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WhatsApp To Remove ‘Delete For Everyone’ Time Limit
DoT Allows 100% Direct FDI Under Automatic Route With Certain Conditions
Google to Mandate Two-Step Verification from November 9
Moto G51 With 5000mAh Battery and Triple Rear Cameras Unveiled
BSNL Extends Free Broadband Installation Until January 30, 2022
Bharti Airtel Income to Grow by 15% CAGR over FY22-24: Jefferies
Good News for Vi, Birla Might Invest $150 Million This Month
D2h Offering Rs 3100 Benefit With Stream Box
Vodafone Idea Achieves 9.85 Gbps of Backhaul Capacity Using E-Band
Bharti Airtel Stock Touches High of Rs 732.50 Wednesday Morning
Netflix Games Comes to India With Five Titles
Vodafone Idea Mammoth Benefits 4G Prepaid Plan Detailed

WhatsApp To Remove ‘Delete For Everyone’ Time Limit

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 07:22 AM PDT

WhatsApp launched the 'Delete for Everyone' feature a few years back to let users delete the messages they sent by mistake. This feature will delete the message that was sent mistakenly or to a wrong contact or group. However, it will leave the caption 'This message was deleted'. Moreover, the instant messaging platform has a specific time restriction to delete the message on both sides. Now, it looks like WhatsApp is all set to remove this time limit. As per speculation, WhatsApp is reportedly working on removing this time limit it has imposed on the feature and will let users delete messages for a longer period than the previous limit.

WhatsApp Delete For Everyone Time Limit

A recent report by the popular feature leaker WABetaInfo has shared a screenshot that shows the familiar WhatsApp for Android interface and a dialog box asking a user to choose between delete the message for themselves or everyone in a chat. What's notable is that the message was sent three months back and it shows the date August 23. This is way beyond the current time limit that is imposed by WhatsApp when using the 'Delete for Everyone' feature. For now, the Facebook-owned instant messaging app lets users delete messages for all users for up to 4096 seconds, which is a little over one hour after it is sent. The timer was increased from the initial seven-minute window when the feature was rolled out in 2017. However, the leak suggests that the company might remove this timer altogether in a future update. Notably, if this report turns out to be true, then WhatsApp will not be the first instant messaging service to remove the time limit for the 'Delete for Everyone' feature. Both Instagram and Telegram users already have the ability to delete older messages from the app without the time limit. The report goes on to state that WhatsApp users can delete a message for everyone without any restriction on the time period with the current state of development. However, we need to wait to know if there will be further changes to this feature with time. We can get to know only when the feature is finally rolled out to users via a future update.

DoT Allows 100% Direct FDI Under Automatic Route With Certain Conditions

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 06:06 AM PDT

Today, the telecom department amended the unified license agreement that will let 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) as per the automatic route. Notably, this was a part of the telecom relief package and it has come right when Vodafone Idea aka Vi is looking forward to fundraising via global investors. As per the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)'s notification that was issued today, FDI up to 100% under the automatic route, which is subject to observance of both security and licensing conditions by the licensee and investors has been notified by DoT on a timely basis. However, the 100% FDI route comes with some specific disclaimers. One of them states that the entity of a country that has a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of investment into the country is located in or is a citizen of one such country can invest here only under the government route.

DoT Allows 100% FDI Under Automatic Route

As per ET Telecom citing DoT's statement, both direct and indirect foreign investment in the licensee company will be counted for the purpose of estimating the total FDI. Also, the licensee company or promoters or investors including their holding firms should comply with relevant provisions of the government's FDI policy. Furthermore, DoT stated that while approving the investment proposals, the government might take some security concerns into account. Notably, this amendment regarding 100% FDI has come almost a month after DoT stated that 100% FDI in Category 1 telecom services and infrastructure providers will fall under the approval of the automatic route. Previously, up to 100%, FDI with 49% under the automatic route was permitted. Beyond this limit, foreign investments required government clearance. These changes had come post a slew of reforms in the telecom sector such as deferring adjusted gross revenue and payment spectrum dues to the government by four years with the option of converting some dues into equity by the government. Ever since then, Bharti Airtel and Vi have accepted both AGR and spectrum moratorium.

Google to Mandate Two-Step Verification from November 9

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 04:50 AM PDT

The Two-Step verification (2-factor authentication), which was announced to be mandated by Google before the end of 2021, now has a finalised date. Every time a user logs into the Google account, a verification e-mail or an SMS will be sent. This process is designed to protect the personal data of users by providing an extra layer of security. This method is supposed to protect the user accounts from the dangers of password theft.

Google Plans to Provide Additional Security

Lately, Google has been sending out e-mails and prompts to its users regarding the activation of Two-Step verification coming November 9th. The prompt sent by Google provides the following information. Users will have to complete a second step on their mobile device when they enter their password. Users will have to keep their phones handy, and the prompt also mentions that 2 Factor Authentication will be mandated on all google accounts automatically on November 9th. Earlier, in a blog post released by the company, it was stated that Google is planning to add 150 million of its additional users to the Two-Step verification process and would also require around 2 million YouTube creators to initiate the process as well. Currently, the Two-Step Verification process hasn't been made compulsory for all Google users. Apparently, Google has been moving its users to the Two-Step verification process in certain groups. This means that there could be users who might have Two-Step Verification disabled in their accounts. However, it doesn't mean that these users don't have access to it. The user who wants to activate the Two-Step Verification process on their accounts to add an additional layer of security can simply go to their respective Google accounts and enable the feature manually. This will level up the security offered to the users by Google. Two-factor authentication has sort of become the norm for all highly sensitive digital platforms globally.

Moto G51 With 5000mAh Battery and Triple Rear Cameras Unveiled

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 04:10 AM PDT

After many rumours and speculations, Motorola just unveiled the Moto G51 smartphone. The device has been officially unveiled in China with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that supports 5G connectivity. As of now, there is no word regarding when this smartphone could be launched in the global markets including India. Notably, the Moto G51 has been launched in a single storage configuration with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. It is priced at 1499 Yuan (nearly Rs 17,500). For now, the new Motorola smartphone is available in China and will be up for grabs via offline stores as well. We can expect the company to reveal an official word regarding the global release of the smartphone.

Moto G51 Specifications

Detailing on its specifications, the Motorola Moto G51 has been unveiled with a 6.8-inch IPS LCD display with an HD+ resolution of 720p, a high refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz for a smoother user experience. Notably, none of the smartphones of its class has such a large display. The display has a punch-hole cutout at the front to house the selfie camera sensor. The hardware aspects of the latest smartphone from Motorola include an octa-core Snapdragon 480 processor teamed up with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage space. Also, there is a microSD card slot supporting additional storage and support for up to 3GB of virtually expandable RAM. For imaging, the Moto G51 bestows a triple-camera setup at its rear. This camera arrangement comprises a 50MP S5JKN1 primary camera sensor that is accompanied by an 8MP secondary camera sensor and a 2MP tertiary sensor. There is no word regarding the front-facing camera setup. The other goodies on board the Moto G51 include Android 11, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, standard connectivity aspects including Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, GPS, a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Notably, the Moto G51 supports both SA and NSA 5G modes that work in collaboration with China Mobile. Lastly, there is Dolby Atmos certification for enhanced audio performance. A 5000mAh battery powers the smartphone from within along with support for regular 10W charging.

BSNL Extends Free Broadband Installation Until January 30, 2022

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 03:09 AM PDT

The State-run telco BSNL has announced that it has extended the Free Installation Offer for the new Bharat Fibre FTTH, DSL Broadband, Air Fibre, and Landline connections all over the country. Going by the latest offer, the PSU has extended the waiver of the Installation cost for 90 days. This offer will be applicable with immediate effect for all new customers who have enrolled into the service across all telecom circles in the country including Andaman and Nicobar. As reported by Kerala Telecom, this free Installation offer is applicable for all new users with immediate effect on a promotional basis. Also, the BSNL Corporate Office has instructed that the field units should comply with all regulatory requirements such as online reporting to TRAI and updating the website of the circle.

BSNL Diwali Special Discount

Earlier this week, it was reported that BSNL launched a festive season offer called Diwali Special Discount offer that provides 90% discount on all new Bharat Fibre FTTH connections. This was activated on November 1, 2021. Already, the scheme made an impact among the fibre broadband users of private internet service providers as they can easily migrate to this service this festive season. Going by the offer, BSNL will provide a 90% discount on fixed monthly charges for all new users opting for FTTH connections irrespective of the plan. Also, the special discount offer is applicable for 90 days from November 1, 2021.

BSNL FTTH Service Is Preferred

For now, the BSNL FTTH broadband service is considered the best in the country. The stability and speed of the Bharat Fibre FTTH connections are incomparable and exceptional. For the past year, BSNL has been adding over 1 lakh new BSNL FTTH connections each month all over the country. This makes it evident that BSNL delivers the best performance than other internet service providers in the country. Also, those who are working from home prefer BSNL FTTH connections as these are stable and robust. The increased customer acceptance is the sole reason for its exponential growth since last year. As a result, BSNL FTTH connections are available in every nook and corner of the country.

Bharti Airtel Income to Grow by 15% CAGR over FY22-24: Jefferies

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 01:52 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel recently came out with the September quarter results. The telco's consolidated profits grew by almost four times quarter-on-quarter. This was helped by the one-time spectrum sale to Reliance Jio. According to analysts, the income of Bharti Airtel should compound by 18% annually in the FY22-24 period. This will be due to the increasing 4G penetration across the country. Further, the telco will also increase tariffs in the near future which will help majorly as well. In a note, Jefferies said that Airtel is expected to deliver 15% CAGR in revenues and 18% CAGR in EBITDA in the FY22-24 period. The brokerage firm made the estimates based on the assumption that there will be around 7% tariff hikes in Q4 FY22 and Q4 FY23.

Bharti Airtel ARPU Rose to Rs 153

Bharti Airtel's average revenue per user (ARPU) grew to Rs 153 sequentially in the September quarter. Sequentially here means QoQ. The telco's increase in revenues and profits was helped by the removal of the Rs 49 prepaid plan across the country. Users had no other option but to stick with the Rs 79 plan if they wanted to keep using Airtel's services for minimal costs. The cash flow position for the company will improve significantly as the telco has opted for a payment moratorium of AGR and spectrum dues for four years. Further, Bharti Airtel recently concluded a rights issue of Rs 21,000 crore. As per Nomura Research, the rights issue is going to help Bharti Airtel with Rs 480 billion in cash flow. With the easing cash flow situation, Bharti Airtel will be very confident going into the 5G era. The telco will be able to make more aggressive investments very comfortably as it will have the cash to do so. 5G is further going to help Bharti Airtel improve enterprise and business revenues. The ARPU growth for the telco looks solid and is the best in the industry.

Good News for Vi, Birla Might Invest $150 Million This Month

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 12:28 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) might get $150 million in additional capital from Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group (ABG). Vodafone Group Plc of the UK, which holds the largest promoter stake in the telco, might follow up with additional capital as well. According to an ET Telecom report, Birla might invest this money out of his personal assets. People aware of the matter told the publication that the issue of fresh equity shares for the same is being considered.

Vodafone Group Along With Consortium of Investors Might Invest Close to $1 Billion

As per the report, the Vodafone Group might invest a similar amount into the company as a single investor, or it might invest around $1 billion, which will come from a consortium of investors. Vodafone Group might make its move in March 2022. There's no urgent cash need for the telco to survive as it has already opted for the payment moratorium of the spectrum and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues offered by the government. Instead, the investments from the promoters are required to instil confidence in the company for the outside investors. As per the previous reports, the Vodafone Group Plc might sell a stake in the Indus Towers and use the proceeds to invest in Vodafone Idea. At present, the Vodafone group owns around Rs 23,000 crore worth of stake in Indus Towers. The ABG owns a 27% stake in Vodafone Idea, while the Vodafone Group owns a 44% stake in the company, making it the larger promoter. Vodafone Idea would be very happy with all the developments that have come in the last month or so. The telco will come in a very good position after it receives the additional funds to invest in 5G networks and also expand 4G at the same time. The extra cash would help the telco in investing more in the 5G spectrum auctions that will be held early next year.

D2h Offering Rs 3100 Benefit With Stream Box

Posted: 03 Nov 2021 12:02 AM PDT

D2h is amongst the major Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in the country. The company offers an Android Set-Top Box (STB) to the users, namely d2h Stream. It is available for a price of Rs 2499 (inclusive of 18% GST). At the same price, you can get the Android STBs from Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV, and Tata Sky. So why should you go with the D2h's offering right now? This is because of the Rs 3100 benefit that the company is offering on the purchase of d2h Stream. Under the Diwali offer from the company, users going for the d2h Stream STB will get Rs 3100 worth of shopping vouchers from GrabOn. The benefit is worth more than what you will be paying entirely for your d2h Stream STB along with a channel pack. Here are all the features and of the d2h Stream Android box.

d2h Stream Box Features

The d2h Stream STB is an Android box that comes with a built-in Google Assistant. It can support content in 2K Quad HD and also has built-in Wi-Fi. Users can record their favourite shows with the help of this STB. There is a Bluetooth enabled remote that comes with this cutting-edge technology STB. Users can play content from their favourite over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Disney+ Hotstar, TVF, ZEE5, Voot, ALTBalaji, and more. To keep the STB active, users need to keep purchasing a DTH package. It is worth noting that you can't play content from Netflix, which is a major OTT platform, and frankly, it is uncomprehending that D2h would not enable access to Netflix content. You can purchase the STB both online from the company's website or through offline retail channels of D2h. Before making your mind, you can also check the Android boxes from companies such as Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, and Dish TV.

Vodafone Idea Achieves 9.85 Gbps of Backhaul Capacity Using E-Band

Posted: 02 Nov 2021 10:54 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Nokia India partnered up to test the capacity of 5G, where it is hard to deploy fiber. Using the E-Band microwave spectrum, the telco and Nokia India could achieve 9.85 Gbps of backhaul capacity in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. For the unaware, the E-Band spectrum ranges from frequencies between 60 GHz to 90 GHz. Vodafone Idea was using spectrum in the 80 GHz band for the respective trial. The telco used small cells and macrocells from Nokia to achieve a fibre-like speed with the E-Band. This test will allow the telco to provide 5G services in areas where it is hard to reply fiber.

Vodafone Idea Partnered With Ericsson to Test 5G for Healthcare

Vodafone Idea had also partnered with Ericsson to test 5G for healthcare. The telco said that a doctor in the urban area could perform a CT Scan on a patient in the rural area with the power of 5G. The telco is moving fast with its 5G trials. It has already partnered with two Indian startups to test 5G for innovative services. Further, Vodafone Idea is also testing 5G for smart city solutions and for enterprise business use cases. It will let the telco understand the relevant use cases of 5G for the Indian market. Vodafone Idea will push aggressively to expand its enterprise business with the arrival of 5G. The telco had earlier announced that it was able to achieve a peak download speed of 3.7 Gbps during the 5G trials in Pune using the spectrum in the mmWave band. Further, using the sub-6 GHz spectrum, Vodafone Idea could deliver a download speed of 1.5 Gbps download speed which is not bad. Vodafone Idea is conducting 5G trials in different parts of India with the spectrum allotted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The trials are expected to continue for a few more months from here.

Bharti Airtel Stock Touches High of Rs 732.50 Wednesday Morning

Posted: 02 Nov 2021 09:54 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel's stock or share price has touched a high of Rs 732.50 on Wednesday's early trading session. Airtel's stock saw a strong opening at Rs 725.75 which went on to touch Rs 732.50 before falling to Rs 712.40 in the red (at the time of writing). It might be a huge sell-off from traders to book profits early in the day. If you are wondering about why there is high volatility and why Airtel's stock is in the news, it is because the telco yesterday announced quarterly results.

Bharti Airtel's Stock Went High Because of Positive Results

For the unaware, Bharti Airtel reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,134 crore for the September quarter. This figure was majorly helped by the one-time transfer of spectrum to Reliance Jio. Further, the opening up of the economy after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic helped as well. In the June quarter, the telco had reported a profit of Rs 284 crore. Looking at this, Bharti Airtel has upped its profits way by almost four times during the September quarter. This is good news for the company and its investors. At the time of writing, Bharti Airtel's shares are trading at Rs 713, which is 0.13% in the red. Airtel had previously closed at Rs 713.95. It would be strange to see the telco's stock falling today because of good results, but as mentioned above, it could be due to traders booking profits early morning. Vodafone Idea's (Idea) stock is down by 1%, trading at Rs 9.95 at the time of writing. Even Vi is expected to come out with the quarterly results very soon. It will be interesting to look at how the removal of the Rs 49 plan has affected the telco's average revenue per user (ARPU) for the September quarter. Airtel's ARPU jumped to Rs 153 during the July-September quarter.

Netflix Games Comes to India With Five Titles

Posted: 02 Nov 2021 08:37 PM PDT

Netflix has announced the arrival of Netflix Games. The over-the-top (OTT) platform has garnered a lot of attention for its recent release, namely Squid Game. Many online reports said that Squad Game literally saved Netflix. Now, the company has also launched Netflix Games, one more service that the OTT Platform will count on to make money. But fortunately, the company isn't charging anything extra from the users for this. Netflix Games will be included in your subscription for the same cost you pay now. There are a total of five games users in India and across the world can play — Stranger Things: 1984 (BonusXP), Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP), Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop), Card Blast (Amuzo & Rogue Games), and Teeter Up (Frosty Pop).

Netflix Games Membership Details

Firstly, note that the Netflix Games have only been announced for Android smartphone users for now. There are no ads or any kind of additional fees involved for the user. Purchase the subscription, and you can play the games all you want. After going to their profile, Android users will now see a dedicated games row and games tab. The games are available in multiple languages for players from around the world. Netflix members can play games on multiple devices. One good thing is that these games are not available on the kids’ profiles. The company is even allowing users to download some games and play them offline without the need for an internet connection. This is something many would appreciate as it is hard to get a stable internet connection everywhere. To ensure that you receive the Netflix Games feature on your Android device, keep the Netflix app updated to its latest version. Further, if the games feature hasn't arrived for you even after updating to the latest version, have a little patience as the company might be rolling it out in a staged manner for users across the world.

Vodafone Idea Mammoth Benefits 4G Prepaid Plan Detailed

Posted: 02 Nov 2021 06:33 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is one of the most loved telecom operators in the country because of its offers. While the telco isn't the best at providing 4G coverage, users can still trust its networks to deliver a super-fast 4G experience. Vodafone Idea is coming around into the scene after accepting the moratorium benefits from the government. This means that you should not worry about the telco going out of business any time soon. So here's a prepaid plan from Vodafone Idea that you can purchase right away. This plan offers a ton of benefits to the users. In fact, even if you tried, you won't be able to find such a prepaid plan in India.

Vodafone Idea Plan That Offers Heavy Data and Is Industry Unique

Vodafone Idea offers a Rs 699 prepaid plan to its users across the country. The third-largest telco has bundled this prepaid plan with the Double Data Offer. With the Double Data offer, Vi doubles the amount of data offered by the plan. For example, if the plan originally came with 1GB of data, it would become 2GB of data under the Double Data offer. So the Rs 699 plan comes with 4GB of daily data. Further, this plan offers users unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS/day, and a free over-the-top (OTT) benefit of Vi Movies & TV Classic. It carries a validity of 84 days. Thus, the total amount of data offered by the plan is 336GB. Thus, if the users have to pay Rs 699 for a total of 336GB of data, it means that each GB of data is costing them Rs 2.08. if you are a heavy data user and rely on 4G mobile networks for your data consumption, you should really consider this plan as it is one of the cheapest you will get from all the operators combined.

Don't Forget the Binge All Night and Weekend Data Rollover Plans

Not only this, but users also get the 'Weekend Data Rollover' and 'Binge All Night' offer with this plan. With the 'Weekend Data Rollover' and 'Binge All Night' offer, this plan becomes an even ten times better offer. With the Weekend Data Rollover offer, the company will allow the users to consume all the leftover fair-usage-policy (FUP) data of the weekdays at the weekends. This offer makes a lot of sense for users going with 4GB daily data plans. There will be days where you won't be able to consume all the FUP data for the day, which is 4GB completely. But the good thing is, you can use that leftover amount of data at the weekends. It allows you to binge your favourite shows without any worry at the weekends. Then you also have the Binge All Night offer. It is also a unique offer from the company that no other private operator offers. With the Binge All Night offer, users get an unlimited amount of high-speed 4G data between 12 AM and 6 AM every day. This doesn't affect the FUP data limit for the day. There's no major OTT benefit offered with this plan. But that's alright, you can't ask for more.

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