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DSL Broadband Connection Advantages and Disadvantages
BSNL Is the Only Telco In Confusion Right Now
Vodafone Idea Achieves 3.7 Gbps Download Speed In 5G Trials
Telecom Sector Duopoly Still a Possibility with No Tariff Hikes
Airtel Business and Xstream Fiber Rs 999 Broadband Plans Differ a Lot

DSL Broadband Connection Advantages and Disadvantages

Posted: 19 Sep 2021 07:39 AM PDT

As the internet is widely used in households for binge-watching and other uses of late, it becomes highly important to choose the right internet service provider for a reliable connection. When it comes to ISPs, they will advertise that they provide fast speed, but that is something that you shouldn't fall for. There are many offerings out there and you need to explore the ISP options based on where you live. Firstly, you need to know that there are different types of internet services that are available. Broadband is a broad term that includes all types of internet connections. Broadband internet is delivered via compelling technologies, including cable, DSL, satellite and fibre optic. Also, there is a dual-up option available. You can choose one of these options based on where you live, preferences, requirements and price. While there are many options, let's take a look at DSL broadband and its advantages and disadvantages from here.

What Is DSL Broadband?

A DSL or digital subscriber line is a technology used to transmit digital data via an existing telephone network. Similar to dial-up connections, DSL operates over telephone lines to deliver up to 25 Mbps data speed. In the coming years, it is expected to increase the speed to 100 Mbps, thereby bringing in a revolution in the world of the internet. Notably, there are two types of DSL connections – asymmetric or ADSL and symmetric or SDSL. Of these, ADSL is cheaper and most preferred for its faster download speed than upload speed. On the other hand, SDSL provides equal download and upload speeds, which is preferred by professionals who have to backup large volumes to the cloud regularly and VPN users.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of DSL

Talking about advantages, DSL connections are economical as compared to the other available options. Also, this connection offers a consistent and stable internet speed, which makes work easy and lag-free. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages as well. The quality and speed offered by DSL broadband connections depend on the distance. While it is much higher than what dial-up connections offer, it may not be sufficient for most users who prefer other options.

BSNL Is the Only Telco In Confusion Right Now

Posted: 19 Sep 2021 05:12 AM PDT

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the state-owned company, is the only telecom operator that stands in a confused state right now. Vodafone Idea has received the relief it needed, but BSNL is still standing where it was a few months back. The telco has not received any major support from the government in recent times. Further, its 4G rollout scenario is still in a messed up state because there's no clarity on what should happen next. BSNL has a network presence all across India. In most of the major circles, it is just about upgrading the 3G network to 4G. But the telco has been burdened by the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' drive of the government. There's no doubt that it is a beneficial initiative for the country by the Modi government, but it is also taking its toll on BSNL.

BSNL Doesn't Have Time

It is not a very simple scenario with BSNL. The telco just doesn't have any time left with itself. Even Vodafone Idea will now be gearing up to capture larger market share aggressively by investing more in its networks as its cash flow situation is going to get a major boost on the back of the relief measures announced by the government. But What will BSNL do? More importantly, what can it really do if not roll out 4G networks. Maybe the cost of the reliable India mission will have to be paid by the state-run telecom operator, the way it is already doing so. The government should at least give BSNL the option to upgrade to 4G networks in select regions with companies such as Nokia and Ericsson. These are not Indian firms, but they are not Chinese either. This will help in expediting the 4G rollout plans of the telco. BSNL is in deep waters right now; the telco needs serious support from the government. Without 4G, BSNL will not even have a chance to go to 5G. It will seriously be a shame if the other operators start providing 5G services and BSNL still can't roll out 4G.

Vodafone Idea Achieves 3.7 Gbps Download Speed In 5G Trials

Posted: 19 Sep 2021 03:21 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has just announced that it was able to achieve a maximum download speed of 3.7 Gbps with the mmWave spectrum. For the unaware, Vi has been testing 5G networks in two parts of India, Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Pune, Maharashtra. The telco has now shared the 5G trial results of Gandhinagar, Pune, and said that it has been able to achieve a download speed of 3.7 Gbps. Vi got a maximum download speed of 1.5 Gbps on its 5G network operating in the 3.5 GHz band which is impressive. In Pune city, Vi has deployed its 5G trial in a lab setup of end-to-end captive network of Cloud Core, new generation Transport and Radio Access Network. In this trial, Vi has achieved peak speed in excess of 3.7 Gbps with very low latency on the mmWave spectrum band. These speeds were achieved with state-of-the-art equipment in 5G Non-Standalone network architecture and using NR Radios. Vi has been allocated mmWave high bands like 26 GHz by the DoT, along with the traditional 3.5 GHz spectrum band, for 5G network trials. mmWave delivers wide spectrum and capacity over the shortest distances for 5G, delivering lower latencies.

Vodafone Idea 5G Download Speed

Vi has also achieved peak download speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps in 3.5 Ghz band 5G trial network, with its OEM partners in Gandhinagar and Pune city. Jagbir Singh, CTO, Vodafone Idea Limited, said, "We are pleased with the speed and latency results in the initial stages of the 5G trials on the Govt allocated 5G spectrum bands. Having established a robust 4G network pan-India, delivering the fastest 4G speeds and a 5G-ready network, we are now testing the NextGen 5G technology to be able to bring a truly digital experience for enterprises and consumers in India, in the future." High speed and low latency characteristics of the 5G network have many capabilities such as improved surveillance and video streaming/broadcast; AR/VR for enhanced online gaming experience; and will enable the evolution of the 5G smart factory. Industry 4.0 and 5G smart city will help accelerate 5G deployment and usher in a promising new era of technology advancement in the country.

Airtel Demonstrates 5G Speeds

Bharti Airtel is also conducting the trial in the 3500 MHz band using 5G gear from Nokia as per DoT guidelines. The trials have delivered speeds of over 1 Gbps with ultra-low latency.

Telecom Sector Duopoly Still a Possibility with No Tariff Hikes

Posted: 18 Sep 2021 09:32 PM PDT

The Telecom industry in India can still "slip towards a duopoly" in absence of a "sizable tariff hike," multiple analysts say. The Union government on Wednesday announced a set of "structural and process reforms" for the telecom industry to "promote healthy competition" and to "generate employment opportunities." The measures announced by the Union government included a four-year moratorium for telecom companies to repay dues to the government along with the revised definition of adjusted gross revenues. While analysts say that the measures are a "welcome step towards strengthening the industry," it was also highlighted that the steep hike in tariffs is a "must."

Union Government Measures Provides A "Breathing Room" for Vodafone Idea

Edelweiss Research, a leading domestic institutional brokerage house on Wednesday said that the measures announced by the government have "resuscitated the idea of a three-player market for the time being." The firm in its note said that measures provide a "breathing room" for Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest wireless operator in India. "However, we believe policy support alone cannot solve VI's problems," Edelweiss Research said. "VI needs a tariff hike coupled with a capital infusion at the earliest." The firm highlighted that the duopoly scenario would "benefit" Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio and that "beyond policy package," there exists a "key issue" in the telecom industry. "The major issue plaguing the sector continues to be unreasonably low tariffs," Edelweiss Research said. "While companies have raised tariffs, meaningful ARPU improvement can be achieved only with tariff hikes in 4G prepaid plans." Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti Airtel chairman has often said that the average revenue per user (ARPU), a key financial metric, needs to hit Rs 200 "very quickly." In late August, Mittal said that the telecom "industry needs to be at 300 rupees per customer per month" eventually. Dolat Capital, the financial firm engaged in the trading markets on Thursday said that the hike in tariffs "though inevitable for revival" of Vodafone Idea, may now "take longer and could be gradual." The firm in its note said that the telecom industry might now witness a 10% to 15% hike in tariffs as compared to the 25% to 40% as expected previously." "However, [a] four-year moratorium is a substantially long period for revival that may delay the tariff hikes," Dolat Capital said. "The up-and-down history of the sector create doubts from time to time."

Revised AGR Definition A "Much-needed Change" for Telecom Operators

Meanwhile, Axis Securities, a subsidiary of Axis Bank on Thursday said that the revised definition of AGR along with the elimination of the penalty for spectrum dues has been a "much-needed change." The Indian government on Wednesday said that the non-telecom revenues will not be included in AGR. "This extra burden has hurt the telecom industry in the past but the new reform will now pave the way for telecom players to make higher capital investments," Axis Securities said in its note. "We believe the relief package is a welcome step towards strengthening the industry and ensuring the survival of Telecom operators as well as maintaining healthy competition for the benefit of the customers." Crucially, Motilal Oswal Financial Services in its note on Thursday said that Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio "may not avail the moratorium on the annual deferred spectrum" as the operators have "sufficient liquidity position." The Indian diversified financial services firm said that the second-largest wireless operator in India might also not avail the moratorium on AGR payments. "Both players could avail better rates in the market compared to the government's higher rate of interest," Motilal Oswal said." A weak third player and the government's efforts to save VIL certainly builds a strong case for a tariff hike in the near term compared to a stronger two-player market." Additionally, the firm highlighted that Vodafone Idea AGR dues payments is "subject to business generating sufficient cash flow" in the long term and thus it "needs be addressed." "The moratorium helps to solve the immediate liquidity woes of VIL, but its ballooning debt and annual EMI after four years will be difficult to address," Motilal Oswal said. It has to be noted that the telecom operators including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel welcomed the measures announced by the Union government on Wednesday. Further, Nick Read, chief executive officer at Vodafone Group said that the measures will be the "beginning of a new era for India's digital ambitions."

Airtel Business and Xstream Fiber Rs 999 Broadband Plans Differ a Lot

Posted: 18 Sep 2021 06:38 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel doesn't just focus on direct consumers but also offers enterprise services that are very affordable and full of value. The telco's business arm is called Airtel Business. Enterprises looking for a broadband connection will purchase the service from Airtel Business. At the same time, average consumers looking for a broadband connection will buy the service from Airtel Xstream Fiber. Note that both Airtel Business and Airtel Xstream Fiber offer customers a Rs 999 broadband plan. Even though these plans provide the same speed, they are not the same in any way. Here's how they differ.

Airtel Business Rs 999 Broadband Plan

The Airtel Business Rs 999 broadband plan offers 200 Mbps speed to the client. Further, the company provides two licenses of Airtel Bluejeans and two licenses for 'Device Security by Kaspersky'. Additionally, this broadband plan offers the client DNS Security by Cisco and a free parallel ringing service. For the unaware, the parallel ringing feature allows a person to pick the call coming in the landline on their smartphone. This way, even if the person is on the move, they would never miss out on a business deal. The added benefits offered with this plan cost Rs 2,966 otherwise. The company provides a free landline connection with the plan and also offers unlimited data to the client. Now, let's take a look at the Rs 999 broadband plan from Airtel Xstream Fiber.

Airtel Xstream Fiber Rs 999 Broadband Plan

The Airtel Xstream Fiber Rs 999 broadband plan offers users a 200 Mbps internet speed as well. Users get 3.3TB of 3,333GB of fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with the plan along with a free landline connection. There are Airtel Thanks benefits, including a free subscription of the Disney+ Hotstar Super and Amazon Prime Video for one year. Users are further entitled to get Wynk Music and other Airtel Thanks benefits with this plan. If users want, they can also opt for the Xstream Box while purchasing this connection by paying a one-time refundable fee of Rs 1,500. Both the plans differ when it comes to additional benefits. The plan offered by Airtel Business is much more suited to the needs of people who are running offices or enterprises. But the plan from Xstream Fiber is much more suitable for a normal consumer who is looking to work from home but then also consumes broadband data for entertainment purposes. So at the end of the day, both the plans have merit, it just depends on one's needs, and according to that, they can choose one of the plans mentioned above.

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