodafone Idea said that the volume of orders placed with the telecom vendors has come down significantly. The limiting of orders has been done to reduce the exposure to the company for these vendors. Vi Had Placed Add-On Orders With Multiple Telecom Vendors In the last quarter of FY21, Vodafone Idea had placed 'add-on' orders with vendors including Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei. This add-on contract is for helping the company with its network expansion. A person related to the matter told the publication that Vi had offered new contracts that ranged between $40-$60 million in the last quarter of FY21. All of the concerned vendors are only interested in providing Vodafone Idea with limited orders when they can see that they will be paid for that without any issues. With limited orders, both telecom vendors and Vi are in a win-win situation. The vendors get their money, and Vi does not need to pile on more debt. Vodafone Idea Needs Tariffs to Go Up Vodafone Idea said that new investors aren't coming on board given the situation of the market. Even Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, had said recently that the telecom industry's health is not good. Because of lower tariffs and the company being cash flow negative, the investors aren't too keen on giving money to Vodafone Idea. But if things were to change soon in regards to the tariffs and further market's health, it might bring in fresh investments for Vodafone Idea. Service-wise, Vodafone Idea has improved majorly. The telecom operator has been expanding its LTE 900 presence in over 11 circles at select locations. This stands to improve the customer experience. Vi's woes can only be solved by faster subscriber addition, fresh investments, and higher tariffs. The telco stands in a position where all of this can happen.

Reliance Jio Charges Rs 8 for 1GB Data With This Plan Posted: 04 Jul 2021 06:32 PM PDT Reliance Jio, the largest telecom operator in India in terms of market share, has a variety of prepaid plans under its belt. One of the many reasons why its prepaid plans are so successful in the market is because of their low cost. Jio is known for providing the cheapest plans with a ton of value to the users in India. However, there's one plan of the telco that charges Rs 8 for 1GB of data from the user. If this number doesn't sound very high to you, take into account that most of the prepaid plans that are offered to the users in India don't take more than Rs 5 on average of each gigabyte (GB) of data. Reliance Jio Plan That Offers 1GB of Data for Rs 8 The plan that we are talking about is the Rs 597 plan that was introduced recently by the company. Users can purchase this plan from both the website and app of the company, along with third-party platforms. With the Rs 597 plan, users get a total of 75GB of data for 90 days. The speciality of this plan is that there is no limit or restrictions in place for the users to consume data. Most of the prepaid plans in the market come with daily data restrictions, but not this plan. If the user wants, he/she can consume all the data of the plan in a single day or keep using it in proportionate amounts for the entire validity. Users still get unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day from the plan. There is an additional benefit of Jio applications, including JioTV, JioCinema, JioCloud, JioSecurity, and JioNews. Since the plan comes for Rs 597 and offers 75GB of data to the users, each GB of data costs users Rs 7.96 (approximately Rs 8). It is very expensive than what you get with the other plans. However, this is a different nature plan. The daily data limit plans are still available in the market from Jio that offer data for the same cheap cost they used to. But the Rs 597 plan is a new offering from the company tailored for people who wanted round figure validity plans and the ability to consume data without any daily limits. Once you have exhausted your 75GB data, you can still continue calling and sending SMSes. Further, you can also purchase a data pack from the company in case you need more data for the remaining validity of your Rs 597 plan.

Relief to Telcos Will be Good for Govt and Consumers Also Posted: 04 Jul 2021 04:30 PM PDT The telecom industry has become a bloodbath and is no field for new players now. Even seasoned companies are finding it hard to hold their ground in the extremely competitive environment that has grown to severe heights in the last few months. The falling data rates, the expectations of the shareholders and the customers alike have to be managed, and the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the worries by quite a margin. In such a situation, it is obvious for the companies to look towards the government for some relief in financial matters. This is exactly what Vodafone Idea (Vi) seems to be doing with more eagerness as compared to Reliance Jio or Bharti Airtel. But that does not mean that the other two players don't need it as much. The truth remains that the telecom industry stands in financial ruins. Relief Might Allay Security Fears for Government Perhaps the first thing that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) can arrange to do for the telecom companies is to give them a payment moratorium for the spectrum dues which have been purchased in the month of March earlier this year. The moratorium might mean a single nod for the government but for the telecom industry; this might be a big boon as it will not only reduce their financial worries but will also free up their resources which can be diverted to other constructive events such as expenditure towards deployment of good quality equipment. The government has already banned the usage of Chinese-made equipment by the public telecom operator, BSNL. This means that ZTE and Huawei are likely to turn to the other private telecom operators with prices that are attractive. On the other hand, Nokia and Ericsson are some companies that will probably be trumped by Chinese equipment manufacturers. This might be a thing of worry for the government. Hence it is only obvious, that by giving financial relief to the telecom companies, the centre will be ensuring increased security in the telecom equipment sector. By freeing up the financial resources of the private telcos, it will allay its security concerns of an increased presence of Chinese equipment on Indian soil. Tariff Hike Likely to be a Step Back for the Industry The telecom companies have already started cutting their costs by deploying chatbots instead of call-centre employees. Given the situation, a tariff hike also seems to be brewing under the surface, but it goes without saying that such a tariff hike might cause a slump in demand which might further put the telcos under stress. Also, a unilateral tariff hike might pave the way for harm to the four-player structure, which the government desperately wants to maintain in the industry. Given all these situations, it is only fair that the government extends a helping hand to the telecom companies in matters of GST, spectrum dues, and equipment deployment because it not only helps the telcos survive but also charts a smooth territory for the 5G deployment which lays ahead. Such a relief seems like a need of the hour because the 5G costs, as compared to other developing and developed countries, already seem to be sky-high, which might mean a not-so-smooth ride for the consumers when the 5G technology actually arrives. The well-intentioned idea of providing relief to the entire industry and not just one telco is a welcome step discussed by the DoT.

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