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Oppo Enco Buds India Launch Set For September 8
Samsung Galaxy S22 Indian Variant Likely to Feature Snapdragon 898 SoC
JioFiber Introduces Quarterly Postpaid Broadband Plans
Telecom Sector Relief Package Might Come In September
Apple iPhone 13 Satellite Communication Feature to be Limited to Select Countries
BSNL Is Making Changes to 14 Prepaid Plans
Vodafone Idea Subscriber, Employee Base to Bear Effects of Low ARPU: ICRA
Telecom Mobile Networks In J&K Will Not Resume Until September 6
COAI Backs TRAI Recommendations on Spectrum, RoW
Vodafone Idea, RIL, Airtel Stocks Surge Monday Morning
Telecom Sector PLI Scheme to Benefit 33 Companies
Tata Sky Broadband Offers This Very Affordable High Speed Plan Than Jio

Oppo Enco Buds India Launch Set For September 8

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 09:21 AM PDT

Its the era of truly wireless earbuds and almost all smartphone brands are gearing up to bring their offerings in this segment. One such brand is Oppo and it is prepping to launch the Oppo Enco Buds. This latest pair of truly wireless earbuds is all set to be launched in India on September 8, 2021 at a virtual event. Already, the Oppo Enco Buds design was revealed and it has been officially confirmed that the accessory will be an entry-level offering in its segment. It is expected to compete against rival TWS earbuds offered by its kins – OnePlus and Realme in the affordable market segment.

Oppo Enco Buds: What To Expect?

As of now, nothing much is known about the Oppo Enco Buds' audio specifications. The company's marketing jargon tipped at crystal clear and concert-like audio. However, this is an usual marketing strategy and the driver-specific details aren't known. The details that are known about this upcoming pair of TWS earbuds from Oppo include a battery rating of 24 hours and in-call noise reduction algorithm. On the global listing, the Oppo Enco Buds is listed to feature 8mm dynamic drivers that are on par with what we see on affordable, mainstream earbuds. It will have the standard, aural range of frequency response and an audio sensitivity of 100.6dB. The other aspects include Bluetooth 5.2, which is slated to facilitate a Low Latency Mode for gamers. With seamless pairing capability, it can connect to the device as soon as the charging case is opened. Furthermore, there will be IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, which will impress fitness enthusiasts. Talking about the USP, the Oppo Enco Buds will reportedly offer a playback time of six hours via the earbuds. Also, there will be a cumulative playback time of 24 hours via the charging case. Eventually, the case can charge the earbuds for three full cycles. There is a USB Type-C port on the charging case and it will take 2.5 hours to charge the device completely. The company assures the Intelligence Call Noise Reduction capability as another key selling point but we are yet to know how it will perform in the real-world situations. Given that the Oppo Enco Buds will be launched on September 8, we can get to know the pricing and availability details at the time of its launch.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Indian Variant Likely to Feature Snapdragon 898 SoC

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 08:49 AM PDT

Recently, Samsung got the flagship foldable smartphones in the Galaxy Z series – the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3. Soon after the launch of these devices, rumours regarding the next-generation Galaxy S22 series smartphones have started making rounds on the internet. Notably, these upcoming devices will see the light of the day in early 2022. Having said that, we are just months away from the launch of the upcoming Galaxy S series smartphones. In the meantime, some key specifications of these phones have been leaked online. Going by the same, Samsung might launch the Galaxy S22 series phones with a Snapdragon 898 SoC in India.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Phones To Use Snapdragon SoC

As per a tipster, Tron citing a report by Clien, Samsung's Galaxy S22 series smartphones will be launched with the next-generation flagship chipset from Qualcomm. Likely to be dubbed Snapdragon 898, the processor will be meant for the flagship devices of 2022, and it will be the sequel to the Snapdragon 888. To date, the Galaxy S21 series phones were launched with in-house Exynos chipsets in the global markets except for the US. Notably, the Galaxy S21 series uses the Exynos 2100 SoC. However, the Exynos chipsets aren't on par with those of the Snapdragon chipsets in terms of efficiency and performance. With the speculation that the Galaxy S22 series will feature the Snapdragon 898 SoC, this situation could change. The report notes that the company is experiencing issues with the Exynos 220 SoC. Eventually, the company is considering minimizing the volume of Exynos 2200 SoC. On the other hand, Qualcomm has proposed a unit price cut. Going by the report, the Galaxy S22 series will feature a Snapdragon chipset in India and South-East Asian markets. To be specific, Hong Kong, North America and Korea variants will use the Snapdragon 898 SoC, but the regions such as Europe and South America will get the Exynos 2200 SoC.

Samsung Galaxy S22: What To Expect?

From existing reports, Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus are believed to feature a 50MP primary camera sensor, a 12MP secondary ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 12MP tertiary telephoto lens with 3x zoom. On the other hand, the Galaxy S22 Ultra could arrive with a 200MP ISOCELL HP1 camera sensor. Also, the series is said to feature 65W fast charging support.

JioFiber Introduces Quarterly Postpaid Broadband Plans

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 07:45 AM PDT

Back in June this year, Jio introduced semi-annual and annual JioFiber postpaid plans. The monthly plan is priced starting at Rs 399 and users need to buy the plan either on a semi-annual or an annual basis. These plans bundle benefits such as zero security deposit and zero installation charges.

JioFiber Postpaid Quarterly Plans

Now, JioFiber broadband service has introduced quarterly postpaid plans for its users. Eventually, users can subscribe to JioFiber plans for three months and pay for the same later. These quarterly plans can be booked from the official Jio website's JioFiber Postpaid banner. There is a Book Now button that has to be chosen to get the same. Also, JioFiber offers semi-annual plans for six months. In addition, the JioFiber broadband service will provide users with a 4K Set-Top Box sans any additional cost. However, the terms and conditions of availing of the service include a one-time refundable amount for devices and Rs 1,000 advance paid for the installation. These will be refunded if the users discontinue the service after the 30-day trial period, provided the device is returned in working condition. The JioFiber Postpaid plans do not come with any other upfront cost. These plans are touted to be truly unlimited plans with a commercial user policy of 3300GB. Check out the JioFiber Postpaid plans from below. JioFiber 100 Mbps Postpaid Plan: This plan offers 100 Mbps of data speed for three months along with unlimited calling and data. The plan is priced at Rs 2,097 and there are no additional streaming benefits. JioFiber 150 Mbps Postpaid Plan: The 150 Mbps JioFiber broadband plan is priced at Rs 2,997 for three months and comes with OTT subscriptions including Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, and more except Netflix. JioFiber 300 Mbps Postpaid Plan: The JioFiber 300 Mbps quarterly plan is priced at Rs 4,497. It comes with unlimited voice and data benefits and 15 OTT subscriptions including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. JioFiber 500 Mbps Postpaid Plan: The JioFiber quarterly broadband plan with a speed of 500 Mbps offers unlimited data and voice and 15 OTT subscriptions including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. It is priced at Rs 7,497 for three months. JioFiber 1 Gbps Postpaid Plan: This is an unlimited plan for a quarter and it is priced at Rs 11,997. It offers 1 Gbps data speed, unlimited data and voice and streaming benefits as well. JioFiber 1 Gbps Postpaid Plan: The JioFiber 1 Gbps postpaid plan offers 6600GB of data. It is priced at Rs 25,497 and offers all the benefits as the other plans.

Telecom Sector Relief Package Might Come In September

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 05:32 AM PDT

The Telecom sector is burdened by the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, license fees (LF), spectrum usage charges (SUC), bank guarantees (BGs), and more. With all of these liabilities on the shoulder of a telco, being in loss can majorly affect the market's outlook for a company's future. The government could help the industry and the telcos at a time such as this by introducing a relief package. The relief package could help the telcos in being ready for the upcoming challenges from rolling out 5G and expanding fiber business throughout the country. To help the sector, a quick relief measure is necessary. Vodafone Idea especially can't wait for long to get any sort of help from the government. Thus, the government might announce the relief package as early as this month, i.e., September.

Coming Out With Relief Package Necessary, Here's What The Relief Measures Might Be

The longer the government waits, the weaker the sector will become. Even though Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are in a good position, the other telcos are scratching for profits. Note that Airtel also has a ton of debt on its shoulders which affects its investing capacity. According to a report from the TelegraphIndia, the government is expected to come out with the relief package in September only. To add to this, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, had recently met with the telecom minister. It is heavily speculated that the meeting was regarding bringing the relief measures for the sector and that too as early as possible. The relief measures from the government might include the drop in LF charges from 8% to 6% of the AGR, which will potentially help the telcos in thousands of crores. The government might further allow the telco to defer the spectrum payments for another two years. Redefining the AGR would also be very helpful since the telcos don't want the government to include the non-telecom revenues while calculating dues.

Apple iPhone 13 Satellite Communication Feature to be Limited to Select Countries

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 04:22 AM PDT

As we are nearing the launch of the iPhone 13 lineup, we are coming across numerous reports regarding the upcoming devices. In the meantime, a hint was suggested by a renowned analyst that iPhone 13 might arrive with support for LEO (low-earth-orbit) satellite communication. However, this feature is said to come with its own limitations.

Apple iPhone 13 LEO Support

With the support for LEO satellite communication, iPhone 13 users will be able to communicate via phone calls and messages even when there is no cellular coverage. Furthermore, it has been reported that iPhone 13 models will be available in select markets that might support this LEO feature. As per the existing reports, the emergency LEO satellite feature will work only in areas that do not feature a cellular network. It will be narrowed down only to select countries, as mentioned above. Though the company foresees deploying more satellites for the satellite communication feature, it is quite far fetched. Furthermore, it is clear that there is no option to use the iPhone 13 as a satellite phone, which will let it make calls anywhere in the world sans a cellular network. However, it has been made clear that the feature is tedious to achieve and needs hardware that is yet to be ready. Eventually, it will take the cost of the iPhone 13 to a new high. Besides the high cost, this will ignite an issue between Apple and mobile carriers.

How Will It Be Implemented?

Apple is working on a couple of ways in which the LEO satellite communication feature could be integrated. One of the options is to transmit short emergency text and the other option is to send SOS distress signals. Initially, this feature will let users contact their emergency service or close friends via iMessage sans any cellular signal in times of a crisis. Over time, it will be extended to phone calls. However, it will take time to be rolled out and might take a couple of minutes to get a signal. It will require iPhone 13 users to be available outdoors to make use of the new LEO satellite communication feature. Given that the iPhone 13 models will be officially unveiled in September, we can get more details in the coming days.

BSNL Is Making Changes to 14 Prepaid Plans

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 03:35 AM PDT

The State-run telco BSNL has announced the revision of all its prepaid mobile plans across its operational telecom circles. The operator has revised the base tariff of nearly 14 existing prepaid mobile plans on a PAN India basis. This includes the revision of tariff charges for voice calls, video calls, data charges, SMS charges, and inter circle roaming charges for voice, data and SMS series with Vodafone in Delhi.

BSNL Prepaid Mobile Plans Revised

The BSNL prepaid mobile plans under the latest tariff revision include the plan vouchers 152, 199, 197, 399, 397, 485, 666, 699, 999, 997, 1499, 1999, 2399 and FRC 249. Of these 14 plans, the plan voucher 997 is currently in the per-minute tariff and it will be revised to a per-second basis. The other plans will be available at a per-minute tariff. As of now, it has been announced that there will be no changes in the plan validity or freebies for any of the prepaid plans mentioned above. Only the tariff will be changed and it is applicable to the base tariff. Besides these, BSNL has also revised the minimum recharge condition to avail outgoing SMS services to chargeable shortcodes. This is applicable to all new and existing prepaid mobile subscribers across the country. Initially noted by Kerala Telecom, the development will allow only prepaid vouchers with MRP Rs 147 and above to get outgoing SMS facility to chargeable shortcodes.

BSNL Promotional Plans Coming Soon

Also, BSNL will launch new promotional plans starting from September 6, 2021, to encourage subscribers in the grace period to use the network actively by recharging their numbers. The telco will provide incoming SMS facility only to prepaid mobile customers in West and North Zones. It will stop the facility of receiving SMSes to those who have not recharged post the expiry of their validity. This applies to users in the South and East zones. The North and West Zone users can enjoy the incoming SMS facility for a grace period of 60 days on a promotional basis. Even the others can enjoy this if they are GP2 customers in VLR to encourage them to recharge and become active customers.

Vodafone Idea Subscriber, Employee Base to Bear Effects of Low ARPU: ICRA

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 02:05 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is the most affected telecom operator because of the current industry norms and regulations. The sector is financially stressed and at the bottom of the table is Vodafone Idea burdened with adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, other statutory dues and thousands of crores worth of loans from lenders. Vi needs the industry to regain momentum in terms of overall revenues as soon as possible. ICRA, an independent credit rating agency, has said that because of the largely stagnant 4G user base and the pressure on the average revenue per user (ARPU) levels, Vodafone Idea's profit generation has been muted.

Vodafone Idea Will Benefit Most from Moratorium on Spectrum Dues

Ankit Jain, Sector Head and Assistant Vice President, ICRA, said, Vodafone Idea will benefit a lot from the relief measures that the government might come out with in the short term. According to Jain, the biggest form of relief measure for the telco would be getting a moratorium on spectrum dues beyond FY22. The government's relief package for the sector might allow telcos to defer the spectrum payments beyond FY22. Further, even a slight drop in the percentage of levies would result in the sector saving thousands of crores which can be reinvested into products and services or paying off the dues. As of June 30, 2021, Vodafone Idea owed Rs 23,400 crores to lenders and Rs 1,68,190 crores to the Government of India (GoI) in the form of the spectrum and AGR dues. The amount of debt with no profits in the books will have a serious impact on the employee base and the subscriber base of the telco. The debt further limits Vodafone Idea's capacity of reinvesting into its networks which is what it needs to do to come out of its desperate situation. The relief package is what Vodafone Idea will be looking forward to in the short term.

Telecom Mobile Networks In J&K Will Not Resume Until September 6

Posted: 06 Sep 2021 01:09 AM PDT

In a recent development, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department issued an order. Going by the same, the mobile internet services in the region will be suspended until 17:00 hours on September 6. This restriction in the mobile internet services in the Union Territory is due to the demise of Syed Ali Shah, the hardline separatist leader.

Jammu And Kashmir Internet Services Suspended

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the death of Geelani is tranquil. In the meantime, the provisions of the internet in Kashmir has been ceased by officials to prevent any untoward incident. Also, there are other restrictions on the movement and the assembly of people coupled with the stalling of cellular services. The pro-Pakistani Kashmiri separatist Geelani passed away on September 1 at his Hyderpora residence following a prolonged illness. In order to mark the grief over the death of the leader who headed separatist politics for more than three decades in J&K. His clan buried his body at a mosque near his residence. Now, the sources have informed that the officials have directed all cellular operators to suspend mobile as well as internet services in Kashmir valley. Eventually, the internet services offered by Airtel, JioFiber, and local providers, including CNS point-to-point were halted since the morning of September 2. As a result, the mobile connectivity was shut down in Jammu and Kashmir as a prevention to avoid confusion post baseless and potent rumours. The 91-year-old Kashmiri separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelan, was suffering from kidney disease for over two decades and it was combined with age-related ailments including dementia. He was born in 1921 in Kashmir's Bandipora district's Zoorimunz village. A three-time Member of Legislative Assembly in the erstwhile state of Sopore, Geelani was the face of the agitation in the 2008 Amarnath land row. Previously, he was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir and the founder of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. For years, he led the umbrella alliance, which served as a Pak proxy, peddling separatist sentiments and initiating the youth of Kashmir into militancy. Eventually, the company left the Hurriyat, urging the constituents of the Hurriyat to lead a rebellion against his leadership.

COAI Backs TRAI Recommendations on Spectrum, RoW

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 11:54 PM PDT

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is backing the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on spectrum and RoW. The telecom regulator has proposed a new national portal for RoW. Further, TRAI has recommended exemption of RoW charges for the telcos for the next five years (FY23 to FY28) with an aim to expedite the laying of common ducts. On top of this, TRAI recommends that RoW permission should be streamlined with the participation of more utility departments and central agencies to reduce fiber cuts in an area. The regulator also wants uniform restoration charges. TRAI has further suggested that the auction of available mid-band spectrum, i.e., 3300 MHz to 3600 MHz, should be expedited. It will allow the telcos in coming out with 5G services in India as early as possible and open up new revenue streams.

COAI Believes TRAI Recommendations Will Be Implemented By Government

SP Kochhar, Directorate General, COAI, said, the government will surely consider the recommendations made by TRAI and should implement them. The recommendation for exemption of RoW charges for the next five years – from FY 2022-23 to FY 2027-28 – will significantly reduce the overall cost of roll-out for TSPs. Another recommendation on the National RoW portal is a big step for the Indian Telecommunication Industry. It will usher transparency in decision making and also boost the roll-out of services. With regard to the restoration charge, TRAI has recommended that the Central Government work out a uniform restoration change for open trench and pits with State Governments and UTs. We believe that this will ensure clarity on charges applied and also reduce the cost burden for TSPs. Another recommendation of TRAI is to implement dig once policy and to inform before the dig. In this regard, TRAI has recommended that to avoid frequent interruptions in services due to accidental damages of underground infrastructure, each utility provider should communicate its digging plans in an area to other utility providers operating in that area before submitting an application for RoW permission to the appropriate authority. This recommendation will help in addressing the issue of frequent fibre cuts and help the Industry to save the cost of redeployment of fibre. To pave the way for India 5G ready at the earliest, TRAI's suggestion to expedite auction of available mid-band spectrum i.e. 3300 MHz to 3600 MHz, and allocation of spectrum in mm-wave range for IMT-2020 purpose, will enhance the availability of spectrum for diversification of broadband services. In addition to this, the suggestion for assignment of the backhaul spectrum on demand and in a time-bound manner to TSPs will help overcome the capacity constraints in the backhaul connectivity of cellular networks, thus enabling broadband reach and capacity.

Vodafone Idea, RIL, Airtel Stocks Surge Monday Morning

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 11:25 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the parent company of Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel have seen a surge in the stock price this Monday morning. All of the stocks are currently enjoying the bullish run that's going in the market. Because of NIFTY and SENSEX touching new highs, the market is seeing a heavy influx of cash as even companies like Vodafone Idea (Vi), which saw its promoters shying off from pushing more capital, is getting money from retail investors. But one of the major gainers Monday morning stands to be Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

RIL, Vodafone Idea, and Bharti Airtel Stock Price

RIL's stock price at the time of writing stands to be Rs 2,442, which is 2.24% in the green. Idea's share (Vi) price is oscillating between Rs 7.25 (no gain) and Rs 7.30 (0.69% gain). Bharti Airtel's share price is Rs 659, which is 0.08% in the green. While Airtel and Vi aren't seeing huge gains this morning, they are still in the green. Further, both Airtel and Vi have recently jumped a lot, so these stocks going further above too soon would be a little abnormal. Thus, Vi and Airtel both stand in a very comfortable place at the moment. According to a Business Standard report, the analysts have predicted that RIL stock can trade in the Rs 5,000 levels in one year. The company has already touched its lifetime high of Rs 2,477 on Monday morning in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which is 4% in the green. The company had recently made major acquisition announcements, and the rise in stock price is just a follow up to that. With the arrival of 5G, not only RIL but also Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea stocks should go on the rise. Because 5G would also open a new revenue segment for the companies, which is enterprise business. The use cases of 5G currently predict that telcos would focus more on the business side than the consumer side in the initial days.

Telecom Sector PLI Scheme to Benefit 33 Companies

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:53 PM PDT

The Indian government has shortlisted 33 companies for being a part of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the telecom sector. The scheme will offer these companies benefits worth Rs 12,000 crore if they are able to meet their manufacturing or production goals within the desired time and inside the boundaries of India. The government had announced the PLI scheme for various sectors earlier this year. On February 24, 2021, the Indian government had said the telecom sector would get a PLI scheme too, which will offer benefits worth Rs 12,195 crore.

Companies That Have Made the Cut for Telecom Sector PLI

According to a TOI report, seven out of eight global companies which applied for the scheme have made the cut. These include Nokia Electronics (proposed investment of Rs 125 crore), Rising Stars Hi-Tech (Rs 125 crore), Foxconn (Rs 208 crore), Jabil Circuit (Rs 176 crore), Flextronics (Rs 102 crore), CommScope (Rs 209 crore), and Sanmina-SCI (Rs 110 crore). In the domestic company, a total of 26 companies have been shortlisted by the government. Out of these 26 companies, 17 are in the MSME category, and 9 are in the large ones. Some of the major companies that have been included are Tejas Networks, GDN Enterprises, Neolync Tele Communications, VVDN Technologies, and more. One of the major Indian companies that are being rejected is Tech Mahindra. The reason behind the rejection of Tech Mahindra is that it is a software development company only, and it doesn't engage in building and manufacturing physical network equipment for the telecom sector. The PLI scheme is certainly going to be very beneficial for the telecom sector and also India in the long run. With telcos looking to proliferate 5G as soon as possible, a strong local manufacturing ecosystem in India would certainly go a long way in helping with that. Companies like Foxconn and Nokia are expected to easily make the cut for the incentives.

Tata Sky Broadband Offers This Very Affordable High Speed Plan Than Jio

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 06:34 PM PDT

Tata Sky is very famous in India for offering Direct-to-Home (DTH) services. The company has millions of customers throughput different service circles of the country. But the company has also been aggressively growing its fiber broadband business in different parts of India. More and more cities now get the 1 Gbps plan from the company and one of the best things about Tata Sky Broadband is its consistent brand. If you are purchasing a service from the company, you can be sure of getting quality service and the worth of your money back. Today, we are going to look at the 500 Mbps plan from the company that can be availed at a very affordable rate.

Tata Sky Broadband 500 Mbps Plan

The Tata Sky Broadband 500 Mbps plan comes for Rs 2,300 if you are going for the monthly option. There are three more options of purchasing the plan for 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. The 3 months plan comes for Rs 6,900, the 6 months plan comes for Rs 12,900, and the 12 months plan comes for Rs 24,600. It isn't a much big monthly discount when going for the 12 months plan, but it is what it is. However, the thing worth noting is that even with the monthly option, the 500 Mbps plan from Tata Sky Broadband is cheaper than what users get from JioFiber (a broadband arm of Reliance Jio). However, if you are considering other benefits such as the over-the-top (OTT) benefits and a free Android Set-Top Box (STB), paying a few hundred rupees extra per month isn't a big ask. This is where Tata Sky Broadband's plans lose their edge. The company doesn't offer a single OTT benefit to the users even with its most expensive plans. But there's one thing assured from the company and that is quality service. Further, Tata Sky Broadband offers users free installation along with a free dual-band Wi-Fi router. Users are entitled to receive 3.3TB or 3,300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data. Note that the 500 Mbps plan from the company isn't available in every part of the country yet. However, Tata Sky Broadband is rigorously working to reach more cities of India with its high-speed plans. The company also offers a range of other broadband plans that range between 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps. But none of them offers any OTT benefits to the users which is strange to see from Tata Sky since it is very good at understanding consumer needs.

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