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• 5G Buffer Zones Will be Created in 50 Airports
• CCI Goes After Google Again for Allegedly Abusing Dominant Position
• Additional Data Offer Plans From Airtel and Jio
• Airtel Postpaid Plans – All the Details You Need to Know
• FAA Issues Fresh Warnings Regarding Pertaining Threats of 5G Wireless Services
• Apple AirPods Pro 2 Might Arrive in Late 2022
• Apple iPhone SE 2022 May Still Feature the Old Bezel Design
• iPhone 12 Series Available at Best Price in India
• Realme 9i Smartphone and New Colour Variant for Realme Book Teased by Realme India CEO
• Bharti Airtel Testing Airtel X-Safe Smart Home Monitoring for Rs 99 Per Month
• Google Starts Rolling Out Chrome OS 97 with Updated Gallery App and More
• RailTel Setting Up Kiosks in 200 Railway Stations to Help Users Recharge Mobile and More
• BSNL Is Offering Free 4G SIMs Until the End of FY22
• Chinese Smartphone Brands Will Overtake Samsung in India and Globally
• Bharti Airtel Will Not Convert Deferred Interest Dues Into Equity for Government
• BSNL Faces Yet Another Roadblock, But This Time With Asset Monetisation
• Tariff Hike Impact to Stay Limited in Q3 FY22 for Telcos: ICICI Securities

5G Buffer Zones Will be Created in 50 Airports Posted: 07 Jan 2022 09:04 PM PST The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on Friday, disclosed a list of 50 US airports that will have buffer zones for 5G. For the unaware, 5G services using the C-band spectrum has been looked down upon by the FAA and other aviation bodies in the US because it poses problems for sensitive electronic equipment inside the aircraft, which can disrupt communication as well as visibility for the pilots. Thus, FAA has said that a total of 50 airports will have 5G buffer zones when the telecom operators switch on 5G using the C-band spectrum on January 19, 2021. Telcos Agree to Buffer Zones As per Reuters, the telecom operators, including Verizon and AT&T, have agreed to the buffer zones around 50 airports for reducing the risk of interfering with sensitive aircraft instruments like altimeters. Earlier, the carriers agreed that they would delay the deployment for two weeks as requested by the FAA. Airports in Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Miami will have 5G buffer zones. According to FAA, this doesn't mean that low-visibility flights can't land in airports that don't have 5G buffer zones. Note that for the airports which don't have 5G buffer zones, the 5G towers are installed so far from the airport that it creates a natural buffer. Then there are some major airports that have not been included in the list because 5G hasn't even been deployed there yet. FAA has warned that even with the presence of 5G buffer zones, there could be potential disruptions during low-visibility flights, which could lead to diverted flights, flight cancellations, and delays during periods of low-visibility. How this system will carry out for the US is something that is unclear. FAA isn't yet comfortable with the C-band 5G, but the telcos don't want to wait any longer in getting a return on their investment which was huge for getting the C-band spectrum.

CCI Goes After Google Again for Allegedly Abusing Dominant Position Posted: 07 Jan 2022 08:12 PM PST The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has gone after Google again for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the country. A probe has been ordered against Google to ensure that the search-engine giant is not creating an unfair competition environment. As per PTI, CCI said that it is important that there is a fair share of revenues amongst all the stakeholders in the news media industry. The competition regulator wants to ensure that the digital gatekeeper firms are not abusing their dominant position to harm the competitive process. Google Has Violated Provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002 – CCI The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said that it is of the prima facie view that Google has violated provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002 which pertains to abuse of dominant position. The order arrived after a complaint from the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) was filed. DNPA is a body that looks after the interests of all digital news publishers. As per the complaint filed, Google is the source for most of the traffic on the news websites. The complaint said that more than 50% of the traffic comes from Google Search and it is the most dominant search engine. Further, Google is a major stakeholder in the advertising space. But the issue is, it unilaterally decides the amount of revenues that will be paid to the publishers and also sets the terms and conditions around how and when the payment will be made. DNPA said that its members have to suffer a loss of advertising revenues and they also don't have the power to bargain a fair share despite generating credible news. The complaint mentioned that a lack of transparency in online digital advertising makes it difficult for the publishers to audit and verify the ad revenue. CCI said that a detailed investigation in this is merited as there is an imbalance in the bargaining power and an unfair sharing of advertising revenues.

Additional Data Offer Plans From Airtel and Jio Posted: 07 Jan 2022 06:57 PM PST Subscribers have a wide gamut of choices when it comes to prepaid plans. All telecom service providers compete to launch plans with added benefits to attract customers. The key deciding factors in prepaid plans are validity, data limit, and OTT streaming services for most subscribers. In this data-heavy era, another added factor could be additional data offers. A few prepaid plans offer extra data, which the subscriber may redeem within a given period. This article looks into such available additional data benefit plans from the top two telecom service providers, Airtel and Reliance Jio. While some of these additional data benefits are available while recharging through the respective telecom provider's website, some are exclusive to their mobile apps. Airtel app-exclusive prepaid offer offering up to 4G data coupons Airtel has announced 'App Exclusive Prepaid Offer', using which the subscriber can get up to 4GB of additional data. The subscriber can get two coupons of 1GB each with 28 days validity packs on recharges of Rs 359 onwards. The users can get four coupons of 1GB each with 56 days validity packs on recharges of Rs 479 onwards. As the offer is app-exclusive, the subscriber has to recharge through Airtel Thanks App, available for download on Play Store and Apple Store. Airtel prepaid plan of Rs 699 offering 3GB/day, unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day for 56 days is one such plan. The plan comes with free 4GB data coupons as an added benefit. The plan also offers 56 days of Amazon Prime membership along with other Airtel Thanks App benefits. Airtel prepaid plan of Rs 549 that provides 2GB data/day, unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day for 56 days also has a similar offer of free 4GB data coupons. There is only a 30-day free trial access to Amazon Prime under the plan, besides other Airtel Thanks App benefits. If the subscriber is looking for additional data benefit in below Rs 500 plans, two options are available – Airtel prepaid plan at Rs 479 and Rs 359. Airtel prepaid plan of Rs 479 is again a 56 days validity pack, offering 1.5GB data/day, 100 SMS/day and unlimited calls. The plan comes with free 4GB data coupons. Similar to Rs 549 plan, the app provides 30-day mobile subscription to Amazon Prime and other Airtel Thanks app benefits. On the other hand, Airtel prepaid plan of Rs 359 is a 28 days validity pack, providing 2GB data/day, unlimited calls, and 100 SMS/day. The plan comes with an additional offer of free 2GB data coupons. The subscriber will also get 28 days access to any one of the Airtel Xstream channels – SonyLIV, Lionsgate Play, ErosNow, HoiChoi, Manorama Max – on the Airtel Xstream app. Jio prepaid plans with additional data benefits Jio offers additional data along with Jio annual plan of Rs 3119. The plan that offers 2GB/day, unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day come with 10GB of additional data. There is a total data limit of 740 GB for the plan. In terms of OTT benefits, Jio annual plan of 365 days validity offers one-year access to Disney + Hotstar besides Jio's own suite of offerings. Jio prepaid plan of Rs 1066 that comes with 84 days is another pack with 5GB additional data benefit. The plan offers 2GB data/day, 100 SMS/day and unlimited voice besides one-year access to Disney + Hotstar mobile subscription, Jio TV and Jio cinema. The lowest prepaid tariff plan offering additional data benefits is the Jio prepaid plan of Rs 601. The plan with a monthly validity of 28 days offers 3GB/day, unlimited voice, 100 SMS/day, and 6GB of additional data. Like other additional data plans, Rs 601 pack comes with one-year access to Disney + Hotstar mobile subscription, Jio TV and Jio cinema.

Airtel Postpaid Plans – All the Details You Need to Know Posted: 07 Jan 2022 05:34 PM PST The demand for data has been on the continuous rise for a long time and particularly in the last two years ever since the pandemic hit the world. A majority of the population needs plans that offer both good internet services as well as unlimited calling benefits among others such as OTT subscriptions. Telcos in the country have been providing multiple plans bundled up with offers to satisfy the need of the users. While some users might prefer to go for the prepaid plans while subscribing for their mobile services, some on the other hand might as well go for postpaid plans. Mentioned below are all the details regarding postpaid plans offered by Airtel and all you need to know before subscribing to the services. Four Family Postpaid Plans Offered by Airtel Airtel postpaid plans are one of the country's most efficient and its network reach the remotest corner of India. Airtel offers 4G plans with a lot of amazing benefits. The first plan on the list is Infinity Family Plan 399. Airtel offers a postpaid plan at a price tag of Rs 399 per month which provides 40GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB along with unlimited calls. The unlimited calls include local, STD and roaming. In addition to this, users also get 100 SMS per day. Users only get 1 regular SIM along with this plan. Even though it is the cheapest postpaid plan from Airtel, the telco does offer some Airtel Thanks rewards with the plan. Users can get one year of access to Shaw academy along with Airtel X-stream App premium and Wynk as well as Juggernaut books. The next plan offered by the company is Infinity Family Plan 499 which happens to be the bestseller as well. At a price tag of Rs 499, Airtel offers 75GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB along with unlimited calls including local, STD and roaming. Users get 1 regular SIM with this plan as well along with 100 SMS per day. This is also a platinum pack and thus users get access to Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards which includes Amazon Prime membership for 1 year at no extra cost as well as Disney+ Hotstar VIP membership for 1 year at no extra cost. The other benefits include Airtel X-stream App premium, Wynk premium and more. The third on the list is Family Infinity 999 Plan offered by Airtel. At a cost of Rs 999 users can get 150GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day. With the subscription of this plan, users get 1 regular SIM and 2 free Add-on regular voice connections for family members. The Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards with this plan are the same as the Infinity Family Plan 499. Last on the list is the Family Infinity Plan 1599. Airtel offers a postpaid plan at a price tag of Rs 1,599 which provides 500GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day. The plan also offers 200 ISD minutes and a 10% discount on IR packs. Upon subscribing users receive 1 free Add-on regular voice connection for family members along with 1 regular SIM. The Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards are the same as above with this plan as well. Additional Details Regarding Postpaid Plans Users can opt for a single bill and single plan for their family allowing them to save around 25% a month on the billing. Upon choosing the desired plan, Airtel delivers the SIM at the user's doorstep. With all the above plans, beyond the consumption of the allocated data quota, value-based charging will be applicable at 2p/MB. In addition to this, customers can add more family connections to their plan chargeable at Rs 299 for regular– Unlimited calls + 30GB data + 100SMS/day. These extra connections are chargeable on Rs 999 and Rs 1,599 plans after the consumption of allocated Free Add-ons. Moreover, a maximum of 9 add-on numbers can be added with one family plan.

FAA Issues Fresh Warnings Regarding Pertaining Threats of 5G Wireless Services Posted: 07 Jan 2022 08:26 AM PST In recent developments of the ongoing 5G wireless deployment issue, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued another warning on Thursday stating that the new 5G wireless service is still capable of disrupting flight services and that there were "big differences" between the protocols of US aviation and those that were deployed in France. Furthermore, FAA also went on to create a separate page for 5G and aviation safety on late Thursday where it asked questions about the potential impacts of 5G wireless on sensitive aeroplane electronics like altimeters. The Current Scenario Previously, the major telcos from the US – AT&T and Verizon have come to terms to postpone the deployment of 5G wireless services due to the lurking fears of 5G services causing hindrance to flight safety equipment. AT&T released a statement confirming the deal in which it said that at the request of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg the company has voluntarily agreed to a two weeks delay on the deployment of its C-Band 5G services until January 19. FAA had said that the delay in deployment of services will indeed provide time to assess the situation and figure out ways in which the disruptions to the altimeters can be minimised and will also give companies more time to ready up. FAA also went on to explain that the 5G airport buffer zones in France protect "96 seconds of flight", however, the US aviation safety protocols protect only about the last "20 seconds of the flight". Talking about where the US lacks, FAA mentioned the use of antennas by France which are tilted downward and are not available in the protocols used by the US. Previously, the 3.7 GHz – 3.8 GHz frequency bands were acquired by AT&T and Verizon after bidding tens of billions of dollars in the month of February. The companies had also postponed the deployment earlier in November when FAA issued a bulletin warning against the potential threat of 5G wireless service. However, it has now been assured that AT&T and Verizon will be able to deploy the services this month and FAA will identify 50 airports by Friday which the companies have agreed to as temporary buffer zones. Although, FAA has said in a statement that even after 50 airports are covered, the threats of 5G wireless will lurk around to disrupt the functioning of in-flight devices during low visibility.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 Might Arrive in Late 2022 Posted: 07 Jan 2022 06:57 AM PST There have been several reports of Apple launching its next-gen Apple AirPods Pro 2 in 2022 and many have suggested that the device might be launched in the third quarter of this year. As per a recent report from Digitimes, Apple is increasing its total output capacity as it gears up for the shipment of the high-end next-gen AirPods Pro 2. The report follows the information revealed by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who just a few days earlier, provided a timeline for the launch of Apple AirPods Pro 2. According to him, the wearable might hit the market somewhere between October and December of this year. Information on Upcoming AirPods Pro 2 Cupertino based giant Apple could become the first company to launch TWS earphones if it launches the device with Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) which has been hinted by Ming-Chi Kuo to be featured in Apple AirPods Pro 2. It is to be known that Lossless audio basically preserves all of the data in the original audio file which results in higher quality sound. The previous versions of the earphones launched by the company are operated using Bluetooth connectivity for the audio output. The Bluetooth enabled earphones are limited to using Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) which is a loss-prone form of audio delivery. Apple's Vice President has also talked about the bandwidth problem of the earphones in detail previously and how it can hold back the AirPods from achieving their true potential. In addition to this, it is also being speculated that the charging case that will come along with the AirPods Pro 2 will also emit sound. The feature will be introduced to find the misplaced charging case in case it is separated from the AirPods. As of now, the AirPods come with a feature that allows the device to ring itself when it is misplaced when users try to locate them via the Find My app. Kuo in his report has also stated that the AirPods might witness a design change in order to make it more suitable for fitness.

Apple iPhone SE 2022 May Still Feature the Old Bezel Design Posted: 07 Jan 2022 06:23 AM PST A noted tipster, Dylandkt, reveals on Twitter that the upcoming Apple iPhone SE 2022 may not feature any design changes but would come with 5G technology and an updated A-series chip. The news comes as a blow to anticipators expecting a refreshed look for Apple iPhone SE 2022, as many earlier rumours hinted otherwise. A significant anticipated design change was doing away with the bezels on all its sides, which people now see on Apple iPhone SE 2020 variant. The tipster, known for revealing accurate leaks, also mentioned that iPhone SE 2022 would feature a Touch ID sensor embedded into its power button. This is currently seen on the new iPad Air. Upgraded iPhone SE may launch in 2024 The tipster has also upgraded his tweet, citing that the major design upgrade may be expected to release in 2024. Considering that Apple iPhone SE variant comes with bearable cost among the range of Apple iPhones, the push of design upgrade to 2024 could become a real deal-breaker. People planning to make a change to iOS may push their plans to two more years ahead. While most smartphones are now turning bezel-less, iPhone SE may still be out of place with its old look. Let us hope the tech giant will bring some enticing features under its hood in iPhone SE 2022 to compensate for the design. The tipster has noted that there will be a 'spec bump' in his tweet. His earlier tweet suggested that the iPhone SE 2022 design will be similar to that of iPhone 11 or iPhone XR, however, with a smaller screen. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed back in 2019 that Apple was working on an 'iPhone SE Plus' variant featuring a full-screen design but with no Face ID integration. He added that the phone would likely come with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the power button. This rumour never materialized, but it is possible that Kuo was hinting at the Apple iPhone SE plans to launch in 2024. We may have to wait for the international launch to know the complete answers.

iPhone 12 Series Available at Best Price in India Posted: 07 Jan 2022 05:13 AM PST Good news comes in for the fans of Apple products as the iPhone 12 Series from the company has received a price cut on a couple of online shopping websites. The news comes in as e-commerce platforms – Amazon India and Flipkart are offering iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini smartphones at a discount resulting in the price slack of devices by around Rs 10,000 depending on the particular model. The price of the handsets has been reduced exclusively on these websites offering users a chance to buy the smartphones at a cheaper price tag than retail stores. Both iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini come equipped with Apple's A14 Bionic chipset and offer both 5G and 4G LTE connectivity. Offer Price for iPhone 12 The retail price of the iPhone 12 smartphone as of now is Rs 65,900, however, online shopping website Flipkart is currently offering the device at a discounted price of Rs 53,999 for the 64GB variant of the handset. Whereas on Amazon, the same variant of iPhone 12 is available for Rs 63,900. The 128GB variant of the iPhone 12 smartphone, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 64,999 on Flipkart. The price offered for the device by Amazon and the price available at the retail stores is the same – Rs 70,900. Offer Price for iPhone 12 mini The retail price for iPhone 12 mini is currently Rs 59,900 for the 64GB variant of the device. iPhone 12 mini for the same storage variant is currently listed on Flipkart at a discounted price of Rs. 40,999 whereas the smartphone has a price tag of Rs. 53,900 on the Amazon India shopping website. The retail price for the 128GB variant on the other hand is Rs 64,900 which is also being offered on Amazon, however, Flipkart is also offering the 128GB variant for a discounted price tag – Rs 54,999. Specifications for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini As mentioned above both iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are powered by A14 Bionic chipsets. The devices also feature a Super Retina XDR OLED display, which is protected by Apple’s Ceramic Shield glass. iPhone 12 sports a 6.1-inch screen while iPhone 12 mini comes with a smaller display of 5.4-inches. Both of these smartphones come without a charger in the box. At the time of the launch, the devices operated on iOS 14 but were later updated to iOS 15 in 2021. Both iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini come with 12MP dual rear cameras that include a wide-angle camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera.

Realme 9i Smartphone and New Colour Variant for Realme Book Teased by Realme India CEO Posted: 07 Jan 2022 04:17 AM PST The CEO of Realme India has taken on Twitter to tease multiple information on upcoming Realme devices. Back in August, Realme had launched its first laptop – Realme Book in India which was made available in the Blue colour option. The company also released an enhanced version of the device recently that feature Intel H series processors. Now in the latest development, Realme India CEO, Madhav Sheth has teased a new colour option for Realme Book in India. In addition to this, the image shared by the executive also features a Realme 9i device when inspected carefully. This might hint towards an imminent launch of the device. The image shared by the CEO of Realme India doesn't display the name of the device anywhere, however, it has been revealed by Realme Vietnam social media handle that the back of the design in the image is similar to the latest renders of Realme 9i and hence affirming the tease. In the shared image, Realme 9i is seen to be available in the blue colour option with a textured rear panel and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. A triple rear camera setup can also be spotted on the back of the device with a LED flash. It is being speculated that the company might launch Realme 9i in the second half of January in India along with the new colour variant for Realme Book. Specifications for Realme 9i There have been multiple leaks in the past related to Realme 9i. It is expected that the device will come featuring a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate along with a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. The device is also expected to sport a 480nits brightness and a hole-punch cut out design at the front for the selfie camera. It is anticipated that the device will be operated on Android 12 OS with Realme UI custom skin out of the box. The storage specs on the handset are expected to include 6GB of RAM paired up with 128GB of onboard storage which will be expandable through an SD card. As far as the processor of the device is considered, Realme 9i is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 680 chipset combined with an Adreno 610 GPU for graphics. The device is rumoured to be backed by a 5000mAh battery and support 33W fast charging technology. The above-mentioned triple rear camera setup on the back of Realme 9i is expected to consist of a 50MP primary camera along with a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro camera. The front of the handset will sport a 16MP selfie shooter.

Bharti Airtel Testing Airtel X-Safe Smart Home Monitoring for Rs 99 Per Month Posted: 07 Jan 2022 02:53 AM PST Bharti Airtel is testing a new smart home monitoring service called 'Airtel X-Safe' for select customers in Delhi-NCR. According to sources, the pilot testing of the service has already begun, and it is available for Rs 99 per month or Rs 999 per year. Only select Airtel Xstream Fiber customers are being provided with the service for now. Airtel will provide the customers with three different cameras depending on their needs at an additional cost. There's no limit to how many cameras customers can purchase from Airtel under the Airtel X-Safe service. All the cameras offered by Airtel X-Safe are Wi-Fi enabled, meaning a fiber broadband connection at home can keep your cameras alive all the time. Further, the cameras can support night vision up to 30 metres and can deliver images and videos in H.265 format with advanced compression. There's also support for privacy mode, and the cameras are IP67 rated, meaning weather resistant. Customers can choose both indoor as well as outdoor cameras. Airtel X-Safe Service Brings Cloud Service Into Play All of the data meaning videos and images taken by the camera are stored in Airtel Cloud, which can be retrieved anytime and anywhere by the customer from his/her mobile app. There's an AI algorithm in place that can detect humans and send alerts. The best thing is, multiple people can access and control the camera simultaneously from their respective devices not only that Airtel wireline customers will have to pay a one-time cost for the camera range and a monthly subscription for the cloud storage that can be accessed through the mobile app. One of the best features that will be available for the customers is 'Perimeter Zoning'. If there's even a tad bit of movement in the marked areas, customers will get real-time alerts. Users can also set the motion sensitivity levels for sending alerts. As mentioned above, all of these services will be available for customers for a mere Rs 99 per month or Rs 999 per year. Airtel X-Safe is one of a kind service and is not provided by any other telco in the country currently.

Google Starts Rolling Out Chrome OS 97 with Updated Gallery App and More Posted: 07 Jan 2022 02:15 AM PST Tech giant Google has rolled out the latest stable update – Chrome OS 97 for the users of Chromebook. The latest update comes in with new features including an updated Gallery app and improved accessibility. Chrome OS 97 update has been released just a week after Chrome 97 was released by Google for Android, desktops and iOS. The latest update for the chrome browser brought in updates such as simplified storage controls and a tweaked autofill dropdown. In addition to this, the new and enhanced chrome browser also came with improved support for international keyboards and brought in a feature that will provide users with an option to set zoom levels for their most visited websites. Information Regarding the New Chrome OS 97 Update The new Chrome OS 97.0.4692.77 was unveiled by Google via its stable channel and the company has assured that the update will reach the Chromebook users as soon as possible. According to a report from 9to5Google, the major feature introduced by Googe in its Chrome OS 97 update is the updated Gallery app which will now give users, access to natively play their favourite songs and music. The previous versions, only allowed to play the audio via a dedicated client. The newly updated Gallery app will now display audio tracks being played on the Chrome OS device on a full screen. Users can also find a 'Now Playing' tab on the left that can be completely hidden. Furthermore, the audio app playing on the Gallery as well will include shortcut features such as moving the track 10-second backwards or forward or changing the speed. In addition to this, with the latest Chrome OS 97 update, the player will now be able to display album art in a larger size than it used to through a dedicated client. Additionally, users will also be able to open multiple images on the Gallery app at once. The newly updated app will also allow users to access features including zoom and edit on each individual image available on the screen. Moreover, the latest Chrome OS 97 update will also provide simplified accessibility with the full-screen magnifier allowing the option to let users move the screen continuously with their mouse.

RailTel Setting Up Kiosks in 200 Railway Stations to Help Users Recharge Mobile and More Posted: 07 Jan 2022 01:12 AM PST RailTel is setting up Common Service Centre (CVC) kiosks across 200 passenger railway stations in India which will help users recharge their mobile, fill up PAN and Aadhar card details, and even file taxes. According to a PTI report, the scheme has been operationalised in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and 'CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC-SPV). One of the great things about this initiative is that the kiosks will be given to the village level entrepreneurs (VLEs) for overseeing the operation. What Services Will be Offered by CVC Kiosks Set Up by RailTel The CVC kiosks will allow users to book travel tickets, including air, bus, and train travel. Further, as mentioned above, users will be able to fill out Aadhar Card details, voter ID details, pay the electricity bill, apply for PAN Card, file taxes, banking, insurance, and much more. The kiosks set up by RailTel are named 'RailWire Saathi Kiosks'. For the unaware, RailWire is RailTel's fibre broadband service for retail customers. On a pilot basis to check the efficiency and success of the kiosks, some have been installed in Prayagraj and Varanasi city stations in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Similar kiosks will be made operational by RailTel across India, mostly in rural areas. About 200 such kiosks are being planned to be installed in different railway stations. Out of the planned stations, 20 are in North Frontier Railway, 44 are in South Central Railway zone, 15 are in Western Railway, 13 are in East Central Railway, 25 in Northern Railway, 12 in West Central Railway, 13 in East Coast Railway, and 56 in North Eastern Railway. This will be a big boost to digital services in rural areas. The RailWire Saathi Kiosks will have all the essential services integrated to make the life of the users a tad bit easy. Hopefully, in the foreseeable future, more than 200 kiosks will be installed.

BSNL Is Offering Free 4G SIMs Until the End of FY22 Posted: 07 Jan 2022 12:14 AM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is offering free 4G SIMs to new users as well as users who want to port in from another telco's network. The state-run telco had announced the offer for customers on October 1, 2021, and it was supposed to end on December 31, 2021. But the company has extended the offer for the customers and now it will end on completion of FY22, i.e., March 31, 2022. Who Can Get a New BSNL 4G SIM for Free? If you want a new BSNL 4G SIM card for free, you will have to go with a First Recharge Plan (FRC) that costs more than Rs 100. As mentioned above, mobile number portability (MNP) customers are also eligible to receive a free BSNL 4G SIM card. As per a Keralatelecom report, at the time of the activation of the SIM, customers will only have to pay for the recharge amount. BSNL Is Also Offering 5GB of Free Data to Customers Not just this, but BSNL is also offering 5GB of free data to the customers who are using MNP to join its network. As TelecomTalk reported on Thursday, BSNL is running a '#SwitchtoBSNL' campaign for customers who are porting to its network. However, customers will have to follow a set of rules to be eligible to receive 5GB of free data from the telco. Users will have to follow the telco's social media profiles across several platforms. For getting the complete information about the offer, kindly click here. In other news, BSNL has also revamped its Rs 999 broadband plan benefits entirely. The plan now comes with 150 Mbps of speed instead of 200 Mbps and offers 2000GB of data instead of 3.3TB of data every month. However, the over-the-top (OTT) benefits offered by the plan have been increased significantly, but the Disney+ Hotstar Premium benefit has been removed.

Chinese Smartphone Brands Will Overtake Samsung in India and Globally Posted: 06 Jan 2022 11:29 PM PST The smartphone market today has intense competition. Even the companies with the most flagships and powerful smartphones are finding it difficult to retain market share. India is one market where every smartphone brand wants to excel (Google being an exception). Samsung was one of the early movers with the Android operating system (OS) and was able to build a solid brand around the globe. The Note series and S series smartphones are a hit globally. While Samsung has been the king of smartphone shipments for the last few years, Chinese companies will soon overtake the South Korean tech giant in this aspect. Samsung Is Losing Badly in the Mid-Range and Entry-Level Segment Samsung hasn't been able to compete much with Chinese smartphone makers when it comes to mid-range and entry-level segments. The company has been trying to sell its devices at a higher price than the Chinese competitors, and that is the only reason why people are siding more with the Chinese devices. Credits – Counterpoint Research Just in terms of comparison, on a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, Samsung's global 5G smartphone sales grew by 70% in Q3 2021. While this sounds like a good number, compared to the Chinese tech giants, including Xiaomi (134% growth), Vivo (147% growth), Oppo (165%), and Realme (831% growth), Samsung doesn't look even slightly impressive. In the coming 5G era, the more affordable 5G devices that Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) bring, the more it is going to hurt Samsung's business. While Samsung has been decent with its flagship devices, its mid-range and entry-level smartphones perform below par when compared with Chinese competitors in the same range. Samsung doesn't have a branding issue (yet), but the South Korean tech giant needs to up its game and work towards offering solid devices for reasonable prices to the customers for staying in the game longer. Otherwise, it won't be long before Samsung gets lost in the sea of smartphone companies trying to win the market.

Bharti Airtel Will Not Convert Deferred Interest Dues Into Equity for Government Posted: 06 Jan 2022 10:49 PM PST Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, has confirmed that it won't be converting the deferred interest dues into equity for the government. In a regulatory filing on Friday, Airtel said that it had communicated its decision to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) about the same. The decision seems logical given that Bharti Airtel has already received huge ease in cash flow as the DoT returned the bank guarantees (BGs) on top of the moratorium on statutory dues. Bharti Airtel, along with Vodafone Idea (Vi), had earlier accepted the moratorium on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum dues. Vodafone Idea is yet to make an announcement regarding the same, but the industry experts believe that Vi will go ahead with the option of converting deferred interest dues to equity for the government. Bharti Airtel Has Only Paid Small Part of AGR Dues Bharti Airtel's total AGR dues were estimated to be Rs 58,254 crore, out of which the telco has already paid Rs 18,004 crore. While the moratorium is there, the interest on the leftover dues would be significant for the telco to pay. But if the business keeps booming for Bharti Airtel, it is something that the company might be able to survive. By accepting the moratorium on payments, analysts believe that Bharti Airtel would get a cash flow relief of approximately Rs 11,500 crore annually. It is a significant relief, and further, the reduction in spectrum usage charges (SUC) and license fees (LF) will also make a big difference. Bharti Airtel would be able to utilise all the money saved for investing in 5G and expanding the reach of 4G in India. 5G spectrum auctions would require the telcos to spend thousands of crores, and the companies would want to save as much as possible. Bharti Airtel investors would be very happy with the telco's decision on not converting the interest dues to equity for the government.

BSNL Faces Yet Another Roadblock, But This Time With Asset Monetisation Posted: 06 Jan 2022 09:05 PM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has run into yet another roadblock. The state-run telecom company was trying to monetise land assets in Chennai, but the Tamil Nadu government has red-flagged the move. The Tamil Nadu government has communicated with BSNL that it can't move ahead with selling the land without the 'consent' of the state government. BSNL was trying to sell more than 54.6 acres of land and was estimating to receive about Rs 1250 crore for the same. However, the Tamil Nadu government has red-flagged the move. BSNL Had Identified Properties at Eight Prime Locations For the first phase of monetising land assets, BSNL had identified properties at eight prime locations in Chennai. As per a TNN report, this included land in areas such as Flower Bazaar, Egmore, Royapettah, Vyaspardi, Triplicane, and suburban areas including Ambattur, Ennore, and Chengalpet town. According to the Tamil Nadu government, the land allotted to the state-run telco was acquired by the state government and only given to BSNL on certain terms, which did not include the sale of the assets or use of it for any other purpose. Thus BSNL has no power to monetise the land and sell it to a private entity. The rights for selling the land lie with the Tamil Nadu government. BSNL might not be able to sell the land as originally planned. The telco's money-raising goals have taken a hit. BSNL is in a very desperate position and is trying to conclude the 4G trials with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The state-run telco needs a lot of money to be able to implement the capex required for launching 4G services PAN-India. Even the money that would have been raised by BSNL after selling the land was supposed to help the telco with improving its network infrastructure only. India might see BSNL's 4G by the end of the year.

Tariff Hike Impact to Stay Limited in Q3 FY22 for Telcos: ICICI Securities Posted: 06 Jan 2022 08:16 PM PST The overall revenue growth for mobile services in Q3 FY22 will be steady as the 20% tariff hikes in the last leg of the quarter would have a limited impact, says ICICI Securities. The analyst has, however, earmarked the last quarter of the year to be a very important one for the telcos as the maximum benefits of the tariff hikes will be seen and would pave the ground for the telcos to get the largest revenue market share in the long-term. The average revenue per user (ARPU) growth will also be nominal for the telcos, with Bharti Airtel expected to have the highest ARPU in the industry. Vodafone Idea to be the Only Private Telco to Lose Money ICICI Securities has said that both Jio and Airtel are expected to end up with net profits for the last quarter except for Vodafone Idea, which is expected to report a net loss of Rs 71 billion. Further, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel are expected to see a decline in subscribers due to multiple reasons, including a steep increase in the price of 2G tariffs as well as all the other plans seeing approximately 20% tariff hike. A report from ICICI Direct Research suggests that Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) will see a 6%, 4%, and 6% growth in the ARPU which will translate to Rs 149, Rs 163, and Rs 116. The real ARPU gains from the tariff hikes will be seen during the last quarter of FY22. Vodafone Idea still has a long way to go with increasing ARPU as even after offering way more expensive plans than Jio; its ARPU is very less. Vi requires more 4G data users in its subscriber base and needs them to recharge with higher tariffs and also needs to soon start adding new customers. ICICI Securities has put a 'Buy' rating on Bharti Airtel while haven't rated the other two private telcos yet.

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