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• Jio 5G Network Speed Test Leaks, Download Speed of up to 420 Mbps
• 5G Litigation: Delhi HC Proposes to Reduce Penalty on Juhi Chawla From Rs 20 Lakhs to Rs 2 Lakhs
• Chromebooks Might Get Extended Battery Life With the Introduction of Adaptive Charging on Chrome OS
• Oppo Reno7 in India Could Actually be a Rebranded Version of Oppo Reno7 SE
• Connect Broadband Offers 50 Mbps Plan With Major OTT Benefits
• Xiaomi Witnesses a Major Drop in Indian Market Share Due to Supply Constraints
• Apple Plans to Unveil a Gamut of Products in 2022 – iPhone 14 Series, MacBook Air and More
• Redmi 10C, Redmi 10A Might Launch in India Soon
• Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson to Come Together for Red One
• STL Gets Multi-Year Rs 170 Crore Deal from PGCIL
• Explained: What is USOF and Why Indian Telcos Want to Get Rid of It?
• Micromax In Note 2 Launched in India for Rs 13490
• Airtel, Vi Stock Zoom Up More than 3% After Recent Announcements
• Bharti Airtel Commissions 21 MW Solar Power Unit in Maharashtra
• Realme 9 Pro+ 5G Found Listed on Geekbench, Check Results
• Bharti Airtel Mulling to Raise More Funds Through Equity
• Vodafone Idea CEO Confirms Another Price Hike in 2022 or 2023
• Base OTT Broadband Plans from Jio, BSNL, Airtel and Netplus

Jio 5G Network Speed Test Leaks, Download Speed of up to 420 Mbps Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:23 AM PST 5G network rollout is the talk of the town as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already announced that the 5G network will be made available to the general public in 13 major cities of India before the end of 2022. Telecom operators have already commenced the testing of the network across India, and the leading telco in the country, Jio, has been making remarkable progress in testing and planning the rollout of the 5G network. Jio will make use of the indigenously developed network, hardware, and technology components to ensure the dispatch of a solid 5G network. Now a recent report suggests the 5G speeds attained by Jio. Let's have a look. Jio's 5G Network Speed Test Results 91mobiles was able to get hands-on a screenshot that displays the speed test of the Jio 5G network. According to the screenshot, Jio 5G network was able to achieve a download speed of 420Mbps and upload speed of 412 Mbps. The latency, on the other hand, was 11ms and 9ms jitters. Moreover, the speed of Jio's 4G network was also visible on the screenshot. It can be seen that Jio has a download speed of 46.82 Mbps download and 25.31 upload speeds on its 4G network. This means that the upcoming 5G network from the telco will have an eight times faster download speed and 15 times faster upload speed than its 4G network connectivity. The testing was done on the Mumbai servers, and variations in the speeds can be expected when the network is made available to the public, as the screenshot is from a testing program. The download and upload speed could actually be lower than that attained in the testing program because of the high number of active users. To compare, before the release of the 4G network back in 2016, Jio was able to get to speeds of around 135 Mbps in the testing phase, which later reduced to only around 25-30 Mbps when it rolled out for the public. It is to be noted that the leading telecom operator will be rolling out its high speed 5G services in selected countries in phases. The company has already declared its partnership with social media messaging platform WhatsApp in order to provide simplified prepaid recharge options for the customers. Other telcos – Airtel and Vodafone Idea are also expected to release their 5G networks in India in late 2022 or early 2023.

5G Litigation: Delhi HC Proposes to Reduce Penalty on Juhi Chawla From Rs 20 Lakhs to Rs 2 Lakhs Posted: 25 Jan 2022 07:02 AM PST The Delhi High Court proposed to reduce the costs imposed on actor Juhi Chawla and two others from Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 2 lakhs while dismissing her petition against the 5G rollout. The court also asked the actor to work for a public cause. Salman Khurshid, Chawla's counsel, agreed to the court's suggestion. The decision came after the hearing of an appeal by Chawla and the two others against the court order dismissing her lawsuit against the 5G rollout. The next hearing of the case is kept for January 27. The bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) secretary seeking his response on the appeal. The court stated in the notice that it was not inclined to issue notice to the other respondents because the plaint had been returned to the appellants following the judge's judgement, and their main grievance was regarding the payment of Rs 20 lakh in costs to the DSLSA. The court suggested that Chawla participates in a programme by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to work for a public cause. According to the court, this would be an honour for Chawla. Chawla's legal counsel Khurshid submitted a request to waive the actor from the payment of the court fee, which the court denied. Khurshid also requested the court to find a way to tackle the negative impact made by the press reports. 5G Rollout Will Affect People’s Health, Claims Chawla Earlier in June 2021, the single judge described the lawsuit by Chawla and two others against 5G rollout as 'defective', 'filed for publicity and as 'abuse of law'. The judge then dismissed the petition with a fine of Rs 20 lakhs. In the appeal, Chawla and others argued that the judge rejected the plea and imposed a penalty without any jurisdiction. The case should have been allowed to be registered as a lawsuit. They added their concerns regarding the harmful impact of 5G technology on people's health, especially those residing near the vicinity of the 5G trial areas. In the lawsuit, Chawla and the other two plaintiffs argued that if 5G rollout happens, no living being will be able to escape from the exposure, which will be up to the levels of RF radiation that are 10x to 100x times greater than the current scenario. During the hearing in June 2021, Chawla was blamed for circulating the video conferencing link of the hearing on her social media account. It resulted in hearing disruptions by unknown miscreants, who continued disruptions despite repeated warnings.

Chromebooks Might Get Extended Battery Life With the Introduction of Adaptive Charging on Chrome OS Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:18 AM PST In a new development, Chrome OS will be receiving a new adaptive charging feature which will help the users of Chromebook in extending the battery life of their devices. The new feature has been posted by the Chrome OS team as a part of its latest change announcements, however, it has not officially been confirmed by the company. To recall, an adaptive charging feature was also released for the users of Google Pixel smartphones. The feature was also updated making it more efficient for the users and was released with the Android 12 update recently. Multiple other smartphone manufacturers offer a similar kind of charging optimisation feature as well. How will Adaptive Charging Work? It was initially spotted by 9to5Google that the company has enlisted adaptive charging as a new attribute under works for the Chrome OS. Although, it is speculated that this feature will be dissimilar to the adaptive charging available for the Pixel smartphones which was released in 2020. According to the initial details derived from the code, the adaptive feature on Chrome OS will help in cutting the amount of time Chromebooks spend with their batteries at 100% charge. On the other hand, the adaptive charging feature on the android smartphones 'slow' charges the devices when plugged in overnight in order to preserve the battery life. The feature will work completely different with Chromebooks. The adaptive charging feature on Chrome OS will utilize on-device machine learning to recognize the patterns and will select a certain charging speed for the device based on it. Hence, the feature will not delay the charging process altogether on Chromebooks but will work in a manner that ensures battery durability. Currently, it has not been officially confirmed by Google, as to when the adaptive charging will be available on Chrome OS. Furthermore, it is also not known whether the feature will arrive with newer Chromebooks or will also be made available on the existing models. However, the code suggests that users will get a notification alert when the adaptive charging mode is enabled on the device and will also get an option to disable it.

Oppo Reno7 in India Could Actually be a Rebranded Version of Oppo Reno7 SE Posted: 25 Jan 2022 05:19 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo is all set to launch its flagship Reno7 series in India coming February 4. Since the devices were launched in China last year, most of the details are known as it is anticipated that the company will launch the smartphones with the same specifications. It was also reported recently that Oppo Watch Free will also be launched alongside Oppo Reno7 series. However, a new report may change things up a bit as Oppo Reno7 could be a rebranded version of Oppo Reno7 SE launched in China. The report comes in from PassionateGeekz according to which a retailer requesting to be anonymous has informed that Oppo Reno7 in India will be a rebranded version of Oppo Reno7 SE launched in China. It is quite normal for manufacturers to launch their smartphones by simply rebranding them depending on the region. Oppo has also set up its promotional page for the Reno7 series on the website which includes all the images of Reno7 Pro and only one picture, that too of Reno 7 SE which further solidifies the speculation. However, take this with a pinch of salt as nothing has been confirmed officially. But if this does happen it will be interesting to see what the manufacturer does for Oppo Reno7 SE which is also anticipated to arrive in India. Specifications for Oppo Reno7 SE and Price Details As far as Oppo Reno7 SE is considered, the device was launched with a 6.43 inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display with up to a 90Hz refresh rate and a maximum touch sampling rate of 180Hz. The screen to body ratio for Reno7 SE is 90.8%. The device features a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset under the hood and is paired up with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. The device operating on Android 11 ColorOS 12  is backed by a 4500mAh battery and supports 33W charging. Talking about the camera specs of the device, Oppo Reno7 SE comes with a triple rear camera setup comprising a 48MP main camera along with two 2MP additional cameras for portrait and macro modes of photography. The selfie snapper is a 16MP camera. Furthermore, the report from PassionateGeekz also suggests that the Oppo Reno7 which will be rebranded version of Oppo Reno7 SE could launch in India at a price of Rs 31,490 for the solo 8GB + 128GB storage variant.

Connect Broadband Offers 50 Mbps Plan With Major OTT Benefits Posted: 25 Jan 2022 04:22 AM PST Connect Broadband, a regional internet service provider (ISP) available in Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir, is offering a 50 Mbps plan to the users with over-the-top (OTT) benefits. There is arguable no cooler 50 Mbps plan for the users in India. If you want OTT benefits bundled broadband plans from other major ISPs, you will have to shell out close to Rs 1,000 per month, and that is without taxes. But with Connect Broadband, you have the option of choosing a decent download speed plan that also comes with OTT benefits. Let's check out everything that the 50 Mbps broadband plan from the company brings for the users. Connect Broadband 50 Mbps Plan Details Connect Broadband offers its 50 Mbps plan with entertainment and security benefits for Rs 666 per month. Note that the price here doesn't include taxes. With this plan, users will get unlimited data for the month, which is 3.3TB or 3300GB per month. Post the consumption of fair-usage-policy (FUP) data, the internet speed for the users would drop to 5 Mbps. This plan comes bundled with 6 OTT applications. These applications include ZEE5 Premium, SonyLIV Premium, Voot Select, Shemaroo Me, Eros Now, and EpicON. Not just this, the company also offers a free fixed-line connection for voice calling without any limits. For security, Connect Broadband offers users a free antivirus key with the plan. There's another 50 Mbps plan offered by the company for Rs 888. All of its benefits are the same as the Rs 666 plan except for the OTT benefits. With the Rs 888 plan, users get free Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, ZEE5 Premium, SonyLIV, Voot Select, and ALT Balaji. Both these 50 Mbps plans are available across Punjab, Haryana, and J&K, where the company offers its services. This plan also bundles in a free antivirus key for the users. There are more high-speed broadband plans offered by Connect, which also come bundled with OTT benefits.

Xiaomi Witnesses a Major Drop in Indian Market Share Due to Supply Constraints Posted: 25 Jan 2022 03:12 AM PST The renowned Global smartphone brand Xiaomi has been able to maintain its top position in India in terms of smartphone shipments for the past 17 consecutive quarters. But apparently, the Chinese smartphone maker is losing its market share in India at a rapid pace. According to the statistics, since the first quarter of 2020, the company has lost 8% of its market share due to rising competition and supply chain restrictions. The data from Counterpoint Research shows that Xiaomi was able to enlist a strong 29% market share in the highly competitive Indian market. The Statistics Reveal Xiaomi's Downward Graph However, since the first quarter of 2020, the company has witnessed a downward graph and has constantly been dropping its market share. So much that according to the latest data coming from the market research firm Canalys, Xiaomi was able to register 21% off market share in the fourth quarter of 2021, which also happens to be the festive quarter in India. This shows that the company has had a massive decline of 8% in the market share from Q1 2020. Even though the company has witnessed headline and its market share, it is still managed to uphold its first position in the fourth quarter of 2021 as it shipped around 9.3 million units in India, according to the report from Canalys. Xiaomi has been facing a component shortage issue in the entry-level smartphone segment, while on the other hand, its rival brands have been shifting to a new chipset offered by Unisoc. Talking about the premium smartphone segment where Xiaomi might be able to make an impact in the Indian markets, Apple has already massively increased its market share in 2021 as the latter has begun the process of domestic manufacturing and also has a robust consumer demand. The Other brands who opted for the chipset from Unisoc were able to meet the demand in the budget smartphone segment while Xiaomi faced supply issues in the crucial festive season and fell short of meeting the consumer demands. Statistically, out of every six smartphones launched in the affordable segment of up to Rs 6000, two of them featured chipset from Unisoc. While on the other hand, Apple was able to ship 2.2 million units during the festive quarter of 2021 alone, thus reducing the margin for any other brand in the premium smartphone category.

Apple Plans to Unveil a Gamut of Products in 2022 – iPhone 14 Series, MacBook Air and More Posted: 25 Jan 2022 02:21 AM PST The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is all set to launch a wide range of products this year. According to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will be announcing a number of its products during the fall and these announcements range all the way from the flagship iPhone 14 series to a completely redesigned MacBook Air to a new iPad Pro and more. Gurman also speculates that Apple will hold its first event of the year during March or April and iPhone SE could be a highlighted product of the event. However, he believes that the newly designed iPad might arrive after the spring event. Gurman stated that the iPhone SE 3, a new iPad Air and some kind of high-end Mac could be a part of the spring event to be held by Apple. According to him, Apple has been planning to introduce the M1 Pro chip to another Mac in the first half of this year which could either be a Mac mini or iMac. Let's have a look at a few of the hardware products from Apple that are expected to arrive this year. iPhone 14 Like every year, Apple will be launching its flagship iPhone lineup and if the rumours are to be believed, 2022 could be the first time when the iPhone will be launched with a notch-free display. The device is expected to feature a hole-punch cut out for the camera and it is expected that the lineup will include four iPhone devices, however, Apple is most probably going to axe out its iPhone mini variant. It is expected that the iPhone 14 series is expected to feature an A16 chip which will offer more power and efficiency. MacBook Air In addition to this, Apple is also working on introducing a completely redesigned MacBook Air in 2022 which might be the biggest refurbishment the product has ever received. The new version of MacBook Air is being speculated to come with a new design language and an M2 chipset. The new MacBook Air is expected to be much thinner and lighter and will take design inspirations from 24-inch iMac. iPhone SE 3 Apple is rumoured to be launching a newer version of the iPhone SE in 2022 which will have the same design as the current iPhone SE. The device will have a 4.7-inch display and Touch-ID Home Display button which came with the older designs. The device is expected to feature an A14 or A15 chipset and a 5G modem and it could probably be the most affordable 5G device available in the market. New iMac Apple launched its 24-inch iMac last year, however, the launch of its 27-inch iMac is still awaited. The 27-inch iMac happens to be one of the few devices in Apple's portfolio that is powered by intel but is expected to arrive in 2022 powered by Apple Silicon. There have been multiple rumours around the device suggesting that it will feature a miniLED display and will also be equipped with ProMotion technology for the first time.

Redmi 10C, Redmi 10A Might Launch in India Soon Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:36 AM PST Xiaomi is reportedly planning to introduce a bunch of entry-level or super affordable smartphones for the Asian markets which includes India. In 2021, Xiaomi didn't launch any entry-level smartphone and kept its focus on the mid-range and flagship devices. However, a new report from Xiaomiui suggests that the company might be planning to launch two entry-level smartphones in India through its subsidiary Redmi. Redmi 10C and Redmi 10A Might Launch in India Redmi 10A and Redmi 10C might soon launch in India. The Redmi 10A is reportedly codenamed 'light' and 'thunder' which the Redmi 10C has three codenames – 'fog', 'rain', and 'wind'. Since both the devices will fall in the entry-level segment, they are expected to feature MediaTek chipsets from last year. Both the Redmi devices mentioned here are expected to be priced under Rs 12,000.

Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson to Come Together for Red One Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:32 AM PST Chris Evans, globally recognised for playing the part of Captain America, will soon be seen sharing the screen with Dwayne Johnson for a holiday event film that is being made by Amazon Prime Video. The movie is expected to be an action-comedy, something that Dwayne Johnson has done quite a lot, his most recent one being Red Notice, which released on Netflix. According to a Deadline report, Red One is a movie being targeted for the holidays, but the plot specifics are under wraps at the moment. Not the First Time Evans and Johnson Coming Together It wouldn't be the first time that Johnson and Evans will appear together. Both the actors have previously made appearances in Free Guy for Disney, which released back in 2021. However, Red One is the first movie where both the actors will be paired to lead the movie together. Both Evans and Johnson are widely recognised actors and have a lot of experience in working with large casts, which should make this movie a comfortable task for them. The film is slated for a 2023 launch.

STL Gets Multi-Year Rs 170 Crore Deal from PGCIL Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:27 AM PST STL has announced that it is partnering up with India's largest power distribution company, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL). STL has been awarded a Rs 170 crore multi-year deal from PGCIL where the former will fulfil the latter's requirements for high performance, integrated network management systems across their regional communications networks. It is worth noting that STL is already supplying optical fibre cables and developed an IP-MPLS network for PGCIL. What Will STL Do in the Deal? STL will be providing a customised unified network management system (UNMS) that will offer advanced automation, programmable configuration, and actionable insights. With the help of STL, PGCIL will get a consolidated view of the networks which will help the company in optimising O&M along with reducing system outages at the national level. Further, the solutions and services provided by STL will help PGCIL in generating performance analytics for the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

Explained: What is USOF and Why Indian Telcos Want to Get Rid of It? Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:08 AM PST The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) was set up in 2003 by the Indian government to speed up connectivity in rural and backward parts of the country. While it was set up with good intent for the nation, the fund has been sucking up telcos dry of cash for a long time now. The telcos have to contribute to the USOF out of their revenues. For the unaware, the 8% license fee (LF) that telecom companies have to pay to the government out of their adjusted gross revenue includes 5% USOF. So more than half of the license fee that telcos pay goes towards USOF. The telcos have asked the government to remove USOF obligations from AGR and, at the same time, have requested for reducing the LG to 1%. Telcos Cash Flow Not So Good Due to LF LF is a big part of the dues that each and every active telecom service provider (TSP) needs to pay to the government. The higher the AGR, the more money the telcos need to pay to the government. There are more obligations and liabilities that the telecom companies need to pay. Thus, the burden of USOF is stressing the cash flow of the telcos. USOF is already worth thousands of crores. The telcos just want to get rid of contributing more to the fund now. At the same time, satellite players who are coming into the country starting this year are requesting the government's help from USOF to roll out services. But the telcos are very much against it. At the end of the day, USOF was created to help backward and rural areas of the country with connectivity. Thus, it will be interesting to see whether the government will side with the telcos here or with the satcom (satellite communications) players. For the time being, USOF will be a part of LF for the telecom companies. The upcoming budget will determine what will happen in this regard.

Micromax In Note 2 Launched in India for Rs 13490 Posted: 25 Jan 2022 12:15 AM PST Micromax, a local smartphone brand has launched the Micromax In Note 2 for the Indian market. The device has most of the features that and specifications that were rumoured. But the great thing about the smartphone is its pricing. The Micromax In Note 2 has been placed in the budget segment by the company and it will only come in a single storage variant for Rs 13490. Let's check the price and specifications of the smartphone in detail. Micromax In Note 2 Specifications Micromax In Note 2 has launched for the India market with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for maximum brightness of 550nits and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display is protected by the covering of Corning Gorilla Glass. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It has a quad-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, 5MP ultra-wide-angle-sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calling, there's a 16MP sensor at the front. The internal storage can be expanded up to 256GB with a microSD card. There's a Type-C port for facilitating charging and a 3.5mm audio jack for wired earphone lovers. Micromax In Note 2 packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 30W fast-charging. It weighs 205 grams, which is not exactly light. The fingerprint sensor is mounted on the side of the device. Micromax In Note 2 Price The device has a very S21 series sort of look and like mentioned above, will be available in a single memory variant in India. The device will sell for Rs 13490 for the 4GB+64GB variant and will be available in two colours including Black and Brown (Oak). The Micromax In Note 2 will go on the first sale directly from the company's website and Flipkart from January 30, 12 PM. Under an introductory offer, the company will avail the device for Rs 12,490 to the customers, which is a discount of Rs 1,000.

Airtel, Vi Stock Zoom Up More than 3% After Recent Announcements Posted: 24 Jan 2022 11:37 PM PST Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea stocks are doing very well on Tuesday morning. After a nightmare Monday for the stock market due to weak global performance, Airtel and Vodafone Idea investors would be slightly relieved on the Tuesday morning. Both the telco stocks are running more than 3% in the green. On Tuesday, after opening at Rs 684, Bharti Airtel's stock is trading at Rs 711.10 at the time of writing. On Monday, Airtel's stock had closed at Rs 689.90, thus the opening on Tuesday wasn't strong. But the recent announcements made by the telco for the board meeting to discuss raising funds via preferential share issue has got the market excited and surprised. This is because just in the previous quarter, Airtel had raised Rs 21,000 crore via a rights issue. Airtel's stock touched a high of Rs 717.75 in the early trading session on Tuesday. Vodafone Idea Stock Performing Strong on Tuesday Vodafone Idea's stock had closed at a very poor figure at Rs 10.95 on Monday. Further, it had opened at a low of Rs 10.80 on Tuesday. But at the time of writing, the stock is trading at Rs 11.40 which is 4.11% in the green. Vi's stock has already touched a high of Rs 11.50 on Tuesday morning. The reason why Vodafone Idea's stock is zooming up is the announcement from the telco regarding the possible tariff hikes. Ravinder Takkar, CEO, Vodafone Idea said in the earnings call of the telco that the company will estimate the market and go ahead with another round of prepaid tariff hikes either in 2022 or 2023. This will help the telco in earning more money out of each of its 4G customers which will aid in improving the average revenue per user (ARPU) figure. Further, it will also help the telco in improving its revenues which is what the analysts also want.

Bharti Airtel Commissions 21 MW Solar Power Unit in Maharashtra Posted: 24 Jan 2022 10:26 PM PST Bharti Airtel has just announced the commissioning of a 21 MW solar power plant in Bhuldana, a district in Maharashtra. This announcement falls in line with the company's commitment to progressively reduce carbon footprint and contribute to the global efforts for curbing the effects of climate change. Airtel partnered with Avaada to set up this captive unit which is spread over 80 acres of land. This solar power unit will supply clean energy to Nxtra by Airtel's edge and large data centres along with switching centres in the state. With this move, the telco expects a reduction of 25,517 tonnes in carbon emission annually, just from this power unit. Nxtra by Airtel Moving Towards Goal of Sourcing More than 50% Power Through Clean Sources Rajesh Tapadia, CEO, Nxtra by Airtel, said that this announcement is a significant step for the company towards sourcing more than 50% of its energy requirements for data centres through renewable energy sources in the next 12 months. It will also contribute to Airtel's overall GHG emission reduction targets. This is not the first solar power plan of Nxtra. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, Nxtra by Airtel has already commissioned two captive solar power units of 14 MW each. The company has the largest data centre network in India, with 120 edge data centres and 11 large data centres. Nxtra by Airtel has already promised over Rs 5,000 crore investments for expanding the data centre capacity by 3x in the next four years. Bharti Airtel has committed to reducing scope 1 and scope 2 Green House Gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 50.2% by FY2031, taking FY21 as the base year. During the same time frame, the company has promised to commit itself towards reducing the scope 3 GHG emission by 42%. The company is already investing in and partnering with green energy companies to ensure that it stays on course with its goals.

Realme 9 Pro+ 5G Found Listed on Geekbench, Check Results Posted: 24 Jan 2022 09:10 PM PST Realme is expected to launch the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G very soon and the device's renders were recently leaked by Smartprix and OnLeaks a couple of days back. Madhav Sheth has also teased the India launch of the Realme 9 series devices including Realme 9 and Realme 9 Pro+ 5G. Now, the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G has been spotted on Geekbench. Courtesy of the listing, we can check the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G’s performance scores and also see some of the specifications. Here's what the Geekbench listing has revealed about the smartphone. Realme 9 Pro+ 5G Geekbench Scores, Specifications and More The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G Geekbench listing shared by MySmartPrice has confirmed that the device had a single-core score of 818 and a multi-core score of 2324. The device is confirmed to run on Realme UI 3.0 based on Android 12 out of the box. The smartphone has also been able to acquire NBTC and FCC certification which means that the launch is not far away. According to the previous leaks, the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is expected to feature a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 90Hz refresh rate. The device might come with a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies and video calling, the device might feature a 16MP sensor at the front. The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is expected to come with up to 256GB of internal storage. The device might pack a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast-charging. It is expected to come in three different colour options including Aurora Green, Midnight Black, and Sunrise Blue. The chipset of the smartphone and its price are in the dark at the moment. But it should not be priced in the Rs 25,000 – Rs 30,000 bracket based on the specifications of the device that are in rumour.

Bharti Airtel Mulling to Raise More Funds Through Equity Posted: 24 Jan 2022 08:24 PM PST Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, is planning to raise more funds in 2022 via a preferential share issue. But this issue is not for the current promoters of the telco but for the outsiders. It is worth noting that the telco had raised Rs 21,000 crore via a rights issue in the previous quarter only. In an exchange filing on Monday, Bharti Airtel has confirmed that the board of the company is scheduled to meet on January 28, 2022, for considering and evaluating the proposal of raising money through a preferential share issue. Airtel's Fund Raise to Help the Telco With 5G Investments Bharti Airtel, just like the other telcos, will require plenty of funds in the bank before going for the 5G spectrum auctions. Further, the other investments that both 4G and 5G network services will require in the near future would run into thousands of crores. The telco is not going for more debt as it only wants to deleverage from here. The previous rights issue also helped the company in getting funds where the debt didn't increase. There are two promoters of the telco currently — Mittal Family, which owns 24.13% of the company and SingTel, which owns 31.72% of the telco. A preferential issue is a way of raising money where the company directly offers the equity shares to a select group of people or institutions. It is neither a rights issue nor a public issue. Only groups and individuals selected by the company can participate in a preferential issue round. It is recognised as a faster way of raising funds. The 5G spectrum auctions are not far, and the telco has already been readying its networks for a long time now. The filing from the company doesn't specify the amount that is being planned to be raised. Note that it is not yet confirmed whether Airtel would go ahead with a preferential share issue. The scheduled board meeting will determine whether that would happen or not.

Vodafone Idea CEO Confirms Another Price Hike in 2022 or 2023 Posted: 24 Jan 2022 06:48 PM PST It hasn't been long since the private telecom operators introduced prepaid tariff hikes for customers across the nation. Vodafone Idea (Vi) is planning to go for another round of prepaid tariff hikes in 2022 or 2023, Ravinder Takkar, CEO of Vodafone Idea, said during the earnings call. The Rs 99 prepaid plan from the company is not an expensive option for 4G users believes the company. Depending on the market reaction and how well the current new prices are embedding, the telco will take a call on whether another prepaid tariff hike for 4G plans will come in 2022 or 2023. Vodafone Idea (Vi) Subscriber Churn Rate Very High Vodafone Idea's subscriber churn rate is very high at the moment. According to the performance report released by the telco for Q3 FY22, the subscriber churn rate stood at 3.4% compared to the 2.9% in Q2 FY22. The figure should be similar in the Q4 FY22 as Vodafone Idea doesn't have the necessary means to match the capex levels of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel for 4G networks and services. The tariff hikes have helped the company with increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) from Rs 109 in Q2 FY22 to Rs 115 in Q3 FY22, but the subscribers are going out of the telco's networks very fast. Vodafone Idea (Vi) needs funds to invest in its networks. For that, the telco has already been talking with potential investors and the promoters are also expected to invest some money in the foreseeable future. According to a PTI report, Takkar said that there was a two-year gap between prepaid tariff hikes, which is quite long. But this time around, the company is already observing the perfect time to go ahead with prepaid tariff hikes either in 2022 or 2023, whichever seems perfect. Motilal Oswal has already said that Vodafone Idea needs another round of tariff hikes for increasing the ARPU by 1.9x so that the company can become self-sustainable.

Base OTT Broadband Plans from Jio, BSNL, Airtel and Netplus Posted: 24 Jan 2022 05:34 PM PST With the internet becoming an integral part of our society and more and more people relying on it, the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer broadband plans that not only offer high speed data but also additional benefits. One of these added benefits includes the subscription to OTT platforms. The popularity of OTT content has been on a constant surge and ISPs offer multiple broadband plans that are bundled up with OTT subscriptions. Mentioned below are the base OTT plans offered by multiple ISPs of the country including Jio, Airtel, BSNL and Netplus along with the pack details. Jio's Base OTT Broadband Plan The base OTT broadband plan from Jio is a 150 Mbps plan. One of the most reliable service providers in India, JioFiber offers a 150 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 999 for a validity period of 30 days. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Users get access to symmetrical upload and download speed of 150 Mbps with this plan. The plan is listed as a popular plan on the website and offers subscriptions to 15 OTT platforms including yearlong access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and more. 100 Mbps Plan from BSNL The public telecommunications company BSNL under its Bharat Fibre connection offers access to a few OTT platforms with a 100 Mbps broadband plan. SuperStar Premium-1 plan from BSNL offers 100 Mbps of internet speed at the cost of Rs 749 per month. FUP data limit set on the SuperStar Premium-1 plan is 1000GB and the mentioned price is excluding GST. The plan offers 5 Mbps of internet speed post the consumption of 1000GB of data and comes with access to a few OTT platforms such as Sony LIV Premium, Zee5 Premium and more. Entertainment Pack from Airtel Airtel has been one of the most prominent players in the market when it comes to providing broadband services. Airtel via its Xstream Fiber connection also offers plans with OTT access starting from 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 Airtel's one of bestselling plans. Netplus Broadband Netplus is another ISP that offers its services in seven Indian states in the North. Netplus can provide connectivity with up to 1 Gbps of internet speed. However, the company also provides truly unlimited plans that offer access to the OTT platform. The base OTT plan from Netplus offers 200 Mbps of internet speed at a price tag of Rs 999 per month which is exclusive of taxes. Users get unlimited data and calling benefits with this plan. The plan offers a choice for the users to go for either Amazon Prime Video subscription or a bundled pack of Zee5 Premium, Voot Select and EROS Now. Moreover, the data offered by Netplus is truly unlimited and no FUP data is levied.

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