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BSNL Jamshedpur Circle Takes Lead in Most FTTH Broadband Connections

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 07:28 AM PDT

BSNL Jamshedpur FTTH Broadband Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been intently working on its fibre-to-the-home broadband service to make sure that it stays up on top of things. It seems as though the work being put in by the government-led BSNL is surely paying off in terms of subscribers to its broadband services. In a new update on BSNL's broadband subscribers, the telco has recognised Jamshedpur as the largest area in the FTTH internet sector in the Jharkhand circle.

More Than 44% of FTTH Subscribers from Jamshedpur

As per Sanjeev Verma, General Manager of BSNL's Jamshedpur secondary switching area (SSA), the total connections in the circle map up to 36,925 FTTH subscribers. Out of this, around 44% of the connections are from Jamshedpur only. This means that around 16,367 FTTH connections are from the industry-dominated city. The second in number is the city of Ranchi, which contributes around 8,598 connections to the total pie amounting to only 23%. The figure clearly says that Jamshedpur has a lead and has almost double the number of FTTH connections as compared to the second top city. The Telegraph India report further highlighted that Verma lauded this achievement.

Big Achievement for Jamshedpur Area

As per the BSNL executive, this is a big achievement for the circle since 45% of the total growth in subscribers has come from Jamshedpur only. This is the reason why Jamshedpur has been designated as the largest business area in the Jharkhand circle. In the last month only, BSNL exceeded expectations with its report showing addition of 11 lakh new subscribers to the wired broadband category. As per the data available, BSNL boasts of having 1.6 million FTTH customers in India and around 1 lakh new customers are being added every day. The officials of BSNL also informed that in the last year, the provisioning of BSNL used to 724 per month, the monthly FTTH connection provisioning has increased to 1,336 in the financial year 2021-22. The officials of the public led telecom company said that in the coming months, this figure was expected to increase to 2,000 FTTH connections per month for the Jamshedpur area.

Vodafone Idea Lenders Worry About Repayments as Spectrum Dues Deadline Nears

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 06:26 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea Spectrum Dues deadline The lenders of Vodafone Idea are finding themselves in more and more trouble with each passing day. With the options running out for the distressed telecom company, now it remains to be seen how the management will tackle the debts that remain in front of it. However, as per the latest reports on the matter, the lenders of Vodafone Idea are asking the centre to extend a payment moratorium for the spectrum payments which Vodafone Idea owes to the centre. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), on the other hand, has been reluctant to provide a moratorium to the telecom company.

Dues Mounting for Vodafone Idea

The company has total dues which run north of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The largest portion of these dues is constituted by spectrum dues which amount to Rs 96,270 crore. However, the trouble with the spectrum dues of Vodafone Idea is that the timeline provided by the DoT is not favourable for the telco financially. Vodafone Idea has Rs 22,500 crore to be paid between December 2021 and April 2022 to the set of lenders, creditors and AGR and spectrum dues. Also, as per the Mint report on the matter, the telco had term loans of Rs 13,826 crore and guarantees and letters of credit of Rs 23,737 crore on January 7 this year.

Insolvency Not Being Treated as an Option Right Now

A person privy to the matter remarked that currently, the option of insolvency for Vodafone Idea is not on the table yet. As per him, referring Vodafone Idea to the insolvency tribunal is unlikely to yield a good solution. Since the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Proceedings (IBC) which is the main law on the matter, considers the liquidation of assets and the main assets that telco have is the spectrum, the route is not likely to be beneficial. Since the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues are now being fought upon in a Supreme Court case, the spectrum payment is something that the government can ease upon. It remains to be seen how Vodafone Idea pulls itself out of the murky situation that it finds itself in.

Airtel Payments Bank Breaks Even After 55 Months of Launching

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 05:02 AM PDT

Airtel Payments Bank Bharti Airtel is one other company that can be said to be faring well in the Indian telecom industry apart from Reliance Jio. The telecom operator, besides having a reliance telecom business on the consumer front, has other services that it offers. Bharti Airtel's business arm is another feather on the cap, and now it seems that Airtel Payments Bank has joined the same category. As per Anubrata Biswas, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Payments Bank, the company has finally turned profitable after 55 months of business. As per the CEO, the start of the year 2020 was tough for the company with the COVID restrictions and lockdown, but the need for nearby banking and online payments solutions has driven the growth for Airtel Payments Bank.

Airtel Payments Bank Doubling Every 18 Months

As per Biswas, this event marks a "cherished milestone" in the life of the company as it has been a much-awaited day. In the last few years, he remarked that Airtel Payments Bank has been growing rapidly and doubling every 18 months. He also added that the company is a significant player when it comes to digital and financial inclusion in the country. As per the PTI report on the matter, Biswas remarked the words to his employees. He said that even though it has been a challenging aim for the team of Airtel Payments Bank, they have been relentless at it. Further, he added that the need for secure digital payments and neighbourhood banking requirements during the lockdown helped Airtel Payments Bank was able to accelerate easily.

Bharti Airtel to Integrate Payments Bank Services

Recently, Bharti Airtel, CEO, Gopal Vittal had said that Airtel Payments Bank boasts of having 30 million users in addition to an annualised GMV of over Rs 1,00,000 crores, and a merchant base of over seven million. Vittal, at the time, had said that Airtel Payments Bank was on the verge of hitting a 1000 crore annualised revenue run rate. He had also announced plans of integrating the Airtel Payments Bank services with the rest of the Bharti Airtel digital channels which would allow it to collect payment for any kind of service, on PoS online or offline.

Reliance Jio Working on Global 5G Solutions In Partnership With Qualcomm

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 02:55 AM PDT

Reliance Jio 5G Solutions The Mukesh Ambani led telecom operator has eyes not only set for the domestic market on the consumer front, but the telecom company has been developing solutions that would be deployable worldwide to relay cost-effective and efficient 5G services. The company Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) has been working with California based chipset manufacturers, Qualcomm to come up with an open and interoperable interface compliant architecture-based 5G solution with virtualised radio access networks (vRANs). Jio's other subsidiary company, Radisys has also been said to be working on the same technology.

Jio Platforms Ltd Working on 5G Solutions

The billionaire who heads Reliance Jio and is the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is not only being seen as the harbinger of cheap data and new technology in India but has made clear his intentions of turning India into a global 5G hub for the export of requisite software and hardware to relay the fifth-generation technology. The speciality about the technology being developed by Jio is that it is going to be interoperable and interface-compliant. The company has also clarified that it would be first making its foray into the Indian 5G infrastructure and slowly start exporting the technology. The rapid uptake of the 5G network services happening abroad is likely to assist Jio in this endeavour.

Reliance Jio Develops Gigabit 5G Equipment

Jio Platforms Ltd and Qualcomm's partnership has been instrumental in developing the 5G solutions that are being talked about. The chipset manufacturer which is also the hand behind powering smartphones owns several crucial patents for modems that are required for 5G and 4G technology. Recently, Reliance Jio has also tested 5G by attaining gigabit speeds of 1 Gbps and beyond in a collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers. The test conducted was for both core networks and smartphones. It's worth noting that Reliance Jio is also on the verge of launching a new hybrid Android phone which has been named JioPhone Next. The device is likely to be an affordable entry point for the current feature phone users into the Android ecosystem. The JioPhone Next is slated to be launched on September 10.

Realme Band 2 Spotted on BIS Certification, India Launch Imminent

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 01:29 AM PDT

Realme Band 2 Realme has been investing its efforts in the wearable segment to offers the best fitness trackers in a modest price range. The Realme Band was the result of the hard work and commitment of the company. In the latest development, the Realme Band 2 has been spotted on the BIS certification website with model number RMW 2010. The information was spotted by tipster Mukul Sharma. If you are not aware, Realme Band 2 was recently spotted on the Bluetooth SIG certification, which hinted that the band might come with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Some of the images of the Realme Band 2 has been surfaced on the internet, which reveals that the fitness band resembles the Huawei Band 6.

Realme Band 2: Expected Specifications

Since no official information regarding the fitness band has been revealed by Realme, all the expected specifications are speculations. The Realme Band 2 is expected to measure 45.9 x 24.6 x 12.1mm. Since a button is visible on the render images, users can expect that the Relame Band 2 will feature a touch screen panel. Also, the band might feature a large 1.4-inch square display. As from the images, the strap of the band seems to be replaceable. The fitness band may come with pop-pin charger support along with Spo2 and a heart rate sensor. At the moment, all the expected specifications must be taken with a pinch of salt. As for pricing, no information is available on the internet. Realme fans can expect that Band 2 will reap some features from the Relame Band, which has already been launched in the Indian market. To recall, Realme Band features a 0.96-inch TFT-LCD screen with an 80×160 pixels resolution. The fitness band is packed with a 90 mAh battery that the company claims to last up to nine days. The band just weighs 20 grams and measures 19.6 x 11.9 x 240mm. There are nine different sports modes that are available in the fitness band, which are running, cycling, climbing, yoga and more. Another intriguing feature of the Realme Band 2 is the sleep quality monitor, along with a continuous heart rate monitor enabled.

ACT Fibernet Acquired by Global Private Markets Firm Partners Group

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 01:17 AM PDT

ACT Fibernet Atria Convergence Technologies, or more popularly known as ACT Fibernet, has been a big name in the industry when it comes to providing wired or fixed-line services in India. ACT Fibernet has had its services in some major cities of India, including Bangalore, Chennai and many more. In a new move, Partners Group, a global private markets firm, has acquired a controlling stake in ACT Fibernet. Partners Group, in a new press release, has informed that the company has now got a controlling stake in ACT, and it has been a joint venture in it since 2016. This new deal pegs the valuation of the broadband provider company at USD 1.2 billion.

ACT Fibernet to be Helped by New Acquisition

In its press notification, Partners Group remarked that ACT is a big name in the industry and boasts of having more than 7,000 employees under its umbrella. Further, it said that ACT has over 2 million subscribers in 19 cities of India. Provider of broadband, TV and other digital services, ACT high customer retention rates and delivers reliable broadband, strong uptime, and quality customer service, Partners Group noted. Manas Tandon, Managing Director, Private Equity, Partners Group, also said that the company had been a forerunner when it comes to the digital transformation of the country, courtesy of its millions of clients. Speaking about the latest acquisition, he said that the ACT is an excellent opportunity for the group to support the transformation of a growing business through expansion into new markets and the development of new product offerings.

Partners Group Already Has Many Investments in India

Bala Malladi, Chief Executive Officer, Atria Convergence Technologies, also added that Partners Group had been part of ACT's journey for a long time now. He also added that its experience of working with global technology companies would be good for the multi-dimensional growth of ACT. It is worth noting that Partner Group is a global private markets firm that is also a shareholder in Vishal Mega Mart. The company boasts of having USD 119 billion in assets until June 2021. Its other businesses in India include Aavas Financiers and Ecom Express that is a leading logistics solution provider.

Best Smartwatches Under Rs 5,000

Posted: 14 Aug 2021 12:50 AM PDT

Best Smartwatches Under Rs 5,000 A few years back, smartwatches were considered expensive gadgets as brands such as Apple, Fitbit, Samsung, and Garmin. Even now, these brands are selling high-priced wearables, but there are many other brands that sell affordable offerings in the market. With the inclusion of a SpO2 sensor, the wearables out there gained traction as it was possible to measure the blood oxygen levels during the pandemic crisis. Notably, there are models from Noise, boAt, Amazfit, Realme and others that come within a budget to make users want to buy one. So, if you are looking for an affordable smartwatch under Rs 5,000 that doesn't burn a hole in your pocket, then here is a list of models that you can buy right now in India.

Noise ColorFit Ultra

Noise ColorFit Ultra is the latest addition to the smartwatch market. It features a large 1.75-inch 2.5D curved glass display, aluminum alloy paired with soft silicon straps. The Noise ColorFit Ultra features a heart rate sensor, a SpO2 sensor for monitoring blood oxygen levels, and more. You can get this smartwatch for Rs 4,999.

boAt Xtend

Another affordable smartwatch available in the Indian market within your budget is the boAt Xtend. Priced at Rs 2,999, it comes with a decent watch screen size, a heart rate sensor, a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen monitor, sleep tracking and other highlights.

Realme Watch 2 Pro

A Realme smartwatch available in the Indian market is the Realme Watch 2 Pro. This model is quite reminiscent of the Apple Watch but it has a compact form factor. There is a 1.75-inch display, a mammoth battery that can last up to 14 days, a heart rate tracker, and a blood oxygen monitor.

Fire Boltt 360

Fire Boltt 360 is an impressive and affordable smartwatch available in India for under Rs 5,000. It features a circular dial and a metal body. There are other great features such as a heart rate sensor, a SpO2 sensor, sleep tracking capabilities and more at a price of Rs 3,999. Also, it comes with long-lasting battery life as well.

CBIC Instructs to Stop Import of Unauthorised Wireless Equipment

Posted: 13 Aug 2021 11:22 PM PDT

CBIC Instructs To Stop Import Of Unauthorized Wireless Equipment The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has urged field officers to impose restrictions on the import of unauthorized wireless equipment. Also, it has rugged them to allow the import of mobile signal boosters or repeaters depending on the licence. All Principal Chief Commissioners (Customs) have received an instruction from the CBIC, said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It has flagged that unauthorized mobile signal repeaters and boosters are easily available in the grey market and e-commerce platforms as well.

No More Import Of Unauthorized Wireless Equipment

The operation of mobile signal boosters or repeaters that are unauthorized has been raising serious concerns for the cellular Telecom Service Providers (TSP) who are licensed. They were struggling to maintain the desired quality of service (QoS) due to the interference caused by these unauthorized repeaters. Some walkie-talkie models are also available for sale on the various e-commerce platforms in the country and these units operate do not maintain compliance with DoT's regulatory requirement. Going by the Import Policy provisions that have been framed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the walkie-talkie sets and mobile signal repeaters or boosters are categorized under the transmission apparatus. These devices should get an import licence from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Notably, for this reason, the CBIC has asked field officers to adhere strictly to the import policy framed by DGFT to limit the inflow and usage of wireless equipment that are unauthorized in the country.

Why Mobile Signal Boosters Are Illegal?

Basically, a signal booster amplifies the mobile phone signal strength in the vicinity. It is used in places with inconsistent or weak signal strength. When these signal boosters are unauthorized or not registered, then these are illegal as they use the spectrum that they have not paid for. Eventually, it interferes with airwaves and distorts the mobile signal of other users within its vicinity. Also, these devices make mobile phones transmit higher power to get stable connectivity within the site and lead to poor network to others and high battery consumption. With the illegal use of wireless equipment, there is a degradation of telecom services rather than improvement in signal issues.

Why Satellite Communication Is the Next Big Technology After 5G

Posted: 13 Aug 2021 09:26 PM PDT

Satellite Broadband The consumers and the industry stakeholders alike are excited about the launch of fifth-generation technology in India. 5G and all the related technologies like ORAN, Massive MIMO and mmWave are all the buzzwords in the telecom industry right now. However, there are currently small inklings of new technology in development, and that is satellite communication. While satellite communication is not unheard of, its consumer and business application have been strictly limited for research and defence purposes mostly. But, with the foray of companies like Starlink, HughesNet and ViaNet in the United States, the uptake for such technologies in India is also catching up.

Satellite Players Readying Themselves in India

It is worth noting that a lot of companies are showing interest in satellite communication. Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has already said that he is looking to reduce costs of satellite access terminal under the banner of Airtel Business. Not only this, but another big billionaire led company of India, Tata Group, which is also a global name in the list of industry behemoths, have readied itself with a partnership with Telesat. Under this partnership, Tata Group has clearly hinted towards the development of satellite communication technology. The issue with satellite broadband is the launch of multiple satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) which is 100 to 200 Kms away from the earth surface as opposed to a geostationary orbit which is thousands of Kms away.

Growth of Satellite Broadband in India Still Ahead

The speed test of Starlink satellites which yielded very positive results that compare to wired broadband services is also a positive signal for the industry that in the long haul, with the reduction of costs, increased efficiency and high uptake by consumers and businesses, satellite broadband will be in equal footing with fixed broadband services. In India, however, things might be a little more tricky since we have not yet seen the launch of 5G services, whereas, in the countries like the USA, 5G has been active for some time. The top fear that satellite communication might bring for Indian businesses and investors might be the high costs. However, to allay these fears, the first and foremost impetus would have to come from the government, which would have to change the laws pertaining to satellite launch in order to make it easier for the companies to have satellite presence in a much easier way. The second would, of course, be the industry-wide focus on development and production along with the required innovation in ICT. Not only this, but the prices in the industry have been too low for too long, and a price hike has been in the making for the last few years. The coming of 5G is only going to drive the data prices upwards. In the telecom industry, we are already getting to see the hints of rising prices on the data front. Besides, satellite broadband communication will firstly cater to businesses. In a reasonable timeline of events, coupled with the current market forces, it would not be far fetched to say that satellite communication would be within reach of both businesses and consumers in the coming years.

JioFiber, Airtel, Excitel and BSNL Noteworthy Broadband Plans

Posted: 13 Aug 2021 06:40 PM PDT

JioFiber Airtel Excitel BSNL When it comes to broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) in India, uses have become accustomed to searching for services from JioFiber, Airtel Xstream Fiber, Excitel, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Bharat Fibre. These ISPs have built a solid brand around them and offer almost everything a user wants from his/her internet connection. JioFiber has been gaining quick ground and might become the largest broadband service provider in India, leaving behind BSNL. Let's take a look at the noteworthy plans from the telcos that most of the users in India look to purchase.

JioFiber Noteworthy Broadband Plans

The Rs 399 and Rs 699 plans from JioFiber are noteworthy because they are always in high demand from customers. The plans offer 30 Mbps and 100 Mbps uniform download and upload speeds to the users. There are no over-the-top (OTT) benefits included, but users can claim a free landline connection and a Set-Top Box (STB) from the company. Both the plans offer users 3.3TB of fair usage policy (FUP) data.

Airtel Xstream Fiber Noteworthy Broadband Plans

Airtel Xstream Fiber offers a Rs 499 and Rs 799 plan to the users. These are the top two plans offered by the operator as they offer 40 Mbps and 100 Mbps speed to the users along with 3.3TB or 3,333GB of FUP data for the month. There's a landline connection offered with unlimited voice calling offered, but there are no OTT benefits.

Excitel Noteworthy Broadband Plans

Excitel offers three broadband plans, all of which are noteworthy because of the price they come for. These plans come for Rs 699, Rs 799, and Rs 899, offering 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 300 Mbps internet speeds. All of the plans offer truly unlimited data meaning there's no FUP limit, and the 300 Mbps plan offers OTT benefits when a user purchases it for at least 3 months.

BSNL Bharat Fibre Noteworthy Broadband Plans

BSNL Bharat Fibre offers a Rs 449, Rs 599 and Rs 799 broadband plan to the users. These plans offer users 30 Mbps, 60 Mbps, and 100 Mbps speeds, respectively. All of the plans ship with 3.3TB of data and offer free voice calling benefit to the users. None of the plans offers any OTT benefits to the users. Note that the prices of the plans from different ISPs mentioned above are not inclusive of taxes and extra costs. Thus the total price of the plan will be a little more than what is mentioned above. Also, all of the operators offer uniform download and upload speeds to the users.

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