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• TRAI Completes 25 Years, COAI and Other Industry Member Send Congratulations
• 5G Will Create Employment Opportunities and Boost Economy: PM Modi
• 5th Edition of 5G India Leadership Summit to Focus on Making 5G a Commercial Success
• Ericsson, Nokia Want Govt Help to Source Component, Equipment from China: Report
• Infinix Note 12 VIP and Infinix Note 12 (G96) Launched – Specs and Price
• World Telecom Day 2022: 5G and Future for India
• 5G Test Bed Will be Inaugrated by PM Modi on This Date
• 5G Rollout in India Could Slow Down Due to Govt’s New Mandate
• Top 1 Gbps Broadband Plans in India Right Now
• Smartphones in India Priced Under Rs 8,000 Suitable for Budget Users
• iQOO Neo 6 Specifications, Pricing and Launch Timeline Surfaces Ahead of its Arrival
• Vivo Y01 Affordable Smartphone Goes Official in India at Rs 8,999
• Hughes India President Explains Why Conflict of Spectrum Exists Between Satcom and Telecom Operators
• Leased Broadband Connection: What is It and How Can It Help You
• JioPhone Next Now Available at Rs 4499 With Exchange Offer
• Samsung Galaxy M13 5G Spotted With 15W Fast-Charging
• WhatsApp Reportedly Planning to Add Preview Feature for Links in Status
• Etisalat to Get 4.67% Indirect Stake in Vodafone Idea
• 5G Spectrum Price Likely to be Firmly Decided this Week: Report
• Qualcomm Expected to Announce Two New Processors on May 20

TRAI Completes 25 Years, COAI and Other Industry Member Send Congratulations Posted: 17 May 2022 04:02 AM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has completed 25 years today. The regulatory body has played a key role in the development of India's telecom industry. Whether it was 2G, 3G, 4G, or now 5G, TRAI's inputs have made a major impact on the growth of India's telecom sector. Upon the special occasion, industry members, including COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) and DIPA (Digital Infrastructure Providers Association), have congratulated the regulatory body for completing 25 years. COAI Congratulates TRAI Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI, congratulated TRAI on completing 25 years of service and growth of the sector, which is integral to India's path of Digital India vision. "In the last couple of years, TRAI has worked closely with the Government of India and service providers to create an ecosystem which is crucial, especially today as the industry readies to usher in 5G to catalyze the digital economy. We will continue to work in alignment with TRAI and hopefully put up suggestions and recommendations which are beneficial for the sector. We are thankful to TRAI for their exceptional work until now, appreciate their hard work done for the sector, and look forward to many more fruitful years of working together." DIPA Congratulates TRAI Mr T.R. Dua, Director General, DIPA, also congratulated TRAI and said that much has changed over the last two and half decades since TRAI came into existence. When TRAI started in 1997, India had over 14.5 million mobile connections. However, today, there are over 1.17 billion subscribers to telecom services. Mr Dua said that "On behalf of DIPA and its members, I take this opportunity to congratulate all the employees of TRAI, past and present, and wish them greater glory in the years to come." TRAI further has a major role to play ahead in the growth of the telecom sector with emerging technologies such as 5G and 6G in the future.

5G Will Create Employment Opportunities and Boost Economy: PM Modi Posted: 17 May 2022 01:50 AM PDT Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the Silver Jubilee event celebration of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), said that 5G will not only bring faster internet but will also rapidly ring in economic progress and boost jobs creation. Modi said that India's economy would get a boost of $450 billion with 5G in the next one-and-a-half decade. PM Modi asked the government and the industry to cooperate and collaborate to hasten the 5G rollout in the country. Further, according to Modi, the 5G launch would also benefit sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and more. India Preparing for 6G Says, PM Modi As per an ET Telecom report, Modi said that India is preparing for 6G while moving to 5G. He acknowledged TRAI's efforts to ensure that India moves from 2G, 3G, and subsequent generation network technologies smoothly. The Prime Minister has called for a rapid rollout of 5G networks in the country. According to an old letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) wants the 5G rollout to happen by August 15, 2022. For that to happen, the spectrum auctions need to take place in a timely manner, and then DoT must allocate the airwaves to the operators as soon as possible so they can launch 5G services. There are some concerns around 5G that India still needs to address. A final call on the spectrum pricing is likely going to come this week from the Cabinet. Things such as reserve price, duration (20 years or 30 years), and more will be addressed by the Cabinet. As soon as the final decisions from the Cabinet arrive, the DoT will move to release notice inviting applications (NIA) for the spectrum auctions. If things happen in a timely manner, India could hold spectrum auctions by July 2022, at the earliest. This still poses a question if the telcos are able to launch 5G services by August 2022 in India.

5th Edition of 5G India Leadership Summit to Focus on Making 5G a Commercial Success Posted: 17 May 2022 01:00 AM PDT Konnect Worldwide Business Media is going to organise the 5th Edition of the 5G India Leadership Summit. Many industry stakeholders including MediaTek, COAI (Celluar Operators Association of India), Broadband Forum, and others are supporting the event. The event is scheduled for May 19, 2022, in New Delhi and aims to drive consensus toward making 5G a commercial success. The summit's objective is to further create a roadmap for enabling policy framework, solutions, innovations, and opportunities for accelerating the deployment of a robust 5G ecosystem in India. The discussions between the industry experts and the stakeholders will dive deep into finding solutions for making 5G a commercial success in the country. 5G is expected to become an integral part of India's digital ecosystem in the coming years and will play a key role in the development of enterprises and businesses across the nation. Topics that Will Drive Conversations in the 5th Edition of 5G India Leadership Summit The 5th Edition of 5G India Leadership will focus on conversations around the following topics – Defining the Role of 5G in Digital Transformation of India, 5G Devices Ecosystem – A Major Pillar For Making 5G a Success Through Smartphone, Wearable's, Connected Consumer Lifestyle & IoT Enabled 5G For Industries, What 5G Means For the Future of the Internet of Things in India and 5G Policy, Standardization & Spectrum Roadmap Update For Making 5G Accessible in India. Tarun Pathak, Research Director, Counterpoint said that this is an opportune time for all the industry stakeholders to align synergies across the value chain for a successful commercial 5G rollout. Aman Khanna, Founder and Director, Konnect Worldwide, said that this year's event will focus on providing an update on the ecosystem, industry expectations, drivers and directions for future evolution to 5G and beyond. As mentioned above, the event is scheduled for May 19, 2022, in New Delhi and we will bring you more coverage around this on the day of the event.

Ericsson, Nokia Want Govt Help to Source Component, Equipment from China: Report Posted: 16 May 2022 11:46 PM PDT Nokia, Ericsson, and Cisco are few of the top telecom gear manufacturers and equipment providers globally. Their presence in India is also quite solid now as the Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE, have been barred from helping telecom operators with their equipment needs. The differences between India and China still exist, due to which the Government of India (GoI) has decided to continue not including Chinese companies in the telecom business in India. Telecom Gear Providers Want Govt to Allow Sourcing Equipment, Component from China According to a Financial Express report, Nokia, Ericsson, and Cisco have sought GoI's help in allowing them to bring their equipment and component from China. It is worth noting that all of these companies have manufacturing bases in China along with Europe, India, and the US. Since the demand for telecom gear is increasing with the 5G rollout nearby, the network gear providers want the government’s help to bring their products from the Chinese land to India. Further, these companies have asked for a time frame of 6 to 9 months from the Indian government for relocating their base from China to India. India's 5G rollout could be slowed down significantly if these vendors aren't allowed to bring their equipment from China. Further, there is a new mandate going to come into effect from July 1, 2022, which will require the gear imported from outside to be first tested in select labs for their safety before being approved for use by telecom operators. This could also bring supply issues and slow down the rollout of 5G in India. The industry executives want the government to delay this decision to January 1, 2023, at least. This will give the concerned labs enough time to prepare themselves and fasten their learning curve to ensure that there are no huge delays in the testing of products. For the first time, these labs will have to check products in scale, including radios, routers, switches, and more.

Infinix Note 12 VIP and Infinix Note 12 (G96) Launched – Specs and Price Posted: 16 May 2022 10:38 PM PDT The Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturer Infinix has launched two new smartphones that will be joining its portfolio – the Infinix Note 12 VIP and Note 12 (G96). The Infinix Note 12 VIP is quite impressive as it carries 120W fast charging technology. The device has also been launched with a remarkable display and camera. The two new smartphones join the Note series lineup which already consists of Note 12 and Note 12i devices. Let's take a look at the specifications and other details of the Infinix Note 12 VIP and Note 12 (G96). Infinix Note 12 VIP Specifications and Price Infinix Note 12 VIP has been launched with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display that produces a Full HD+ resolution. The display of the device has a 20:9 aspect ratio and comes with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. The display also offers a 360Hz touch sampling rate, 10-bit colours, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut along with a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio. Powering the Note 12 VIP smartphone is a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset which is paired with 8GB of RAM. The device operates on Android 12 OS which is overlaid with XOS 10.6. The handset is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports 120W HyperCharge technology. The company claims that the device can charge completely in just 17 minutes. Moreover, a quick 10-minute charge can offer 6 hours of gaming time and 5 hours of video playback on YouTube. Infinix Note 12 VIP comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 108MP primary camera along with a 13MP ultra-wide camera and an AI lens. The front of the smartphone features a 16MP selfie camera. Infinix 12 VIP has been priced at $ 300 and will be available in Cayenne Grey and Force Black colour options. Infinix Note 12 (G96) Specifications and Price Infinix Note 12 (G96) has been launched with a 6.7-inch AMOLED FHD+ display that offers 10-bit colours and a 60Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset which was also featured in Note 12. The processor is coupled with 8GB of RAM and the handset is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that carries support for 33W fast charging. The device features a 50MP primary lens along with a 2MP depth sensor at the back. The front has a 16MP selfie camera. Infinix Note 12 (G96) has been priced at $ 200 and will be available in Sapphire Blue, Snowfall (white), and Force Black colour options.

World Telecom Day 2022: 5G and Future for India Posted: 16 May 2022 10:28 PM PDT Telecom has been the backbone of the entire global economy when things went south because of the coronavirus pandemic. 5G is the next big thing in the telecom sector of India and it will determine the country’s future and the government’s Digital India vision. This World Telecom Day, we are bringing many industry experts under one roof to talk about “5G and Future for India”. Welcome Note for World Telecom Day 2022 from Team TelecomTalk World Telecom Day 2022 With Charu Paliwal, Counterpoint Technology Research Charu Paliwal, an analyst at Counterpoint Technology Research shares her views on 5G and where the telecom industry of India is heading. Check it out in the video below. World Telecom Day 2022 With Anku Jain, MD, MediaTek India Anku Jain, Managing Director at MediaTek India shares a brief note on 5G and MediaTek’s business outlook for the Indian market. World Telecom Day 2022 With Anuj Mathur, Sr Director of Engineering, Compass World Telecom Day 2022 With Arvind Bali, CEO, TSSC World Telecom Day 2022 With Anindya Saha, CTO, Saankhya Labs

5G Test Bed Will be Inaugrated by PM Modi on This Date Posted: 16 May 2022 09:22 PM PDT Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be launching a 5G testbed on Tuesday that has been created for the better sustenance of the country's telecom industry. The said 5G testbed will also support the startups to validate their products, prototypes and solutions based on the fifth generation as well as next-generation technologies that are yet to come. It has been officially confirmed that the Prime Minister will be addressing a virtual program on Tuesday which also marks the celebration of 25 years of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). What to Expect From Virtual Program During his address at the virtual program, PM Modi is also expected to release a postal stamp to commemorate the occasion as informed in a press release from the government. Talking about the 5G testbed itself, it has been created as a collaborative project by multiple institutions in the country. The project was led by IIT Madras and the other institutes that participated in its development include IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT). The government press release further informs that the project has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 220 crore. It stated that the testbed will enable a supportive ecosystem for the Indian telecom industry and startups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies. In addition to these, the decision over the process of 5G spectrum auctions is also expected to be made today by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), which is the highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The decision will be taken in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday as well. The highlight decision-making points of the meeting would be the tenure for which to give out spectrum to telcos, the rollout obligations for certain 5G bands and ways in which telcos could partner with the industry for private captive 5G networks and more.

5G Rollout in India Could Slow Down Due to Govt’s New Mandate Posted: 16 May 2022 08:55 PM PDT The telecom operators now have a fresh worry in front of them. Their 5G rollout plans could slow down significantly if the government's new mandate comes into effect from July 1, 2022. For the unaware, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) wants all the telecom gear imported to India from July 1, 2022, to be tested under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime. While the intention behind the order from DoT is noble and in line with the security interests of India, it also stands to slow down the rollout of 5G. The telecom operators will have to wait longer times for procuring network gear which will create supply issues. According to an ET Telecom report, the industry executives want the DoT to extend the July 1, 2022 deadline to January 1, 2023. Local Labs Don't Have the Expertise Yet One of the top executives in the telecom industry told the publication that the local labs are yet to gain expertise when it comes to equipment testing. These labs don't have the expertise in checking and approving things such as routers and other major telecom gears such as base stations, microwave systems, and other radio equipment. There is a shortage of skilled manpower to do these tests as well. Unfortunately, India's local telecom gear market is not developed enough to fulfil the demands of the telecom operators when it comes to equipment for 5G networks. Thus, the telcos have to rely on their foreign technology partners for sourcing gear, and they will have no other option but to wait longer to procure their purchases as the labs will first approve them as safe or unsafe for the country. Further, the industry doesn't want the government to also include 2G equipment under its new mandate. While in other countries, 2G networks are being phased out; it is not the case in India which still has over 280 million users.

Top 1 Gbps Broadband Plans in India Right Now Posted: 16 May 2022 07:01 PM PDT The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer a variety of broadband plans for their users according to their suitability with different price tags and speeds. However, each operator has a high-end broadband plan that offers super high-speed connectivity speed along with other benefits. These plans are great for connecting multiple devices seamlessly and simultaneously and offer a ton of other benefits as well. Mentioned below are some of the top 1 Gbps broadband plans available in the country right now. Airtel's Infinity Plan Airtel offers a 1Gbps unlimited data plan which is called the Infinity plan. Users can get the Airtel Xstream Fiber connection to access the 'Infinity' plan. The plan offers 1Gbps of high-speed internet data at a cost of Rs 3,999 for a month. The FUP data for all unlimited plans is 3500GB or 3.5TB. The price of the plan is excluding GST and it may be charged as applicable. The plan also comes with a subscription to some of the major OTT platforms in India such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar along with access to Wynk Music. The FTTH technology of Airtel is capable of connecting up to 60 devices at once and provides high-speed downloads. Jio Offers These Two Plans When it comes to 1 Gbps plans JioFiber offers two plans with different data limits. The first plan offered by JioFiber comes at a price tag of Rs 3,999 per month (30 days) and offers 1 Gbps of internet speed with a FUP data limit of 3.3TB or 3300GB. The other 1 Gbps plan from JioFiber comes at a cost of Rs 8,499 for a validity period of 30 days and offers 6600GB of total data. Both of these plans offer unlimited calling and an equal upload and download speed set at 1 Gbps. In addition to this Jio offers a ton of OTT subscriptions which include access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and thirteen others. The Amazon Prime Video that comes bundled with this plan has a validity period of one year. It is to be noted that the prices of these plans are excluding GST and it will be charged as applicable. Users can access these plans from the official website of Reliance Jio. Tata Play Fiber 1 Gbps Plan Tata Sky recently changed its moniker to Tata Play Fiber, the plans, however, remained the same. The high-end unlimited 1 Gbps plan from Tata Play Fiber comes at a monthly cost of Rs 3,600. Users can get this plan for the long term too, as the company offers the 1 Gbps plan for different validity periods. For a period of three months, users can get the plan for Rs 10,800, for a validity period of six months the plan costs Rs 19,800 on which users actually save Rs 1,800 and lastly for a period of one year the plan costs Rs 36,000 saving Rs 7,200 for the users. Users receive 3300GB or 3.3TB of Fair Usage Policy (FUP) data along with this broadband plan after which the speed is reduced to 3 Mbps. 1 Gbps Plans From ACT The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru provides a 1000 Mbps unlimited data plan called the 'ACT GIGA' pack. Using state-of-the-art fibre technology, the connection provides incredible speed and equal upload and download speed. Users can get the ACT GIGA pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 5,999. No FUP data is levied on the plan and users can enjoy truly unlimited data with this plan from ACT. The 1 Gbps plan from ACT also offers access to multiple OTT platforms including a free trial to Zee5, Sony Liv, ACT TV 4K and more. ACT also offers multiple office plans with varied data limits that are also available on the company's website. The telco offers ACT Enterprises plans namely 'Exceptional Plus', 'Phenomenal Plus', and 'Giga Plus' that offer 1 Gbps of internet speed with 3.6TB, 5TB and 10TB monthly data limits respectively. Exceptional Plus plan comes at a price tag of Rs 9,000 a month, Phenomenal Plus for Rs 12,000 a month and Giga Plus for Rs 15,000 a month.

Smartphones in India Priced Under Rs 8,000 Suitable for Budget Users Posted: 16 May 2022 09:15 AM PDT If you are a budget user in India looking for a smartphone, various brands offer multiple devices in their portfolios. While you may not get the premium experience with these low-cost smartphones, some of them actually offer amazing specs for their price. Mentioned in the article are some of the best smartphones available in India priced under Rs 8,000. Tecno Spark 7 Tecno Spark 7 features a 6.52 HD screen with a Dot Notch display and supports a maximum brightness of 480 nits. Tecno Spark 7 runs on the HIOS 7.5 and is based on Android 11, powered by the Octa-Core 1.8GHz CPU Helio A25 processor. It is backed by a big 6000mAh battery. The Tecno Spark 7 comes with a 16MP AI dual rear camera with Quad Flash. The smartphone is available at Rs 6,999 for the 2GB + 32GB variant and Rs 7,999 for the 3GB + 64 GB variant. JioPhone Next JioPhone Next is an amazing option available for budget users. It arrives with a 5.45-inch touchscreen HD display and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon QM-215 chipset. The device comes with a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP selfie camera. It is a dual-SIM 4G smartphone and packs a 3500mAh battery inside. The handset features a made in India OS called Pragati OS. The smartphone costs Rs 6,499 in the country. Realme C20 The Realme C20 comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS display and an aspect ratio of 20:9. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G35 SoC coupled with up to 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There is a single 8MP sensor at the rear for clicking pictures and a 5MP sensor at the front. The device packs a 5,000mAh battery and the internal storage can be expanded up to 256GB. Realme C20 comes in a single memory variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage priced at Rs 6,999. Redmi 9A The Redmi 9A rocks a 6.53-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 20:9. Underneath, it has the MediaTek Helio G25 chipset, paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The phone boots MIUI 12 based on Android 10 out of the box and offers a single 13MP camera on the back. Xiaomi launched the Redmi 9A in two configurations- 2GB+32GB at Rs 6,799 and 3GB+32GB at Rs 7,499.

iQOO Neo 6 Specifications, Pricing and Launch Timeline Surfaces Ahead of its Arrival Posted: 16 May 2022 08:33 AM PDT The Vivo-sub brand iQOO is gearing up for the launch of its iQOO Neo 6 smartphone in India sometime next week. The company had originally launched the smartphone in its domestic market last month in the mid-premium price segment. While the company is yet to make any official announcement regarding the device, a tipster has provided intel on the specifications and the launch timeline of the smartphone. Tipster Paras Guglani has shared a tweet in which he has listed the specifications of the smartphone along with other details. Let's take a look. iQOO Neo 6 Specifications iQOO Neo 6 could be launched with a 6.62-inch FHD+ E4 AMOLED display with 1300nits peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate as suggested by the tipster. We also expect that the smartphone will feature HDR10+ and an astonishing 1200Hz touch sampling rate while gaming. The tipster has also mentioned that the company might actually introduce two variants of the smartphone – with Snapdragon 870 and Snapdragon 870+ chipset options. The variant launched in China featured the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chip. iQOO Neo 6 will most likely feature up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The device will run on Android 12 based OriginOS Ocean and will be backed by a 4700mAh battery. It has been confirmed that iQOO Neo6 in India is going to pack an 80W charger like most of the iQOO smartphones in the country. As far as the camera specs are considered, iQOO Neo 6 might arrive with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 64MP main camera with optical image stabilization along with a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The front of the device is likely to feature a 16MP selfie snapper. Apart from these, the tipster has stated that iQOO Neo 6 could launch in India with a price tag above Rs 29,000 for the base variant and more than Rs 31,000 for the top variant. The device will be available in Interstellar and Dark Nova colour options in India. As mentioned above, the smartphone will probably launch next week in the country, however, will go on sale in starting of June.

Vivo Y01 Affordable Smartphone Goes Official in India at Rs 8,999 Posted: 16 May 2022 07:39 AM PDT The popular smartphone manufacturer Vivo has launched its Vivo Y01 budget smartphone in India. The company had originally introduced the device in Africa recently and the handset was first rumoured back in January this year revealing information about its design and specs. This entry-level smartphone has been launched by the company in India without any prior announcement and comes with a MediaTek chipset with a price mark being below Rs 10,000. Let's take a look at the specifications and price details of the new Vivo Y01 smartphone. Vivo Y01 Specifications and Price Vivo Y01 arrives with a display featuring a 6.51-inch HD+ waterdrop notch screen with 1600x720pixel resolution. The device has an IPS LCD display with a 60Hz refresh rate. As far as the design of the smartphone is considered, it features a flat back panel with a rectangular camera module. The handset has been equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Vivo Y01 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 chipset which is coupled with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The internal storage on the smartphone can be expanded up to 1TB via an external memory card. The smartphone is backed by a massive 5000mAh battery with support for standard 10W fast charging technology. Talking about the camera specifications of the smartphone, Vivo Y01 features a single 8MP camera on the back with an f/2.0 aperture. On the front of the smartphone, there is a 5MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The camera on the back has been equipped with multiple features such as Face Beauty and time-lapse mode. Vivo Y01 operates on Android 11 Go Edition based Funtouch OS 11.1 out of the box and connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi, dual-SIM support and 4G connectivity. Vivo Y01 has been priced in India at Rs 8,999 making it an affordable buy. The device has been launched in India with Elegant Black and Sapphire Blue colour options. Interested buyers can purchase the device from Vivo's official website and retail stores.

Hughes India President Explains Why Conflict of Spectrum Exists Between Satcom and Telecom Operators Posted: 16 May 2022 06:05 AM PDT The satellite communications (satcom) service providers and the telecom or terrestrial network service providers (TSPs) have contradicting views when it comes to spectrum auctions. First of all, the satcom sector didn't want India to hold an auction for allocating airwaves for satellite services. Instead, the satcom players were looking forward to an administrative allocation of spectrum. There is a demand from the satcom sector for reserving frequencies in the mmWave (millimetre wavelength) band for satcom services. But the telecom operators feel like this is not something that the telecom department should do. Pranav Roach, President, Hughes India, in an exclusive conversation with TelecomTalk, explained why there's a conflict between the views of satcom and telecom operators. Spectrum Auction Not Practical for Satcom Services The telecom operators want a spectrum auction in a uniform manner, but for satcom players, it isn't practical. "We are used to mobile spectrum being auctioned for the reason that it is a limited resource, and the government would also like to obviously realise the best value it can and find the best user for that spectrum. Now, unfortunately, that's physically or practically not possible in the satellite arena for the reason that the satellite technology works differently," explained Roach. "In order to have the satellite spectrum available, we must first have the satellite, and for that, you first must have an orbital slot. So when the orbital slot is allocated, the spectrum or the frequency comes along with that." "So now if you take away…..say I have the satellites in a particular orbital slot, and I have certain frequencies that have been allocated to me with that slot. Now I have already made an investment for the satellite based on that frequency allocation, and somebody cannot come and say that you know this frequency will be used by me. So, there is this conflict," Roach added. The telecom operators also want frequencies in the mmWave band to deliver the best possible 5G experience to the enterprises and consumers. But this stands to hurt the investments that the satcom players have already made.

Leased Broadband Connection: What is It and How Can It Help You Posted: 16 May 2022 05:36 AM PDT If you own a small business or an enterprise, a leased broadband connection can help you in numerous ways. First of all, in simple words, a leased broadband connection is also an internet broadband connection. So, what is the difference between a leased line and a normal connection? A leased line broadband connection is a dedicated connection with a fixed bandwidth. With a leased line, small businesses and enterprises can access the internet in a secure and reliable manner. The uptime of a leased line is also very high, which is what a business owner would prefer. A leased-line is also capable of delivering symmetrical download and upload speeds. But the biggest advantage of a leased line is that it is not shared with other customers. A traditional broadband connection is shared with a single line amongst several homes. But a leased line is only extended to a single business or enterprise to keep operations highly secure. Note that there are multiple types of leased lines. These include fiber leased lines, DSL leased lines, and MPLS leased lines. A fiber leased line is the best option for enabling high-speed internet access for enterprises. How Can It Help You? As mentioned, a leased line is beneficial for businesses and enterprises operating on a small scale. It helps with keeping operations secure as the line is not shared with other customers. Further, the speeds that leased fiber lines can deliver can comfortably range between 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps. But there's also the higher cost associated with a leased line that a business must consider. Since it is a dedicated line provided directly to a business/enterprise, its cost is naturally higher than a traditional connection. In addition to this, the installation cost and installation time is also more than what users get with a normal broadband connection. If you are a small business or enterprise owner, you can check for a leased broadband connection with some of the prominent internet service providers (ISPs) in your area.

JioPhone Next Now Available at Rs 4499 With Exchange Offer Posted: 16 May 2022 03:29 AM PDT Reliance Retail has just launched a limited time period offer for users to exchange their old devices for getting the JioPhone Next at just Rs 4,499. Here, the old devices constitute 4G smartphones, feature phones or any other functional smartphone. If the user is not going for the exchange offer, he/she can get the device for Rs 6,499. There are also financing options where users will have to pay a total of Rs 2,500 upfront, which also includes a processing fee of Rs 501. The rest of the amount will have to be paid by the user depending on the kind of plan he/she is going with. For getting more details about the plan, click/tap here. JioPhone Next Specifications The JioPhone Next is an affordable 4G smartphone that comes with a 5.45-inch Multitouch HD+ (720×1440 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top. It is a dual-SIM 4G smartphone and packs a 3500mAh battery inside. There's a single camera at the back holding a 13MP sensor, and at the front is an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calling. The highlight of the JioPhone Next is its OS. The OS is named Pragati OS, and it has been developed in India, keeping in mind the needs of Indian users. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC coupled with up to 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. JioPhone Next allows users to expand the storage up to 512GB via a microSD card. The JioPhone Next was launched late last year, and its high price didn't impress the analysts and the consumers much. The financing options coupled with calling and data plans took the price of the smartphone to Rs 14,000 levels which in no way is super affordable.

Samsung Galaxy M13 5G Spotted With 15W Fast-Charging Posted: 16 May 2022 02:56 AM PDT Samsung is reportedly going to launch the Galaxy M13 5G very soon. The smartphone has been spotted on FCC. As per the listing, the device will come with support for 15W fast charging. It is worth noting that recently, Samsung had launched two new 5G smartphones in the M series, namely Samsung Galaxy M53 5G and Samsung Galaxy M33 5G. According to a 91Mobiles report, the smartphone will not only be launched in India but will also be manufactured in the country. Last month, the device had already been spotted on the Bluetooth SIG certification, which revealed that it would support Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and also carry the model number SM-M135F. Now, the device has also been spotted on FCC with the same model number. Samsung Galaxy M13 5G Specifications (Expected) The Samsung Galaxy M13 5G is likely going to come with a dual-camera setup at the rear. The volume rockers are expected to be on the right side above the power button. The listing has confirmed that the Galaxy M13 5G will feature 15W fast charging. The smartphone is expected to debut with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display and a dual-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor. One thing that Samsung has consistently delivered with its M series smartphones is huge batteries. So we can expect that with the Galaxy M13 5G as well. Other specifications of the smartphone are in unknown at the moment. But with time, more information could come to the surface. Samsung hasn't committed to a date for the launch of this smartphone. However, since the device has been found listed on so many platforms, it is likely going to launch in the near future. The Samsung Galaxy M33 5G and the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G are already available in the Indian market. The M13 5G is expected to be more in the affordable range as compared to the M33 5G and the M53 5G.

WhatsApp Reportedly Planning to Add Preview Feature for Links in Status Posted: 16 May 2022 01:34 AM PDT WhatsApp Status has become one of the most popular places for users to post links to various websites to share interesting content with their contacts. But the thing is, right now, for users to see what the content is about, they have to click on the link, which then redirects the user to another webpage. But according to a spotting by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is planning to add a 'Preview' feature for the links that are shared on the WhatsApp Status. This will allow the user to check in advance what the article is about, and then they can decide whether they have to click on it or not. It will also help the person sharing the link on his/her status to promote the webpage/content via the link. The feature has been spotted on the iOS beta version of the application. The feature is likely going to be released for both the Android as well as the desktop version of the application. Apart from this, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a shortcut button which will enable users to respond to particular messages very fast. WhatsApp Recently Released These Features Officially It is worth noting that WhatsApp has already released new features for the application. First of all, emoji reactions have been brought to the app, which is a very big convenience in the chatting experience. The emoji reactions were already available for some other Meta owned chatting applications such as Facebook Messenger and Instagram. In addition to this, WhatsApp will now allow users to send files of sizes up to 2GB. Earlier, users had to leverage applications such as Telegram to send big files to their contacts. These are very newly added features and are available for users across the world. If you can't see these features on your application, ensure that your WhatsApp app is updated to the latest version.

Etisalat to Get 4.67% Indirect Stake in Vodafone Idea Posted: 16 May 2022 12:06 AM PDT The Emirates Telecommunications Group (Etisalat) will be getting an indirect 4.67% stake in Vodafone Idea (Vi). Etisalat is getting a 9.8% stake in the Vodafone Plc UK for $4.4 billion. Note that Vodafone Plc already owns around 47% stake in the Indian telco Vodafone Idea. Thus, Etisalat will also get an indirect 4.67% stake in Vodafone Idea. Etisalat will be making an entry into the Indian telecom market yet again. But this time, it would be with Vodafone Idea's stake, which the company will get on an indirect basis. It is unknown whether Vi will get a direct investment from Etisalat. Etisalat Had Exited Indian Telecom Market in February 2012 The UAE (United Arab Emirates) based telecom major had made its entry into India back in 2008. But the company had to shut shop because the Supreme Court had cancelled around 122 telecom licenses owing to the 2G scam. Thus, Etisalat stopped operations in India in February 2012. This had affected around 16.7 lakh Indian subscribers at the time. The company had said that its future participation in India would come again only when there are clear rules around the spectrum auctions. But after a few years from 2012, India's telecom sector wasn't left as a very fertile ground for the investors as Jio's entry had turned the market upside down. But right now, with investments allowed under the 100% FDI (foreign direct investment) route in the telecom sector, Etisalat could pick up more stake in Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is already looking for external investors to raise capital for increasing capex levels. The telecom sector has also become a lot more stable for investors to look at from a short-term to medium-term perspective. Reforms 2.0 are also in the process of being introduced, which will aid the telecom sector further in doing better business. More developments should come in the following days.

5G Spectrum Price Likely to be Firmly Decided this Week: Report Posted: 15 May 2022 11:40 PM PDT 5G spectrum auction is what every telecom enthusiast in India is waiting for. The telecom operators are looking forward to the decision of the Cabinet, which will finalise the spectrum pricing for the auctions. It is worth noting that the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the top body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), had endorsed the pricing recommendations given by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). However, the final call on whether the price for airwaves needs to be reduced or not will be taken by the cabinet. The telecom sector stakeholders have expressed their dissatisfaction over the pricing, so it will be interesting to see what's the final call of the Cabinet. According to a Financial Express report, the Cabinet will take the call on the 5G airwaves pricing this week and, along with that, decide on whether the spectrum will be auctioned for 20 years or 30 years. The Cabinet is likely to allow what TRAI had suggested, which was that the telcos could either opt for airwaves for 20 years or for 30 years at 1.5x the price suggested for 20 years. This is also something that the telecom operators are not very happy with. 5G Spectrum Auctions to Take Place in July As per the report from the publication, once the Cabinet takes the call, the DoT will proceed to release the notice inviting application (NIA) by May 25. It usually takes around 54 days for the NIA to hold the spectrum auctions. Thus, the spectrum auctions could take place in July sometime and then in August, Indian telcos could proceed with the 5G network launch. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is looking for India to launch 5G networks by August 15, 2022. Thus, the telecom department will get to allocating the airwaves as soon as the auctions are over so that telcos can proceed to launch 5G fast.

Qualcomm Expected to Announce Two New Processors on May 20 Posted: 15 May 2022 10:10 PM PDT The popular American chipmaker Qualcomm has scheduled a launch event in China on May 20. The company took over its official Weibo account to make the official announcement of the event. While nothing is confirmed, it is very likely that the brand will introduce its Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus and Snapdragon 7 Gen1 chipset at the event. The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus will arrive with few updates and changes over the company's current flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 processor which was launched back in December 2021. Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen1 The company has been working on its Snapdragon 7 Gen1 chipset for a while now and it is the first product to be a part of the company's 7-series processors. While the details are still unknown, the upcoming 7-series processor will arrive with an octa-core CPU including four performance and four efficiency cores. Rumours suggest that the Snapdragon 7 Gen1 chipset will feature ARM Cortex A710 and Cortex A510 cores clocked at 2.3GHz and 1.8GHz respectively. It is also speculated that the latest processor from the company will come with an integrated Adreno 662 GPU. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus Talking about the other chipset that the brand is anticipated to introduce – Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus, a recent report says that it carries model number SM8475 and will make its debut in the month of May. It is speculated that the new chipset from the company is built on TSMC's 4nm fabrication process. In comparison, the current most powerful chipset from the brand – Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is based on Samsung's 4nm process. The chipset is expected to feature a Cortex X2 prime core with 2.99GHz frequency, in what is expected to be a 1 + 3 + 4 core configuration. Apart from the primary core, the processor is said to be arriving with three Cortex A710 cores and four Cortex A510 cores. Some reports also state that Qualcomm will be introducing some marginal upgrades on the GPU of the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Plus.

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