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• Reliance Jio Continues to Lead the Wired Broadband Services While Airtel Overtakes BSNL
• Vivo V23e Arriving on February 21, Here’s What It Will Cost
• Is India Going Back to the Age of Consuming Less Data as 5G Ushers
• Google to Introduce Privacy Changes on Android, Not as Restrictive as Apple
• Redmi Note 11S Could Soon Come With 5G Support
• Vi Deployed 3460 4G Sites in Gujarat and 900 MHz Spectrum for Better Indoor Coverage
• Understanding Metaverse: Importance and When Will It Arrive for Common Citizens
• BSNL Needs to Go Aggressive With Fiber Broadband
• Reliance Jio vs Airtel: Whose 1.5GB Daily Data Plan is Better?
• ACT, BSNL, Connect and Hathway Broadband Plans You Can’t Miss Out On
• Realme Narzo 50 Officially Confirmed to Launch via Amazon
• COAI Applauds Rajasthan Government for Reducing Charges for Deployment of Aerial and Underground OFC
• Motorola Frontier Could Come With a Massive 194MP Camera Setup
• Indian Government Prolongs Timeline for Submission of Proposals for Chip Manufacturing Scheme
• Airtel Xstream Fiber Plan That is a Decent Option for Students

Reliance Jio Continues to Lead the Wired Broadband Services While Airtel Overtakes BSNL Posted: 19 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST Reliance Jio has once again strengthened its position as the leading fibre-based broadband service provider in the country in a very close contest as per a new report from the telecom regulator. In addition to this, Bharti Airtel also managed to surpass the government-owned telco Bhartiya Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and secured the second position in the list of wired service providers. Jio, Airtel Grow While BSNL Drops According to a report from ET Telecom, the leading service provider in India, Reliance Jio witnessed an addition of 0.18 million subscribers in the month of December 2021 which took its overall user base count to around 4.6 million. Bharti Airtel, on the other hand, showed continuous growth as the telco added about 0.12 million new users which propelled its user base to about 4.2 million. However, things are not looking good for the state-owned telco BSNL as it lost about another 0.13 million users resulting in its overall user count dropping to 4.1 million. The telco dropped down to the third position in the list of fibre-based service providers. The subscriber data of the telcos was released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). A Japanese brokerage firm Nomura Research in its analysis of the data stated that Jio's growth continued in the month of December in terms of fixed broadband while Airtel overtook BSNL to secure the No 2 spot. The downfall in BSNL's user base clearly indicates the telco's incompetent efforts against the private players. Talking about the market share of the telcos, ICICI securities informed that Jio witnessed the highest market share by securing 17.3% end-December. Airtel and BSNL on the other hand were able to get hold of 15.9% and 15.4% respectively. This is quite indicative of BSNL's downfall as Jio took over the first spot only a few months ago from BSNL in November 2021. In addition to this, the report also revealed that Jio was also able to lead the telecom sector in India in the month of December 2021 and also added the maximum number of new users during the time period despite the significant tariff hikes imposed in November 2021.

Vivo V23e Arriving on February 21, Here’s What It Will Cost Posted: 19 Feb 2022 04:58 AM PST Vivo has been working on a new device that will join the V series of smartphones from the brand called Vivo V23e. There have been a few reports about the device in the past that gave us some intel on the specs of the handset. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo launched its Vivo V23 series of smartphones in India last month which consisted of Vivo V23 and V23 Pro and the new V23e will be the latest addition to the lineup. Now in a new development, the pricing for the Vivo V23e have surfaced ahead of the launch. The report comes in from 91mobiles, according to which, the new Vivo V23e will have a retail price of Rs 28,990 for its 8GB + 12GB storage option, however, it will be launched in India with an introductory price tag of Rs 25,990. It has been confirmed that the smartphone will arrive on February 21 starting from 12 noon. The launch will be covered via the company's YouTube channel and the device will be launched in Sunshine Gold and Midnight Blue colour options. Specification Details for Vivo V23e The upcoming Vivo V23e is expected to arrive in India with a display featuring a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 2400x1080pixels screen resolution. The handset will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset which will be coupled with up to 8GB of RAM. The device is expected to have onboard storage of 128GB expandable up to up to 1TB through a microSD card slot. The device will have a waterdrop notch on the front housing the selfie camera. Talking about the camera specifications, Vivo V23e will arrive with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary sensor along with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The front of the device is expected to feature a 44MP selfie camera. Vivo V23w will operate on Android 11 and will also come with a fingerprint scanner at the front. The smartphone will be backed by a 4050mAh battery that supports 44W fast charging.

Is India Going Back to the Age of Consuming Less Data as 5G Ushers Posted: 19 Feb 2022 03:48 AM PST One of the questions that a lot of people have in their mind today is how much more will they have to pay for data once the private telecom operators are done with multiple tariff hikes. In late 2021, Airtel was the first to announce that it would be going with tariff hikes. Vodafone Idea followed it with a similar announcement but implemented tariff hikes a day earlier than Airtel. A few days later, even Jio hiked tariffs of prepaid plans. Airtel is eyeing an average revenue per user (ARPU) figure of Rs 300 from its India mobile business. But the telco won't be able to do it with a single tariff hike and won't even wait for too long to reach there. This means that in the span of the next two to three years, the prepaid tariffs from Airtel are going to go up by at least 50% to 70% (rough estimation) if multiple tariff hikes are factored in. Naturally, Vodafone Idea is going to do the same, followed by Reliance Jio. So, this begs the question, are we going back to the pre-Jio era where Indians used to pay a very steep amount for a single gigabyte of 4G data? 5G is going to arrive in the country very soon. It will be interesting to see how it affects the amount of data normal users consume. Because with 4G, the more expensive it gets, the lesser people are going to consume it. Airtel Users Consumed Lesser Data in December Quarter than September Quarter Bharti Airtel reported that in the December quarter when it moved ahead with the prepaid tariff hikes, the average mobile data usage per customer fell to 18.7GB from 19.06GB in the previous quarter. The more data gets expensive, the lesser will be the consumption. Low-income group users watching YouTube on their smartphones today will be worried about having to pay more for data in the future. This is inevitable as the telcos need money to survive, and the best way for them to get more money is to hike tariffs. At least for Vodafone Idea, it is a question about survival. The telco needs its ARPU to go up by 1.9x to self-sustain in the future. The question about how it's going to affect the future of 5G is uncertain. Most likely, 5G is going to be focused as a network service for enterprises and businesses. But for 4G, tariff hikes are going to come and just how fast the data consumption goes down is something that remains to be seen.

Google to Introduce Privacy Changes on Android, Not as Restrictive as Apple Posted: 19 Feb 2022 03:22 AM PST In a move to provide enhanced privacy solutions on Android devices, Google has recently announced the adoption of new privacy solutions that will limit tracking across the apps on Android smartphones. A similar kind of step was taken by the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple for its users. The move from Apple, however, turned out quite unruly for multiple firms' advertisement ways including the likes of Meta formerly known as Facebook. Google's Privacy Changes Will Differ from Apple The company has announced that it is working on a multi-year initiative that will focus on introducing new and more private advertising solutions for the users. The reports suggest that the company is developing a 'Privacy Sandbox' on Android to introduce "more private advertising solutions" and these features will aim at limiting the user data shared with the third-party platforms. The new solutions will also work without cross-app identifiers including advertising ID. However, the company has also stated that these changes will take at least two years to be implemented. Apple also introduced a similar feature last year for its iPhone users as they received an option upon opening the apps to allow or disallow an app to track their data and preferences. As a result, a large majority of the users opted out resulting in an undesirable situation for the platforms relying on advertisements for revenue. The social media giant Meta was also affected by this step from Apple and stated that the new privacy features were "negatively impacting" its business. Although, Google is apparently not looking to walk on the same road as Apple did. The former stated that it is aware of the privacy solutions offered by the other platforms which bluntly restricted the existing technologies used by the developers and advertisers. This statement from Google was most likely a reference to Apple's app tracking system. The company also stated that such harsh steps could actually be ineffective and create worsened scenarios for user privacy as well as developer businesses. The privacy solution in works to be implemented by Google will focus on still giving advertisers the data they need while still improving its users' privacy. However, as mentioned above, it's still a couple of years until the privacy sandbox is completely implemented and cross-app tracking of users via the advertising ID on Android will be how things stand.

Redmi Note 11S Could Soon Come With 5G Support Posted: 19 Feb 2022 02:43 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi had recently launched its Redmi Note 11 Series which consisted of the Redmi Note 11, the Redmi Note 11S, Redmi Note 11 Pro, and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G smartphones. The devices are also expected to arrive in India as they have been originally launched in China. Now in development, it is being speculated that Xiaomi is working on a Redmi Note 11 S 5G model as the 4G smartphones are getting less and less popular. According to a report from Xiaomiui, a handset with model number "K16B" has been spotted at the IMEI database which could be the new Redmi Note 11S 5G. The model number of the device is quite similar to the "K16A" that the POCO M4 Pro 5G handset has, suggesting that the new device could have the same specs. However, the company is yet to announce any official details regarding the smartphone. As of now the only 5G model in the series is the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. Redmi Note 11S Specifications The Redmi Note 11S also comes with a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate with a punch-hole design. The display of the device also has a Corning Gorilla Glass for protection along with Eye-care mode, 1000nits peak brightness, and a punch-hole camera. The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset coupled with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage expandable via a microSD card. Talking about the camera module of the device, the handset features a quad-camera setup on the rear headlined by a 108MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a couple of 2MP sensors for portrait and macro shots. On the front, it features a 16MP selfie shooter. The device also operates on Android 11-based MIUI 13 custom skins out of the box and is backed by a 5000mAh battery with a 33W fast charge technology.

Vi Deployed 3460 4G Sites in Gujarat and 900 MHz Spectrum for Better Indoor Coverage Posted: 19 Feb 2022 02:04 AM PST In order to deliver a better indoor network coverage to its users, Vodafone Idea deployed the highlight efficient 900 MHz spectrum on 5773 sites in Gujarat in the last year. Further, to boost the 4G experience, the telco added 3460 new 4G sites which will help the users by solving coverage issues. Vi said that its customers in the state will have an enhanced 4G experience even during peak hours with congested networks and crowded places. Is Vodafone Idea the Most Preferred Network in Gujarat? The telco in a release said that Vi is Gujarat's leading telecom brand and the state's most preferred network. Vodafone Idea has deployed over 2542 ma-MIMO installations and 1377 small cells in Gujarat for improving the network experience of the users in highly crowded or high traffic regions of key cities such as Anand, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Valsad amongst others. Network coverage is an issue that is being talked about a lot when it comes to Vi. It looks like the company is finally addressing it. Opensignal data has verified that Vi's network coverage is poorer in comparison to Jio and Airtel. However, moves such as this might help the telco in overcoming that situation and delivering a better and enhanced 4G experience to the users. The deployment of 900 MHz spectrum over 5773 sites in the state would certainly help with better indoor coverage, even in high-rise apartments. The spectrum deployment exercise will also enable users to experience faster data speeds soon. It is worth noting that Vi has a long way to go here as Gujarat is only the start. The telco needs to do the same in other states as well. Maharashtra, one of the key circles for Vi should be in the telco's target to improve 4G services. Now it depends on the user experience to determine whether this was a successful move from the company or not.

Understanding Metaverse: Importance and When Will It Arrive for Common Citizens Posted: 19 Feb 2022 12:19 AM PST If you have been on the internet or major social media platforms in the last few days, you would have seen people talking about metaverse. Facebook renamed itself last year to Meta for aligning with its goal of building a metaverse in the future. If you are one of those who don't understand metaverse, let me break it down for you in the simplest manner possible. What is Metaverse? Metaverse is a virtual world. Just like you used to play with characters in the virtual world of GTA games, metaverse will allow you to play with characters inside a virtual world. The only difference here would be that it will be more real, and the character will be you. A metaverse is an amalgamation of augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) with 3D digital worlds. It is an interactive space where you, as a digital character, can have real experiences. Not physically real, but getting an experience as close as it can get to be real in a virtual world. For example, just like you visit a friend's house in the physical world, you can visit a friend's house in the metaverse. Of course, you will need a VR headset for the same. But it isn't just limited to that. You can basically walk into a virtual cinema hall and buy tickets with your friends to watch a movie. In the same way, a digital concert, conferences and more could be possible inside a metaverse. What Makes Metaverse an Important Aspect of the Future? To get the answer to this question, it is important to understand why companies such as Meta and Microsoft are counting on developing a metaverse. If we can understand why these big tech companies want such a big presence in the metaverse, we can understand what's the potential it holds. The future of connectivity and the internet is being able to be more interactive, work from anywhere (remote working), and deliver more immersive experiences to the users. But metaverse has the capability of doing something much bigger than this. With metaverse, a significant part of the world's economy can be decentralised. Or maybe, a type of economy can be formed inside. People are already spending millions of dollars purchasing land plots inside metaverse, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), and more. Metaverse would enhance the way people look at digital ownership. Digital assets have already been recognised throughout the world, but with metaverse, the value of these assets would spring up so much more. It is an important aspect of the future because it saves people time. Users can potentially visit and meet friends and family in the virtual world without having the need to meet them physically. It won't be like meeting them physically, yes, but it would be much better and more interactive and personal than video calls, at least. Businesses, concerts, conferences, markets, and so much more can be set up inside the metaverse, and the possibilities are endless. This is the reason why the tech companies want to have a big hand there. So When Can You Expect the Metaverse to be a Part of the Real World? It won't be anytime soon. Metaverse is still at a building stage. Maybe by the end of the decade, it might happen, but 2022 is surely isn't the year where you will see metaverse. It will need time because it is a completely virtual world. So for the ecosystem to be developed, an ample amount of work needs to be done. It isn't really a one tech company work either. Many companies are expected to form partnerships going forward to get a move on with their metaverse goals. Further, the proliferation of 5G networks, AR and VR headgear needs to happen to make the metaverse a success. Metaverse Could be More than We Understand, That's Why It Is Controversial Too In all honesty, the metaverse is nothing but a buzzword at the moment. While there are a ton of conversations around the idea, all of it is a concept with a lot of 'ifs'. However, the amount of money and resources that people and large organisations are betting on metaverse is something that can't be ignored. So while it isn't a reality right now, there's no saying it can't be in the future. Regardless, there won't be just one metaverse. How these different metaverse economies will work and how will people navigate through them is still in the unknown. Many people have said that metaverse is actually worse than being stuck on their smartphones. They fear that it will take away from the reality of the world. But the reality, on its own, can't be defined, for who knows, what's real, and what isn't (remember the spinning top at the end of Inception). Thus, metaverse will have a big challenge to go through. It will need to make people accept it is a reality too, and a better one at the same time. Or else, why would anyone want to spend his/her time inside a metaverse if it can't incite any positive feelings at all.

BSNL Needs to Go Aggressive With Fiber Broadband Posted: 18 Feb 2022 09:12 PM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the state-run telecom operator, needs to go aggressive with its fiber broadband business. Airtel replaced BSNL as the second-largest wired broadband operator in December 2021. In November, it was Jio who took BSNL's first position. So, in a span of two months, BSNL fell down from the first position to the third position. The state-run telco had long enjoyed the attention in the wired broadband segment when the private telcos were majorly focusing on the wireless services market. But now, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are claiming the market and subscribers BSNL had accumulated over the years. BSNL Can't Invest in Fiber Infra as Fast as Jio, Airtel BSNL doesn't have the money or other means to invest in its fiber infrastructure the way Jio and Airtel can, said an industry expert. It is worth noting that BSNL actually offers a cheaper entry-level broadband plan than Airtel, but the telco is unable to compete regardless of that. Airtel and Jio have the money to invest and reach out to more cities and rural areas of the country faster than what BSNL could manage. Further, the brand position both the private telcos have is much better compared to BSNL's. BSNL is not an unknown name in the wired-broadband space. Some people consider the company's services better than what the private telcos offer. BSNL's high-end broadband plans also offer Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscription benefits which none of the other internet service providers (ISPs) does. Note that there is even Vodafone Idea (Vi) in this space operating with the brand called 'You Broadband'. But You Broadband is only available in limited cities, and it doesn't look like Vodafone Idea can expand its services by making huge and fresh investments in other cities. The fiber or fixed-line broadband market is going to heat up further in competition as many local and regional ISPs are also coming up with attractive offers for the customers for the same or lower price than what they can get from Jio, Airtel, and BSNL. At such a stage, the state-run telco needs to ensure that its offerings are not only at par with Airtel or Jio, but it is also reaching out to new towns and cities with its fiber broadband services and making an impact through advertising. It will be interesting to see how fast the private ISPs eat up BSNL's wireline subscriber market share or whether the state-run telco will make a few moves of its own to win the lost ground back.

Reliance Jio vs Airtel: Whose 1.5GB Daily Data Plan is Better? Posted: 18 Feb 2022 07:47 PM PST The subscribers who rely primarily on home Wi-Fi and office internet typically require only 1GB to 1.5GB daily data plans. The plans with 1.5GB data/day provide sufficient data for an average user to do basic tasks, including streaming a couple of videos and listening to music. They also come with bearable price tags. That is why these plans are the most popular ones and are widely chosen among subscribers. Reliance Jio and Airtel have four to five plans offering 1.5GB per day data. Here, we compare the available 1.5GB daily data plans from the duo and see who provide better benefits. Reliance Jio 1.5GB Daily Data Plans Considering the lowest price denomination, Reliance Jio's 1.5GB/day data plans start at Rs 119. The Rs 119 plan offers 1.5GB daily data for 14 days, along with unlimited calls and 300 SMS for the period. The next plan comes at Rs 199, offering 1.5GB of data, unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day for 23 days. Those looking for a month's validity can choose the plan at Rs 239, coming with 28 days validity. There are plans at Rs 479 and Rs 666 with 56 days and 84 days validity, respectively. Under Jio annual prepaid plans, the plan at Rs 2545 offers the same benefits for 336 days. All Reliance Jio prepaid plans come with subscriptions to Jio's applications, including Jio TV and Jio Cinema. Airtel 1.5GB Daily Data Plans Airtel's 1.5GB daily data plan starts at Rs 299. The plan that comes with a validity of 28 days offers 1.5GB/day, 100 SMS/day and unlimited calls. The next plan comes at Rs 479, offering the same benefits for 56 days. Those looking for quarterly recharge can consider Airtel prepaid plan at Rs 719 that comes with 84 days validity. Interestingly, Airtel offers a plan at Rs 666 that offers the benefits for 70 days. All Airtel prepaid plans come with a free 30-day free trial to mobile edition Amazon Prime video and other Airtel Thanks App benefits, including Wync free music, free hello tunes, free online courses on Shaw Academy, Rs 100 cashback on FASTag and three months' access to Apollo 24/7 circle app. Considering both, Reliance Jio wins in terms of cost denomination as users can choose a 1.5GB/day data plan from as low as Rs 119. Also, Jio offers an annual plan, which isn't provided in Airtel. While Airtel's 28-day validity plan starts at Rs 299, Jio offers the same at Rs 239. Similarly, while Jio offers 84 days validity for Rs 666, Airtel offers 70 days validity at the same price point. Interestingly, no prepaid plans from Jio and Airtel provide any additional streaming benefits such as Disney+ Hotstar under 1.5GB daily plans. Jio wins in terms of streaming service, as it gives access to Jio TV and Jio Cinema, which offer a decent entertainment option for the subscribers.

ACT, BSNL, Connect and Hathway Broadband Plans You Can’t Miss Out On Posted: 18 Feb 2022 05:37 PM PST When choosing a broadband connection for your home or your workspace, it is important to compare all the plans and their benefits as well as pricing. This could get very hectic as some plans offer good benefits but are expensive whereas some plans are cheap but do not offer compatible internet speed. Users are always in search of plans that offer a balance between benefits and pricing or in simpler words, plans that offer value. Mentioned below are some of the broadband plans offered by ACT, BSNL, Connect and Hathway that offer value for your money and you must know about. BSNL The state-owned telecom operator BSNL offers a variety of plans with different price tags and different connectivity speeds via its Bharat Fiber connection. However, the one plan that stands out is the "SuperStar Premium Plus" plan from the company. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from BSNL offers 150 Mbps of speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999. The plan offers a 2000GB data limit beyond which the speed reduces to 10 Mbps. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from the telco comes with multiple OTT subscriptions which include Disney+ Hotstar, Lions Gate, Sony LIV and more. Moreover, users can also get a discount of 90% up to Rs 500 on their first month of rent. ACT Broadband ACT has been one of the fastest-growing service providers in the country as it offers multiple connectivity speed up to 1 Gbps. ACT has been a frontrunner when it comes to broadband connections that are reliable and offer seamless connectivity. Across the plethora of plans offered by the telco, the 300 Mbps plan is worth mentioning as it offers great value for money. The plan is called ACT Storm and it offers 300 Mbps internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 1,185. This plan from the company is truly unlimited and no FUP limit is set. Users can also get free trials to some of the OTT platforms and various add-ons with this pack. It is to be noted that this plan is for the city of Bengaluru, and it may vary across the country. Connect Broadband Connect Broadband is a popular company that provides FTH connections in a few of the northern states of India such as Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. Being a budding service provider, Connect does not offer super high-speed connections but offer great benefits with its affordable low-cost plans that even some of the major telcos do not offer. Users can go for a 100 Mbps plan offered by the company which comes at a price tag of Rs 1,301 per month. The plan offers truly unlimited data as well as Local + STD calls. What makes the plan unique is that It comes with access to 8 OTT platforms including the likes of Eros Now, Zee5 Premium and more. Furthermore, the plan also offers free ISD calling of up to 1500 minutes. Hathway Hathway was the first cable television service provider to offer high-speed cable broadband service across 16 cities in India. When it comes to broadband plans, Hathway provides multiple plans for its user base, however, it is a suitable option for those looking to invest in the long term as its plans start with quarterly subscriptions. One of the better plans provided by the telco is its 200 Mbps pack. The company offers a GPON Superpremium broadband plan that offers 200 Mbps of internet speed at a price tag of Rs 2,997 for a period of three months. The company also offers the plan for six months and 12 months at a price tag of Rs 5,994 and Rs 11,988 respectively. The plans from Hathway are truly unlimited and no FUP limit is levied. The 200 Mbps plan comes with a free to use dual-band Wi-Fi router and there are no installation charges applicable. It is to be noted that the plan is based on the city of Mumbai and it may vary across different cities in India.

Realme Narzo 50 Officially Confirmed to Launch via Amazon Posted: 18 Feb 2022 08:19 AM PST After weeks of rumours surrounding the device, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme has finally confirmed the launch of its Realme Narzo 50 smartphone in India. Realme recently launched its Realme Narzo 50A and Narzo 50i in India and the upcoming Narzo 50 will be the latest addition to the series. The launch and availability details of the device have been confirmed by the company via a Twitter post. Let's find out more. Realme Confirms the Launch Realme India took on its Twitter handle to confirm the arrival of Realme Narzo 50 in India. Some reports over the web suggest that the company might be launching the smartphone on February 24. However, the brand didn't provide a particular date for the launch of the device on its post. Although Redmi did confirm that the Realme Narzo 50 will be available for sale via Amazon and an info page for the handset has also been set up at the e-commerce platform. It is to be noted that the company has been pushing the Realme Narzo 50 as a gaming smartphone. The device has also appeared on a number of certification sites already including China Quality Certification, BIS, NBTC, and EEC, further solidifying its imminent launch. Expected Specifications for Realme Narzo 50 It is being speculated that the Realme Narzo 50 smartphone will arrive in India with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone will operate on Android 12 OS based Realme UI 3.0 and could feature a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset under the hood. The processor is expected to be coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. For the camera front, Realme Narzo 50 is expected to feature a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary lens along with two 2MP macro and depth shooters. The front of the device is expected to house a 16MP selfie camera in a punch hole cut out. Recent certification listings have also revealed that the device will be powered by a large 4,800mAh battery pack that supports 33W fast charging as well.

COAI Applauds Rajasthan Government for Reducing Charges for Deployment of Aerial and Underground OFC Posted: 18 Feb 2022 07:02 AM PST The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the Indian non-governmental industry body of telecom operators of India has appreciated the efforts of the Rajasthan government to reduce the charges for laying of Aerial OFC and Underground OFC. The industry body stated that the reduction in charges will lead to a faster installation of aerial OFC resulting in the quicker and effective rollout of the 5G network across the State leading to a digitally connected and more advanced Rajasthan. Reduced Charges Will Result in Faster Roll Out The statement from COAI comes in as the Rajasthan government has further reduced the charges for laying aerial OFC in an order released on February 1, 2022. The prices have now been dropped to Rs 1,000 per pole annually, Rs 2,000 per manhole per chamber at District Headquarters & Rs 1,000 per manhole per chamber in other towns. This would result in a much more cost-effective rollout of the Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) in the future. The Director-General of COAI, Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar said in a statement that the step from the Rajasthan government to reduce the charges for the deployment of aerial OFC, as well as underground OFC, is appreciated. He added that the reduction in charges by the Government of Rajasthan will further facilitate the speedy roll-out of telecom infrastructure to make Rajasthan Digitally more advanced. It is to be noted that Rajasthan was the first state to issue an Order in 2017 encouraging the deployment of Tower, Underground OFC, Aerial OFC, CoW, Micro Site, Small Cell, IBS, etc. that are essential to improve the digital connectivity across the state. One cannot deny the need for the telecom industry in today's time. Telecom services is a public utility and are crucial in providing a robust network of mobile towers to boost connectivity and improve the overall socio-economic development of the country. To make the country more digitally advanced, it is necessary to develop a robust and secure state-of-the-art telecommunication network providing seamless coverage. Telecom services were a boon during the unprecedented events that took place with the widespread pandemic and the country going into lockdown. It is necessary to have a sturdy telecom industry with a robust network of mobile towers ensuring enhanced connectivity and bridging the gap of the digital divide in the country.

Motorola Frontier Could Come With a Massive 194MP Camera Setup Posted: 18 Feb 2022 06:19 AM PST The Lenovo backed smartphone manufacturer Motorola is reportedly working on a new device called Motorola Frontier. The handset is expected to be a premium flagship from the company, and a few reports have emerged in the past providing intel on the device's specifications as well as the design. Now in a new development, suspected renders of the upcoming smartphone from Motorola have been leaked online. Let's have a look at the speculations surrounding the upcoming Motorola Frontier handset. The new render suggests that the handset will come with a massive 194MP primary camera at the back. New Leaked Render Known tipster Evan Blass has shared a few renders of the Motorola Frontier smartphone, and the handset can be seen from multiple angles. The leaked renders suggest that the Motorola Frontier will come with a curved display as well as a curved back. At the front, the display of the device features a hole-punch cutout at the centre housing the selfie camera. The power button, as well as the volume controls, are visible on the right side of the device. The rear panel has edge-to-edge horizontal stripes as well as a batwing logo of the brand at the centre. As far as the camera module is considered, it is rectangular in shape and is featured on the top left-hand side. The smartphone also features a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille, and a SIM card tray at the bottom. Expected Specifications for Motorola Frontier It is expected that Motorola Frontier will come with a display featuring a 6.67-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate along with HDR10 support. According to some reports, the smartphone is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon SM8475 chipset, which is being speculated as an upgraded version of the company's Snapdragon 8 Gen1. The processor on the device could be paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. On the camera front, Motorola Frontier is expected to have a triple rear camera setup which renders suggest will be headlined by a 194MP primary lens. The other cameras will include a 50MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto shooter. The front of the device will have a 60MP selfie snapper. Motorola Frontier is tipped to pack a 4,500mAh battery with 125W wired charging and 50W wireless charging support.

Indian Government Prolongs Timeline for Submission of Proposals for Chip Manufacturing Scheme Posted: 18 Feb 2022 05:19 AM PST The minister of state for electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrashekhar has said in a statement that India will extend the timeline to submit applications towards its upcoming incentive-backed semiconductor design and manufacturing scheme. He informed that extension has been allowed in order to provide time to the global semiconductor manufacturers to submit their proposals. The chip manufacturing incentive scheme was introduced by the government in December 2021 and started accepting proposals from January 1. Big Players Show Interest Some officials have informed that the government has been in discussions with some of the top players in the industry such as Samsung, Intel, GlobalFoundries and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in order for them to apply to the scheme and invest in India. The extension of the timeline for proposal submissions also come in the light of these ongoing discussions. Officials informed that the key players of the industry have been considerably interested in the $10 billion incentive scheme introduced by the government which has the purpose of creating an efficient semiconductor ecosystem in India including its design, manufacturing and packaging all done domestically. However, as of now, only a few proposals have been received for this incentive scheme introduced by the government which includes none from the major players. According to a report from ET Telecom, officials have informed that the government is perfectly aware that the companies need more time to submit their proposals as a commitment of this size needs a considerable amount of thinking. As far as semiconductor manufacturing is considered, an average manufacturing plant requires an investment of about $3 billion to $5 billion. The Indian government currently plans to institute two semiconductor factories and two display factories in the country. Previously the deadline for the submission of proposals for the silicon semiconductor manufacturing incentive scheme, the government had given the deadline of 45 days which is up to February 15. The government had also announced that it will cover 50% of the cost of establishing two semiconductors and two display fabs in the country. As of now, the companies who have submitted the proposals include the likes of Abu Dhabi base Next Orbit Ventures, Vedanta Group in partnership with Foxconn and more.

Airtel Xstream Fiber Plan That is a Decent Option for Students Posted: 18 Feb 2022 04:43 AM PST Bharti Airtel's fiber broadband arm, Airtel Xstream Fiber offers a decent entry-level broadband plan that would suit most of the students around the country. For a student, any broadband plan offering over 30 Mbps of speed can work sufficiently. For basic browsing, sharing files, researching, even streaming videos online and connecting three to four devices, a 30 Mbps or a 40 Mbps speed broadband plan can work comfortably. Airtel Xstream Fiber offers one such broadband plan in India, which students across the country can leap over and continue their education journey smoothly. Let's check out what that plan is. Airtel Xstream Fiber Entry-Level Broadband Plan for Students Airtel Xstream Fiber offers a Rs 499 per month broadened plan to the users. This plan isn't necessarily meant for students, and anyone who wants to can purchase this plan from the company. Also, note that there are no special offers bundled for the students. It is a standard plan available with standard and uniform benefits to every user and will offer 40 Mbps speed. It is a notch faster than Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and JioFiber's entry-level broadband plan with 30 Mbps speed. One of the many advantages of getting an Airtel Xstream Fiber connection is that users can get it in multiple parts of the country. The Rs 499 plan from Airtel Xstream Fiber ships with 3.3TB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data. It is also more than what a student would ever consume. As mentioned above, this plan is not just meant for students. Any user with basic internet needs can take advantage of this plan and have a comfortable work or study experience from his/her home. There are more internet service providers (ISPs) present in India, which you can check out if you are a student. However, this is one of the best plans available throughout the country.

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