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Bharti Airtel Conducts India’s First 5G Trial Using 700 MHz Spectrum
Vodafone Idea to Benefit Most if DoT Returns Bank Guarantees
ACT Upgrades Benefits of Broadband Plan Without Increasing Price
Vodafone Idea Introduces Data Delights for Prepaid Customers
Broadband Plans from Major ISPs for Online Gamers
Satcom to Let People In Unconnected Areas Access Internet

Bharti Airtel Conducts India’s First 5G Trial Using 700 MHz Spectrum

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 11:07 PM PST

Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator in the country has become the first company to test 5G technology using the spectrum in the 700 MHz band. The telco completed the test in partnership with Nokia. Bharti Airtel is conducting 5G trials with the spectrum that was allotted to the telcos by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This 5G test using the spectrum in the 700 MHz band was conducted in the outskirts of Kolkata. It is worth noting that this was also the first 5G trial conducted in Eastern India. Nokia and Airtel were able to achieve high-speed wireless broadband network coverage of 40 kilometres between two 3GPP standard 5G sites in real-life conditions. For the test, Bharti Airtel leveraged equipment from Nokia's AirScale portfolio.

Airtel Will Only Buy 700 MHz Spectrum if Reserve Price is Brought Down

Note that while the telco is already testing 5G with the 700 MHz spectrum band, there's no way that it will invest money in buying spectrum in this particular band with its current reserve price being so steep. The telecom operators have expressed their concerns over the high reserve price of the 700 MHz band. Due to this reason, telcos have avoided purchasing 700 MHz spectrum in the past. Even in the March 2021 spectrum auctions, the 700 MHz band airwaves saw no takers. DoT has already asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to come up with fresh recommendations for the reserve price of the airwaves in multiple bands including the 700 MHz band. Note that DoT is also planning to add airwaves in the 600 MHz band for the 5G spectrum auctions. As for the auction, there's a high probability that it will take place in the first quarter of FY23. If there are any further delays, the auctions will be pushed further ahead which will result in delay of the 5G rollout in India.

Vodafone Idea to Benefit Most if DoT Returns Bank Guarantees

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 10:36 PM PST

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is going to be the biggest beneficiary out of all the private telecom operators if the government decides to return the bank guarantees to the telcos. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely going to tell the Supreme Court that it plans on returning the bank guarantees (BGs) to the telcos, even the BGs that are currently sub judice. According to an ET Telecom report, the returned BGs would also include the amount that the telcos had provided against the payment of spectrum dues which have been deferred for now. DoT will, however, ask the telcos to provide BGs again when it will be a year left for the deferred dues to come up for payments. If the DoT successfully goes ahead with this move, Vodafone Idea would be the biggest beneficiary out of all the private telecom operators.

Vodafone Idea Will be Able to Get Hands-on More Liquid Cash if BGs Returned

According to the publication's report, DoT might have to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC) for returning the BGs to the telcos. Note that a large amount of BGs was there to cover the one-time spectrum charge (OTSC) payment. Amongst just Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), there is about Rs 35,000 crore worth of BGs with DoT. The return of the BGs will allow the banks to increase their capital pool which in turn would allow the telecom operators to access more loans. In the relief measures announced a few months back, the government had said that the operators would not have to provide any financial instrument to secure the instalments of payments for statutory dues. Further, the government had cut the existing BG requirements for statutory dues by 80%. This is the correct move from DoT as it would improve the liquid cash problems for the sector, especially Vodafone Idea, which has a ton of debt on its shoulders.

ACT Upgrades Benefits of Broadband Plan Without Increasing Price

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 08:47 PM PST

Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) Fibernet, one of the well-known fiber internet service providers (ISPs) in India, has upgraded the benefits of its base broadband plan without any hike in price. Earlier, if you were looking for an entry-level broadband plan from ACT in Coimbatore, one of the best options was the ACT Basic which offered 50 Mbps speed with 1000GB of data every month. However, this plan has been made sweeter by the company with a hike in speed and data offered without changing the price.

ACT Basic Plan Receives Upgradation in Benefits

ACT Basic plan in Coimbatore has been upgraded to offer more speed and high fair-usage-policy (FUP) data. As mentioned above, the ACT Basic plan used to offer users 50 Mbps of speed with 1000GB of data every month. Its cost was Rs 625 per month (without taxes). However, now, ACT will offer 60 Mbps of speed with 1250GB of monthly FUP data for Rs 625 with the ACT Basic plan. The change was recently made by the company. Once the FUP data is completely consumed, users will be offered data at 512 Kbps speeds. There are multiple additional benefits which include a free one month trial of Epic On, ACT Shield starting at Rs 49 per month, Hungama at a reduced monthly fee of Rs 99, ACT Stream TV 4K at Rs 199 per month only, and more. It is worth noting that very few major ISPs in India offer a 60 Mbps broadband plan. But this plan is priced just how much a 60 Mbps plan should be. However, with taxes, the total price of the plan would become Rs 737.5, which is still a considerable price to pay. Strong alternatives could be the Rs 699 broadband plans from JioFiber and Excitel, as both offer 100 Mbps speeds which is much faster than 60 Mbps and only costs a little more.

Vodafone Idea Introduces Data Delights for Prepaid Customers

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 07:10 PM PST

Vodafone Idea has introduced a new offer for prepaid customers called 'Data Delights'. The offer is visible on the website of the telco. Under the terms and conditions of the Data Delights offer, it is mentioned that users will get 2GB of backup data from the company without any additional cost every calendar month. The 'Data Delights' offer is applicable on select prepaid plans. This backup data can be activated by an eligible customer by calling 121249 (toll-free) and can be claimed by dealing 1. In case the customer is ineligible to receive the data, the reason will be played out for him/her. Further, the backup data can also be claimed by the user through the Vi Mobile app.

Vodafone Idea 'Data Delights' Offer Terms and Conditions

As mentioned above, Vodafone Idea 'Data Delights' offer will offer customers 2GB of backup data. This data will be offered on select unlimited data prepaid plans which are – Rs 299, Rs 479, Rs 501, Rs 901, Rs 719, Rs 475, Rs 359, Rs 539, Rs 839, Rs 2899, Rs 409, Rs 1449, Rs 701, Rs 599, Rs 399, and Rs 3099. Note that the 2GB data offered by the company will be offered in two tranches as 1GB for two days. This data can be used till midnight on the same day it has been activated. Once the validity of the unlimited data pack is over, uses will not be able to claim the emergency data anymore. The offer was introduced by the telco on October 22, 2021. This is a new offer from the company that will certainly make users quite happy as they won't have to recharge with 4G data vouchers in case they need emergency data for short-term use. It would have been good if the emergency data benefit was offered by Vi on every plan as it would have meant plans which are primarily made for voice call users (meaning plans that offer less data) would also be secure for users in case they need backup data.

Broadband Plans from Major ISPs for Online Gamers

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 05:32 PM PST

One of the fastest-growing industries in India is the gaming industry, and people are actually looking forward to making their careers in gaming. However, most competitive gaming or streaming requires a high-speed constant and stable internet. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country offer various plans with amazing offers that could be suitable for anyone who is pursuing gaming on a larger scale or even just casually. Although users can get up to 1 Gbps of internet speed, it might not be necessary for every gamer; however, in this article, we are going to have a look at the 200 Mbps plans from the ISPs that best suit the people into online gaming.

The 200 Mbps Plan from Airtel

Airtel has revamped its plans and the service provided by them to attract users in an already very competitive market. With Airtel Xstream Fiber the users are in for a better, enhanced and faster daily broadband connection experience as it provides a Fiber optic internet connection. Airtel offers one of the fastest broadband connections, and users can get the 'Entertainment' pack which provides 200 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. Airtel also provides 'Airtel Thanks Benefits' with its broadband plans which in this case includes subscriptions to OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar, along with Wynk Music. This is also among Airtel's bestselling plan.

BSNL 200 Mbps Plan

The government-owned telecommunications company BSNL under Bharat Fibre Broadband provides exciting plans for its users who want to opt for 200 Mbps of internet speed. Customers can opt for Fibre Premium and Fibre Premium Plus which are the two 200 Mbps broadband plans offered by BSNL. The Fibre Premium comes at a cost of Rs 999 per month whereas Fibre Premium is available at Rs 1277 per month. Both these prices are exclusive of GST, and both these plans come with a FUP limit of 3300GB or 3.3TB. The Premium plan also offers a subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar premium pack and users can enjoy 2 Mbps of internet speed after 3300GB. The Premium Plus plan, on the other hand, offers 15 Mbps of internet speed beyond 3300GB and also offers a 90% discount of up to Rs 500 on rent on the first bill.

Tata Sky 200 Mbps Plan

India's one of the most prominent service provider Tata Sky Broadband also offers exciting plans for its users who want access to 200 Mbps of internet speed. Tata Sky Broadband uses the Tata Sky fibernet technology to provide a faster and enhanced internet experience to the users. The one-month plan of Tata Sky broadband for 200 Mbps plan costs Rs 1,150 to users. This unlimited plan by Tata Sky has a FUP data limit of 3300GB or 3.3TB as well. However, Tata Sky does not offer any OTT subscriptions on availing of its tariff plans. Users do get free installation by an expert and a free dual-band router. The other offers for the 200 Mbps plan include Rs 3,300 for 3 months, Rs 5,500 for six months, and Rs 10,200 for a year.

200 Mbps Plan by Excitel

Excitel uses its European technology to provide a high-speed and consistent internet connection for its users. It offers various plans according to the different needs of its consumers. The 200 Mbps plan from Excitel comes at different price tags and durations so as to cater to user convenience. The Fiber First from Excitel provides users with a 200 Mbps plan for a month at Rs 799. Users can also access the plan for 3 months, 4 months, six months, nine months, and 12 months for Rs 732, Rs 572, Rs 545, Rs 471, and Rs 449 respectively. All these prices are on a monthly basis and are exclusive of taxes. Moreover, the plans from Excitel are truly unlimited and no FUP data limit is levied upon.

Satcom to Let People In Unconnected Areas Access Internet

Posted: 24 Nov 2021 11:21 AM PST

Satcom aka satellite communications could become a potentially beneficial tool to provide internet connectivity in the areas that remain unconnected so far all over the country, claimed the chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), PD Vaghela. Satcom is touted to be the next big connectivity solution industry wherein almost 75% of the rural regions across the country which do not have access to broadband and are not connected with cellular or fibre connectivity, will get access to internet services.

Satcom To Connect Everyone To The Internet

While addressing delegates at the webinar hosted by the Broadband India Forum (BIF), the TRAI chairman stated that satcom can help us reach even the corners of the country and people who are excluded from internet connectivity. It includes those who are in tough terrain and in forests, hills and islands. Also, the satcom systems are ubiquitous and offer telecom connectivity in addition to the internet in these areas that are inaccessible. Satcom will bring improvements to the connectivity in remote regions where it is not feasible to deploy a terrestrial network, he added. Contrary to the belief, the terrestrial and satcom connectivity might combat against one another, said the top government official. Both the technologies go hand-in-hand to help achieve the 'Broadband for All' and 'Digital India' objectives. Furthermore, he stressed that the industry and academia have to work together to develop the satcom ecosystem in the country. Also, it was added that regulators have to come forward to support the ecosystem that will let the country become a leader in satellite communications. However, the satcom capabilities are yet to be fully exploited in India and it is time to come out with an ecosystem that will let India become a major player in satellite communications, Vaghela. Besides this, a TRAI official noted that there is more room for improvements in the process of approval for satellite communication-related aspects. Previously, TRAI has taken numerous initiatives for the Indian satcom industry and invited stakeholders' views to know if there is a separate licensing framework required to set up the earth station gateways for satellites. TRAI's latest consultation paper comes at a time when Starlink and OneWeb are in plans to bring their high-speed satellite services in the country.

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