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• Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Announced, Are the Specifications Exciting
• Xiaomi Continues to Dominate Indian Smartphone Market With 21% Market Share in Q4 2021
• Realme 9 5G Key Specifications Surfaces, Could Arrive With Dimensity 810
• Telecom Operators and Satellite Operators Clash Over mmWave Band Allocation
• Jio Avails These Prepaid Plans With Attractive Offer
• Vivo T1 5G Launched in India with Snapdragon 695, 50MP Triple Camera and More
• Redmi Launches Smart Band Pro and Smart TV X43 in India: Specifications and Price Details
• Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11S Finally Arrive in India, Check Price
• Connect Broadband Offers OTT Heavy 100 Mbps Plan
• iPhone 12 Series Now Starts at Rs 44,000 in India
• Bharti Airtel Set for a Strong Future With Airtel Black
• JioPages Now Comes With Secure Mode for Safe Browsing
• BSNL is Strategic Asset, Modi Govt Making Telco Competitive: Finance Minister, Sitharaman
• Bharti Airtel to Raise Rs 7500 Crore in Debt
• Broadband Plans With High Speed Data Benefits Under Rs 900

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Announced, Are the Specifications Exciting Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST Image Credit – Samsung The South Korean tech giant Samsung has just launched its flagship Samsung S22 Series consisting of Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and the high-end Galaxy S22 Ultra. The much-awaited devices have been revealed at the Galaxy Unpacked Event. The brand has focused on offering high-end camera specs on these smartphones. The ultra-model also comes with an S-pen which used to be the highlight of the now discontinued Note series. Mentioned below are the specification and pricing details of the newly launched Galaxy S22 series smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ Specifications The newly launched Samsung Galaxy S22 and S22+ devices have been launched based on the iconic S-series design. Both have been launched with 6.6-inch and 6.1-inch FHD + Flat displays, respectively. The display of the devices features a dynamic AMOLED 2x with a Vision booster. Galaxy S22 offers a peak brightness of 1300nits while the Galaxy S22+ offers a peak brightness of 1750nits. The devices also have Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for an added layer of protection. Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ are powered by processors built based on the 4nm process and it will be either Snapdragon 8 Gen1 or Exynos 2200 depending on the region. Both Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ come with 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB RAM and internal storage option. As far as the camera module of the devices is considered, both the vanilla and Galaxy S22+ share the same specs. The devices feature a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP wide primary sensor along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom. The front of the device houses a 10MP selfie camera. The cameras on the devices support multiple features such as Super HDR, Night Portrait mode, Optical Image Stabilisation and more. Galaxy S22 is backed by a 3700mAh battery with a 25W charging support whereas the Galaxy S22+ comes with a larger 4500mAh battery with 45W fast wired charging technology. Both devices operate on Android 12 and OneUI 4.1 out of the box. Both smartphones are also IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Specifications The high-end smartphone of the series, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first smartphone in the S series to feature S-pen. The ultra-model of the series comes with a larger 6.8-inch Edge QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate that can go as low as 1Hz. The device features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for protection on the front as well as on the rear side for the first time. Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a peak brightness of 1750nits. The smartphone is also powered by a 4nm processor coupled with up to 12GB of RAM. The Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a quadruple-camera setup headlined by a 108MP wide-angle camera. The secondary cameras on the device include a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and another 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. The front of the device houses a massive 40MP selfie camera. The internal storage options on the Galaxy S22 Ultra include 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. The device is backed by a powerful 5000mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging technology. The Ultra model as well runs on runs on Android 12 with One UI 4.1 on top. Galaxy S22 Ultra also features an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Price and Availability of Galaxy S22 Series The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ are available in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green and Pink Gold colour options from online and offline retail stores. However, the company is offering Cream, Graphite, Sky Blue and Violet colour options exclusively via Samsung's official website. Galaxy S22 has a starting price of $799 and Galaxy S22+ starts at $999. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra comes in Phantom Black, Phantom White, Green, and Burgundy colour options but the company is offering Graphite, Red and Sky-Blue colour options exclusively through its official website. The ultra-model of the series has a starting price tag of $1,199. All the devices are available for pre-booking from today which is February 9 and will go live on February 25.

Xiaomi Continues to Dominate Indian Smartphone Market With 21% Market Share in Q4 2021 Posted: 09 Feb 2022 07:27 AM PST Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impact, smartphone makers Samsung, Realme, and Xiaomi have reported robust shipments to the Indian smartphone market during Q4 2021, say the statistics released by Cybermedia Research (CMR). According to Cybermedia Research, Samsung recorded a shipment of smartphones worth $2 billion in Q4 2021. While Xiaomi shipped smartphones worth $1.7 billion, Realme reported a shipment of value $1.1 billion in the same period. Compared to last year, the overall market shipments grew 11%, with 166 million units by the end of the calendar year 2021. The smartphone market revenue reached $37 billion. CMR attributed the success of the smartphone market to the advent of 5G technology. According to the statistics released, 5G's contribution to the smartphone market increased to 17% in 2021. 5G shipments showed a 43% increase in smartphones of the medium price segment, ranging from Rs 7000 to Rs 24999. In terms of shipments, Xiaomi dominated the market in the quarter with a 21% market share, followed by Realme with 17%. Samsung reported a market share of 16% in the last quarter. Xiaomi's 5G smartphone shipments grew 76% Q-o-Q, primarily due to the launch of Xiaomi 11 series smartphones in the quarter. In Samsung, 33% of smartphones shipped in the quarter were 5G capable. Premium Smartphone Shipments Witness a Surge Apple is another top smartphone that made a fortune in 2021, with the company reporting a shipment growth of 31% year on year. Among the super-premium segment (smartphones of price range Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000), Apple occupied 81% market share. Apple reported $5 billion in revenue in the calendar year 2021. OnePlus reported a decline in the shipment of about 9% year-on-year, primarily due to the increasing competition in the premium smartphone segment. Less than 40% of OnePlus's market was accounted for by OnePlus Nord 2 smartphone, which also became the top-selling model in the premium segment. The shipments of smartphone brands such as Itel, Tecno and Infinix, coming under the umbrella group Transsion, declined 5% year on year. It is interesting to note that the shipments of affordable smartphones have declined, while the premium smartphones registered a growth. CMR estimated that smartphone shipments would grow 15-18% in CY 2022 and reach 190 million units. The 5G smartphone shipment would alone grow to 64 million units.

Realme 9 5G Key Specifications Surfaces, Could Arrive With Dimensity 810 Posted: 09 Feb 2022 06:34 AM PST Picture Credit – MySmartPrice The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is all set to launch its Realme 9 Pro and Realme 9 Pro+ smartphones on February 16. Along with these two devices, the brand will also launch Realme 9 5G as a part of the Realme 9 series. There have been several rumours regarding the handset in the past and a few weeks ago, the handset was also spotted on the FCC certification site. Now in a recent tweet, a known tipster has released some key specs of the Realme 9 5G arriving in India. Specification Details for Realme 9 5G The renowned tipster Yogesh Brar took on his Twitter handle to share some key specs of the Realme 9 5G handset. The smartphone is speculated to feature a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The handset will have an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor under the hood, which is built based on a 6nm process and will also feature an integrated Mali G57 GPU. Realme has already used this processor in its multiple mid-range devices. For the camera part, Realme 9 5G will come with a triple rear setup headlined by a 48MP primary camera. The high-resolution primary sensor will be accompanied by two 2MP depth and macro sensors. The front of the device will feature a 16MP selfie snapper. The device is said to be backed by a 5000mAh battery and will come with support for 18W fast charging. The handset is expected to come with the usual Android 12 out-of-the-box but could feature Realme UI 3.0 skin on top. It is expected that Realme 9 5G will have two RAM storage options of 6GB and 8GB. The onboard storage on the device will be 64GB and 128GB. It is also speculated that the handset will come with a stereo speaker unit and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The company, however, hasn't provided the exact launch date for Realme 9 5G but it is expected that the brand could launch it with the Realme 9 Pro series of smartphones on February 16.

Telecom Operators and Satellite Operators Clash Over mmWave Band Allocation Posted: 09 Feb 2022 05:19 AM PST The mega spectrum auction is all set to take place later this year and the regulatory body of the telecom sector held an open house discussion (OHD) on Tuesday. The telecom service providers and satellite operators, however, had a clash of views regarding the allocation of airwaves for the fifth-generation or 5G broadband services, and in particular the mmWave band. Both the parties asked for effective interference redressal. The Issue of Allocating 5G Spectrum According to a report from ET Telecom, the Vice President – Policy at Vodafone Idea, Ajay Mehta said in a statement that the reference provided by the Department of Telecommunications (D0T) clearly states that the spectrum from 3300 to 3670 should be allocated to the telecom service providers for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). He added that the spectrum quantity is not sufficient as it is only 370 MHz and it should be increased up to 4.2 GHz. Mehta further talking about the mmWave band said that it should also increase from 28.5 to 29.5 while at the same time allocating adequately to the satellite operators as well. He said that the increase in the quantity should happen over a period of time. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI held a virtual discussion on Tuesday in regards to the allocation of the frequency bands for commercial 5G services. It is to be noted that about 190 stakeholders participated from India as well as around the world. The Vice President – Regulatory Affairs at Bharti Airtel, Rahul Vatts said in a statement that India should adopt 3300 – 3800MHz frequency bands as the availability of contiguous and interference-free spectrum is crucial. He said that it is important that the spectrum remains interference-free for commercial use and it would be unfair if the spectrum is to be auctioned, to be paid for or remain somewhat underutilized. The issue of allocation of spectrum has been ongoing for a while now between the terrestrial network operators and satellite operators. The latter has cited case studies from across the world that suggests that there should be administrative allocation of the spectrum. On the other hand, the telecom operators, particularly Jio and Vodafone condemn any such move, suggesting that the same service rules shall prevail.

Jio Avails These Prepaid Plans With Attractive Offer Posted: 09 Feb 2022 04:39 AM PST India's leading telecom operator Reliance Jio offers a bunch of prepaid plans for its subscriber base. The prepaid plans provided by Jio tends to have an edge over its competitors when it comes to pricing. The company also provides multiple prepaid plans that come with discounted price tags allowing users to save some money. Mentioned below are the prepaid plans offered by Reliance Jio under its JioMart Maha Cashback packs that come at an offer price along with the details. JioMart Maha Cashback Plans The first plan on the list is an affordable option from the telco. Jio offers a prepaid plan at a price tag of Rs 299 that offers 2GB data per day for a validity period of 28 days making it a total of 56GB data. The plan comes with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day along with access to a few Jio Applications such as Jio TV, Jio Cinema and more. Users save up to 20% with this JioMart Maha Cashback plan. Next on the list is a long-term plan offered by the telecom operator. Jio offers a prepaid plan at a price tag of Rs 666 that offers 1.5GB data per day for a validity period of 84 days. The plan provides truly unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day with total data being 126GB. This plan as well comes with access to a few Jio applications. This 1.5GB daily data plan from Jio is also a 20% JioMart Maha Cashback plan. Jio offers another long-term plan with a discounted price tag. The telco provides a Rs 719 prepaid plan which offers 2GB data per day for a validity period of 84 days. The plan also comes with access to Jio applications along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. The total data offered with the plan is 168GB and users save 20% with this JioMart Maha Cashback plan. Jio offers multiple year long prepaid plans at an offer price as well. Rs 2,545 plan from the telco comes with 1.5GB data per day for a validity period of 336 days. With a total data of 504GB, the plan offers unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day and access to Jio applications. Rs 2,875, Rs 2,999 and Rs 4,199 plan from Jio offers 2GB/day, 2.5GB/day and 3GB/day respectively for a validity period of 365 days. All these plans offer truly unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day along with access to Jio applications. Lastly, the telco offers another yearlong prepaid plan that comes with an OTT subscription. Rs 3,119 plan from the telco offers 2GB/day for a validity period of 365 days. The plan comes with access to Disney+ Hotstar mobile along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS/day. All the mentioned yearlong prepaid plans come at a Rs 200 discounted price tag.

Vivo T1 5G Launched in India with Snapdragon 695, 50MP Triple Camera and More Posted: 09 Feb 2022 03:03 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo has launched its latest Vivo T1 5G smartphone in India. The device has been launched just a week after its specification details surfaced over the web. The company claims that Vivo T1 5G is the slimmest 5G smartphone available in the mid-range segment which includes devices below Rs 20,000. The newly launched device comes with a Qualcomm processor as well as a triple rear camera setup. Mentioned below are the specification and price details of the new Vivo T1 5G. Specifications of Vivo T1 5G The latest 5G enabled smartphone from Vivo has been launched with a 6.58-inch IPS FHD+ display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a sampling rate of 240Hz. The handset has a waterdrop notch at the front for the selfie camera. Vivo T1 5G comes with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 695 chipset under the hood which is built based on the 6nm process. The handset had an AnTuTu score of 400,000 points and the company claims that it is the fastest smartphone in the price segment. For storage configuration, the handset comes with up to 8GB of RAM which is virtually expandable up to 12GB. The smartphone has 128GB of internal storage expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. The device features a "Turbo 5 Layer Liquid Cooling" technology which can significantly reduce the handset's temperature up to 10 degrees Celsius. For the camera part, Vivo T1 5G comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary camera which comes with support for Super Night mode and Bokeh mode among other camera features. The device also features two secondary 2MP sensors which offer Super Macro mode as well as a human eye tracking focus feature. The front of the device has a 16MP selfie camera. Vivo T1 5G is backed by a 5,000mAh battery and operates on Funtouch OS 12.0. Vivo T1 5G Price and Availability Vivo has launched its latest smartphone in India with three storage variants. The handset comes in 4GB, 6GB and 8GB RAM options all paired up with 128GB of onboard storage. The 4GB RAM variant comes at a price of Rs 15,990, the device with 6GB RAM has a price tag of Rs 16,990 and the 8GB RAM variant costs Rs 19,990. Vivo T1 5G is available in two colour options – Starlight Black and Rainbow Fantasy which is a shade of blue. The device will be available for purchase from February 14 on Flipkart, the official website of Vivo and offline retail stores.

Redmi Launches Smart Band Pro and Smart TV X43 in India: Specifications and Price Details Posted: 09 Feb 2022 02:04 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Redmi has launched its Redmi Smart Band Pro and Redmi Smart TV X43 in India on Wednesday. Redmi Smart Band Pro has been one of the awaited wearables from the company and was launched alongside Redmi Note 11 and Note 11S smartphones. The smart band comes with 14-day battery life and more than 110 workout modes. On the other hand, the newly launched Redmi Smart TV X43 with its 43 inches display has the smallest display in the brand's X series lineup of Smart TVs. Mentioned below are the specification and pricing of both devices. Redmi Smart Band Pro Specifications Redmi Smart Band Pro features a 1.47-inch (194×368 pixels) always-on AMOLED touch display. The smart band has a pixel density of 282ppi, 8-bit colour depth, and 100% NTSC colour gamut coverage. The wearable has an Apollo 3.5 processor and features a 200mAh battery backup. The company claims that the device can offer up to 14 days of battery life and up to 20 days with power-saving mode enabled. Redmi Smart Band Pro offers connectivity via Bluetooth v5.0 and can be connected to handsets operating on iOS 10 or Android 6 and later. Being a fitness tracker, the smart band offers more than 110 workout modes and come with tracking features such as SpO2 monitoring, heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking. The wearable is capable of sensing outdoor walking, outdoor running, and treadmill workouts automatically. The brand has also informed that the device is waterproof up to 5ATM (50 metres). Redmi Smart Band Pro Price and Availability The newly launched Redmi Smart Band Pro has a retail price of Rs 3,999; however, the company has launched the device with an introductory offer of Rs 3,499. The wearable will be available for sale on e-commerce platform Amazon, Redmi's website, Mi Home and offline stores starting from February 14, 12 noon. Redmi Smart TV X43 Specifications The all-new Redmi Smart TV X43 comes with a 43-inch 4K display. The Redmi Smart TV 43 came with a full-HD+ display but the newly launched X43 offers 4K resolution with HDR support. The latest Smart TV in the X-series operates on Android TV 10 and comes with the latest PatchWall 4 UI with integrated support for IMDB for TV and movie ratings. For the audio part, the device features 30W speakers with DTS Virtual:X. the Smart TV comes with support for Dolby Atmos via HDMI eARC passthrough to external Atmos soundbars and receivers. The connectivity options on the all-new Redmi Smart TV X43 include HDMI eARC passthrough to external Atmos soundbars and receivers. Moreover, the device also has an auto low latency mode which helps in reducing the lag down to 5ms at 4K 60fps for gaming consoles. Redmi Smart TV X43 Price and Availability The all-new Redmi Smart TV X43 comes with a price tag of Rs 28,999. The Smart TV will be available for sale from e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, the company's official website and Mi Home starting from February 16, 12 noon.

Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11S Finally Arrive in India, Check Price Posted: 09 Feb 2022 01:17 AM PST The Redmi Note 11 and Redmi Note 11S have launched in India today. Both are budget smartphones from the company geared to offer a decent 4G experience. The Redmi Note 11 sports a Qualcomm chipset, while the Redmi Note 11S comes with a MediaTek SoC. Many users are going to be disappointed to see a lack of 5G support which has become pretty common under Rs 20,000 today. Let's check out the specifications and price of the smartphone. Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11S Specifications The Redmi Note 11 comes with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 90Hz refresh rate. It runs on Android 11 out of the box and features the Snapdragon 680 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of internal storage with up to 1TB expandable storage via a microSD card. There's a quad-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, there's a 13MP sensor at the front. The device packs a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast-charging support. Coming to the Redmi Note 11S, this device also features the same display as the Redmi Note 11. It comes powered by the MediaTek G96 coupled with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of internal storage that is expanded up to 1TB. The quad-camera setup at the rear includes a 108MP Samsung HM2 primary sensor along with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. At the front, there's a 16MP sensor for video calling and selfies. The Redmi Note 11S packs a 5000mAh with 33W fast-charging too. Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11S Price The Redmi Note 11 and Redmi Note 11S have both been launched in three different variants. Redmi Note 11: a) 4GB+64GB = Rs 13,499 b) 6GB+64GB = Rs 14,499 c) 6GB+128GB = Rs 15,999 Redmi Note 11S: a) 6GB+64GB = Rs 16,499 b) 6GB+128GB = Rs 17,499 c) 8GB+128GB = Rs 18,499

Connect Broadband Offers OTT Heavy 100 Mbps Plan Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:29 AM PST Connect Broadband, a regional internet service provider (ISP) offers users an over-the-top (OTT) heavy 100 Mbps speed plan. There are multiple 100 Mbps plans offered by the company, but this plan, in particular, comes with a ton of OTT benefits. The plan that we are talking about comes for Rs 1795. To be fair, at this price, JioFiber's Rs 1499 plan is a much better option that offers 300 Mbps of speed along with 15+ OTT benefits. Regardless, if Connect Broadband is in your area, the Rs 1795 plan with 100 Mbps speed is your best bet of getting an internet plan with a ton of OTT benefits. Let's check out the plan details below. Connect Broadband Rs 1795 Plan Details As mentioned above, the Rs 1795 plan from the company comes with 100 Mbps of speed. With this plan, users get OTT subscriptions to over eight different applications. There's a fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit of 3.3TB applicable on unlimited plans offered by the company. The eight OTT platforms on offer with this plan are ZEE5 Premium, SonyLIV, Voot Select, ShemarooMe, EpicON, Hungama Music, Hungama Play, and Eros Now. Note that this is not the only 100 Mbps internet plan offered by the company. Users also get an option to pick between Rs 999, Rs 1195, and Rs 1496 plans with 100 Mbps speed which too offer OTT benefits to customers. The only difference between each of these plans is the number of OTT benefits they provide to the customers. Post the consumption of FUP data, the internet speed for the users would go down to 20 Mbps with the Rs 1795 plan. It is highly unlikely that users will consume 3.3TB of data within a month thus many companies call such plans their unlimited data offering. Currently, Connect Broadband is only available in three parts of India – Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana. All the plans offered are uniform across the regions.

iPhone 12 Series Now Starts at Rs 44,000 in India Posted: 08 Feb 2022 11:13 PM PST If you have ever thought of purchasing the iPhone 12 series device, this looks like the best time to do it. The iPhone 12 series is heavily discounted on e-commerce platforms of India. The iPhone 12 mini starts at Rs 43,999 in Flipkart, while the iPhone 12 starts at Rs 51,999. What's worth noting here is that, unlike the iPhone 13 series, the base models of the iPhone 12 series don't come with 128GB of internal storage. The iPhone 12 series base models come with 64GB of storage, and thus if you are looking for a 128GB variant iPhone 12, you will have to shell out more money. iPhone 12 Series Price in India The iPhone 12 mini is starting at Rs 43,999 in Flipkart for the 64GB variant. Its other two variants, with 128GB and 256GB, start at Rs 54,999 and Rs 64,999, respectively. At the same time, the iPhone starts at Rs 51,999 in Flipkart for the 64GB variant, while the other variant with 128GB starts at Rs 64,999. The 256GB variant of the iPhone 12 series is not available on Flipkart right now. You may still buy it from other platforms and Apple's Online India store too. iPhone 12 Series Can be a Decent Buy The iPhone 12 series devices run on A14 Bionic, which is one of the best chipsets in the market in terms of performance. Even though the iPhone 12 series launched back in 2020, users can still make the most out of their smartphone experience with the iPhone 12 devices. This is because of multiple reasons, which include multiple updates, which is not the case with an Android device. Further, the resale value of an iPhone is much better than that of an Android. These are a few of the reasons why the iPhone 12 series at a heavy discount could make for a good buy. You can also get the iPhone 13 series devices, but they will cost a lot more.

Bharti Airtel Set for a Strong Future With Airtel Black Posted: 08 Feb 2022 10:33 PM PST Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator, is set for a strong future. The Q3 FY22 results seem only to be a trailer. The confidence that the telco's board has in future performance is evident from the approval of a $1 billion (Rs 7500 crore approx) fundraise via debt instruments. The thing that's worth considering here is that the average revenue per user (ARPU) jump that came during the quarter is only reflecting the revenue boost from the last month (December). The full impact will be seen in the March quarter of FY22, which should show an even higher ARPU. Airtel Black a Long Term Play from the Telco Bharti Airtel is building an ecosystem of services and products much like Apple. Airtel is playing the long game with its bundled service called Airtel Black. What Bharti Airtel ultimately wants is high paying customers and, in turn, providing them with quality service. We have talked about this before; Airtel Black is not a bundled service to make things cheap or more affordable. It is about bringing comfort, convenience, and great service for the users. Under Airtel Black, users can subscribe to a Direct-to-Home (DTH), postpaid mobile, and fiber broadband connections. All of these services are bundled within a single bill. Note that in the case of postpaid services, users can opt for multiple connections. This is a quality service play from the telco to attract high-paying customers. Airtel Black plans will enable the company in earning more out of each customer as well as upsell other services and products. Airtel's Google Deal to Put the Company in a Better Position Airtel is one of the prominent telecom operators in the country. It has the highest ARPU amongst all competitors when it comes to mobile business and is also adding new subscribers at a steady rate. During the third quarter, the subscriber churn rate dipped a little to 2.9% from 3% in Q2 FY22. With all the money that it has raised in the last few months and more that it is planning to raise in the foreseeable future, Airtel will come into a much better position. Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel, has already said that the company has been generating free cash flow now. This is why it can take on debt instead of giving up more equity. The Google deal would allow Bharti Airtel to come up with a better strategy for partnering with the smartphone vendors and offering subsidies on the purchase of 4G devices.

JioPages Now Comes With Secure Mode for Safe Browsing Posted: 08 Feb 2022 08:58 PM PST JioPages, a Made-in-India web browser, now comes with a 'Secure Mode' feature to enable an even higher level of safe browsing for the users. The application is available for both Android smartphones and Android TVs. However, the new 'Secure Mode' is only available for Android smartphones at the moment. The feature is expected to be extended to the Android TV as well. What Will Secure Mode in JioPages Do for the Users? According to an IANS report, the 'Secure Mode' will block every possible tracking mechanism such as web beacons, cookies, fingerprinting, unwanted advertising, referrer header, tracking resources, etc. It will ensure that the users have not only a faster and more customisable browsing experience but also a safe one. Reliance Jio is making JioPages as secure an offering as possible because the privacy concerns related to popular browsers such as Google Chrome and more keep creeping up. JioPages Has Over 10 Million Downloads on Google Play Store The application has more than 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Its size is 49MB which is not bad, and it is rated 4.1 Stars out of 5 Stars. JioPages has also taken a leaf out of the book of other web browsers and offer basic yet useful things such as a home page with customisable quick links for a faster browsing experience. There's also a Dark Mode inside the browser, which helps users change the theme from light to dark if they prefer it that way. One of the most useful features of the browser is that it comes with support for multiple regional languages of India. To keep the users entertained and hooked to the browser, JioPages also comes with a 'Short Videos' feature. Now with the 'Secure Mode' added, the value of JioPages is surely going to go up in a world where the line between private and public is getting blurred every second that goes by.

BSNL is Strategic Asset, Modi Govt Making Telco Competitive: Finance Minister, Sitharaman Posted: 08 Feb 2022 08:13 PM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is a strategic asset of the nation, and the Modi government is helping the telco by giving it money for the 4G spectrum and becoming competitive, said Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India. According to a PTI report, Sitharaman accused the previous government of bringing BSNL to the state of 'almost death'. The Finance Minister was responding to the allegations put by Arvind Sawant, a member of Shiv Sena in Lok Sabha. Sawant had said that the Modi government is helping private telecom operators such as Vodafone Idea (Vi) while killing the state-owned BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). Sitharaman Said Congress Government Made BSNL Lose 10 Years In a serious state of allegations, Sitharaman responded back by saying BSNL lost ten years because of the previous government. The Finance Minister accused the previous government of 2G exploitation by allowing corruption to take place. Sitharaman reminded everyone that when the Modi government came to power in 2014, the state-run telco had no money to pay salaries. However, with the help from the NDA government, BSNL was provided funds so that the company could offer its employees Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and clear all the previous dues, the Finance Minister added. Further, the Modi government is giving BSNL thousands of crores so that it can purchase 4G spectrum and launch 4G network services. It is worth noting that BSNL's situation is not much better as the telco is continuously losing subscriber market share in the mobile business due to not having 4G. In fact, BSNL's market share in the fixed-line service market is also going away to the private companies, which is a bad sign for the state-run telco. Later this year, BSNL is expected to launch its 4G services in multiple parts of the country. What's special about this is it will be homegrown 4G and will give users another option to consume services apart from the private telcos.

Bharti Airtel to Raise Rs 7500 Crore in Debt Posted: 08 Feb 2022 06:49 PM PST Bharti Airtel's board has approved a Rs 7500 crore fundraise via non-convertible debt instruments such as bonds, debentures, etc. The telco can raise this amount in tranches or at one go, depending on the need. Through a listing in the stock exchanges on Tuesday, Airtel's board approved for another fundraiser. It is worth noting that just in the previous quarter, Airtel had raised Rs 21,000 crore via a rights issue. Then, in January 2022, Airtel confirmed a $1 billion investment from Google where $300 million is for forming multi-year partnerships and the remaining $700 million for equity of 1.28% to the search-engine giant. After Google Deal in Equity, Airtel Looking to Raise Another $1 Billion in Debt The investment from Google in Airtel is a straight-up equity deal. But this time around, Airtel is looking to raise another $1 billion in debt instruments. The telco might use this money for the 5G spectrum auctions that are not too far from now. 5G spectrum auctions are expected to increase the debt levels of the industry and to prepare well for bidding for the necessary frequencies, Airtel might be doing this fundraise via debt. Further, the telco might be looking to increase capex for 4G using this money. Note that for now, only approval from the board has come and the actual money is yet to be raised. But given the market position Airtel has and the way the telco has deleveraged in the last year, investors and financial institutions would be happy and comfortable giving the telco their money in debt. Bharti Airtel ARPU has Jumped by Rs 10 On Tuesday, Airtel announced its financial results for the December 2021 quarter. The telco reported an average revenue per user (ARPU) gain of Rs 10 during the quarter. From Rs 153 in Q2 FY22, Airtel's ARPU jumped to Rs 163 in Q3 FY22. Subheading The investment from Google in Airtel is a straight-up equity deal. But this time around, Airtel is looking to raise another $1 billion in debt instruments. The telco might use this money for the 5G spectrum auctions that are not too far from now.

Broadband Plans With High Speed Data Benefits Under Rs 900 Posted: 08 Feb 2022 05:41 PM PST While the Internet service providers (ISPs) offer plans with up to 1 Gbps of internet speed, it does not always fall in line with the budget of the subscriber base. The majority of the users are looking for plans with reasonable price tags that also offer adequate high-speed data for the purposes of home connection, online learning, businesses, gaming and more. Mentioned below are some of the comparatively high-speed data benefits broadband plans offered by ISPs in India under Rs 900 along with the details. JioFiber 100 Mbps Plans One of the most reliable service providers in India, Jio offers a 100 Mbps plan under Rs 900. JioFiber offers a 100 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 699 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 speeds of 100 Mbps with this plan. The telco offers efficient services and provides one of the most stable broadband connectivity. Excitel's Most Premium Plan Excitel provides broadband connectivity only with 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps or 300 Mbps of internet speed. Thus, the 300 Mbps plan is the most premium plan offered by the company and also comes just under Rs 900. The 300 Mbps plan from Excitel comes at different price tags for different durations as well. Via Fiber First, Excitel provides users with a 300 Mbps plan for a month at Rs 899. Users can also get the plan for 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months for a monthly cost of Rs 752, Rs 636, Rs 600, Rs 533 and Rs 499 respectively. The plans from Excitel are truly unlimited and no FUP data limit is levied upon. The 'Standard' Pack from Airtel Airtel Xstream Fiber can provide high-speed internet up to 1 Gbps, however, the telco offers a plan with 100 Mbps of speed under Rs 900. Users can get access to the 'Standard' pack which provides 100 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 799 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. Fibre Optic internet connection from Airtel allows one of the fastest broadband connections and is highly reliable. The 75 Mbps Plan from ACT The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru provides a 75Mbps unlimited data plan called Rapid Plus under Rs 900 as the 100 Mbps plan from the telco goes just above the price mark. Users can get the Rapid Plus pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 710. The FUP data limit levied is 750GB post which the internet works at speed of 512 Kbps. Users can also get free trials to some of the Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and various add-ons with the pack. It is to be noted that this plan is for the city of Bengaluru, and it may vary across the country. 100 Mbps Broadband Plans from BSNL The state-owned telco BSNL under Bharat Fibre Broadband provides a plan with 100 Mbps under Rs 900. However, the telco offers two 100 Mbps plans at a similar price range that are both worth mentioning. The two 100 Mbps plans from the telco are SuperStar Premium-1 and Fibre Value plan. SuperStar Premium-1 and Fibre Value plans offer 100 Mbps of internet speed at the cost of Rs 749 and Rs 799 per month respectively. FUP data limit set on the SuperStar Premium-1 plan is 1000GB whereas on the Fibre Value plan is 3300GB. It is to be kept in mind that both these packs are exclusive of GST.

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