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• Google Chrome Browser Requires Immediate Update After Being Exposed to High-Level Threats
• BSNL and MTNL 4G Launch Hinted by MoS for Communications: Report
• Samsung Expects Significant Growth in Q2 2022, Was Frontrunner in March
• BSNL Prepaid Plans That Are Priced Under Rs 200
• Bharti Airtel Introduces New Prepaid Plan to Get an Edge Over Jio, Vi
• 5G Looks Like a Secondary Consumer Concern in India: Opinion
• iPhone 13 Base Price Has Now Been Reduced by Rs 9000 Since Launch
• One Broadband Becomes India’s 4th Largest Private ISP With 1 Million Subscribers
• Vivo T1 Pro 5G, Vivo T1 44W Confirmed to Feature Fast-Charging, Check Details
• Airtel Lanka Is Shutting Down 3G to Offer Better 4G: Report
• Vodafone Idea Partners ICRIER to Set Up Telecom Centre of Excellence
• Motorola’s Next Flagship ‘Frontier’ Smartphone Launch Hinted
• Tech Firms Await the Final Call From Cabinet on Spectrum Allocation for Private 5G Networks
• Bharti Airtel and Jio Now Both Offer This Highly Demanded OTT Benefit to Users
• Excitel Has One of the Cheapest 100 Mbps Plans Among These Prominent ISPs
• Reliance Jio Prepaid Plan With One Year Validity Which Comes With Premium OTT Benefit
• Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G – The Better Mid-Premium Smartphone
• Indians Ready to Pay More than 50% Premium for 5G Services: Ericsson
• Xiaomi 12 Pro Will be Available at a Special Offer Starting May 1
• Broadband: 150 Mbps Plans That Are Bundled With OTT Benefits

Google Chrome Browser Requires Immediate Update After Being Exposed to High-Level Threats Posted: 02 May 2022 09:13 AM PDT Google Chrome web browser users have been warned of a potential threat by a government agency. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a high-level warning in which it has highlighted some noteworthy exposures to the chrome web browser. The cybercrime nodal agency has appealed to the users of the browser to imminently update the Chrome for desktop to its latest version. Google has also admitted to the susceptibilities and has released solutions via a software update. The Issue and How to Update The government agency informed that all the Google Chrome versions before 101.0.4951.41 have been subject to a new flaw in the software and the risk majorly prevails for the desktop users only. Google via its Chrome blog post has acknowledged the problems and has even listed 30 of such exposures. Out of these 30, seven have been classified as 'high threat'. An official statement from Google reads that access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix. The company added that it will also retain restrictions if the bug exists in a third-party library that other projects similarly depend on, but haven't yet fixed. CERT-in has made an appeal to all the users to immediately update their chrome browser version to 101.0.4951.41. The agency informed that any version of the browser before this could be prone to damage and could actually result in the loss of important data. CERT-in also added that these high-level vulnerabilities can be exploited and allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code and in turn gain access to sensitive information. The update with the fix has been already rolled out for Windows, Mac and Linux users. Once the update is available, generally it is downloaded automatically, however, if it doesn't, one needs to open the chrome browser and then go to the right corner and click on the three horizontal dots icon. After this, you need to find the settings option in the drop-down menu. Then click on the Help tab and then the About Google Chrome option. This would result in Chrome downloading any pending update.

BSNL and MTNL 4G Launch Hinted by MoS for Communications: Report Posted: 02 May 2022 08:05 AM PDT The Minister of State (MoS) for Communications Devusinh Chauhan in a statement said that the government-owned telecom companies Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) are all set to launch their 4G network by the end of this year. The minister informed that BSNL and MTNL set up their in-house developed 4G equipment as a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in order to propel their 4G mobile networks. 4G Network Rollout Strategy Devusinh Chauhan said the government has already begun taking action on multiple proposals within BSNL and MTNL. He further informed that for the very first time since the revival package was approved in October 2019, the two telecom operators have witnessed operating profit. He said that BSNL will very soon launch its 4G services in the Gujarat license service area (LSA). Recent reports suggest that BSNL is planning to commence its 4G network trials in four cities in Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur by the end of August 2022. The minister made these comments while speaking at a meeting with the senior officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in Gujarat and said that the telecom department has handpicked 60 villages from a security perspective for installing 50 towers at a cost of Rs 41 crores in Gujarat which is a border state. Furthermore, 47 villages have already been covered and the rest are expected to receive connectivity by June 2022. The minister informed that there are 317 villages in the state which still do not have the connectivity and are a part of the government's all-encompassing plan to connect over 6 lakh villages in the country with high-speed fibre broadband and mobile services. He stated that the government has already provided fibre connectivity to all 14,622-gram panchayats (GPs) in Gujarat and 4,400 villages are yet to receive fibre connectivity. Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's telecom minister recently stated that BSNL is in the final stage of commercial talks with TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) for deploying 6000 4G sites. BSNL partnered with TCS (Tata Consultancy Services), Tejas Networks, and C-DoT (Centre for Development of Telematics) to test homegrown 4G technology. This trial process was successfully completed by the month of March. BSNL will deploy 4G in 1,00,000 sites across the country.

Samsung Expects Significant Growth in Q2 2022, Was Frontrunner in March Posted: 02 May 2022 07:21 AM PDT The South Korean tech giant Samsung has informed that the company is expecting growth in double digits for the quarter ending June. This growth is expected because of the rise in sales of the 5G handsets across mid and premium price segment smartphones. A senior executive of the company has informed that the brand has a clear plan to maintain its leadership in the 5G smartphone market. In the previous quarter ending March, the company had witnessed a 9% value growth because of its S22 flagship series and A series smartphones. Samsung's Smartphone Business Growth According to a report from ET Telecom, the senior vice president of MX Business, Samsung India, Raju Pullan in a statement said that the company expects to continue this momentum. He added that the company exited March with the number one position in volume and value terms and expects to see double-digit growth in the second quarter. Moreover, Counterpoint research shows that Samsung was leading the smartphone market in March 2022 with 22% shipment share and 27% revenue share. In addition to this Samsung managed to retake its second position in the first quarter of 2022 with a 1% year-on-year decline. The company was also the best 5G smartphone selling brand for the second continuous quarter. The senior VP further informed that the industry has seen strong and significant growth with the development of 5G technologies which has become a major consideration before the purchase of a handset. Pullan added that the company will continue to invest in the 5G portfolio and has a clear strategy to drive 5G as a whole category. He said that the industry will continue to witness the growth in coming quarters. The Vice President of Research for Counterpoint, Neil Shah said that Timely portfolio expansion with 5G capability down to M, F & A series and strong uptake of the Galaxy S22 and foldable flagship series helped Samsung grow back to the leadership position. Furthermore, Samsung informed that Samsung Finance Plus which is its affordability program is also witnessing a strong acceptance in the rural areas as well as tier 2 and tier 3 markets which is another major reason for the growth of its smartphone business. Pullan stated that the program is seeing monthly transactions of almost Rs 500 crores.

BSNL Prepaid Plans That Are Priced Under Rs 200 Posted: 02 May 2022 06:14 AM PDT The state-owned telecom operator BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) offers some of the cheapest prepaid plans, particularly in comparison to the private operators. The telco offers plans with amazing benefits and also at affordable price tags. Mentioned below are some of the cheapest prepaid plans provided by BSNL that are priced under Rs 200. The Prepaid Plans The first two plans on the list are quite the cheap options offered by the telco. STV_49 plan from BSNL costs Rs 49 and offers free 100 minutes of voice calls along with a total of 2GB data for a validity period of 24 days. On the other hand, the STV_99 pack from BSNL offers basic unlimited voice calls for a validity period of 22 days at Rs 99. There is also a Voice_135 pack which provides 1440 minutes of voice call for a validity period of 24 days at Rs 135. Moving on to packs with data offers as well, the STV_118 plan from BSNL comes at a price tag of Rs 118 and offers 0.5GB data per day along with unlimited voice calls for a validity period of 26 days. STV_147 pack from the telco, on the other hand, provides a total of 10GB data along with unlimited voice calls and access to BSNL tunes for a validity period of 30 days at Rs 147. Moving on is an STV_185 plan that provides unlimited voice calls along with 100 SMS as well as 1GB data per day for a validity period of 28 days at Rs 185. The plan also offers access to BSNL Tunes. Voice_187 pack from the telco, however, provides unlimited voice calls with 100 SMS/day for a validity period of 28 days as well but offers 2GB data per day for Rs 187. STV_97 from BSNL comes at a price tag of Rs 97 and offers unlimited voice calls along with 2GB data per day for a validity period of 18 days. There are also only data plans offered by the company DataTSunami_98 from the telco offers 2GB/day for a validity period of 22 days for Rs 98. Data_WFH_151 pack from the telco offers 40GB of total data for 28 days and comes with access to Zing at a price tag of Rs 151. STV_198 from the company offers 2GB/day for a validity period of 50 days at Rs 198.

Bharti Airtel Introduces New Prepaid Plan to Get an Edge Over Jio, Vi Posted: 02 May 2022 05:18 AM PDT Bharti Airtel has recently introduced a new prepaid plan for its users across the country. The plan that we are talking about is a unique one and also bundles over-the-top (OTT) benefits for the users. This new plan from Bharti Airtel offers users medium-term validity with an ample amount of data, and that is why it can be a perfect option for heavy data users. The plan that we are talking about comes for Rs 999. Let's take a look at the complete benefits of the Rs 999 prepaid plan from Bharti Airtel. Bharti Airtel Rs 999 Prepaid Plan Bharti Airtel Rs 999 prepaid plan was introduced recently, and it is a heavy data plan focused on users going for a medium-term validity option. The Rs 999 prepaid plan from Airtel comes with 2.5GB of daily data along with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. With this plan, users also get over-the-top (OTT) benefits. First of all, there's an Amazon Prime Membership of 84 days included, which gives you access to the suite of Amazon Prime apps such as Prime Video, Prime Music, and more. Then, there's also access to the Airtel Xstream Mobile Pack, with which users can access any one of the Xstream Channels at no additional cost. Other Airtel Thanks benefits, including Apollo 24|7 Circle, Shaw Academy, FASTag cashback, Free Hellotunes, and Wynk Music, are also bundled. Note that this is not the first 2.5GB daily data prepaid plan offered by Bharti Airtel. Users can get another such plan for Rs 449. The thing with this plan is that it comes with 28 days of validity only. Further, there's no Amazon Prime subscription offered with this plan. However, there are Airtel Thanks benefits which include a free one month (30 days) trial of the Amazon Prime Video Mobile Edition. It will be interesting to see whether the Rs 999 prepaid plan from Airtel can make a difference in the telco's performance.

5G Looks Like a Secondary Consumer Concern in India: Opinion Posted: 02 May 2022 04:24 AM PDT 5G networks seem to be a secondary concern for the consumers in India. While many are upgrading to 5G devices fast and making India a 5G-ready market for the telecom operators, there are a lot of things that the telcos haven't addressed yet. First of all, there's no single operator that's really good at providing 4G network services in each of the areas of India. Thus, a 4G network such as what we see in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) delivering a download speed of more than 100 Mbps is something that we haven't seen in India yet. Yes, there are a lot of factors for why it is that way starting with the population in India, network congestion scenarios, and more. Consumers in India have mostly been left dissatisfied with the telecom network services. With 5G, the telecom operators are jumping to the next ship before repairing the older one. It is not like telcos are completely leaving 4G and jumping to 5G, but with the distributed attention, there will be a slowdown in 4G expansion because 5G is going to involve very high levels of capex. India to Still Have 4G for Years to Come, 5G to be Used for Specific Use Cases Initially Everyone aware of the developments in the telecom market understands that 4G is going to stay for years to come. The same has been echoed by Nokia and Ericsson in their yearly reports for the country. 5G is expected to be initially brought on for specific use cases, and those might not be directly for consumers. Through the 5G trials conducted by the private telcos in India, one thing that can be observed is that 5G is predominantly going to help B2B applications initially. Such high bandwidth is not necessary for most consumers. Even if 5G is not too expensive, consumers might stick with 4G only because a good 4G network can help a user do almost everything a smartphone is supposed to do. Be it online gaming, video streaming, or working from home, a strong 4G network can help a consumer do everything. In such a scenario, 5G becomes a secondary concern for the consumers. A lot of users in India living in rural areas are still wishing for proper 4G coverage and better internet speeds. 5G is going to be primarily focused on urban cities in the country as they will help the telcos make their money back fast. Time for India to go to 4.5G and 4.9G It's time for the telecom operators in India to step up their game. This should be an era for 5G along with 4.5G and 4.9G. According to Amit Marwah, Head of Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Nokia India, 4.9G can deliver internet speeds close to 5G. This is a great thing for people who don't own 5G devices and still want to continue with 4G network services. But in the situation the telecom industry of India is in, only a few operators can provide decent network services. Half of the telecom operators in the country aren't even profitable for years now and simply don't have the capacity to invest in networks in an aggressive manner. Further, one operator doesn't even have 4G networks.

iPhone 13 Base Price Has Now Been Reduced by Rs 9000 Since Launch Posted: 02 May 2022 02:54 AM PDT The iPhone 13 base variant, which started at Rs 79,900, is now Rs 9,000 more affordable for users in India. Apple hasn't officially reduced the price of the device on its online store for the country, but the discount is available on Amazon India. Unlike the iPhone 12's base variant, which comes with 64GB of internal storage, the iPhone 13 comes with 128GB of internal storage (base variant). It has been around eight months since the device first launched in the country. Since then, the base variant has received price cuts on Amazon multiple times in India. On April 19, 2022, TelecomTalk reported that the iPhone 13's price had been slashed further by Rs 2,000 to Rs 71,900. Earlier, the device was selling for Rs 73,900, a discount of Rs 6,000. But now, another discount of Rs 1,000 has been put on the device, and its price on Amazon has become Rs 70,900. This is almost the same price level where the iPhone 13 mini's base variant with 128GB storage was launched. The launch of the iPhone 14 series is still far away. It might be possible that the iPhone 13 will receive more price cuts before the iPhone 14 launch in India. The festive season during the winters is when a generation old iPhone series is priced at the most discounts. Last year, the price of the iPhone 12 series was heavily discounted around October on Flipkart. iPhone 13 Specifications Overlook Since the device launched many months back, the specs are fairly known to everyone. For people who don't know, the iPhone 13 is powered by the flagship A15 Bionic SoC and comes with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display. It has a dual-camera setup at the rear, where both the cameras come with 12MP sensors. The device is also IP68 certified, which means it is water-resistant. The iPhone 13 mini also has the same specifications except for a smaller 5.7-inch display.

One Broadband Becomes India’s 4th Largest Private ISP With 1 Million Subscribers Posted: 02 May 2022 02:23 AM PDT One Broadband has become India's 4th largest private internet service provider (ISP) by adding over 2,00,000 new users in the fourth quarter of FY22, recording a growth of 65% over FY21. The company now has more than 1 million subscribers under its books. The growth in demand for online services has benefited One Broadband. The company offers internet plans with up to 1 Gbps of speeds under its flagship brand OneGigaFiber. Note that the company has also deployed the world's largest city-wide 11,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots for the Delhi state government through its partner. One Broadband Plans Not Available Across India The company has great prospects of aggressive growth subjective to its capabilities of investing and laying OFC (optical fiber cable) across India. One Broadband is currently present in under 30 cities of India. Further, the company doesn't have a big presence in the Tier-2 cities of the country. Some of the major cities where services of One Broadband are available include Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Agra, Bangalore, Pune, Ranchi, and more. One Broadband offers its plans in multiple validity configurations to its customers. Users can go for quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly validity options. In Mumbai, the company hasn't listed any plans for a monthly basis. Further, there are only three plans offered by the company in Mumbai. These plans come with the following data speeds — 15 Mbps, 25 Mbps, and 150 Mbps. Compared to what you can get from the ISPs such as JioFiber, Airtel Xstream Fiber, and BSNL Bharat Fibre, the plans of One Broadband are considerably more expensive. On top of that, One Broadband plans also don't bundle any over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions which you will definitely get with high-speed plans from Airtel, Jio, and BSNL. To book a connection with One Broadband, you can go to the company's website or call its customer care team or drop an email.

Vivo T1 Pro 5G, Vivo T1 44W Confirmed to Feature Fast-Charging, Check Details Posted: 02 May 2022 01:21 AM PDT Vivo T1 Pro 5G and Vivo T1 44W are going to launch in India very soon. Ahead of the launch of both smartphones, the company has confirmed the fast-charging details of the Vivo T1 Pro 5G. The Vivo T1 Pro 5G and Vivo T1 will both come with support for 66W and 44W fast charging. It is a decent power to charge any device today (at least way faster than expensive iPhones). The smartphones are set to launch in India on May 4, 2022. The company has been revealing the specs of the Vivo T1 Pro 5G one by one on a microsite inside Flipkart for the users. A lot of the specs have already been revealed by Vivo; let's check them out. Vivo T1 Series Specifications The Vivo T1 Pro 5G is confirmed to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G, a 5G enabled chipset made on the 6nm process. It can support both SA/NSA 5G network connectivity. Further, the Vivo T1 Pro 5G will feature a triple-camera setup with a 64MP main camera sensor, a wide-angle camera sensor, and a macro camera sensor. The company was also going to reveal the display specifications at 12 PM today on Flipkart, but the update hasn't been made yet. The launch of the smartphone is just two days away, and it is expected to become one of the most competitive devices in the semi-mid-range category. The device might feature a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 90Hz refresh rate. For selfies, there might be a 16MP sensor at the front. The smartphone is expected to pack a 4700mAh battery. It could run on Android 12 based Funtouch OS 12 out of the box. Notably, the two devices from Vivo look very similar to the iQOO Z6 Pro 5G and the iQOO Z6. For the unaware, iQOO is the sub-brand of Vivo.

Airtel Lanka Is Shutting Down 3G to Offer Better 4G: Report Posted: 02 May 2022 12:46 AM PDT Airtel Lanka, Bharti Airtel's telecom arm in Sri Lanka, is reportedly shutting down 3G networks in the country. The change will come into effect on June 24, 2022. This will free up a lot of spectrum for the telco to offer better 4G services to the customers in Sri Lanka. According to a Developing Telecoms report, the Telecommunications Regulator Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has given Airtel Lanka the clearance to shut down 3G networks and utilise the freed-up spectrum for 4G operations. Airtel Lanka Needs to Take Care of One Major Thing While Shutting Down 3G The telecom regulatory body has asked Airtel Lanka to ensure that it absorbs at least 90% of the 3G customers into its 4G user base while in the process of shutting down 3G. The telco has over 15 months to complete the process. This means that people who were still using handsets which supported connectivity with legacy networks will not have any other option but to upgrade to 4G for better data services. Further, the telco has been obliged to raise awareness about the shutting down of the network so that people have enough time to plan their upgrades. As per the report, Airtel must take measures to ensure that its 3G customer base is also getting access to 4G handsets with subsidies and other things such as easy payments via instalments. Further, Airtel Lanka must also notify its customers about the shutting down of the 3G networks by SMS and ask them to upgrade to a 4G phone before the deadline. Airtel has also shut down 3G in India in major places such as Punjab, Kolkata, Haryana, and Kerala. However, Airtel, along with Vodafone Idea, continue to offer 2G network services to hundreds of millions of customers in India. The 2G networks are likely not going to go from the country any time soon as there are a lot of people who are dependent on them for making calls.

Vodafone Idea Partners ICRIER to Set Up Telecom Centre of Excellence Posted: 01 May 2022 11:39 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in the country, has partnered with ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) to set up a Telecom Centre of Excellence (CoE) and has named the centre 'InViCT' (ICRIER and Vodafone Idea Centre for Telecom). P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Idea and Deepak Mishra, Director & CEO, ICRIER, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the national capital. What is the Purpose of CoE Setup by Vi and ICRIER? The CoE's objective is to facilitate research advisory and policy support in the field of "telecom policy, governance, and regulation", with a view to contributing toward the Digital India vision. With this CoE, stakeholders from the industry, academia, and the government will come together on a single platform for facilitating the development of a coordinated policy response to the emerging business and technology trends for the country's telecom sector. In the 5G era, an environment of technology innovation is a must. At the same time, the country must utilise its talent pool better, and also, there's a need for a higher level of security in the digital infrastructure to manage and nullify national security threats to ensure economic upliftment through increased connectivity. InViCT will identify and capture the best practices, knowledge, sharing and addressing the needs of regulation, policy, and governance impacting the telecom sector of India. The aim of the body will be to ensure that sustainable growth of the Indian telecom sector keeps on taking place, and this will also boost the Indian government's Digital India initiative. InViCT will function as an autonomous research Centre bringing together stakeholders from the private sector, academia, and government, building on their joint dynamism and strengths with the best of the talent in the country. Its core research will focus on the broader areas of policies, regulation and practice related to telecom and associated sectors, including ICT.

Motorola’s Next Flagship ‘Frontier’ Smartphone Launch Hinted Posted: 01 May 2022 10:10 PM PDT There have been several reports in the past regarding a flagship smartphone from Motorola being in the works. The reports suggest that this smartphone has the codename 'Frontier' and is anticipated to feature two prominent features. The device is expected to arrive with the yet to be launched Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus chipset and might come with a massive 200MP primary camera at the back. The General Manager of Lenovo for the Mobile Phone Business department has been continuously teasing the device for quite some time now and seemingly the official has once again done the same. The General Manager for the Mobile Phone Business Department has once shared a screenshot on Weibo and the post has been made via an unknown Motorola smartphone. Rumours suggest that this is a hint towards the arrival of the new Motorola Frontier smartphone with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus chipset. Specifications and Other Details Apart from the most powerful chipset from Qualcomm yet and the 200MP camera, the device may also arrive with a 125W charging technology. The executive had shared teaser images for a 125W charger in March hinting at the arrival of the new smartphone. It is most likely that the smartphone maker will introduce its next flagship smartphone once the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset is announced. The chipset is expected to be announced this month. As far as the specifications for the Motorola Frontier are considered, It is expected that the device will come with a display featuring a 6.67-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate along with HDR10 support. The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus chipset is expected to feature Cortex-X2 core, Cortex-A710, and Cortex-A510 cores along with the Adreno 730 GPU. The processor on the device could be paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. On the camera front, Motorola Frontier is expected to have a triple rear camera setup which renders suggest will be headlined by a 200MP primary lens. The other cameras will include a 50MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto shooter. The front of the device will have a 60MP selfie snapper. Motorola Frontier is tipped to pack a 4,500mAh battery that supports 125W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging. The smartphone will also come with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, NFC, GPS support, and a USB Type-C port.

Tech Firms Await the Final Call From Cabinet on Spectrum Allocation for Private 5G Networks Posted: 01 May 2022 09:30 PM PDT The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) recently made the decision to prohibit the direct allocation of the spectrum to corporate enterprises for captive private 5G networks which is now been criticised by the technology firms. These tech firms are now in a hope that the Cabinet will overturn this decision and will then make a final call which will be in the best interests of the overall digitalisation of the country. The Need for Administrative Allocation According to a report from ET Telecom, the tech companies fear that such a move will significantly hamper India's aim of digitalising its industry and leveraging its current geopolitical advantage. This decision was taken by the DCC despite the recommendations shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which suggested the allocation of spectrum to captive private 5G networks. The president of Broadband India Forum (BIF), T V Ramachandran in a statement said that TRAI's call for allocation of spectrum administratively for private 5G networks is most appropriate and it would be disappointing if indeed DCC has decided not to do this as it would be a huge setback to India's broader ambitions of digitalising its industry, healthcare systems, logistics hubs, agriculture processes or even leveraging its current geopolitical advantage. Cisco, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook-owner Meta, Qualcomm and Intel are some of the prominent members of the BIF. On one hand, TRAI's recommendation to directly allocate the 5G spectrum to the private 5G networks has received huge support from the tech companies and are now waiting for the cabinet to make the final decision. The tech companies believe that the decision would boost employment opportunities and business and translate into greater economic output and benefits. On the other hand, telecom companies have been strongly against TRAI's recommendations stating that it would take away a significant part of their future 5G enterprise business revenues which is estimated at around 40% of overall 5G business revenues. The representative body for Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel – The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) recently appealed to the regulatory body to disallow private 5G enterprise networks to ensure financial viability and orderly growth of the telecom industry.

Bharti Airtel and Jio Now Both Offer This Highly Demanded OTT Benefit to Users Posted: 01 May 2022 07:56 PM PDT Earlier, it was just Reliance Jio which offered the over-the-top (OTT) benefit of Netflix to users. But now, Bharti Airtel has joined the league as well. Airtel Xstream Fiber, the fiber broadband service arm of Airtel, is now bundling Netflix with its two high-end plans. Jio also bundles Netflix with its broadband plans starting at Rs 1,499. With Airtel, too, it is the same. The Rs 1,498 broadband plan from Airtel brings a free subscription to Netflix. With the Rs 1,498 plan, users get a basic subscription to Netflix, while with the Rs 3,999 plan, users get a premium subscription to the OTT platform. Note that the basic subscription to Netflix costs Rs 199 per month while the premium subscription costs Rs 649. With the Netflix basic subscription, users can only watch content on one screen at a time. But with the premium subscription, the content can be streamed on up to four screens simultaneously. Netflix a Great Proposition to Sell High-End Plans It is good of both JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber to bundle all of the major OTT platforms, including Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime (Video, Music, and more) with their high-end broadband plans. JioFiber has also started offering Entertainment plans starting at Rs 100 per month. With these entertainment plans, users on the 30 Mbps and 100 Mbps plans of the company can also get bundled OTT services. It was a long wait for Airtel customers to see the benefit of Netflix on the premium broadband plans. Jio has been providing Netflix with its high-end plans for a long time. The Rs 999 broadband plans from both Airtel and Jio also bring OTT subscriptions to the table, but they don't include Netflix. To be more competitive than Airtel, Jio can add the Netflix basic subscription to the Rs 999 broadband plan as well. It might raise the cost for Jio, but it would certainly help the company in adding new users, which it is already doing pretty aggressively.

Excitel Has One of the Cheapest 100 Mbps Plans Among These Prominent ISPs Posted: 01 May 2022 06:36 PM PDT Almost all the major internet service providers (ISPs) in India offer a 100 Mbps broadband plan. This list includes giants like Jio, Airtel and BSNL. One of the lesser-known ISP – Excitel also offers a pack that is actually either cheaper or at par with these companies. Although the plan from Excitel doesn't offer any OTT add-ons. Mentioned below are the 100 Mbps broadband plans offered by some of the major ISPs in comparison to the plan offered by Excitel. Excitel – 100 Mbps Plan One of the growing brands in India, Excitel uses European technology to offer seamless and consistent performance. The 100 Mbps plan from Excitel comes at different price tags and durations to cater to user convenience. The Fiber First from Excitel provides users with a 100 Mbps plan for a month at Rs 699. Users can also get the plan for 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months for Rs 565, Rs 508, Rs 490, Rs 424 and Rs 399 respectively. However, the 9-month plan is available for only new subscribers to the service. Moreover, the plans from Excitel are truly unlimited and no FUP data limit is levied. The 'Standard' Pack from Airtel Airtel Xstream Fiber can provide high-speed internet up to 1 Gbps, however, the telco offers some comparatively affordable plans with effective internet speed. Fibre Optic internet connection Airtel allows one of the fastest broadband connections and is highly reliable. Users can get access to the 'Standard' pack which provides 100 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 799 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. JioFiber 100 Mbps Plans One of the most reliable service providers in India, JioFiber offers a 100 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 699 for a validity period of 30 days. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300GB or 3.3TB. Users get access to symmetrical upload and download speeds of 100 Mbps with this plan. The efficient services and reliable connectivity offered by JioFiber make it one of the most preferable options to choose from. 100 Mbps Broadband Plans from BSNL The state-owned telco BSNL under Bharat Fibre Broadband provides exciting plans for its users who want to opt for 100 Mbps of internet speed. BSNL offers two 100 Mbps plans namely, SuperStar Premium-1 and Fibre Value plan. SuperStar Premium-1 and Fibre Value plans offer 100 Mbps of internet speed at the cost of Rs 749 and Rs 799 per month respectively. FUP data limit set on the SuperStar Premium-1 plan is 1000GB whereas on the Fibre Value plan is 3300GB. It is to be kept in mind that all these packs are exclusive of GST and customers can also get an annual 100 Mbps pack for Rs 9,588. The 100 Mbps Plan from ACT The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru provides a 100 Mbps unlimited data plan called Rapid Plus. Users can get the Rapid Plus pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 985. The FUP data limit levied is 1000GB post which the internet works at speed of 512 Kbps. Users can also get free trials to some of the Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and various add-ons with this pack. It is to be noted that this plan is for the city of Bengaluru, and it may vary across the country.

Reliance Jio Prepaid Plan With One Year Validity Which Comes With Premium OTT Benefit Posted: 01 May 2022 08:15 AM PDT The demand for the entertainment sector, particularly OTT platforms, has been soaring and users now want to go for the plans that can cater to their needs. Jio has multiple daily data prepaid plans under its portfolio for such scenarios from cheap daily data plans to long-term prepaid plans and to prepaid plans with OTT. In this article, we are going to take a look at the yearlong prepaid plans offered by Reliance Jio that come with OTT Benefits. Two Annual Plans with Disney+ Hotstar The first plan on the list is one of the most popular packs offered by the company. This year-long plan comes at a price tag of Rs 2,999 and offers multiple benefits. Rs 2,999 plan comes with a validity period of 365 days and offers 2.5GB of data per day until the validity period. The plan also offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. New users also get a subscription to Jio Prime Membership with the purchase of this plan. With the purchase of this plan, users can get a subscription to the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar for one-year worth Rs 499 at no added cost. The second plan on the list is a heavy data plan from Jio which also comes with access to an OTT platform. Reliance Jio offers a prepaid plan that comes at a price tag of Rs 4,199 and is also a plan with yearlong validity. The plan has a validity period of 365 days and offers 3GB of data per day along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. The Rs 4,199 plan from Jio comes with access to one year of Disney+ Hotstar mobile worth Rs 499 at no added cost. Users can also enjoy various Jio applications such as the Jio Cinema, Jio TV and more. Other Plans with OTT Benefits Apart from the above-mentioned plans, Jio offers several other long-term prepaid plans that offer access to Disney+ Hotstar. One such plan is the Rs 1,066 pack offered by the company which provides 2GB of data per day for 28 days with an additional 5GB of data. The plan offers unlimited calling and 100 SMS/day. Jio also offers a Rs 799 plan with 2GB data per day and a Rs 601 plan with 3GB data per day for a validity period of 56 days. These packs also offer subscription to Disney+ Hotstar along with unlimited voice calls and 100SMS/day.

Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G – The Better Mid-Premium Smartphone Posted: 01 May 2022 05:55 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo launched its Oppo F21 Pro 5G handset. This mid-range smartphone from the company comes with a Qualcomm chipset and runs on Android 12. Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi also introduced a smartphone in the same price segment in March called the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G which is also powered by the identical chipset. Both devices go head-to-head in the Indian market and mentioned below is a detailed comparison. Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Display Oppo F21 Pro comes with a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that only offers a 60Hz refresh rate and features Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection whereas the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for a maximum brightness of 1200nits and 120Hz refresh rate. Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Processors and Operating System Oppo F21 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile chipset while the Realme 9 Pro+ features an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset which comes with Mali-G68 MC4 GPU. The smartphone runs on Android 12 with ColorOS 12.1 on top. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset as well coupled with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. The device runs on MIUI 13 based on Android 11 out of the box. Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Camera Specifications Oppo F21 Pro comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 64MP High-Res Main Camera with a 2MP Depth Camera and a 2MP Macro Camera. The front of the device features a 32MP selfie snapper. Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G comes with a triple camera setup at the rear housing a 108MP HM2 primary sensor from Samsung, 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies and video calling, you get a 16MP sensor at the front. Evidently, F21 Pro doesn't feature an ultra-wide-angle camera giving Redmi Note 11 Pro an edge. Oppo F21 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G: Battery and Price Oppo F21 Pro 5G is backed by a 4500mAh battery with 33W fast charging support and the company claims that it can charge fully in 60 minutes. As far as the pricing is considered, Oppo F21 Pro 5G has been launched in a single storage option – 8GB + 128GB = Rs 26,999 The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G packs a 5000mAh battery with support for 67W fast-charging. The smartphone is available in three storage options – 6GB + 128GB = Rs 24,999 8GB + 128GB = Rs 26,999 8GB + 256GB = Rs 28,999 However, all variants of Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G are available at a discount of Rs 4,000.

Indians Ready to Pay More than 50% Premium for 5G Services: Ericsson Posted: 01 May 2022 02:45 AM PDT Ericsson has worked on use cases in numerous industries in Asia, Europe, Northern America and has been supporting operators across the world to roll out 5G. In India, we have been working with the telecom companies as well as the academic community to develop and test various 5G use cases which are relevant to the country; Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, India Head-Networks, Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, told TelecomTalk. What kind of opportunities does 5G hold for Indian consumers? What kind of services are consumers most excited for? From a consumer perspective, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and fixed wireless access (FWA) will be the early 5G use cases in the country. These will help address the concern of limited fixed broadband penetration levels in India and improve the data experience for consumers while on the move. In its initial stages, 5G will help communications service providers to address the growing data needs of consumers more efficiently, overall providing an improved consumer experience. According to Ericsson's study, evolution to 5G will enable ten times lower cost per gigabyte than current 4G. With its ultra-low latency, increased capacity, and enhanced security, 5G will open new possibilities for consumers. They will be able to watch 4K video on a smartphone, use AR/VR as well as mobile gaming applications and many more immersive experiences. Some use cases that consumers are excited about are: Cloud Gaming: Globally, 5G ready users are already spending more time on multiplayer mobile gaming and video content, spending 1.5 hours more per week on enhanced video and 1 hour more per week on multiplayer online games as compared to what the 4G users are doing. From an India perspective, 60 per cent of the smartphone users plan to use XR applications over the 5G network on a regular basis in 5 years' time and will spend 7.5-8 hours per week. Live Sports: 5G enabled sports is amongst the top predicted revenue growing factors. A user or a spectator will be able to get an even better immersive experience with 5G-powered stadiums, 5G enabled cameras, 5G network slicing, and virtual transmission centres. Enhanced Video: In this era of binge-watching, video content is the most significant traffic type generated by smartphone users. The rapid increase in data traffic for video is a result of increasing video formats/content and high viewing time. The need for low latency will be even more crucial with AR/VR entering the market for consumers to have a captivating experience. 5G will be able to address this easily. How soon are Indian consumers willing to shift to 5G with its arrival? Are we ready to pay a premium for 5G services? Ericsson sees high interest for 5G in the country, with consumers willing to pay a premium for new 5G capabilities. As per our ConsumerLab study – at least 40 million smartphone users in India might take up 5G in the initial year of the technology being made available. Consumers are even ready to pay 50 per cent more for the 5G plans which come with bundled digital services, compared to just a 10 per cent premium for 5G connectivity. 7 in 10 potential early adopters of 5G in India expect higher speeds than 4G, while 6 in 10 expect pricing innovation from operators like 5G data sharing between family members or across devices. Furthermore, Indian users have shown the biggest rise in their intention to upgrade, with over 67% of people wanting to take up 5G once it is available, an increase of 14 percentage points over 2019. The Ericsson Mobility Report (Nov 2021) reveals that 5G will represent around 39% of mobile subscriptions in India at the end of 2027, which is estimated to be around 500 million subscriptions. How is Ericsson enabling telecom operators to win in the eyes of the consumers? Ericsson has been collaborating with leading service providers worldwide, more than 40 universities and technology institutes and 30 industry partners. We have worked on use cases in numerous industries in Asia, Europe, Northern America and have been supporting operators across the world to roll out 5G. In India, we have been working with the telecom companies as well as the academic community to develop and test various 5G use cases which are relevant to the country. We are collaborating with our customer partners for 5G trials in the country. The various trials conducted successfully have set the stage for the rollout of 5G services in the country. To that effect, in 2021, Ericsson and Bharti Airtel displayed India's first 5G live network in Hyderabad, along with trials in Manesar and Gurugram. This was followed by a display of India's first 5G rural trial in Bhaipur Bramanan village on the outskirts of Delhi/NCR. Note that Ericsson also partnered with Vodafone Idea to showcase the power of 5G to reach healthcare to remote parts of the country. The telco demonstrated blazing speeds of 4 Gbps in November last year as part of the trial. Ericsson has also launched advanced products for customers, such as an intelligent automation platform, time-critical communication for real-time 5G experiences, 5G RAN slicing solution to support end-to-end network slicing. Most recently, Ericsson launched one radio, 4490- a dual-band radio that delivers 25 per cent lower power consumption and lesser weight compared to the current product. Ericsson has been working closely with all Indian operators, and with 5G spectrum auctions expected to happen soon, we continue to engage with them on their network evolution plans. Our hardware has been 5G ready since 2015, and Indian telecom operators can switch to 5G with just a remote software installation. What has been Ericsson's global experience in deploying 5G across the world? What has been the consumers' response? Having deployed 121 live 5G networks globally, Ericsson is well-positioned to help the Indian operators seamlessly evolve from 4G to 5G. Some of the global use cases that Ericsson is deploying across other markets can be adapted and introduced in India. We are seeing rapid adoption of 5G in markets where it is live. In 2019, Ericsson partnered with SK Telecom, the largest mobile operator in South Korea with nearly 50 per cent of the market share, to switch on its commercial 5G network in the world's fastest-growing 5G market. South Korea has been able to add ten million+ 5G subscribers of the 70 million users in total. We also partnered with Telstra, Australia's largest mobile network provider, in the same year to roll out and activate 5G in over ten cities. Early users were able to experience better network coverage even in over-populated and underground areas, while advanced technologies such as VR and AT are being utilised for diverse use cases powered by the speed and low latency of 5G. What are your views on the recent TRAI recommendations for the spectrum? We welcome the reduction of the spectrum prices by 35-40%. Since 5G would require a lot of spectrum, it is critical that a large contiguous spectrum across all bands, including backhaul spectrum like the E band, is made available to operators at affordable prices to ensure smooth deployment of 5G. Do you think allowing private enterprise networks is a business loss for the telcos? Most enterprises down the road will need to have broader coverage than only at their own facility. So, a link between an enterprise network and a macro network will be necessary. Also, given that spectrum is a scarce resource – the more it is fragmented, the less likely it is to achieve national coverage. So, it is a trade-off here between getting national coverage and enterprise applications. Overall, if company networks are excluded from the macro network, it will lower the investment ambition of the macro network operator. We have seen that in some countries where the spectrum has been allocated to enterprises, the uptake has been relatively modest. Instead, the macro-operator can give a network slice to an enterprise.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Will be Available at a Special Offer Starting May 1 Posted: 30 Apr 2022 09:35 PM PDT The major smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi introduced its Xiaomi 12 Pro smartphone in India this week which arrived with a flagship Qualcomm processor and other exciting features with a starting price of Rs 62,999. The device is scheduled to be on sale from May 2. Now in a new development, the brand has announced a Xiaomi Fan Sale for its Xiaomi 12 Pro smartphone on May 1. As a part of this sale, the customers will be able to get up to Rs 20,000 off on the purchase of Xiaomi 12 Pro handsets. Let's find out more. Xiaomi has announced the Fan Sale under which the interested customers will be able to buy Xiaomi 12 Pro devices on May 1 with up to Rs 20,000 off by exchanging their existing Xiaomi and Redmi Note series smartphones. Customers with Mi 10, Mi 10T, Mi 10i, Mi 11X, Mi 11X Pro, Mi 11 Ultra and more will be able to get up to Rs 20,000 exchange value for their smartphone on the purchase of Xiaomi 12 Pro. The offer will be valid while purchasing the Xiaomi 12 Pro from Amazon India and Mi.com. Xiaomi 12 Pro Specifications The newly launched Xiaomi 12 Pro comes with a 6.73-inch 2K+ true 10-bit AMOLED display with support for 120Hz refresh rate, 1500nits of maximum brightness and HDR10+ certification along with Dolby Vision. The LTPO 2.0 technology featured in the device allows it to switch between 120Hz and 1Hz refresh rates. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset and offers up to 12GB of RAM. The Xiaomi 12 Pro will run on MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. Xiaomi 12 Pro comes with a triple rear camera setup featuring three 50MP sensors. There's a 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with a FOV of 115 degrees, a 50MP Wide Camera featuring a 24mm equivalent focal length, and a 50MP telephoto camera with a 48mm equivalent focal length. The front of the smartphone features a 32MP selfie camera. Xiaomi 12 Pro is backed by a 4600mAh battery with support for 120W HyperCharge technology. The Xiaomi 12 Pro has been launched with two storage options in India – 8GB + 128GB = Rs 62,999 12GB+ 256GB = Rs 66,999

Broadband: 150 Mbps Plans That Are Bundled With OTT Benefits Posted: 30 Apr 2022 06:33 PM PDT It is quite common for internet service providers (ISPs) to bundle up OTT subscriptions with their broadband plans as a majority of the subscribers have shifted online when it comes to entertainment. ISPs offer OTT add-ons with multiple plans as the popularity of the platforms in India has been sky-rocketing. On the other hand, users are also seeking high-speed plans that can cover all the bases whether it is online learning, work, gaming or streaming. Mentioned below are a few 150 Mbps broadband plans offered by several ISPs such as BSNL, Jio and more that come bundled with OTT subscriptions. BSNL – 150 Mbps Plan The state-owned telco, BSNL via its Bharat Fibre connection as well offers a plan that comes with OTT benefits and provides 150 Mbps speed. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from BSNL offers 150 Mbps of speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999. The plan offers a 2000GB data limit beyond which the speed reduces to 10 Mbps. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from the telco comes with multiple OTT subscriptions which include Disney+ Hotstar, Lions Gate, Sony LIV and more. Moreover, users can also get a discount of 90% up to Rs 500 on their first month of rent. 150 Mbps Plan from Reliance Jio One of the leading ISPs in India, Jio offers a 150 Mbps broadband plan that comes with access to a few OTT Platforms. Being on the list of 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 symmetrical upload and download speeds of 150 Mbps with this plan. The plan is listed as a popular plan on the website and offers subscriptions to 15 OTT platforms including yearlong access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and more. Alliance Broadband Alliance provides a 150 Mbps broadband plan called 'Cruise'. Users can get the 'Cruise pack' that offers 150 Mbps speed at a price tag of Rs 1,000 per month. The ISP offers truly unlimited broadband plans and no data limit is levied. However, with the 150 Mbps plan users have to pay the charges for six months upfront. Moreover, the 150 Mbps plan from Alliance Broadband comes with access to three-month Amazon Prime along with other OTT platforms such as Eros Now, Zee5 Premium, Sony LIV and more. ACT Broadband The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru; ACT provides a 150 Mbps unlimited data plan called ACT Blaze. Using state-of-the-art fibre technology, the connection provides incredible speed and equal upload and download speed. Users can get the ACT Blaze pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 1,085. The FUP data limit levied is 1500GB, post which the internet works at speed of 1 Mbps. Users can also get free trials to some of the Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and various add-ons with this pack. These OTT platforms include Zee5, Sony Liv and more.

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