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COAI Rallies for Data Floor Pricing Regime With Sector Regulator

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 11:15 AM PDT

COAI Data Floor Pricing The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is the group helmed by the industry leaders of the telecom business, namely Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio. The Delhi-based lobbying group rallies itself on the interest lines of the telecom companies and has said that the floor pricing regime must be fixed by the sector regulator to break the industry free from the colossal financial burden that it faces. The news comes right after the development as per which an official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said that the regulator is not thinking upon any floor pricing regime.

COAI Demands for Floor Price Regime

SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI said that since the last few years the telecom industry has been heavy financial burdens. As per the ET Telecom report on the matter, he also said that it is imperative to understand that the low tariff situation that the telcos are in currently is because of the continuously falling tariff rates. To recall, back in 2019, COAI had raised the demand for a floor pricing regime in the industry which the Telecom Regulator had turned down at the time as well.

Floor Pricing Necessary Even if For Limited Time

COAI in its statement also added that the floor pricing regime can be brought in selectively as well. Meaning that the floor pricing regime could function to check the prices of data and the voice and SMS tariffs can be left out of its ambit. Also, the group said that the regime can be brought in for a limited time period until the industry gains back financial strength. During the time of the pandemic as well, telecom companies continued to make investments and the ensured seamless connectivity to the public. The telecom data rates have continued to fall since the foray of Reliance Jio in 2016 and the data price war triggered after that. Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, both agree that telecom tariffs are too low and they need to go up for the sake of the financial health of the industry.

Choose Broadband ISP Only After Considering This

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 08:48 AM PDT

Broadband The internet is an integral part of our lives. In the current pandemic scenario, a majority of us are working from home and taking up online classes, thereby making it even more important to handle our day-to-day lives. Given its significance, it is important to choose the best broadband or internet service provider, be it for your home or for the office. Here are a few tips that you should keep in mind to choose the best internet service provider. Remember that only the best service provider can provide you with a seamless connectivity experience and smooth performance without any interruption. Do read to know more.

Find Out Best Service Provider In Your Locality

Firstly, jot down the available internet operators in your locality and look for reviews of their services. Take a look at the pricing of each plan and compare these to know which one suits you. Make sure you check the famous service providers in your area.

List Available Plans And Services

After compiling the list of service providers, research what they have to offer to their customers. Compare these plans extensively and check the data benefits, speed of data and other bundled benefits of each of these plans. Do keep in mind to check for the equipment cost and installation charges that you need to pay. Make sure to note if they offer daily data or monthly data benefits.

Know Your Data Speed Requirement

Undoubtedly, you should be clear with your requirements before opting for a plan. Make a note of your requirements, such as how much data you might need and how fast it should be. Once you know these factors, it will be easy to make a choice and get the best service provider suiting your requirements. You can get these by checking your daily data consumption. If you stream high-quality videos, then you need a plan with ample data and faster speed.

Know The Internet Speed

To know the data speed you need, check your existing internet speed. This will help you understand what speed you seek from the internet provider. Do this by checking your current data limits for each day or month.

Choose The Internet Service Provider

Once you have considered the above-mentioned factors and know what your requirement is, you will be able to choose the best internet service provider that can cater to your needs. Another thing you can do is set up two connections, but the cost will supersede that of a single connection. So, this option is ideal for large families.

Telcos Facing Delay on Equipment Security Clearance By NCSC Portal

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 07:40 AM PDT

Telcos Indian telecom operators are sceptical of placing orders with the big telecom equipment companies for the fear of delays in delivery. For the unknown, the Indian telecom companies are fearful of delays in the supply chain because of the flagging by the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC). For the unknown, the telecom companies who want to buy telecom equipment in India have to first show interest in a company. Post this process, the NCSC proceeds ahead with a supply chain check in which it vets the company for any security lapses and Chinese companies are put under more scrutiny than others. However, this process is proving to be more time-consuming for the telcos.

Companies Facing Delay in Products

A senior executive from a telecom company in a conversation with ET Telecom remarked that the government had already said beforehand that the process would be a little time taking hence telecom companies are only bearing up with what they have been warned of. However, some believe that if things keep on taking up time then the 5G plans of some of the telecom companies might be delayed. Also, because of the delay, some of the telecom companies have placed advance orders.

Vendors Worried About the Security Process Timelines

The execs from some of the leading vendors have also shown concern about the absence of review and feedback from the authorities. As per the vendors, while the companies are supplying a lot of information and updates to the authority, there has been little to no feedback hence causing the companies to operate in the dark. There are two tags worthy to note "trusted sources" and "trusted products". NCSC is yet to give its first "trusted sources" tag to any company in India. On the other hand, the "trusted product" tag will mean that the details of the product will have to be supplied to the NCSC portal at every stage of the deployment. The official also said that there is going to be a visible impact from September. Even the telcos are not placing orders right away because they also want to seek clarity before doing so.

Star India Launches New Gold Romance Channel For Romance Movies

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 07:35 AM PDT

Star India On Monday, we saw the launch of the latest news channel by one of the biggest news broadcasters of the country, Times Now. The channel was the first of its kind in the Hindi language from the Times Group. With the coming of Tuesday, we are seeing the launch of yet another channel by another big broadcaster of the country, Star India. The broadcaster has informed about the launch of its latest movie channel, "Star Gold Romance". The Star Gold Romance channel will add to the roster of already existing film channels by Star India. It's worth noting that, as per the name and information provided by Star, the channel would be specializing in the Romance genre of movies.

Star India Gold Romance Channel Soon to be Available

Star India already has other film channels in the country, which includes names like Star Gold, Star Gold HD, Star Select HD, which is a movie channel with no breaks. A non-HD version of the same channel, Star Select, is also available to the viewers. On the same list, the sixth edition would be Star Gold Romance. As per the available information, this channel has also received downlinking permission from the ministry of information and broadcasting.

Times Group Also Launches New Hindi News Channel

In another news, Times Group has also launched its Times Now Navbharat HD, a new Hindi news channel. Times Now is already a big name in the news segment with its English news coverage; however, the broadcaster did not have any name in the Hindi news channel segment. As per the broadcaster, the Hindi news channel named Times Now Navbharat HD would not be after TRP and sensational headlines and would be focused on true and innovative news presentations. The launch of these new channels comes at a time where a lot of other channels are losing their rights to the TV screens. In the last four years, 204 channels have gone bust from the screen for the violation of the Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

Google Pixel 6 Will Feature Live Translate by Making Use of TPU Chip

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 07:18 AM PDT

Google Pixel 6 Google on Monday had revealed multiple details in relation to the Pixel 6 series of devices, with the biggest USP being that the devices will be the first to make use of the company’s in-house Tensor chipset. The interesting thing about this is that the chip comes with a TPU or tensor processing unit that allows for faster ML or machine learning, with there being several useful use scenarios for the new silicon. XDA-Developers had earlier revealed the existence of the Live Translate feature from earlier this year, and, today, the Verge and Washing Post have finally revealed as to what this is.

What is Live Translate on the Pixel 6 Series?

Washington Post noted that the Pixel 6 series will be able to offer the ability to generate live, translated captions whilst you are watching or listening to content that is in another language. On the other hand, the Verge got a hands-on experience demo which showcased that the devices were able to translate a video from French to English without any delay and without internet connectivity. Do note that is not the first instance of offline translation functionalities on a handset as Google Translate and other such services can allow you to download language packages so as to translate text without internet connectivity, but, now, offline voice translations are a bigger challenge for the devices. Live Translate could be a handy feature for multiple reasons. One of them is that it could easily allow for the translation of untranslated video content to far more users. For a tech publication like ours, it could also help decode the Chinese launches from the likes of Redmi, Realme and Huawei, which are usually not in English. What is a standout feature here is that this is not the only function that the TPU chip allows for, as Google had mentioned that features such as better HDR processing, offline voice typing and dictation, reduction in blurring within shots are also possible via the chip. Safe to say that when the Pixel 6 does launch, we will be more than ecstatic to see all the features that come with the new chip. In other Pixel 6 related news, Google recently confirmed the availability of the two devices, with eight countries set to get the phone. These include Australia, Canada, France, Taiwan, the UK, Germany, Japan, and the US.

Spotify Plus Plan Is the Epitome of Compromise

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 07:00 AM PDT

spotify Spotify has been well known for being one of the top music streaming platforms, with the company having recently forayed into audio discussions like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces with its Spotify Greenroom. Today, it was pointed out by the Verge that Spotify was trialling a new ad-based tier that brings with it Premium benefits for a lower than normal price. This plan, which costs $0.99 on a monthly basis is available at a fraction of the cost of the big Premium plan. What sets it apart is that with this lower price, users get the core features of the Premium plan such as unlimited track skips on an hour, in comparison to six on the free tier, with the ability to play any track that they like.

Spotify Plus Might Not Solve Your Biggest Complain

Do note that it is unclear as to why Plus packs with it the Plus-exclusive features like higher bit-rate playback or song downloads so as to play media on offline mediums, but, at the price, it seems that Plus is a good cheap method of using Spotify without having to pay 10x more for certain key benefits. Unfortunately, there is one big caveat, which also results in the price cut, this specific issue is the reliance on advertising. Some users might be willing to fork out that $9 premium for proper usage, but this payment method seems odd since most users seem to be annoyed by the plethora of ads on the platform. This does seem like a smart move by the platform, as it can provide certain premium features for a fraction of the main cost, but it also seems to be the epitome of compromise. A statement by the Verge confirms that Spotify Plus is available to a limited number of users, but there is no official confirmation of the rollout and the method that will be used. The timing for this is quite interesting, as YouTube recently showcased its intention to get people on the paid plans by trialling a new tier that can remove advertisements for viewers, whilst other key YouTube Premium services such as offline downloads, background content consumption and YouTube Music support have been exempted from the plan. The report mentioned that users in countries such as Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden were seeing the Premium Lite tier whilst trying to cancel their YouTube Premium subscriptions.

TRAI Should Not Let Go the Idea of Floor Pricing Regime

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 06:03 AM PDT

TRAI The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been on the task of managing and regulating an industry that has been under a lot of pressure. The telecom industry in India has not only been suffering financially but also from other troubles like the quality of service norms, poor networks, telecom marketers, and many. Over the years, TRAI has brought out consultation papers and regulations in the industry to tighten the norms for the industry players and to make the lives of the consumers easier. The regulator also intervened in the affairs of the DTH industry by bringing in the National Tariff Order, but now it seems that TRAI is shying away from altering the pricing regime on the Indian telecom industry.

The Need for Price Hike

The private telecom operators, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, have been in dire need of a price hike. Both the telcos are on the list of companies that have to pay massive Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues to the central government. In addition to this, they have to pay for the renewal of the spectrum in a few years along with the dues for the spectrum, which they bought in March this year. On the contrary, Reliance Jio being a new entrant in the telecom industry, has been an exception to the AGR dues demanded in high quantum by the courts. The Mukesh Ambani-led telecom company also finds itself basking in good financials, unlike Vodafone Idea. In such an industry structure, a floor pricing regime would have helped the companies in uniformly raising tariffs across the band and to get their finances in order. Such a move would have also helped the companies in lifting up their Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). A metric that remains very low despite India being the biggest user of data across the world. The global prices of data in India also remain super low at Rs 8 per GB. The worst of all, Vodafone Idea, which now stands at a staggering financial risk, would also likely be saved if TRAI were to bring a floor pricing regime and help the telco in raising tariffs.

Unilateral Hike and Why It Could be Wrong

A unilateral tariff raise would trigger competition and would not help any operator. If the other operators with some runway, like Reliance Jio, decides to hold off the tariff hike while Vodafone Idea continues to do it, then the churn of subscribers of Vodafone Idea would be worse off than it already is, thus driving the telco towards ensured financial ruin. Hence, the coming of a pricing regime from the regulatory side remains such an imperative move of this debate. Also, the comments about a floor pricing regime being against the interest of the consumer hold little ground since the absence of supportive prices in the telecom industry is starting to hurt the subscribers. Because of a lack of incentives and under pressure, telecom companies are starting to wash away the low-value prepaid plans. They are also increasingly resorting to moves like reducing the benefits, removing SMS benefits from some of their plans. Such moves are actually not for the benefit of the consumers, and if a floor pricing regime were to be rolled out, these happenings could be countered for the subscribers' benefit.

Bharti Airtel ARPU Jumps Marginally in April-June Quarter

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 05:30 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel Regardless of the muted revenues because of the spike in COVID-19 cases and the lockdowns, Bharti Airtel has been able to improve its average revenue per user (ARPU) marginally. The telco has reported an ARPU gain of Rs 1 in the April-June 2021 quarter. Even though the ARPU gain is evident, the highlight for the telco during the quarter is huge dip in profits. Bharti Airtel reported a consolidated profit of Rs 284 crore in Q1 FY22 (April-June 2021). Compared to this, in the previous quarter (January-March 2021), the telco had a reported a consolidated profit of Rs 759 crore.

Bharti Airtel Performing Much Better Compared to the Last Year

Even though the quarterly profits are down, Airtel's revenue has risen 15% to Rs 26,854 crore when compared to the last year in the same period. The telco's ARPU stood at Rs 145 in the January-March 2021 quarter and in the following quarter it rose to Rs 146. While this is not a big jump in the numbers, Airtel would happily take it given the state of the country during the month of May and June when the number of COVID-19 cases had reached shocking numbers. In addition to this, Bharti Airtel's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased from 48.9% to 49.1% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis. It is worth noting that Bharti Airtel had lost a ton of subscribers in May 2021. Even though the telco lost subscribers, its ARPU has been unaffected to a large extent. This is a good sign for the telco since it isn't looking to get the biggest market share; instead, is looking to earn more from its handful of high paying customers. Airtel's strategy looks to be working despite the horrendous quarter because of the lockdowns and rising COVID-19 cases. The ARPU for the telco should continue to jump with the removal of the Rs 49 plan from its offerings.

UPI Payments Rise by 10% on Monthly Basis to Rs 6.6 Lakh Crore in July

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 05:02 AM PDT

UPI In recent times, Unified Payments Interface or UPI has made it very easy for people to get their monetary transactions done in a breeze. This is applicable for both business and personal transactions since via UPI, it can be done instantly and without additional costs. For those of you unaware, UPI is regulated and governed by the NCPI or National Corporation of India, which had recently announced that certain changes will be made to the apps, which were a bit shocking to certain apps like Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay, but that will be discussed later on. Today, it was announced by the Digital India Twitter handle that in India, there had been a 10.8% rise in UPI payments on an MoM or month-on-month basis, with around Rs 6.06 Lakh Crore being the amount that was sent to and received via UPI payment methods.

UPI Usage on a Steady Rise!

This comes at a time when the global pandemic has limited physical outings and most transactions have moved to the online medium. As the situation continues to stabilise, people who have grown accustomed to UPI-based transactions in 2020 and early 2021 will feel odd to move back to bank transfers and card-based payments, so they might stick with the same. Coming back to the new rules, every UPI application will now feature a limit for the transactions that can happen through them and, if the apps violate this limit by hook or by crook, they will be penalised. The most affected applications include the likes of Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay. The first rule that has been set is that none of the UPI apps should have more than a share of 50% UPI transactions done through them if it is their first year of operations. For the app's second year, they will be barred to process more than 40% of the UPI transactions. For the third year, the apps cannot have a share of more than 33% of UPI transactions. Standings wise Google Pay is at the top of the table with 42% of the market share, after which is PhonePe and Paytm at 35% and 15-20% respectively. What this means is that once Google Pay hits the 50% threshold, it will be barred from accepting more transactions or customers. New users could be banned from being able to sign up with the app or make transactions.

Top Smartphones About to Launch in August 2021

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 04:07 AM PDT

Upcoming Smartphones The month of August will be a crucial month for smartphone enthusiasts. Some of the major smartphone manufacturers are gearing up to launch new devices in the global market. Here are some of the awaited smartphones that are expected to launch in August 2021.

iQOO 8 5G

iQOO 8 5G is most likely to launch on August 4, 2021. The smartphone is the successor of the iQOO 7, and most of the features of the upcoming device has been leaked on the internet. It is speculated that iQOO 8 5G will be powered by Snapdragon 888+ chipset and feature 4500 mAh with support for 120W FlashCharge Technology. The leaks also reveal that iQOO 8 will feature an LTPO panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Micromax In Note 2

Micromax In Note 2 is also scheduled to launch in August month. The smartphone will be priced in the affordable segment, and it will be powered by Helio G90 Chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The 4G smartphone is expected to feature a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary camera. Micromax In Note 2 will also come with dual SIM support and a 6.52-inch FHD+ display.

Google Pixel 5a

The recent FCC certification indicates that the Google Pixel 5a is expected to launch in August month. The smartphone is expected to feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, it is speculated that Google Pixel 5a will feature Snapdragon 765G chipset and Android 12 out of the box. As for optics, the Pixel 5a might sport a dual-camera setup at the back.

Realme GT Series

The Realme GT series have already been launched in the Chinese and European market. The recent tweet from Madhav Seth, Realme India CEO, shows four different smartphones, which are the Relame GT 5G, GT Neo, GT Master Edition and GT Master Edition Explorer. The Realme GT 5G launched in the global market is powered by Snapdragon 888 5G chipset with Adreno 660 GPU. The smartphone features a 6.43-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is still under the darkness whether Realme will launch all the devices from the GT series in the Indian market.

Vivo V21 Pro

Vivo V21 Pro is also expected to launch in August. The smartphone might feature a 6.44-inch Full HD+ display. The smartphone might run on an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor with 8GB RAM. Vivo V21 Pro is also expected to feature a 64MP primary camera.

BSNL New Plans Shipping 180GB Data For Less Than Rs 400

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 03:36 AM PDT

BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been on a massive rollout of new prepaid plans for its subscribers in various circles. The latest circle to receive a slurry of plans from the public telecom company is the Punjab circle. However, the subscribers of other circles should keep reading since it's quite possible that these plans might soon be available in their areas as well. Also, it's interesting to know that since the last few months after winning the broadband sector with its attractive offers and adding new subscribers on the wired broadband front, BSNL has not put brakes on prepaid plans. The telco is continuously offering attractive prepaid plans while it awaits its 4G network. Here are some of the new plans that we talk about.

BSNL Rs 102 and Rs 143 Prepaid Plans

One of the best, and most useful prepaid plans from BSNL is the PV 102 plan which has been launched in this circle. The plan does not come with any data benefit but for the voice calling users, this plan makes a perfect entree. The subscribers get 30 days of unlimited voice calling for Rs 102. Another plan in the same line is Rs 143 prepaid plan which has been listed as PV 143. This plan, unlike the last one, also ships data. The subscribers get 1.5GB of data per day with a validity of 30 days. Alongside the data, the subscribers also get unlimited calling and 100 SMS per day for the same 30 day validity period. To give you more perspective, the comparable Reliance Jio prepaid plan comes for Rs 199 for 28 days validity with similar benefits.

BSNL Rs 396 Prepaid Plan

There is also another Rs 396 prepaid plan which has been listed as PV 396. This prepaid plan of BSNL listed under the plan extension segment comes with 90 days validity. In the 90 days period, the subscribers will get 2GB of data per day. Alongside this, they will also have unlimited calling and 100 SMS per day benefits. To recall, the Rs 485 prepaid plan of BSNL also comes with 90 days validity and it offers 1.5GB of data per day. With the launch of the Rs 396 prepaid plan, now the subscribers are likely to go for the latest plan rather than the more expensive one. However, the only difference between the Rs 485 plan and the Rs 396 is not the data, since the pricier one also comes with an EROS NOW subscription.

For BSNL Inactive Customers

Rs 1,199 prepaid plan by BSNL has also been reintroduced for the GPII customers, meaning that it will be available only for the subscribers who are inactive on the BSNL network. This plan comes with unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day, and 24GB of data for the entire validity period of 365 days.

JioFiber Users Can Now Make Video Calls from TV With Smartphone Camera

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 03:01 AM PDT

JioFiber JioFiber users can now make video calls from their TV without the need for an external camera. JioFiberVoice will now offer users seamless HD video calls, do conference calls, and get an in-person feel experience on their big TV screen. Users don't even need an external camera/web camera for making big-screen calls. One can simply enjoy TV calling with the new feature "CAMERA ON MOBILE". This feature enables you to use your own Mobile camera as a webcam for making big-screen video calls through the JioJoin app.

How JioFiber Users Can Use Camera On Mobile feature

This feature is available on the new Android and iOS "JioJoin app". Just download the application, configure the 10-digit JioFiber number (Landline number) and you are done and all set to use the new feature to experience big-screen TV calling. JioFiberVoice provides a differentiated landline calling experience that is unique compared to a conventional landline experience. JioFiberVoice brings to users special innovative features including:
  1. Configure Landline number on up to 6 devices (including smartphones and Jio Set-Top Boxes)
  2. Parallel Ringing on Mobile number: Don't miss out on any calls on your landline number while you are not at home by configuring parallel ringing on your Jio Mobile number.
  3. ISD calls: Get ISD on JioFiberVoice, to make calls across the world anytime anywhere
  4. Import phone contact book: Get the contacts you wish you call from your TV with the single click "get contacts" button on your JioCall TV app on STB without the hassle of manually saving it
  5. Call using Voice Command: Using voice command on the STB remote, to make calls effortlessly.
This is a great feature that users can leverage to make video calls on the bigger screens and they won't have to purchase an external HD camera for it. Especially during the time of the pandemic, this will be a refreshing feature for the users.

RedmiBook Pro, RedmiBook E-Learning Edition Launched In India

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 01:23 AM PDT

RedmiBook Pro As promised, Redmi has unveiled two laptops in India – RedmiBook Pro and RedmiBook E-Learning Edition. With this, the company's portfolio in India expands beyond smartphones, smartwatches, and smart TVs. The Redmi laptops intend to offer a balance between price and performance. Both laptops can be upgraded to Windows 11 once it is available officially.

RedmiBook Pro Specifications

RedmiBook Pro makes use of a 15.6-inch FHD display with slim bezels. It gets the power from a 4.4GHz Intel Core i5 11th generation processor with Iris Xe graphics, 8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD storage space. Running Windows 10 Home OS, it comes with MS Office Home and Student edition 2019, DTS audio with two 2W speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an HDMI port, two USB 3.2 ports, an SD card slot and charging ports. Other aspects of the RedmiBook Pro include Mi Smart for file transfer between smartphone and laptop, connectivity aspects such as Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5. A 46Whr battery powers the laptop and is touted to offer up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge and bundles a 65W fast-charging adapter. There are two multi-touch support, a 720p webcam, a 100cm trackpad with Windows Precision drivers and a keyboard supporting multi-touch along with 1.5mm deep key travel.

RedmiBook E-Learning Edition Specifications

RedmiBook E-Learning Edition comes with a similar display as the RedmiBook Pro but it uses a 4.1GHz 11th generation Intel Core i3 processor along with 8GB RAM and 256GB/512GB SSD storage options. This laptop runs Windows 10 Home OS with MS Office Home and Student Edition 2019. It is touted to last up to 10 hours on a single charge and has a keyboard with a key travel of 1.5mm deep and multi-touch support.

RedmiBook Pro, RedmiBook E-Learning Edition Price

RedmiBook Pro is priced at Rs 49,999 for the single variant with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. It will be available at an effective price of Rs 46,499 after a discount of Rs 3,500 on using an HDFC Bank card for the purchase. On the other hand, the RedmiBook E-Learning Edition comes in two storage options – 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model and 8GB RAM + 512GB storage model priced at Rs 41,999 and Rs 44,999 respectively. This laptop will get a discount of Rs 2,500 on using an HDFC card and will be available for Rs 39,499 and Rs 42,499 respectively. These new Redmi laptops will go on sale on August 6 at 12 PM via Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home.

Reliance Jio Helping Major Car Maker With IoT Connectivity

Posted: 03 Aug 2021 12:38 AM PDT

Reliance Jio Reliance Jio is extensively teaming up with multiple companies to expand the reach of its network and bring a series of technological upgradation. In the latest development, the largest telecom operator of India has bagged a deal with renowned car manufacturer MG Motor India to equip its next-generation mid-sized SUV with Jio Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. The partnership with MG Motors India will open the doors for Jio to provide high-speed 4G networks connectivity to customers of MG's latest mid-sized SUV in metro cities, small towns and rural areas.

MG Hector is Powered by Airtel IoT and i-SMART Technology

MG Motor India has been investing in software-driven devices to elevate the driving experience and safety for consumers. The renowned car manufacturer has already worked with Airtel and launched its first internet SUV, the MG Hector, in India, which is powered by Airtel IoT, i-SMART Technology and 60 other connected car features. On the partnership with MG Motors India, Reliance Jio stated that its eSIM and IoT solutions would aid the car owners in absorbing the latest infotainment and real-time telematics on the go. Rajeev Chab, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, commented on the partnership with Jio and marked that the current market scenario indicates an upward curve in demand for software-driven devices. The partnership with Jio in the IoT space will establish MG Motor as the emerging tech leader in the automobile industry in the coming future. The Jio-MG Motor India partnership will also ensure that the mid-sized connected SUV eases the driving experience and safety for consumers.

India's IoT Market Might Grow at a CAGR of 8.8%

As reported by a market research firm, India's IoT market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% in the CY2020-23. Currently, Airtel leads the IoT market of India with over 45.5% share. Jio's extensive range of cutting-edge technology and products like eSIM, IoT and other streaming solutions will allow MG customers to access real-time connectivity, telematics and more. MG Motor India has already launched an electric internet SUV, MG ZS, in India along with the MG Gloster that are packed with next-generation features such as Level 1 autonomous features and more.

Airtel Xstream Box vs Tata Sky Binge+, Which Is Better in 2021?

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 11:53 PM PDT

Airtel Xstream Box Tata Sky and Airtel are among the service providers that offer their own Android-powered set-top boxes for their subscribers. These smart Set-Top Boxes provide users with a seamless experience of regular TV channels and let you enjoy the content from OTT services as well. If you do not have a Smart TV and you want to purchase a smart Set-Top Box, here is a quick comparison of the features offered by Airtel Xstream Box and Tata Sky Binge+.

Airtel Xstream Box Features

Airtel Xstream Box is priced at Rs 2,499 and comes with free access to Airtel Xstream Premium for one month. If you are looking forward to getting the same streaming service for a period of 12 months, then you need to pay an additional cost of Rs 499. The package misses out on free access to Xstream Premium, ZEE5, and Disney+ Hotstar VIP. So, if you want to get these services along with the Airtel Xstream Box, then you need to pay an additional Rs 1,699 for a year. The price of the basic channels depends on how many channels you choose. In terms of features, the Airtel Set-Top Box runs on Android 9 Pie and comes with access to Google Play Store, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Netflix, and other apps. It has in-built Chromecast, Bluetooth, Google Assistant and Wi-Fi support among others. It comes with 2GB RAM, 128GB storage space, choose from 500 TV channels, access to preloaded Airtel Xstream app, external HDD/USB drive support, two USB 2.0 ports, dual satellite tuner, and HDMI 2.0 with 4K support.

Tata Sky Binge+ Features

Tata Sky Binge+ Set-Top Box costs Rs 2,999 for new users. It provides access to ten OTT apps for six months and comes with free Disney+ Hotstar Premium, Eros Now, SonyLIV, ZEE5, Voot Kids, Hungama Play and more along with regular TV channels. There is also a free Amazon Prime subscription for three months. When it comes to features, Tata Sky Binge+ comes with Google Assistant for voice searches and a dedicated Google Assistant button on the remote, access to over 5,000 apps from Play Store. Also, there is Prime Video, Voot, ZEE5 and others except for Netflix. There is 2GB of RAM, 8GB storage space, Dolby Atmos, Chromecast support, Catchup TV to access TV content of up to 7 days, and more.

Which Is Better in 2021?

Having seen the comparison between Airtel Xstream Box and Tata Sky Binge+, both offer a good deal of features such as OTT apps access, TV channels, and more. In terms of comparison, the Airtel Xstream Box is a go-to choice for those who want 4K content and Netflix without any workaround. Also, it comes at a relatively lesser cost.

Vodafone Idea Stock Dips 10%, Know Why

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 10:44 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea stock has dipped by as much as 10% in the early market session on Tuesday. If you are wondering why this is because of Kumar Mangalam Birla's willingness to sell his group's stake in the company. According to a Business Standard report that surfaced yesterday, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, wrote a letter to the Union Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, on June 7 that his group's promoter stake in Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) can be sold to the government for keeping the company alive.

Vodafone Idea's Rising Debt Over the Years

Vodafone Idea has a ton of debt on its shoulders. The third-largest telecom operator of the country has to pay the government thousands of crores in adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues alone. Along with the rising debt of the company, there aren't any profits coming in either. As of the end of March 2021, VIL has garnered over Rs 1.6 trillion in debt as opposed to Rs 37,000 crore in 2016. What's interesting to note here is that Birla wrote to the Union Cabinet Secretary a month before the Supreme Court (SC) had rejected Vi's plea of reassessing the AGR dues. Birla said that he is more than willing to sell his stake in the company to any of the government or public sector companies so that the telco can keep going. VIL hasn't been able to secure any new investors, and with the regulator not enforcing a floor for tariffs, it looks like Vi's journey in finding a new investor is going to be even harder now. It will be an interesting event to witness if the government shows interest in buying out Birla's stake in the company. Vodafone Idea and BSNL merger can also be in the books. Vi desperately needs new investors, or else the company might crumble under the financial pressure it is already in.

Dish TV Channel Packs Under Rs 250 You Can Buy Today

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 10:13 PM PDT

Dish TV In recent years, we have seen DTH service providers grow in number in India. As a result, there are a slew of operators including Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon, Dish TV and more. While many such options are available, the subscribers still opt for OTT services due to their affordability. Understanding this, the DTH operators such as Dish TV are coming up with multiple packs priced within the budget for many subscribers. Here, we have curated a list of the available channel packs under Rs 250 from Dish TV.

Dish TV Channel SD Packs Under Rs 250

Mostly, customers who choose a pack check for their specific circle or state. Going by the same, Dish TV lets you choose the Circle Ke Packs from its official website. In this section, if you are looking for packs priced under Rs 250, then you will get the Raj Ka Apna Pack, which is priced at Rs 115. This pack includes 31 SD channels and is a combo of Hindi, kids, sports and infotainment channels. Rajasthan users also have the Raj Ka Apna Sports Pack priced at Rs 158 with 57 SD channels targeted at sports enthusiasts. Also, there is UP Ka Apna Pack, which is priced at Rs 152. It includes 51 SD channels and is meant for cricket lovers of UP. Priced at Rs 155, the Garvi Gujarat Pack includes 51 SD channels for all Gujarat users. Even the Punjabi Swag Pack comes under this category and is priced at Rs 176 with 67 SD channels.

Dish TV Channel HD Packs Under Rs 250

On the other hand, there are a few HD packs also offered under Rs 250. These Dish TV HD packs include the Raj Ka Apna Pack HD focused on sports enthusiasts. Priced at Rs 172 per month comprises 12 HD channels and 19 SD channels. The other notable pack from Dish TV with HD channels within this price category is the UP Ka Apna HD Pack with 55 channels comprising 20 HD channels and 35 SD channels. It is priced at Rs 246 per month. In addition to these, you can select packs based on your language preferences. These packs are available in languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Bangla and Odiya.

e-RUPI: What Is It and How Can It Help You?

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 09:03 PM PDT

e-RUPI e-RUPI was launched yesterday by India's Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. e-RUPI has a very simple task to serve in India – help financially struggling people. Note that it is an end-to-end digital currency solution that has been created by the Indian government for the welfare of society. However, it can have much larger use cases than just to help people, but there are also some threats that surround it. Let's understand what is e-RUPi and how it can help you.

What is e-RUPI?

e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless financial instrument which is developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The e-RUPI is based on a QR code or SMS based e-voucher system that will be delivered directly on the smartphone of the beneficiary. The beneficiary can then redeem the e-voucher or the code by going to the government authorised service provider. Initially, Prime Minister Modi said that users could use the e-RUPI against healthcare services. If there are people who want to get vaccinated and have to pay a certain sum of money against that, the government will issue them e-RUPI on their registered numbers which they can use to pay for the vaccination. Note that e-RUPI can only be redeemed against the services it is sent for. This will help the government in ensuring that the users are not wasting the e-RUPI on petty things.

How Can e-RUPI Help You?

The role of e-RUPI is very simple. It will help users make cashless transactions, and the government can directly send the e-voucher to the user's smartphone. As noted by Prime Minister Modi, over time, e-RUPI can be used to pay for more services. It can be used to make donations, provide nutrition to the poor, and more. This is a big step from the Indian government in the digital currency domain.

Two Smartphones That Recently Launched and Are Value for Money

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 08:34 PM PDT

Tecno Pova 2 Infinix Smart 5A Two new smartphones launched yesterday in India from the less popular brands, namely Tecno and Infinix. The smartphones that launched yesterday were Tecno Pova 2 and Infinix Smart 5A. Both smartphones are value for money in the sense that they bring a lot of features to the table and for a very less cost to the users.

Infinix Smart 5A Specifications and Price

The Infinix Smart 5A runs on XOS 7.6, which is based on Android 11 (Go Edition) out of the box. The device comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ screen and is powered by the MediaTek Helio A20 SoC coupled with up to 2GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. There is a triple-camera setup at the rear with an 8MP primary sensor and an 8MP sensor at the front for selfies. Users can expand the internal storage of the device up to 256GB with a microSD card. It is a 4G supportive device that comes with a fingerprint sensor at the side of the device. It packs a 5,000mAh battery and weighs 183 grams. The Infinix Smart 5A is available in a single variant in India with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage for 6,499 and will be available for purchase on Flipkart from August 9, 2021. Users can choose from three colours – Midnight Black, Ocean Wave, and Quetzal Cyan.

Tecno Pova 2 Specifications and Price

The Tecno Pova 2 comes with a 6.95-inch FHD+ display and supports 180Hz touch sampling rate and a maximum brightness of 480nits. The smartphone will run on HiOS based on Android 11 out of the box. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It has a quad-camera setup at the rear with a 48MP primary sensor, 2MP depth sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and a fourth sensor that remains unspecified. It is a 4G supportive smartphone that packs a massive 7,000mAh battery with support for 18W flash charge. The Tecno Pova 2 has launched in two variants in India. The base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage is priced at Rs 10,499, and the second one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage is priced at Rs 12,499. It will be available in three colours – Dazzle Black, Energy Blue, and Polar Silver. The first sale of the device will go live from August 5 exclusively on Amazon.

BSNL 4G Plans That Just Became Expensive

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 08:05 PM PDT

BSNL 4G Plans Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has made two of its prepaid plans expensive for users. The state-run telco hasn't increased the price of the plans per se but has reduced their benefits. Regardless, this move from the telco comes at a time when other telcos are planning to revise their prepaid plans to move towards potential tariff hikes. The two plans from BSNL that have been affected due to this are STV_49 and PV_397. The change in the benefits of the plans is already visible on the website of the telco. Let's take a look at the updated benefits of the concerned plans.

BSNL STV_49

BSNL STV_49 used to come with 28 days of validity and offered 100 minutes of free voice calling post, which the user would be charged with 45 paise per minute for making voice calls. The telco also offered 2GB of free data with the plan and 100 SMSes. Now, the plan's validity has been reduced to 24 days while its cost remains the same, which is Rs 49. The other benefits remain unchanged.

BSNL PV_397

The BSNL PV_397 used to offer users 2GB of daily data with truly unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. While the validity of the plan was 365 days, users would get the freebies for the first 60 days only. Now, everything remaining the same; BSNL has decreased the total validity of this plan voucher from 365 days to 300 days but has kept the price of the plan the same, which is Rs 397. This plan voucher helps the user in keeping his phone number active, and once the freebies expire, the user can make other recharges to keep consuming voice calling and data services from BSNL. These are the two BSNL 4G plans which have indirectly become expensive for the users. Regardless of the price change, these plans are still full of value.

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