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• Samsung Galaxy M33 5G to Start at Rs 17999 in India, Check Details
• OnePlus 9 Pro Price Reduced Further in India
• Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Price Revealed for India, Check Pre-Booking Dates
• WhatsApp Testing a New Feature Under Beta Program to Interact With Phone Numbers
• Bharti Airtel’s Rs 319 Plan a Better Option than Jio’s 299 Plan
• Vodafone Idea Rs 699 Postpaid Plan Compared With Similar Offerings from Airtel, Jio
• Samsung Galaxy M53 Render Surfaces Over Web Revealing Design Details
• Airtel Brings Two New 30 Days Plans to Fight Jio
• Paytm Enables Users to Pay for IRCTC Tickets Later
• Bestselling Broadband Plans from Jio, Airtel and BSNL
• Moto G22 Could Arrive As Soon As Next Week – Check Specifications and More
• iPhone 13 With a Price Cut and Bank Discount Is an Amazing Buy
• BSNL, MTNL 5G Spectrum Administrative Allotment Approved: Report
• HFCL Completes OFC Deployment in Jharkhand Under BharatNet Broadband Project
• Tata Play and d2h Add New TV Channels for Subscribers
• Airtel Payments Bank Allows Users to Invest in Gold from Their Homes
• Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G Officially Teased for India Launch
• OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 in India: Why OnePlus Is a Better Deal
• DoT Orders Telcos to Remove all Pre-Call COVID-19 Announcements
• TRAI Releases Fresh Order to Clarify Rules for 30 Days or One Month Prepaid Plans

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G to Start at Rs 17999 in India, Check Details Posted: 02 Apr 2022 12:38 AM PDT Samsung Galaxy M33 5G will start in India at Rs 17,999. It is an affordable 5G smartphone from Samsung. If you are looking for a 5G device under Rs 20,000, this device could be an option to consider. It comes with a 5nm Exynos processor from Samsung and will boot on One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. Let's see everything that this device has to offer to the users. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Specifications The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G comes with a 6.6-inch FHD+ Infinity-V display with 120Hz refresh rate support. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on top and is powered by an unnamed 5nm octa-core Exynos processor. The device comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Samsung allows virtual RAM expansion by up to 16GB using the inbuilt storage. There's a quad-camera setup at the rear of the device with a 50MP primary sensor, 5MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, there's an 8MP shooter at the front. The connectivity options include 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. There's a 6000mAh battery with support for 25W fast-charging. Users will have to purchase the charger externally by paying extra. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G Price in India The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G has launched in India in two variants. The base variant comes with 6GB+128GB, while the superior variant comes with 8GB+128GB with price tags of Rs 18,999 and Rs 20,499, respectively. Both the devices are currently available at introductory prices of Rs 17,999 and Rs 19,999. It will be available in two colours options in India and will go on sale from April 8, 2022, via Samsung India and Amazon. Samsung is offering a Rs 2,000 discount to users purchasing the device via ICICI Bank credit card, and the device will also be available on no-cost EMI options as well as exchange discounts.

OnePlus 9 Pro Price Reduced Further in India Posted: 01 Apr 2022 11:55 PM PDT The price of the OnePlus 9 Pro has been reduced further in India. The smartphone has received multiple prices cuts because of the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro. If you are a OnePlus fan, the OnePlus 9 Pro can also be a good option for you as it is powered by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and is now available at a severely reduced price. Let's take a look at the new price of the OnePlus 9 Pro in India. OnePlus 9 Pro New Price in India OnePlus 9 Pro is available in two variants in India. The base variant comes with 8GB+128GB while the superior variant comes with 12GB+256GB. These variants were launched for Rs 64,999 and Rs 69,999, respectively in March 2021. Right before the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro, the device was available at a Rs 5,000 discount on each variant. But now, the discount has been further increased. The base variant is now available at Rs 54,199 while the superior variant is available at Rs 59,199. In addition to this, using an SBI credit card, users can get an additional instant discount of Rs 5,000 on the purchase. The company is also offering six months of free Spotify Premium on the purchase of the OnePlus 9 Pro. To recall, the OnePlus 9 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ resolution display with support for 120Hz refresh rate and protection with Corning Gorilla Glass on top. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It houses a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast-charging and 50W wireless charging. There's a quad-camera setup at the rear with a 48MP primary sensor, 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 8MP telephoto sensor, and a 2MP monochrome sensor. For selfies, there's a 16MP sensor at the front. At a reduced price, the smartphone makes for a good option for users.

Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Price Revealed for India, Check Pre-Booking Dates Posted: 01 Apr 2022 10:08 PM PDT Samsung had launched the Galaxy A73 5G a couple of days back in India, along with four other smartphones. The company hadn't revealed the price of the device but had said that it would go up for pre-bookings very soon. The Galaxy A73 5G is a top of the line smartphone that is promised to get four years of OS updates from Samsung. Let's check out the price and specifications of the smartphone. Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Price in India The smartphone is now available for pre-booking in India via Samsung's India e-store. It will go on sale starting April 8, 2022. The device will be available in two variants in India — a) 8GB+128GB and b) 8GB+256GB for Rs 41,999 and Rs 44,999. Users can get the device in three colours — Awesome Mint, Awesome Grey, and Awesome White colours. With SBI, ICICI Bank credit cards, and Samsung Finance+, users can get a cashback of up to Rs 3,000 on the purchase of Galaxy A73 5G. Samsung Galaxy A73 5G Specifications in India The Samsung Galaxy A73 5G comes with 6.7-inch FHD+ Infinity-O Super AMOLED display with support for 800nits of peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate. There's Gorilla Glass 5 on top for additional protection. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Samsung is allowing virtual RAM expansion of up to an additional 8GB. The internal memory can also be expanded up to 1TB via a microSD card. There's a quad-camera setup at the rear of the smartphone with a 108MP primary sensor with support for OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5MP macro, and a 5MP depth sensor. For selfies, the device packs a 32MP sensor at the front. The device packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. Note that the charger will have to be purchased separately.

WhatsApp Testing a New Feature Under Beta Program to Interact With Phone Numbers Posted: 01 Apr 2022 09:19 PM PDT The social media messaging giant WhatsApp has been known for its constant upgrades that bring new features to enhance the user experience. Launched more than a decade ago, the messaging app is currently the top messaging platform in the US as well as in the world. WhatsApp currently has 2 billion monthly users and more than 5 billion downloads on Play Store, that too after being completely banned in China. And now in a new development, WhatsApp is testing a new feature on its Beta program that includes dealing with phone numbers. Let's find out. A Slew of New Features According to a report from WABetaInfo, if you are registered as a beta user of the platform you might witness some new tools to interact with phone numbers sent in messages. Previously, whenever you tap a number from a chat it would send that number to the dialler on your device to make a call. However, with the new update, upon tapping on a number in chat, WhatsApp will present a pop-up dialogue first. Moreover, the app will also see if the number's associated with any WhatsApp account and if so, it will give you an option to chat with that person. WhatsApp is rolling out this feature for Android users with the latest beta 2.22.8.11 release. In addition to this, WhatsApp has recently added multiple new features to its voice message feature. These features are being introduced in both Android and iOS devices and will allow users to pause and resume voice messages, draft voice message recordings before sending them, and even play them outside of the chat. The app will also allow users to play the messages at 1.5x or 2x speed. The Meta-owned platform has announced that the new update will be arriving in the coming weeks to all users. Apart from these, WhatsApp has also started rolling out the much-anticipated multi-device support feature last week for all its users. The latest update on the platform will allow the users of both iOS and Android devices to use WhatsApp on multiple devices simultaneously to connect with other people, even when their phones don't have internet access. The multi-device support feature has been under beta testing for quite a while now.

Bharti Airtel’s Rs 319 Plan a Better Option than Jio’s 299 Plan Posted: 01 Apr 2022 08:10 PM PDT Bharti Airtel recently launched two new prepaid plans. One of those plans is the Rs 319 option. The great thing about this plan is that it is a 30 days option for the users. Reliance Jio offers a similar plan as Airtel's Rs 319 plan, but Jio's plan comes with 28 days of validity and not 30 days like Airtel is offering. The Jio's plan that we are talking about here is the Rs 299 plan. Let's check out the benefits of both these plans in-depth and see why Airtel's plan is better. Bharti Airtel Rs 319 Prepaid Plan Bharti Airtel's Rs 319 prepaid plan comes with 2GB of daily data for 30 days. This means, the total data offered by this plan is 60GB in a month, which is a decent number for an average user. Further, this plan comes with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. There are additional Airtel Thanks benefits included such as Wynk Music, Shaw Academy, Apollo 24|7 Circle, and more. Now let's see what Jio offers. Reliance Jio Rs 299 Prepaid Plan Jio's Rs 299 prepaid plan is only Rs 20 cheaper than Airtel's Rs 319 plan. With Jio's plan too, users get 2GB of daily data, but for 28 days only. So the total data offered by this plan is 56GB. Now note that Airtel is offering 4GB more data this Jio's plan by charging Rs 20 extra along with 2 days of additional validity. Jio's plan also brings unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day for the users. The additional benefits included with this plan are Jio subscriptions. Post the consumption of FUP (fair usage policy) data, the speed with both Airtel and Jio's plan will drop to 64 Kbps. Airtel's plan is clearly a better option is here as it offers more for a very value deal to the users. Further, since it is a 30 days plan, users can conveniently recharge and not worry for another month for recharging their number.

Vodafone Idea Rs 699 Postpaid Plan Compared With Similar Offerings from Airtel, Jio Posted: 01 Apr 2022 06:51 PM PDT Postpaid plans offered by telcos range from very cheap to expensive price tags with amazing benefits. Users also have the option to choose from either individual plans or family plans. If you are looking for plans that offer ample benefits, some of the mid-range plans from the telcos might be suitable for you. Vi actually offers a very reasonable mid-range family plan that offers up to two additional connections. Mentioned below is the Rs 699 postpaid plan from Vi in comparison to the similar plans offered by Airtel and Jio. Rs 699 Plan from Vi Vi offers a total of five family postpaid plans, however, we are going to take a look at a very reasonable family plan. This postpaid plan comes at a cost of Rs 699 which offers connections for two members. The plan offers a total of 80GB of data with 40GB for the primary connections as well as the secondary. Users can get up to 200GB of rollover data along with 3000 SMS/month. Along with unlimited local, STD and national roaming voice calls, the only additional benefit that comes along with this plan are access to Vi Movies and TV. Airtel's Family Infinity 999 Plan While the most expensive pack from Airtel comes at a price tag of Rs 1,599, the telco also offers a mid-range plan called Family Infinity 999 Plan. This plan from Airtel comes at a cost of Rs 999 and users get 150 GB monthly data with rollover up to 200 GB along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day. With the subscription of this plan just like Vi, users get 1 regular SIM and 2 free Add-on regular voice connections for family members. The plan also comes with Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards which include Amazon Prime membership for 1 year at no extra cost as well as Disney+ Hotstar VIP membership for 1 year at no extra cost. The other benefits include Airtel X-stream App premium, Wynk premium and more. The Mid-Range Plan from Jio Jio offers a number of postpaid plans for both individual and family users. One of the most reasonable plans from the telco comes at a price tag of Rs 799. Jio offers up to two additional SIM cards with its Rs 799 plan. The plan offers a total of 150GB of data and allows data rollover of 200GB. After the completion of 150GB data, users are charged Rs 10/GB. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. Additionally, Rs 799 plan from Jio comes with access to multiple OTT platforms including Netflix, one-year Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar. When it comes to family postpaid plans from Jio, the main subscriber has the free will to add new/existing postpaid Jio customers as members to their family plan at their own discretion using the MyJio app. Moreover, the family member will get entitlements out of the allocations as decided by the primary subscriber.

Samsung Galaxy M53 Render Surfaces Over Web Revealing Design Details Posted: 01 Apr 2022 09:31 AM PDT The South Korean tech giant Samsung is gearing up to launch its Samsung Galaxy M53 smartphone as a successor to Galaxy M52. Samsung has recently introduced a number of smartphones as a part of its A-series lineup. Now Galaxy M32 will join the M-series portfolio of the brand. Samsung Galaxy M23 5G and Galaxy M33 5G are the other devices in the lineup and the latter is arriving on April 2. Now, in a new development, a render of the Samsung Galaxy M53 has surfaced over the web revealing design details for the device. Samsung Galaxy M53 Design Based on the renders, Samsung Galaxy M53 looks quite similar to its predecessor Galaxy M52. However, the rear camera module is quite different. The renders show that Galaxy M53 has a centre-positioned punch-hole cutout for the selfie snapper and flat edges. The right spine of the device houses a volume rocker and most likely a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security. The USB Type-C port and speaker grill are present at the bottom. The device has a square-shaped camera module at the back that houses a quad-camera setup with an LED flash below it. The renders show the device in gold colour back panel option, however, it could arrive with other options as well. Samsung Galaxy M53 Specifications Samsung Galaxy M53 is expected to arrive with a 6.7-inch FHD+ sAMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device will have a centre-positioned punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. A previous Geekbench listing of the smartphone suggests that the device will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset. The processor on the device will most likely be paired with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The onboard storage on the device will be expandable via a microSD card. As far as the camera specs of the smartphone are considered, Galaxy M53 will feature a quad-rear camera setup headlined by a 108MP primary camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP macro shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. The front of the device will feature a 32MP selfie camera. The phone is likely to run on Android 12 based OneUI 4.1 custom skin out of the box. The smartphone is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support.

Airtel Brings Two New 30 Days Plans to Fight Jio Posted: 01 Apr 2022 08:05 AM PDT One of the leading telecom operators in the country, Airtel has introduced two new monthly prepaid plans without any prior announcement. The move from the telco comes in compliance with industry regulator TRAI's order according to which each service provider needs to have prepaid plans that can be renewed on the same date of every month. Airtel's rival Jio has also recently introduced two plans at Rs 296 and Rs 259 that come with 1-month validity. Vodafone Idea or Vi on the other hand also offers two plans at Rs 337 and Rs 327 with monthly validity. Mentioned below are the details of the two new plans launched by Airtel. Airtel Rs 296 plan The new plan introduced by Airtel for Rs 296 comes with a 30-day validity period and offers a total of 25GB of data. The prepaid plan also offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. In addition to this, the plan comes with access to the free trial of the Amazon Prime Video mobile edition along with Apollo 24/7 circle, Wynk Music and more. Upon the completion of provided data, users will be charged 50p/MB. Moreover, SMS charges after the exhaustion of 100SMS/day are Rs 1 per local SMS and Rs 1.5 per STD SMS. Airtel Rs 319 Plan The other plan introduced by Airtel is actually a daily data plan. Airtel is offering 2GB of data per day for a validity period of 1 month at a price tag of Rs 319. The prepaid plan also offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. Just like above, this plan as well comes with access to the free trial of the Amazon Prime Video mobile edition along with Apollo 24/7 circle, Wynk Music and more. Upon the completion of provided data, users will be charged 50p/MB. Moreover, SMS charges after the exhaustion of 100SMS/day are Rs 1 per local SMS and Rs 1.5 per STD SMS.

Paytm Enables Users to Pay for IRCTC Tickets Later Posted: 01 Apr 2022 07:22 AM PDT The news comes in for the users of the Paytm payments app as they will now be allowed to book train tickets and pay for them later. The parent company of Paytm – One97 Communications Ltd has announced that Paytm postpaid for IRCTC customers has now been launched by Paytm Payments Services Ltd. Paytm allows for booking all sorts of things which includes train tickets from IRCTC which will now have a pay later feature. Let's find out more. The New Feature The latest feature introduced by Paytm is the 'Book Now, Pay Later' feature for train tickets booking. The digital wallet company has unveiled this feature in partnership with the IRCTC which will enable users to book train tickets with one click. It is well known that booking train tickets from IRCTC can be very strenuous, particularly when your internet speed is slow or weak. With the newly introduced feature, you can now book tickets instantly with a click without having to pay at the very moment. Paytm Postpaid offers interest-free credit up to Rs 60,000 for a period of up to 30 days and users are provided a single monthly bill to keep track of all their credit-driven spending. Users do have the choice to pay back the amount in full at the end of the billing cycle or go for the EMI option if that seems easier for them. According to Paytm, there has been significant growth in the number of people going for the Buy Now, Pay Later feature when it comes to things like booking tickets, paying bills, shopping, and more. The CEO of Paytm Payments Services Limited, Praveen Sharma in a statement said that the company strives to offer innovative tech-driven solutions to users to enable seamless digital payments and financial services. He further informed that Paytm Postpaid (BNPL) will now be available for users who want to book train tickets through IRCTC. He stated that with this partnership with IRCTC Paytm PG hopes to offer seamless and secure digital payments to users for instant ticket bookings with the option to pay later. To use this feature, users can simply choose the pay later feature in payment mode when they finalize their tickets.

Bestselling Broadband Plans from Jio, Airtel and BSNL Posted: 01 Apr 2022 06:02 AM PDT The internet service providers (ISPs) in India provide a variety of broadband plans for their users to choose from. However, if you're wondering which plan to choose while getting your broadband connection, you can always go for the bestselling plans from the service providers. These plans are usually listed as bestselling or popular plans on the websites. Mentioned below are the bestselling broadband plans from a few major ISPs – Jio, Airtel and BSNL along with the plan details. Jio's Most Popular Broadband Plan The most popular broadband plan offered by Jio comes with OTT subscriptions. One of the most reliable service providers in India, JioFiber offers a 150 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 999 for a validity period of 30 days. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Users get access to the symmetrical upload and download speed of 150 Mbps with this plan. The plan is listed as a bestselling plan on the website and offers subscriptions to 15 OTT platforms including yearlong access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and more. Entertainment Pack from Airtel Airtel has been one of the most prominent players in the market when it comes to providing broadband services. Airtel via its Xstream Fiber connection offers multiple plans but the bestseller from the telco is the 'Entertainment' pack which provides 200 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. Airtel also provides 'Airtel Thanks Benefits' with its broadband plans which in this case include subscriptions to OTT platforms including Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar along with Wynk Music. Bestseller from BSNL The state-owned telco BSNL offers a range of plans to its subscribers via Bharat Fiber connection. However, the most popular plan offered by the ISP is a 100 Mbps plan. SuperStar Premium-1 broadband plan from the company provides 100 Mbps of internet speed at a price tag of Rs 749 a month. The data limit set on the plan is 1000GB beyond which speed is reduced to 5 Mbps. The plan also comes with access to a few OTT platforms such as Sony LIV Premium, Zee5 Premium and more. Moreover, users can get a discount of 90% up to Rs 500 on their first month’s rent.

Moto G22 Could Arrive As Soon As Next Week – Check Specifications and More Posted: 01 Apr 2022 05:27 AM PDT The Lenovo backed smartphone manufacturer Motorola had launched its Moto G22 smartphone back in March globally. Now according to a new report, the smartphone is all set to arrive in the Indian markets. The 4G enables smartphone was launched in Europe on March 4. As far as the European version is considered, the smartphone was launched as a budget option with a single storage configuration. Let's take a look at the expected launch timeline and the specifications of the upcoming Moto G22. Moto G22 Launch in India The report comes in from 91mobiles according to which Moto G22 smartphone could possibly arrive in India next week itself. Although Motorola is yet to confirm the details and launch of the smartphone, it is being speculated that the device will be launched somewhere between April 4 and April 8. The budget smartphone comes with comparatively good features for its price range which are mentioned below. Moto G22 Specifications The budget-oriented device Moto G22 comes with 6.53-inch IPS LCD display that has HD+ 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. The display of the device provides support for a 90Hz refresh rate. Based on the renders, the smartphone has quite a premium look as it comes with a boxy design. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a water-drop-shaped notch that houses the selfie camera. Moto G22 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G37 processor which is paired with 4GB of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. The onboard storage on the device can be further expanded via a microSD card up to 1TB. As far as the camera specifications are considered, Moto G22 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back headlined by a 48MP camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and two 2MP depth and macro sensors. The front of the device features a 16MP selfie camera. Moto G22 is backed by a 5000mAh battery and comes with only 10W charging support out of the box. The device runs on Android 12. The other key features of the Moto G22 include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock support, dual-SIM card support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port.

iPhone 13 With a Price Cut and Bank Discount Is an Amazing Buy Posted: 01 Apr 2022 04:56 AM PDT The iPhone 13 is currently available at a discount in India. It has been more than six months since the smartphone arrived on the market. In a matter of another six months, we might see the iPhone 14 series arriving in India and the global markets. Right now, there's a pretty big discount available on the iPhone 13 series. If you have ever wanted an iPhone 13 smartphone for yourself, this is a good chance to get one. iPhone 13 Price Discount Breakdown The iPhone 13 (6.1-inch) is right now available for Rs 73,990 across multiple platforms such as Reliance Digital, Croma, and Amazon. It was launched for Rs 79,900, which implies a discount of Rs 5,910. On top of this, if the users have an HDFC bank card, they can get up to Rs 5000 additional discount on the iPhone 13 base variant, which comes with 128GB of internal storage. This means the price of the smartphone will effectively drop to Rs 68,990. At this price, an iPhone 13 with 128GB of internal storage won't be a bad buy. iPhone 12 is Also Available at a Discount However, if you want to go for an even more affordable iPhone, you must check out the offer on the iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 (6.1-inch) starts at Rs 53,999 in India. The base variant with an iPhone 12 comes with 64GB instead of 128GB storage like the iPhone 13. If you want 128GB internal storage on an iPhone 12 device, you will have to shell out Rs 58,999. On Amazon, users can get a discount of up to Rs 1,250 on their purchase if they use a Citi Bank card. Note that if this is your first iPhone ever, you will also have to purchase a charger separately as the company doesn't pack it inside the box. The iPhone 13 runs on A15 Bionic while the iPhone 12 runs on A14 Bionic, both of which are 5G capable chips.

BSNL, MTNL 5G Spectrum Administrative Allotment Approved: Report Posted: 01 Apr 2022 03:21 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) have been approved to get 5G spectrum on the same principles followed for 4G, said Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State for Communications, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Further, Chauhan noted the revival plan that was announced by the government back on October 23, 2019. Under the revival measures, the government offered a VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) to the BSNL/MTNL employees aged 50 and above, along with administrative allotment of 4G spectrum, monetisation of non-core and core assets for reducing debt, meeting capex and other requirements. Both the government-owned telcos will launch 4G and 5G network services based on techno-commercial considerations, said Chauhan. BSNL 4G Trials to Complete Soon BSNL has already completed core network trials with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT). Many officials aware of the developments have said that BSNL will launch its 4G network service in 2022. Some have even said August 15 is the date for BSNL's 4G launch. But how much of it is true will only be known in due time. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology had suggested that MTNL's debt should be carved out into a special purpose vehicle (SPV), and then its operations should be merged with BSNL. But BSNL's employee union had opposed this move saying that BSNL is already in a tough situation financially and the merger with MTNL will only make things worse for the telco. MTNL's debt currently stands at Rs 26,000 crore and since the company is not making enough money, it will be likely that it will never be able to pay off the debt on its own. For the unaware, BSNL is already running the mobile business of MTNL in Mumbai and Delhi since 2021. But a complete merger of both the companies has been suggested now.

HFCL Completes OFC Deployment in Jharkhand Under BharatNet Broadband Project Posted: 01 Apr 2022 02:40 AM PDT HFCL Limited (HFCL), leading telecom equipment, fiber optic cables manufacturer and technology manufacturer, has announced the successful deployment of OFC (Optical Fiber Cable) in the state of Jharkhand under the BharatNet project of the Government of India (GoI). Jharkhand has become the first state in the country where broadband connectivity reaches all the Gram Panchayats. HFCL has completed connectivity of 1,789 Gram Panchayats through the GPON network, wherein 7,765 kilometres of OFC have been laid out. Even though Jharkhand has many tough terrains and other challenges due to which deployment of fiber becomes hard for the companies, HFCL completed the task at hand to ensure that broadband connectivity reaches all Gram Panchayats of Jharkhand. HFCL has said that it will operate and maintain this network for the next eight years to ensure that high-quality and continuous broadband services reach the people of the state. HFCL Has Deployed OFC in Many States Apart from Jharkhand In the state of Punjab, HFCL had deployed 7,869 kilometres of OFC network connecting 3,209 Gram Panchayats with the GPON network. Apart from this, the company has also worked in states including Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra under the BharatNet project. For the unaware, BharatNet is a mission/initiative by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) wherein the Indian government, along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), had created a strategic plan for providing broadband connectivity to over 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats in India on optical fiber cable with a minimum of 100 Mbps speed. With this mission, the government aims to reduce the digital divide and boost the digital economy of the country. So far, HFCL has been one of the most successful companies under the BharatNet project, having connected thousands of Gram Panchayats with an OFC network of high quality. To ensure the next generation of India is tech-savvy, the GoI is pushing for the success of the BharatNet project, which is a good thing for the country.

Tata Play and d2h Add New TV Channels for Subscribers Posted: 01 Apr 2022 01:59 AM PDT Tata Play and d2h, two of the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) service providers have added new TV channels for their subscribers. Tata Play has added two new channels while d2h has added one new channel. Channels including ND24 and NHK World Japan have been added by Tata Play on its platform. ND24 will be available at LCN 1979 while NHK World Japan will be available on LCN 644. ND24 is a TV news channel and will be available for free. NHK World Japan, also a free TV channel will offer people entertainment content. d2h has added a general entertainment channel – "Enter10Bangla" at LCN 1821 for its users. It is a free channel meant for people who want to watch entertaining content in Bengali. All the newly added channels in Tata Play and d2h are already available for the users in the respective DTH platforms. Airtel Digital TV and d2h Offering Free Star Sports Subscription to People Airtel Digital TV and d2h are offering a free subscription of Star Sports to their subscribers. But the thing is, both the companies will only offer free Star Sports channel service when the users purchase a new Set-Top Box (STB) from the company. Airtel's promotional offer is valid till May 29 and the Star Sports channels will be offered to the customers for no additional cost under it if they buy a new connection. Even d2h is only offering the free subscription to Star Sports 1 Hindi to users who are purchasing a new connection from the company. If you want to purchase a new connection from either of these companies, you can contact their customer care team or visit their retail stores near your home. If you want, you can also order the connection via the respective websites of these companies. You will get to choose from several DTH boxes including the Smart STBs.

Airtel Payments Bank Allows Users to Invest in Gold from Their Homes Posted: 01 Apr 2022 12:27 AM PDT Bharti Airtel's subsidiary Airtel Payments Bank, offers a gold investment service for its users across India. The company calls it DigiGold, and under this service, it allows users to purchase and sell gold online right from the comfort of their homes. The gold that is offered by DigiGold to its users is 24K 99.50% pure in nature. The gold can be bought and sold anytime by the users. Moreover, users can start investing in gold for an amount as low as Rs 1. The company promises an internationally competitive price on the purchase. So how can you buy gold from Airtel Payments Bank? Follow the steps below. Steps for Purchase Gold Via Airtel Payments Bank First of all, you have to open the Airtel Thanks app and then go to the banking section. Under that, you will have to tap on the DigiGold icon. You will then get multiple options, including Buy Gold, Sell Gold, and Gift Gold. Tap on the Buy Gold option and select whether you want to buy in terms of amount or in terms of grams. Enter the amount or grams of your choice and the Mpin to complete the transaction. Once completed, you will receive all the details on the transaction receipt that you can keep with yourself. Note that DigiGold service is offered by Airtel in association with SafeGold, which meets all the international quality standards in providing digital gold. One of the top features of this service is the ability to send gold as a gift to your loved ones. DigiGold can be used to gift gold to other people as well. It is inside the DigiGold feature of the Airtel Payments Bank. By investing their savings into gold right from the comfort of their homes, users have a great chance of getting good returns in the future. You can also check the savings bank account service offered by Airtel Payments Bank.

Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G Officially Teased for India Launch Posted: 31 Mar 2022 11:47 PM PDT Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is coming to India soon. The smartphone has been teased by Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India Head. From the teaser, it might have been hinted that Xiaomi is launching the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G in India on April 12, 2022. Xiaomi has already launched the Xiaomi 12 series for the international markets. Thus, we can take a guess at the specifications that the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G will come with in India as well. Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G Specifications Expected for India Note that we are mentioning all the specifications of the device that were launched for the global variant. The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is expected to come with a 6.73-inch AMOLED display with 2K resolution, 1500nits of peak brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate, along with HDR10+ certification. Further, there might be Gorilla Glass Victus on top for additional protection. Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is expected to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 processor based on Samsung's 4nm process coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. The smartphone might run on MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. In the camera department, users might get to see a triple-camera layout at the rear with a 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide-angle sensor, 50MP Sony IMX707 primary sensor, and a 50MP portrait lens with 2x optical zoom. There might be a 32MP snapper at the front for selfies. The global variant of the device comes equipped with a 4600mAh battery with support for 120W fast-charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The price leaks for the smartphone haven't arrived yet. The Xiaomi 12 Pro will certainly be a device that will give competition to the upcoming flagships in 2022 if it is launched with a competitive price. The OnePlus 10 Pro 5G, which went official in India on March 31, has almost the same specifications as the Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G. It will be interesting to see which device fares well in the competition.

OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22 in India: Why OnePlus Is a Better Deal Posted: 31 Mar 2022 10:04 PM PDT OnePlus yesterday launched its flagship OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone in India. To recall, Samsung also recently launched its flagship Galaxy S22 series of smartphones that includes the vanilla Galaxy S22 device. Both the smartphones are powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset. Upon comparison, it seems that the OnePlus 10 Pro is a better performing device than Galaxy S22. Take a look at the comparison below to find out why. OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Display Both OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 offer 120Hz refresh rate support on the display. While the OnePlus 10 Pro 5G comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ Fluid AMOLED LTPO 2.0 display screen, Galaxy S22 offers a smaller 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x HDR 10+ display. Both devices offer Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on top for protection. OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Chipset and Operating System Both the devices are powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset. While Galaxy S22 runs Android 12 OS with One UI 4.1 on top, the OnePlus 10 Pro has been launched with Android 12-based OxygenOS 12. Both devices offer similar storage configurations, although the OnePlus 10 Pro has a 12GB RAM option whereas Galaxy S22 comes with a maximum of 8GB of RAM. OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Camera On-Paper OnePlus 10 Pro has been launched with a significant upgrade over its predecessor when it comes to the camera department as it features a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 48MP primary camera along with a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens (150-degree FoV) and an 8MP telephoto sensor with OIS. Galaxy S22 on the other hand features a triple rear camera setup as well, headlined by a 50MP primary lens along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens. Moreover, the OnePlus 10 Pro has a 32MP selfie camera at the front whereas Galaxy S22 comes with a 10MP camera. While OnePlus seems to have an edge, its partnership with Hasselblad further enhances the imaging capabilities. However, which is better here can't be decided without reviewing the pictures and videos of both the devices. OnePlus 10 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Battery and Price The OnePlus 10 Pro 5G has a 5000mAh battery with support for 80W fast-charging along with support for 50W wireless charging. Galaxy S22 on the other hand only offers a 3700mAh battery backup with a 25W fast charge technology making the OnePlus a clear winner in the case. As far as pricing is considered, OnePlus 10 Pro comes with two storage options in India 8GB + 128GB = Rs 66,999 12GB+ 256GB = Rs 71,999 The smartphone is available in two colour options – Emerald Forest and Volcanic Black. Samsung Galaxy S22 also comes with two storage options in India 8GB + 128GB = Rs 72,999 8GB + 256GB = Rs 76,999 The device is available in Phantom Black, Phantom White and Green colour options.

DoT Orders Telcos to Remove all Pre-Call COVID-19 Announcements Posted: 31 Mar 2022 09:26 PM PDT The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked all the telecom operators in the country to remove the pre-call COVID-19 announcements. These pre-call announcements have been playing for the users for more than two years now. The aim was to spread awareness about the coronavirus and how citizens should be safe from it. But after a period of two years, the pre-call recordings have served their purpose and are not needed anymore. Right now, all that these pre-call announcements about COVID-19 are doing is overloading the network as there are always delays whenever users make calls. DoT Asks Telcos to Remove Pre-Call Announcements Related to the COVID-19 According to a PTI report, in an order dated March 29, DoT has asked the telecom operators for withdrawing all the COVID-19 pre-call announcements and caller tunes. The telecom department had sought permission to do so from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The health ministry gave its approval to the DoT and without any delays, the telecom department has asked the telcos to remove the pre-call announcements related to COVID-19. Critical calls being made for emergencies were being delayed due to the pre-call announcements. Thus, the DoT has decided that they are not needed anymore. People are already aware of the coronavirus and understand how they can safeguard themselves from being infected with the COVID-19 virus. This is good news for every consumer in India who uses prepaid/postpaid voice calling services from the telecom operators in the country. The government has no plans of bringing the pre-call announcements related to COVID-19 back for now. Since the order is already out, the telcos will remove the pre-call recordings but the exact date for the same is unknown. If you are still getting the announcements before the call, don't worry, they will be removed soon.

TRAI Releases Fresh Order to Clarify Rules for 30 Days or One Month Prepaid Plans Posted: 31 Mar 2022 07:56 PM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had earlier asked the telcos in India to at least offer one prepaid plan to their users, which comes with a validity of 30 days. Further, the regulatory body had asked the operators to ensure that users get a plan with which they can recharge on the same date every month. The telecom operators had three things to say about these orders. First, was what should be the next date of recharge in case a subscriber recharges the voucher on the 31st of the month? The second was, what happens when the subscriber recharges the voucher on any date between January 29 to January 31? Lastly, the third was two months is a very less time for the implementation of this order dated January 27, 2022. Thus, the telecom operators have sought more time with the TRAI. TRAI Response Clarifies the Questions Telcos Had TRAI said that it will delete the condition/sub-clause, which states that telcos must offer a plan that renews on the same date every month, considering not every month has an equal number of days. The regulatory body made changes to the clause and said that every telco must offer one plan which shall be renewable on the same date every month; however, if the date of such renewal is not available in a month (for example, February 30 is not available), then the date of renewal shall be the last date of the month. TRAI didn't say anything about what happens when the subscriber recharges on the 31st of a month, for example, December 31. Reliance Jio Recently Launched Its 30 Days Plan With Same Rules Reliance Jio recently launched the Rs 259 prepaid plan for its users. It is the same as the 239 plan of the telco. The only difference is the Rs 259 plan comes with a total validity of 30 days, while the Rs 239 plan comes with a total validity of 28 days. Both the plans offer unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS/day, 1.5GB daily data, and Jio apps subscription.

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