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• BSNL Has Over 13 Lakh Unresolved Cases of Deposit Refund for Surrendered Landline Connections
• Bharti Airtel Confirms Purchase of Vodafone UK’s 4.7% Stake in Indus Towers
• Airtel and Vi Offer These 28-Day Validity Prepaid Packs Under Rs 300
• Vivo Pad Design Details Surfaces as Brand Shares Teaser Images
• Asus Chromebook C214 With Touch Screen, 360 Degree Flip Available for Rs 1999
• BSNL Wants Govt Help to Win State-Funded Projects and Not Lose to Airtel, Jio and Vi Further
• Samsung Galaxy A13 4G and Galaxy A23 4G Arrive in India with Quad Cameras, 5000mAh Battery and More
• 5G Spectrum: Government Holds Discussion for Airwaves Allocation to Ministries
• 5G in Malaysia: Telcos Considering Getting a Stake in DNB
• Truecaller Brings Urgent Messages, Revamped Smart SMS, and More With New Update
• Samsung Galaxy A23 India Price Revealed, Check Now
• Nothing Again Promises Something Fresh With the Upcoming Smartphone in India
• Bharti Airtel Has Pre-Paid Rs 8815 Crore Pertaining to 2015 Spectrum Auctions
• Bharti Airtel Happy With Low Quantum of 5G Spectrum If It Is Very Expensive
• Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea Best 3GB/Day Daily Data Plans Available in 2022
• Broadband Plan from Jio and Airtel That Is Similar, Yet Different
• OnePlus 10 Pro India Launch Date Announced, What You Should Know
• DoT and Raipur LSA Organize Awareness Workshop On Electromagnetic Exposure from Mobile Towers
• OnePlus Buds Z2 Long-Term Review: Perfect TWS Earphones for Bass Lovers
• Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Full Specifications Listed – Exynos 1280, Quad Cameras and More

BSNL Has Over 13 Lakh Unresolved Cases of Deposit Refund for Surrendered Landline Connections Posted: 25 Mar 2022 09:22 AM PDT Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday has informed that more than 13 lakh cases regarding the refund of deposits for the BSNL landline connections that have been surrendered are still pending with the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd as of January 2022. The minister informed that the major reasons for the pending cases were the non-availability of updated bank account details of the consumers as well as a temporary shortage of funds. The Reason for Pending Cases According to a report from PTI, the oldest pending case with BSNL dates back to 2019 whereas it is 2020 for MTNL. Chauhan in his written reply informed that a total of 13,15,806 cases of refund deposits were pending as of January 31, 2022. These are the cases for the consumers who have surrendered their landlines and dues are pending with BSNL. In the case of MTNL, a total of 1,44,201 cases are pending. It is to be noted that as per the guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), security deposits have to be refunded within 60 days from the closure or disconnection. Chauhan informed that BSNL and MTNL are contacting customers for their updated bank details which are delaying the refund process. In related news, the Minister of State for Communications on Wednesday had also informed the Lok Sabha that the Indian government has no plans for the disinvestment of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd or BSNL. The question was raised regarding the immovable assets of the BSNL to which Chauhan replied that there is not even a consideration of disinvestment of BSNL. The immovable assets of the telco include buildings, lands, towers, telecom equipment and non-telecom equipment. Separately Devusinh Chauhan also replied to another question stating that OneWeb India, Jio Satellite Communication Services and Starlink Satellite Communications are among the companies that have submitted proposals for offering satellite-based communication services, including broadband services in India. Chauhan informed that the Indian companies in collaboration with the foreign satellite operators have been approaching the DoT to submit their proposals for offering satellite-based communication services, including broadband services in India.

Bharti Airtel Confirms Purchase of Vodafone UK’s 4.7% Stake in Indus Towers Posted: 25 Mar 2022 08:15 AM PDT The telecom giant Bharti Airtel has announced on Friday that it will buy Vodafone's 4.7% stake in Indus Towers by paying around Rs 2,388 crore. Earlier on February 25, Airtel informed that it had agreed to buy a 4.7% stake in Indus Towers from Vodafone Group Plc in cash. According to the terms of the deal, the UK based telecom had to invest the proceeds into the Vodafone Idea. This investment was meant to clear the payment arrears to the telecom tower company. The Purchase Agreement Airtel has released a statement in which it has referred to the agreement with certain affiliates of Vodafone Group Plc (including Euro Pacific Securities Ltd.), the Company and Nettle dated February 25, 2022. It further states that the transaction shall take place at Rs 187.88 per share according to the agreed price formula in the agreement which aggregates to Rs 23,880.62 million. The transaction should take place upon fulfilment of all conditions precedents as agreed by the parties under the agreement. It is to be noted that Indus Towers' shares closed 4.9% lower at Rs 203.25 on the BSE on Friday. Airtel in its agreement dated February 25 had stated that any such acquisition shall only be done when such proceeds are confirmed to be utilised by Vodafone to infuse as fresh equity into VIL. This includes any regulatory or shareholders' approval being fully obtained. Airtel back then had a 41.7% stake in the tower company, however, had not revealed any information regarding the financial terms but did state that the purchase would be at an attractive price, representing a significant discount, typically, available for such large block transactions. For those unaware, Vodafone Idea has been raising funds from external sources as well as promoters to compete with its industry rivals Jio and Airtel. The cash-strapped telco has set the end of March as the deadline for raising new funds. The board of Vodafone Idea earlier this month approved raising Rs 14,500 crore from its primary promoters – UK's Vodafone Group as well as Aditya Birla Group (ABG) along with other external investors. The telecom operator is all set to raise Rs 4,500 crore which is approximately $600 million through preferential shares issued at Rs 13.30 per share to its promoters as well as related companies. Moreover, the telco has announced raising another Rs 10,000 crore via equity and debt instruments.

Airtel and Vi Offer These 28-Day Validity Prepaid Packs Under Rs 300 Posted: 25 Mar 2022 07:25 AM PDT Airtel and Vodafone Idea both provide quite similar prepaid plans when it comes to the pricing and validity period of the plans. If you are looking for affordable prepaid plans with short-term validity, both the telcos offer packs that cost less than Rs 300. In this article, we are going to take a look at the prepaid plans offered by Airtel and VI under Rs 300 with 28-day validity. Plans Under Rs 300 The first plan on the list is a 1GB/day plan offered by both the telcos. Airtel offers a 1GB per day daily data plan at a cost of Rs 265 for a validity period of 28 days and offers truly unlimited calls with 100 SMS/day. On the other hand, Vi offers a 1GB per day plan at a cost of Rs 269 along with truly unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day as well which has a validity period of 28 days. The next on the list is 1.5GB/day daily data plans, Airtel provides a prepaid plan that offers 1.5GB data/day at a cost of Rs 299 for a validity period of 28 days. The pack offers truly unlimited data as well as 100 SMS per day. Vi offers the same 1.5GB per day data plan with 28 days validity at a price tag of Rs 299 as well. The pack from Vi also includes unlimited voice calls along with 100 SMS/day. Here's What You Can Get Under Rs 500 In a similar way, both the telcos offer plans that cost less than Rs 500. Both Airtel and Vi offer 2GB per day prepaid plans at a cost of Rs 359 for a validity period of 28 days that comes with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. Talking about the 2.5GB/day daily data plans, Vi actually offers a prepaid plan that is cheaper than that of Airtel. Airtel offers a 2.5GB per day plan with 28 days validity at a price tag of Rs 449 which also includes unlimited voice calls along with 100 SMS/day. Vi, on the other hand, offers the same 2.5GB/day data plan at a cost of Rs 409 for a validity period of 28 days and offers truly unlimited calls with 100 SMS/day. Vi also offers 3GB a day plans at a cost of Rs 475 along with truly unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day as well that has a validity period of 28 days.

Vivo Pad Design Details Surfaces as Brand Shares Teaser Images Posted: 25 Mar 2022 06:11 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone brand is soon going to launch its first tablet in China and has already confirmed that it would be the Vivo Pad. The company is expected to launch its Vivo Pad later this year in China., however, the brand is yet to provide details on the launch timeline of the device. Speculations suggest that the brand will announce the launch date on March 28 ahead of which it has dropped some teaser images of the device. Let's take a look. Design Details for Vivo Pad The images dropped by the company has provided us with some information regarding the design of the tablet. The images also confirm that the Vivo Pad will come with additional accessories such as a Bluetooth keyboard and a smart stylus. It can be seen in the images that the tablet has a flat frame that houses the power and volume buttons on the right edge. The device also has uniformly-thin bezels on all sides. The front camera has been placed on the right bezel which becomes the top when the device is rotated horizontally. There are two speakers each on either side of the USB Type-C port along with two more such speaker cutouts at the top bezel, meaning that the tablet will have a quad-speaker setup. Specification Details on Vivo Pad It is expected that Vivo will launch its Vivo Pad in 2022 as an affordable device. It is being speculated that the tablet will be backed by Snapdragon 870 SoC. The mentioned processor, if true, will make the tablet apt for gaming or any other intense activity like video editing. The leak surfaced online also suggests the battery details of the device. It is expected that the upcoming Vivo Pad will be backed by an 8040mAh battery and will support 44W fast charge technology. Talking about the display of the device, Vivo Pad is speculated to feature an 11-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, it is yet to be determined whether the company will use an AMOLED or an LCD display for its tablet. The device will also feature a dual rear camera setup headlined by a 13MP camera along with an 8MP secondary lens. The front of the device will also feature an 8MP camera. The rumours suggest that the tablet will not have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which means that the device could feature an AI face unlock for security. According to previous reports, Vivo Pad could operate on Android 12-based Origin OS out of the box.

Asus Chromebook C214 With Touch Screen, 360 Degree Flip Available for Rs 1999 Posted: 25 Mar 2022 05:22 AM PDT Asus is offering its Chromebook C214, an affordable gadget meant to get students going with their education for just Rs 1,999 per month for a period of 12 months. The total cost of the Chromebook is only Rs 23,999. To make it more accessible for students, the company is offering its Premium Chromebook C214 for only Rs 1,999 per month to consumers via Flipkart. But this is not all that the users will get. There's free cloud storage as well as over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions included. Know everything about the Chromebook and its additional benefits below. Asus Chromebook C214 Specifications and Additional Benefits on Purchase Asus Chromebook C214 comes with Touch Screen support and supports 360 degree Flip, has dual-cameras, with a long-lasting 50 Whr battery and a highly rugged military-grade body. It will be available at a very low monthly cost of Rs 1,999 only if the users choose to get it on EMI (Equal Monthly Instalments) available on credit and debit cards. The Asus Chromebook C214 is powered by Google's Chrome OS and will offer users access to millions of applications on the Google Play Store. As mentioned above, there are additional benefits coupled with the purchase of Asus Chromebook C214. Users will get access to 100GB of Cloud Storage for a period of 12 months and YouTube Premium free for three months. The additional benefits aren't just restricted to the Asus Chromebook C214. More models, including Asus Chromebook C223, C423, C523, and CX1101, are included in this offer. All of these models will offer a ton of benefits to consumers on the purchase right now. Students can definitely work with the Asus Chromebook C214 as it is an affordable deal and also brings in additional benefits. Other companies also offer Chromebooks in the same price range with multiple EMI options. If you want to take benefit of such offers, you can visit the respective websites of these companies or check out Flipkart and Amazon India.

BSNL Wants Govt Help to Win State-Funded Projects and Not Lose to Airtel, Jio and Vi Further Posted: 25 Mar 2022 04:13 AM PDT The state-owned telco BSNL finds itself in a situation of turbulence as it has been losing some of the prominent government-funded digital connectivity programs to the three private giants – Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea. In the light of this, BSNL has asked for intervention from the telecom department in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign. Let's find out more. Private Players Have Been Bagging the Opportunities According to a report from ET Telecom, the chairman of BSNL Pravin Kumar Parwar has written a letter to the telecom secretary K Ramarajan in which he stated that BSNL is in the best position and has the past experience of rolling out mobile networks in difficult terrains with complete professionalism. He further requested the department that the BSNL should receive the work of network coverage in the uncovered villages on the nomination basis. The chairman also promised that the telco will be able to complete the connectivity program within 24 months from the date of receiving it. For those unaware, BSNL has also partnered up with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) for the efficient rollout of the fourth generation or 4G network solution along with a 5G upgradable network. BSNL was able to deploy the telecom network in critical left-wing extremism (LWE)-hit areas in a record time. Despite this effort from the telco, last year the telecom department awarded the LWE-II program to Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. Moreover, both of these private telcos also grabbed the initiative to connect unconnected villages. Not only this, BSNL had reservations for the telecom connectivity initiative in the Northeast region on the nomination basis, which was also awarded to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. An officer who requested to be anonymous informed that Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has been continuously awarding the telecom connectivity initiatives to the private players who are actually funded to deploy the gear from foreign markets which does not fall in line with the Prime Minister's ambitious Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign. USOF is responsible for providing the telecom network in rural and remote areas and is a Rs 55,000 crore strong corpus. As of now about, 25,000 villages in India do not have telecom connectivity.

Samsung Galaxy A13 4G and Galaxy A23 4G Arrive in India with Quad Cameras, 5000mAh Battery and More Posted: 25 Mar 2022 03:03 AM PDT Samsung has just launched two new mid-range smartphones in India as a part of its A-series lineup. The two smartphones that are launched are called Samsung Galaxy A13 4G and Samsung Galaxy A23 4G. Both smartphones have been launched under the Rs 20,000 price mark with quad-camera setups. Galaxy A13 4G comes in three storage options whereas Galaxy A23 4G has been launched with two storage configurations. Let's take a closer look at the specification and price details of the Galaxy A13 4G and Galaxy A23 4G. Samsung Galaxy A13 4G and Galaxy A23 4G Specifications Both of the newly launched smartphones come with a 6.6-inch TFT LCD display with a Full-HD+ resolution. It is a water-drop notch with an exact resolution of 1080x2408pixels. Samsung Galaxy A13 4G is powered by the Exynos 850 chipset whereas the Galaxy A23 4G features a Snapdragon 680 chipset under the hood. The processor Galaxy A13 4G is paired with 4GB and 6GB RAM options along with 64GB and 128GB of onboard storage. Galaxy A23 4G features 6GB and 8GB RAM options along with 128GB of internal storage. As far as the camera modules are considered, both of the smartphones from Samsung feature a quad-camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary lens along with a 5MP ultra-wide lens and two 2MP snappers for depth and macro shots. The 50MP primary sensor on Galaxy A23 4G also provides OIS support. Both A-series devices also feature an 8MP selfie camera at the front. Galaxy A13 4G, as well as Galaxy A23 4G, are backed by a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charge support. Although the company has bundled a 15W fast charger in the box. For the security part, both devices come with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The smartphones run on Android 12 out of the box and have OneUI 4.1 on top of it. Samsung Galaxy A13 4G and Galaxy A23 4G Price Samsung Galaxy A13 4G has been priced at Rs 14,999 for its 4GB + 64GB options whereas the 4GB + 128GB model comes at Rs 15,999. The high-end variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage has been priced at Rs 17,499. Galaxy A23 4G on the other hand has been priced at Rs 19,499 for its base 6GB + 128GB variant whereas the high-end 8GB + 128GB model of the device comes at Rs 20,999. Both the smartphones are available in Black, Blue, Peach, and White colour options.

5G Spectrum: Government Holds Discussion for Airwaves Allocation to Ministries Posted: 25 Mar 2022 02:34 AM PDT A Committee of Secretaries (CoS) including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Department of Space discussed spectrum allocation to various user departments/ministries in the context of spectrum needs of emerging technologies such as 5G and IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) and recommended the spectrum allocation in relevant key bands. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had already sent a reference to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on September 9, 2021, seeking recommendations on the auction of spectrum in frequency bands identified for IMT and 5G. Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for Communications, wrote to the Rajya Sabha that the government formed a CoS and discussed the relevant spectrum that should be allotted to various departments/ministries. 5G Spectrum Auctions in India The Indian government has decided to hold the 5G spectrum auctions in the summer of 202. The government wants the private telcos to launch 5G networks on August 15, 2022. For that, DoT had asked TRAI to expedite the submission of recommendations for the 5G spectrum auctions. TRAI is likely to submit the recommendations by March-end or early April this year. This would mean that the government might plan the spectrum auctions for May or June 2022. The telecom operators are already conducting 5G trials in cities including Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Gandhinagar, and more.

5G in Malaysia: Telcos Considering Getting a Stake in DNB Posted: 25 Mar 2022 01:46 AM PDT Telecom operators in Malaysia are considering getting a stake in the government's 5G agency, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). The government had offered the telecom operators up to a 70% stake in DNB. According to a Reuters report, Celcom, DiGi, U-Mobile, and Maxis, in a joint statement, said that they would explore the government's offer. Earlier, the telcos in Malaysia had raised concerns over the presence of DNB as a single 5G network provider in the country. Addressing these concerns, the government said that it would offer up to 70% stake to the telcos in DNB and reserve 30% for itself. Telecom Firms Looking Into Offer Unlike other countries, Malaysia isn't allowed private telcos to launch 5G network services. Instead, the government is offering them a stake in DNB, which is supposed to be the only body offering 5G network in the country. The telecom firms have said that they are looking into the offer made by the government and have asked for more details regarding it. A thing worth noting here is that DNB said earlier that cost of accessing its 5G networks would be lower for the consumers than the cost they had to incur for using 4G from private telcos. The telcos have said that they will wait and finalise the shareholding structure before they sign an agreement. Further, the telcos have asked the DNB to avoid undertaking any major deals or hires while the negotiation process is going on. DNB had said that it would be offering its 5G networks to the private telcos for free up to June 30, 2022, so that a seamless transition for the operators can be facilitated. The telcos didn't want any single body to provide 5G network in the country for avoiding any sort of monopolistic scenarios. This offer from the government is something that the telcos might consider and talk about in the coming days.

Truecaller Brings Urgent Messages, Revamped Smart SMS, and More With New Update Posted: 25 Mar 2022 12:38 AM PDT Truecaller, one of the largest caller identification applications in the world, has just rolled out a slew of new features for its users with a new update. Now users will get features such as urgent messages, revamped smart SMS, sharing of smart cards, and the ability to edit sent chat messages and set default views. According to an IANS report, the company calls these features a time-saver for today's generation. Urgent Messages Feature of Truecaller Explained As mentioned above, with the new update, Truecaller is now also offering the Urgent Messages feature to its users. In simple words, the urgent message is a feature designed to grab the attention of the user the message is being sent to. It will get the receiver's attention for time-sensitive or critical messages with a custom notification. Whenever an urgent message is sent, it will pop up on the recipient's screen with high visibility regardless of any other app being opened on the device. Further, the message won't go until and unless the receiver has read it. In addition to this, users will be able to set the default launch screen. Truecaller will give users the flexibility to choose the default appearance of the application when it is first launched. Users can simply long-press the messages or the calls tab and set it as the default view for when they launch the application on their smartphone. Another exciting update is the ability to edit the already sent text in a chat. Users will now be able to make changes/edits to their texts even after the receiver has viewed them. This is something users get to do on Telegram, but not on WhatsApp. Note that edits can only be made on the Truecaller chat and not the SMS app of the smartphone. Lastly, users can now share smart cards in the form of images so that anyone can read the information easily despite not having Truecaller.

Samsung Galaxy A23 India Price Revealed, Check Now Posted: 24 Mar 2022 11:17 PM PDT Samsung is going to launch the Galaxy A23 4G smartphone in India very soon. Before the launch of the device, its pricing for India has already been revealed. The leak comes from Pricebaba and according to the report, there will be two memory variants of the smartphone in India. The base variant will come with 6GB of RAM and the superior variant will come with 8GB of RAM while both of them will come with 128GB of internal storage. Check the price of the device below. Samsung Galaxy A23 4G Price in India The Samsung Galaxy A23 4G will start at Rs 19,499 in India for the base variant while the superior variant will be priced at Rs 20,999. Note that the official pricing hasn't been revealed yet and this is just a leak from a credible source. Samsung Galaxy A23 4G Specifications in India The Samsung Galaxy A23 4G might be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The smartphone is expected to come with a 6.6-inch LCD display with a teardrop notch, FHD+ resolution support, and a 60Hz refresh rate support. For additional security, there might be a fingerprint scanner at the side of the device and the smartphone is expected to run on Android 12 OS with One UI 4.1 on top. Further, the Galaxy A23 4G might pack a 5000mAh battery with support for 25W fast-charging. In the camera department, the Galaxy A23 4G might come with an 8MP sensor at the front for selfies and a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor. There might be a Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protecting the screen of the device. There are rumours that Samsung might also launch the Galaxy A13 4G in India, which will be yet another affordable or budget device from the company.

Nothing Again Promises Something Fresh With the Upcoming Smartphone in India Posted: 24 Mar 2022 10:11 PM PDT Nothing, a new age consumer tech company, headed by Carl Pei, is all set to launch its first smartphone in India this summer. Just like its earphones, the company promises something new and exciting to the users with its smartphone. While the exact date and the details of the smartphone are not out yet, it will launch in India this summer. Manu Sharma, Vice President and General Manager of Nothing India, said the Nothing Phone (1) will not be for everyone but only for people who are design-conscious and tech-enthusiasts. Nothing Phone (1) to Look Entirely Different from Other Smartphones Sharma told IndiaTodayTech that Nothing Phone (1) would launch in India between July and August 2022 period. Nothing is building a smartphone that will look entirely different from what consumers are very used to seeing. Sharma said that if you take any smartphone and remove the brand logo, most of them look the same. However, with Nothing Phone (1), this will change. It will be really cool if Nothing can pull off a new sort of smartphone in the market. Nothing Phone (1) will run on Android OS with Nothing OS skin on top. Hopefully, Pei's team under his direction is executing another great OS like the OxygenOS when it launched. Note that this device might not be for people who are looking for budget options. Sharma said that Nothing Phone (1) is a smartphone that is being built for delivering a powerful experience, an iconic design, and the best of Android to the users. Thus, it might not be very affordable. Pei, during an event, said that Nothing is building an ecosystem of products that will be the "most compelling alternative" to Apple. This is something that Pei can execute as he has a lot of experience with building smartphones at OnePlus. Nothing Phone (1) should be a stock Android smartphone with a very powerful processor inside.

Bharti Airtel Has Pre-Paid Rs 8815 Crore Pertaining to 2015 Spectrum Auctions Posted: 24 Mar 2022 09:36 PM PDT Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, has pre-paid dues worth Rs 8815 crore pertaining to the 2015 spectrum auctions to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). In a release, the telco said that pre-payment is for the instalments that were due in FY2027 and FY2028. It is worth noting that in the last four months, Bharti Airtel has cleared deferred spectrum dues worth Rs 24,334 crore ahead of the due date. In doing so, the telco has saved a lot of money in interest. These liabilities carried interest of 10%. But they have been paid because of the strong free cash flow that Bharti Airtel has been able to generate over the last few quarters. Bharti Airtel in a Strong Position Bharti Airtel is in a very strong position compared to where it was two years ago. The telecom operator is aiming to increase its average revenue per user (ARPU) figure from prepaid mobile services, which will further boost its revenues and help with generating more free cashflows. The company said that its focus is on financial flexibility via its capital structure which includes optimising the cost of financing and capitalising on all opportunities of significant interest saves like this pre-payment. Pre-paying the dues has its own advantages for a company. The telco has enough free cash flow that it can pre-pay Rs 8815 crore to the government for deferred spectrum dues. It will help Airtel in the long run as it would mean lesser interest payments and also lesser liabilities on the books. Before the upcoming spectrum auctions for 5G airwaves, the telcos would like to reduce their liabilities as much as possible. This is to ensure that whatever liabilities that arise during the spectrum auction doesn't make their books look like they are filled with debt. Bharti Airtel has also raised thousands of crores in the last couple of months which has further helped the telco in making payments such as this ahead of their time.

Bharti Airtel Happy With Low Quantum of 5G Spectrum If It Is Very Expensive Posted: 24 Mar 2022 07:59 PM PDT Bharti Airtel isn't going to over-spend in the spectrum auctions for the 5G airwaves. Randeep Sekhon, in an interview to the Livemint, said that 100 MHz of 5G airwaves is an ideal number to start with. However, if the airwaves are too expensive, even 40 MHz to 60 MHz is enough to fulfil early demand for 5G services, added Sekhon. Further, Sekhon said that Airtel isn't going to partner with Chinese vendors anymore for network technologies. Airtel will use equipment from European vendors such as Ericsson and Nokia along with O-RAN based tech solutions provider, Mavenir. Samsung Might Also be a Part of Airtel's 5G Journey Airtel is reportedly in talks with Samsung for network equipment. Looking at this, Samsung has shown interest in setting up manufacturing in India as it will have two major clients in the country — Airtel (if the deal happens) and Jio. Bharti Airtel has expressed in the past that it won't overpay for the airwaves and hence asked the regulator to recommend a steep price cut. The same has been echoed by the other private telcos in the country. However, the telco will be very much happy to go ahead with less quantum of airwaves to begin with as in the initial days of launch, there won't be a very big demand for 5G services. Bharti Airtel recently displayed the power of 5G networks. Airtel displayed India's first 5G hologram interaction with Kapil Dev. The virtual avatar of Kapil Dev, powered by Airtel's 5G network allowed the fans to interact with him in real-time. With 5G, the way people connect with each other will change forever and the definition of entertainment will become more immersive. ??Bharti Airtel had conducted the 5G demonstration using spectrum in the 3500 MHz band and Ericsson Radio in 5G SA and NSA mode. The spectrum has been allotted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for testing purpose.

Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea Best 3GB/Day Daily Data Plans Available in 2022 Posted: 24 Mar 2022 06:35 PM PDT If you are looking for prepaid plans that are massively data-intensive then 3GB/day daily data plans might be the right choice for you. The three major telecom service providers in the country offer multiple 3GB/day plans that can fulfil your high data requirements. These high-end prepaid packs are suitable for users who are looking to boost up the data in their plans. Mentioned below are all the 3GB/day daily data prepaid plans offered by Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea along with the plan details. Airtel When it comes to data-intensive plans, the telecom company offers only a couple of 3GB/day plans none of which is a long-term plan. The telco offers a 3GB/day prepaid plan for a validity period of 28 days at a price tag of Rs 599. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day along with an annual subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile OTT platform. Users can also get the prepaid plan from Airtel at a price tag of Rs 699 which offers 3GB of data each day. The validity period on the plan is 56 days and offers truly unlimited voice calls as well as 100 SMS per day. Reliance Jio Jio offers multiple 3GB/day plans starting from as low as Rs 419. Jio offers a prepaid plan at a price tag of Rs 419 that gives 3GB data per day for a validity period of 28 days along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. Jio offers another 3GB/day prepaid plan with a validity period of 28 days at a cost of Rs 601. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. In addition to the daily 3GB data, users also get a total of an additional 6GB of data as well. This plan comes with access to an annual subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile OTT platform. Next on the list is a prepaid plan at the cost of Rs 1,199 and offers 3GB of data per day for a validity period of 84 days. Users also get access to unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. Lastly, Jio offers a yearlong prepaid plan that comes at a price tag of Rs 4,119 and provides 3GB/day for a validity period of 365 days along with unlimited voice and 100 SMS/day. Vodafone Idea or Vi Vi also has multiple prepaid plans that offer 3GB of internet per day and the base 3GB/day pack comes at a price tag of Rs 475 which gives 3GB data per day for a validity period of 28 days along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. The next plan on the list is available at a price tag of Rs 699 and has similar benefits as the plan offered by Airtel. For Rs 699 users get 3GB of data per day for a validity period of 56 days. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. Lastly, the telco offers two plans that come with access to Disney+ Hotstar. Vi offers a 3GB/day plan at a price tag of Rs 601 for a validity period of 28 days. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. In addition to the daily 3GB data, users also get a total of additional 16GB data as well. On the other hand, the telco offers a 3GB per day prepaid plan at a cost of Rs 901. The plan comes with a validity period of 70 days as well and offers truly unlimited voice calls along with 100 SMS per day.

Broadband Plan from Jio and Airtel That Is Similar, Yet Different Posted: 24 Mar 2022 09:20 AM PDT When it comes to high-speed broadband plans both Jio and Airtel offer multiple plans for their subscriber. In particular, the 300 Mbps plan from both the ISPs are quite identical or at least it may seem so at the first look as both of them offer quite different perks with the plans. Mentioned below are the 300 Mbps broadband plan offered by Jio and Airtel along with the plan details. 300 Mbps Plan from Jio JioFiber which is the broadband service offered by Reliance Jio provides an appealing 300 Mbps plan that comes with amazing additional benefits. The plan offered by JioFiber comes at a price tag of Rs 1,499 per month (30 days) and offers 300 Mbps of internet speed with a FUP data limit of 3.3TB or 3300GB. The plan also offers unlimited calling and an equal upload and download speed set at 300 Mbps. It is to be noted that the price of the plan is excluding GST and it will be charged as applicable. Users can access the plans from the official website of Reliance Jio. Airtel Xstream Fiber Airtel offers a 300 Mbps unlimited data plan as well which is called the 'Professional' plan. Users can get the Airtel Xstream Fiber connection to access the 'Professional' plan that offers 300 Mbps of high-speed internet data at a cost of Rs 1,499 for a month as well. The FUP data for the unlimited plan is 3500GB or 3.5TB. The price of the plan is excluding GST and it may be charged as applicable. It is to be kept in mind that this plan is for the city of Delhi and plans may slightly vary across various cities. The Differences Between the Two Plans While at first glance it may seem that both service providers offer identical plans with the same pricing, Jio actually has a slight edge over Airtel when it comes to the additional benefits. The 300 Mbps plan from Jio offers a ton of OTT subscriptions which include access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and thirteen others. The Amazon Prime Video that comes bundled with this plan has a validity period of one year. On the other hand, Airtel only offers subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video, Wynk Music and Shaw Academy as a part of the 'Airtel Thanks Benefits' with its 300 Mbps plan. In addition to this, Jio also provides a free set-top-box(STB) with its broadband plan which is missing in the case of Airtel.

OnePlus 10 Pro India Launch Date Announced, What You Should Know Posted: 24 Mar 2022 08:06 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is all set to unveil its OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone in India a couple of months after it arrived in China. The brand has officially announced the launch date of the device to be March 31 via its Twitter account. Moreover, the brand has also confirmed that the specifications of the device will be the same as it was in the Chinese variant. OnePlus 10 Pro is going to be the first flagship from the company in India in 2022. OnePlus via its Twitter handle shared a post announcing the launch date for the OnePlus 10 Pro. The post read "The specs are already out, what else is there to expect?" and the timings of the event were also shared. OnePlus 10 Pro launch event has been scheduled for March 31 at 7:30 PM IST as shared in the post by OnePlus. Moreover, OnePlus is also going to launch two other devices at the event. Users can expect the launch of the OnePlus Buds Pro Silver Edition and OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z2 alongside the flagship smartphone. The specifications of the smartphone will be the same as its Chinese version which is mentioned below. OnePlus 10 Pro Specs As the OnePlus 10 Pro launch is just around the corner and we have details regarding the device as it is already available in China. In its recent launch in China, the OnePlus 10 Pro came with a display featuring a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1,440×3,216 pixels) curved AMOLED display with a 20.1:9 aspect ratio and a dynamic refresh rate ranging between 1Hz and 120Hz. The display has a peak brightness of 1300nits and features a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for an added layer of protection. The device has dual nano SIM slots and is powered by Android 12 with ColorOS 12.1 on top. The handset features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset paired up with 12GB of RAM. The device offers internal storage of 256GB. As far as camera module is considered, the OnePlus 10 Pro comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 48MP primary sensor along with a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and an 8MP telephoto sensor. The device also features optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The front of the device sports a 32MP selfie shooter. The device is backed by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 80W Super Flash Charge wired charging and 50W Wireless Flash Charge technology.

DoT and Raipur LSA Organize Awareness Workshop On Electromagnetic Exposure from Mobile Towers Posted: 24 Mar 2022 07:18 AM PDT Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Raipur License Service Area (LSA) today organized an awareness webinar on "Electromagnetic Exposure from Telecom Towers and Related Public Concerns". For those unaware, DoT has been running public advocacy programme to make the general public aware of the need for mobile towers and dispel myths regarding the health effects of EMF exposure from mobile towers and the session organized today was a part of the initiative. The Need for Awareness The workshop was attended by more than 60 participants which included the likes of the general public, government officials, residents' welfare associations, students, doctors, telecom service providers, infrastructure providers and other officials. The key speakers at the awareness webinar were Shri Neeresh Sharma, Director (Admin), Chhattisgarh Circle, Madhya Pradesh LSA, Department of Telecommunications, Shri Nilay Saha, Director (C), Chhattisgarh Circle, Madhya Pradesh LSA, Department of Telecommunications, Shri R. K. Garhwal, DDG(C), Chhattisgarh Circle, Madhya Pradesh LSA, Department of Telecommunications and Dr Arun Chougule Senior Professor & HoD of Radiological Physics SMS Medical College & Hospitals, Jaipur. Shri R. K. Garhwal in his address talked about the need for telecom services in India and pressed on the challenges faced by the stakeholders of the industry. He stated that mobile users now are experiencing improved telecommunication services which includes e-learning through the various online platform, attending classes/ offices from home, OTT services, using mobile phones for various payments and bookings. He added that with an increase in the pace of 5G deployment, it becomes pertinent to install a robust network of telecom infrastructure including mobile towers, small cell, fibre etc. Shri Nilay Saha spoke about the issue of EMF exposure saying that the government of India has the strictest emission standards for mobile towers in the world. He further informed that DoT continuously monitors the EMF emission levels from towers across India and ensures compliance with emission norms across the country through its field. He also focused on the need to bust the myth around the health effects of Electromagnetic Field Radiation (EMR) exposure. It is very important that the misconceptions among a section of the state population around the health hazards of EMF radiations should not overshadow the scientific facts. As India plans to lead the telecommunications technology sector across the globe, more towers are required for the realisation of the vision of Gati Shakti and Digital India's vision of the Government of India.

OnePlus Buds Z2 Long-Term Review: Perfect TWS Earphones for Bass Lovers Posted: 24 Mar 2022 05:54 AM PDT The OnePlus Buds Z2 came to India in early January alongside the OnePlus 9RT (the best smartphone under Rs 50,000, read the review here). The Buds Z2 is an upgrade over the OnePlus Buds Z, and it has to be because it costs a lot more than what people expected. Thinking of buying a TWS (truly wireless stereo) earphone in the budget segment? The OnePlus Buds Z2 can be a good choice. Why? Read ahead to find out. OnePlus Buds Z2 Review: Body and Design Let's start with the thing that you see first — the charging case. The charging case of the OnePlus Buds Z2 has a long oval shape with OnePlus branding on the top. It is available in two colours – black and white. I had the black variant. It is a very simple charging case with an LED indicator at the front. At the back, there's a USB Type-C port for charging and a button for pairing new devices as well. You can open the lid of the box using one hand without much discomfort. Inside the case, there are two earbuds naturally, which have a very basic design. The stem on the earbuds is quite long; however, nothing bad about it. There's a touch area at the top of the earbud which can be used for giving commands to the OnePlus Buds Z2. In terms of aesthetics, the OnePlus Buds Z2 aren't bad. They can look perfectly cool and normal on almost anyone's ears. They also fit very well in my ear when I took them for a run. I didn't have to keep adjusting them time and again during my run to stop them from falling, which is a big positive, in my opinion. OnePlus Buds Z2 Review: Performance The OnePlus Buds Z2 can be a very good and appealing option for people looking for a strong performer in the budget segment. If you have a knack for listening to music with high bass, the OnePlus Buds Z2 can be your perfect buddy. It can get very loud and yet deliver crystal clear sound. What I really appreciate about these affordable TWS earphones is that they offer noise cancellation. To be precise, users can switch between Transparency, Noise Cancellation, and Noise Cancellation mode. There's also a 'Normal' mode. The OnePlus Buds Z2 come with 11mm dynamic drivers and can support active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 40db. Gaming wasn't an issue with these earbuds. The latency offered by OnePlus Buds Z2 is 93ms which is pretty decent. It has three inbuilt microphones for voice calling, which is also a very decent experience. Even while running, when I was sweating profusely, there were no issues. Probably because the earphones are rated IP155 (water and dust resistant). Note that the charging case has been rated IPX4 and is water-resistant. The max noise cancellation mode is very strong. It almost shuts off any unnecessary sound and frequency that you wouldn't want to ruin your listening experience. OnePlus Buds Z2 Review: Battery The OnePlus Buds Z2 have an excellent battery too. It is perfect for people who want to go about listening to music, podcasts, or anything else without worrying about dying battery time and again. The Buds Z2 can charge very rapidly too. If you have a OnePlus charging brick, you can simply take it and connect it with the USB Type-C port at the rear of the charging case of the earbuds for fast charging. The OnePlus Buds Z2 charging case comes with a 520mAh battery, and the company says it can deliver a playback time of 38 hours in a single charge. I didn't count the hours, but I am pretty sure that it can deliver performance above 30 hours with the charging case in a single charge. OnePlus Buds Z2 Review: Features and Things that Impressed Me! OnePlus Buds Z2 is the cool kid in the block. For a very affordable price, it can offer ANC with multiple setting adjustments with the 'Dolby Atmos' support. It pairs with a OnePlus device like magic. It is really fast and quickly scans if there's a OnePlus smartphone nearby. Re-pairing it with any other device isn't hard either. All it takes is a couple of seconds, and it is paired and ready to go. Then the earbud functions are easy to understand too. With just a single tap on the top of the earbud, you can play/pause music or pick and disconnect calls. Further, with a double-tap, you can move forward through the playlist to another song, while with three taps, you can restart the song. Packing all of this into such an affordable TWS earphone, I must say, OnePlus has done a good job. OnePlus Buds Z2 Review: Price and Conclusion The OnePlus Buds Z2 is priced at Rs 4,999 in India. March is about to end, and if you are looking for a TWS earphone that's a value buy, it has to be the OnePlus Buds Z2. For this price, I couldn't ask for more from OnePlus. Yes, there is competition at the Rs 5,000 price range, but the OnePlus Buds Z2 stand in its own league. I would have loved it more if the charging case was as short as the OnePlus Buds Pro in breadth, length, and width. You can definitely consider OnePlus Buds Z2 if you want all the premium features trimmed down to an affordable TWS earphone. The sound adjustment that you can make with the OnePlus Buds Z2 is also a useful feature. They are available on the official website of OnePlus India and Amazon in addition to the retail stores across the country. If you want an even more affordable OnePlus earphone, you can go for the OnePlus Buds Z. But they don't have the kind of features that OnePlus Buds Z2 come with. The OnePlus Buds Z2 is available in two colours — Black and White. If you haven't tried it yet, you must also try the OnePlus Buds Pro. In case you can extend your budget to Rs 10,000, the OnePlus Buds Pro are a quality buy and feel much more premium and better in performance as compared to the OnePlus Buds Z2.

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Full Specifications Listed – Exynos 1280, Quad Cameras and More Posted: 24 Mar 2022 05:17 AM PDT The South Korean tech giant Samsung has been launching multiple devices and will soon be adding a new mid-range smartphone to its portfolio. The company has already confirmed an M-series smartphone in India which is most likely going to be the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G. The device has been in rumours for a while now and it is possible that it may arrive later this month. The smartphone is said to be available for purchase via Amazon and in a new development, a tipster has provided details of the upcoming smartphone. The known tipster Yogesh Brar via his Twitter account has shared the complete specifications for the Samsung Galaxy M33 5G. He informs that Samsung is not going to include a charger in the box with its Galaxy M33 5G. It is not surprising as it has been becoming a trend with almost all smartphones. Mentioned below are the specification and features of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy M33 5G. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Specs The company is expected to launch the Galaxy M33 5G smartphone in India next week and the listing from the tipster suggests that it will arrive with a 6.6-inch LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution and support for a 120Hz refresh rate. The listing from the tipster suggests that the device will be powered by an Exynos 1280 chipset. The Exynos 1280 chipset was also featured in the recently launched Galaxy A33 5G and the Galaxy A53 5G smartphones. It is expected that the device will be launched with 6GB and 8GB RAM options paired with up to 128GB of internal storage. As far as the camera module of the device is considered, Galaxy M33 5G might feature a quad-camera setup headlined by a 50MP main camera sensor along with a 5MP ultrawide camera and two 2MP sensors for depth and macro. The front of the device will have an 8MP selfie camera. In addition to this, the device is expected to be backed by a 5000mAh battery with support for a 25W fast charge. The smartphone will run on Android 12 out of the box. The phone will have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and come with a 3.5mm headphone jack as well.

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