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• First 5G Call in India Made, But the Reality is 5G Is Still Far Away
• TRAI to Soon Start Working on KYC Based Caller Name Mechanism
• Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea are Trying to Make Super Mobile Apps
• Disney+ Hotstar Three Months Subscription Available for Rs 151 Only
• Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus has Been Spotted, Check Out Details
• 5G Network Slicing Contradicts Net Neutrality Principles, Says COAI Director General
• Oppo Reno8 Specifications Revealed via TENNA Listing
• Internet Speed Throttling, Is It Happening With You
• Tata Play or Airtel Digital TV, Whose OTT STB Is a Better Option
• 5G Network Capabilities Can Be Attained With Small Cells Deployment, Says Dipa
• Jio to Offer 1.5GB of Free Data and More for 4 Days to Users in North East and Assam
• OnePlus Nord 2T Launched With Dimensity 1300 Chipset, Triple Cameras and More

First 5G Call in India Made, But the Reality is 5G Is Still Far Away Posted: 20 May 2022 03:53 AM PDT The private telecom operators have been working for months now to upgrade their networks and make them 5G ready. 5G trials have also been going on for quite some time now and multiple new innovate use-cases have been discovered already. Much recently, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's telecom minister made a call over 5G network at the IIT Madras. This was quite a breakthrough for India and something positive for the telecom sector as well. But the hard truth is, we are still months away from seeing first commercial 5G network being rolled out in India. The Cabinet approval for the spectrum auction recommendations is yet to come. Once that arrives, DoT (Department of Telecommunications) will start preparing for the spectrum auctions. Which Cities to Get 5G in India? The DoT had earlier said that 5G networks would be first launched in 13 cities of the country. These are most likely going to be the cities where the 5G trials are already going on. The telcos are expected to soft launch the commercial 5G networks and see the response they get and then expand to the other cities and circles. Even if the telcos wanted to, they couldn't launch 5G networks in every part of the country. First of all, the cost would be too huge and second, they would require a ready infrastructure everywhere which is not the case for most parts of India. The fact of the matter is, we don't even know the kind of participation the telcos will make in the 5G spectrum auction. On top of that, there's no hard evidence or development that 5G spectrum auction would take place in June-July 2022 only. The government has a very ambitious goal of seeing live 5G networks in India by August 15, 2022. However, that is very unlikely given the pace at which things are unfolding in the country.

TRAI to Soon Start Working on KYC Based Caller Name Mechanism Posted: 20 May 2022 02:54 AM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will soon start working on a new mechanism that will display the name (registered during KYC process) of the caller on the receiver's phone. The regulatory body has already received a reference for the same from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and will soon start consultation. According to a PTI report, the consultation for this mechanism will being in a few months. PD Vaghela, chairman, TRAI said that they will start working on this soon and the name as per KYC will appear when someone calls. Mobile Calling Experience Will Become Safer for Indians While it will take a bit of time for the consultation to start, it will make voice calling experience very safe for Indians. Since the official name as per KYC will be displayed, users will get to know who is calling them even when a call is from an unknown number. It is worth noting that the telecom operators ask users to complete the KYC process before they issue a SIM card to them. With this mechanism, greater accuracy and transparency can be maintained which will lead to less mobile frauds. Currently, there are a lot of unknowns about this mechanism. There's also a whole legal factor which will surround this topic. There are already name identification applications such as Truecaller and more. But these apps are often not very accurate. However, with the TRAI mechanism, if the name displayed will be extracted from the KYC data, it would mean much higher level of transparency. Again, TRAI has not even started consulting on the matter so nothing can be said about how this mechanism would finally work. But according to the TRAI chairman, the regulatory body would soon start consultation on the matter and build a mechanism around it. Developments such as this would bring higher level of transparency and trust into the telecom services provided in India.

Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea are Trying to Make Super Mobile Apps Posted: 20 May 2022 02:32 AM PDT All the private telecom operators in India are trying to do one thing very desperately – create a super mobile app. Be it Jio or Airtel, or Vi; all are in the race to make their mobile app a super app that contains not only facilities to recharge or check data balance but do much more. Case in point, Vodafone Idea now allows users to stream music, play games, and even find jobs through its mobile app. The telcos are trying to create a whole marketplace or an ecosystem inside their app, and Vodafone Idea seems to be doing a lot of unique things. But Bharti Airtel isn't behind either. Airtel has a whole online payments bank inside its mobile app. Now that counts for something. Bharti Airtel is the only telco which is offering online banking services inside the application. Further, there is Airtel Thanks and more which allows the telco to monetise its mobile platform by partnering up with multiple brands. When it comes to Reliance Jio, the telco offers a wide range of mini-apps which can be downloaded from within the application. There's JioSaavn, a music streaming service, JioHealthHub, and so much more. Making Super Mobile Apps Will Allow the Telcos to Monetise the Platform Better The more customers these telcos acquire, the more customers can be signed-up and onboarded for their apps. These mobile apps offer the telcos an opportunity to partner with multiple other platforms to offer services and make extra money. The Indian telcos can't just rely on their mobile revenues, which no doubt are going up. But to build a robust revenue model, these telcos also need to make money through other means. This is where these mobile platforms come into the scene. It is a simple business model and one that works only with scale. The more customers these telcos have on their apps, the more third-party platforms would want to be a part of it. This also opens up an opportunity for the telcos to see the behavioural pattern of their users. What kind of music do they listen to, what kind of entertainment they are searching for, and more. This data is very crucial as the advertisers can pay top bucks for it. So, the next time you see the telcos offering you a better deal inside their mobile application or luring you to sign-up for it, then know that in the long run, they are looking to make money off your data or your presence. Note that neither of these "business plans I have mentioned" above is confirmed by the telcos themselves.

Disney+ Hotstar Three Months Subscription Available for Rs 151 Only Posted: 20 May 2022 01:01 AM PDT Disney+ Hotstar, one of the most popular over-the-top (OTT) platforms globally, is now available for Rs 151 only. For this price, users will get the subscription to the OTT platform for three months. This means users are essentially paying Rs 50.33 per month for the subscription. But the thing is, this is not a direct subscription. You can't buy it directly from the OTT platform's website. If you want it, you will have to go for the Rs 151 data voucher from Vodafone Idea (Vi). That's right, Vodafone Idea is offering its Rs 151 voucher with a three months subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile. Let's check out the complete benefits of the data voucher. Vodafone Idea Rs 151 Voucher That Offers Free Disney+ Hotstar Mobile Subscription Vodafone Idea had recently announced a bunch of 4G data vouchers for the users. The Rs 151 voucher was amongst them. With this voucher, users get 8GB of data which can be used in a lumpsum manner. Since it is a 4G only voucher, users only get data with it. There are no voice calling or SMS benefits offered with the same. The Disney+ Hotstar Mobile subscription will be a complimentary offer with this data voucher, and the users won't have to pay anything extra in order to activate it. If you want to spend less but still get a free subscription to an OTT platform, then you can go for Vi's Rs 82 data voucher. It was also announced recently only, and it brings users a free subscription to the SonyLIV platform. With the Rs 82 voucher, users get 4GB of lumpsum data, which comes with a validity of 14 days. Note that the SonyLIV subscription offered with the plan only carries a validity of 28 days. So if you want it again, you can purchase the same data voucher after the 28 days are over.

Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus has Been Spotted, Check Out Details Posted: 19 May 2022 11:45 PM PDT Smartphones in the mid-range segment have become quite confusing. There are just so many options with so many similar names and subtle differences that it becomes hard for a tech fan to remember all the details. Now, Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus has been spotted on Geekbench. The smartphone has been reportedly spotted with the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC. This particular chipset is meant for high-end smartphones, if not flagships. Thus, if Xiaomi is planning to pull off the Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus in the Rs 25,000 range with the Dimensity 8100 SoC, it could be a game-changer. Check Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus Geekbench Scores The Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus scored 4170 in a single-core and 6379 in multi-core test. The device was spotted by MySmartPrice, and from the listing, it can be seen that it will launch with Android 12 out of the box. The model listed on the platform has 8GB of RAM. Note that the name of the chipset hasn't been revealed in the listing. But the chipset specifications, including four 2.85 GHz clocked cores and four efficiency cores clocked at 2.0 GHz along with an ARM Mali-G610 MC6 GPU onboard, means that it is none other than the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC. The company, earlier today, confirmed that it would be launching the Redmi Note 11T Pro Plus on May 24 in China. The device had also been found listed on 3C, and it hinted that it would come with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with support for 144Hz refresh rate. Further, the device could come with up to 512GB of internal storage. Now, this is something that might make many users excited about the smartphone. The device could pack a 5000mAh battery inside with support for 120W fast-charging. More specifications and price of the smartphone will be revealed once the device is officially launched on May 24, 2022.

5G Network Slicing Contradicts Net Neutrality Principles, Says COAI Director General Posted: 19 May 2022 10:20 PM PDT The Cellular Operators Association of India's (COAI) director general SP Kochhar talking about the 5G network slicing said that the use of 5G networks for specific use cases will be in direct contradiction to net neutrality laws in India and added if the network slicing and differentiated experiences are offered on the network. He also further warned about the increased potential threats of the cybersecurity attacks when the 5G networks arrive stating that telecom operators should be prepared. Problem With Network Slicing SP Kochhar was speaking at a panel discussion at the 5G India Leadership Summit 2022. He mentioned that the flexibility of 5G networks arises from network slicing and edge computing which is a direct contradiction to the rules of net neutrality. He stated that net neutrality doesn't allow giving preferred services to a particular segment which is exactly what happens with network slicing and edge computing. For those unaware, network slicing enables 5G operators to run multiple virtualised and independent networks on a shared physical architecture. This allows for each slice to be dedicated to a specific use case, thus creating different experiences for different people. On the other hand, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rule says that the network should be neutral to all the information being transmitted through it. All communication passing through a network should be treated equally, independent of its content, application, service, device, sender or recipient address. In addition to this, the COAI director-general also talked about threats to cybersecurity with the arrival of 5G networks. Kochhar stated that when the 5G network gets rolled out, millions of devices will come online and telecom operators need to be prepared to handle the rise in any kind of cybersecurity issues. He said that cybersecurity has to be organically built into 5G networks and these networks are not ready yet. Separately at the same summit, the chief regulatory and corporate affairs officer at Vodafone Idea, P Balaji appealed for the 5G spectrum to be made more affordable. He said that the revenue streams and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) will not go up with the current scenario. He also added that the street furniture should be made available rapidly at a very low cost and on a shared basis for the four telcos in the country.

Oppo Reno8 Specifications Revealed via TENNA Listing Posted: 19 May 2022 09:35 PM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo is all set to launch its Oppo Reno8 series in China on May 23. The series will consist of OPPO Reno8, Reno8 Pro, and Reno8 Pro+ smartphones. Recent reports have revealed the model numbers of the devices corresponding to the monikers. Oppo Reno8 Pro will arrive with a PGAM10 model number, the Pro+ model will have a PGZM10 model number and lastly, the base model – Reno8 will come with model number PGBM10. Now in a new development, the vanilla Reno8 has appeared on the TENNA certification site revealing the majority of the key details regarding the specs. Let's find out. Oppo Reno 8 Specifications The TENNA listing of the Oppo Reno8 handset has also confirmed that the model number of the handset is PGBM10. According to the TENNA certification site, Oppo Reno8 will arrive with a 6.43-inch AMOLED punch-hole screen that offers an FHD+ resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is powered by a 3GHz octa-core processor which is most likely going to be the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset. The processor on the device could be coupled with 8 GB / 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB / 256 GB of built-in storage. The device has a 2,200mAh dual-cell battery which means it will have a combined capacity of 4500mAh. The battery will be supported by an 80W fast charge technology. As far as the camera specifications of the smartphone are considered, Oppo Reno8 will arrive with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary camera along with two 2MP secondary cameras. The front of the smartphone will have a 32MP selfie camera. The smartphone will operate on Android 12 OS and will come in Slightly Drunk, Clear Sky Blue, and Night Tour Black colour options. OPPO Reno8 has 160 x 73.4 x 7.67mm dimensions and weighs around 179 grams.

Internet Speed Throttling, Is It Happening With You Posted: 19 May 2022 08:24 PM PDT Internet speed is an important factor in determining the kind of experience that you have with whatever you are doing online. But there could have been instances where your internet service provider (ISP) might have throttled the speed of the connection for you. If you don't know, internet speed throttling is when your ISP deliberately caps the speed limit offered with your connection. Most of the time, this is done to avoid any capacity limitation issues and to ensure that everyone gets internet access in an equal manner during peak hours. If you want to check whether your ISP is throttling your internet speed, do this. USE VPN to Check One of the easiest ways you can find if your ISP is throttling the internet speed is by first running a speed test on your mobile. Note the speed and then run another speed test, but this time, activate VPN on your device. Check the speed now. If the speed is faster than before, it is likely that your ISP is throttling the internet speed. In India, with only a handful of telecom operators, there have been several times when the telcos have been accused of throttling internet speeds. This most likely doesn't happen today as all the operators have deployed additional spectrum and prepared a better backhaul for meeting capacity demands. But there could be scenarios where your ISP could be throttling the internet speed of your connection without you knowing. The thing is, the ISPs will never submit to the fact that they do this. It is because it would put them in a bad light, and users might leave their network or services. But this is something that almost every telecom operator has been accused of. It is hard to know now whether these accusations were true or not, but the users have felt like their internet speed was being throttled.

Tata Play or Airtel Digital TV, Whose OTT STB Is a Better Option Posted: 19 May 2022 06:41 PM PDT   Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV are two of the top Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in the country. Both the companies provide a premium OTT Set-Top Box (STB) to their users, giving them access to their favourite shows and programs on the go. The OTT STB from Tata Play is called Tata Play Binge+ STB whereas Airtel offers its Airtel Xstream Box. However, if you are a new buyer, it might be a little confusing when deciding which one to go for. Both the service providers offer different benefits that one should compare before purchasing. Mentioned below is a detailed comparison between OTT STB from Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV to see which is ahead. Tata Play Binge+ STB Tata Play Binge+ STB comes with multiple benefits that allow users to get a great experience of TV + content from their favourite OTT apps on a single screen. The Tata Play Binge+ comes at a price tag of Rs 2,199 which the company's website says has been brought down from Rs 2,499 allowing you to save Rs 300. You get Tata Play Binge with 12 premium apps absolutely free for the first month along with free installation and a free one-year warranty. After a period of one month, users can continue with the Tata Play Binge for Rs 299 per month. The Tata Play Binge includes a monthly subscription to multiple OTT platforms such as Disney+ Hotstar, Sony LIV, Eros Now and more. Tata Play Binge+ STB also comes with access to one month of Amazon Prime Video after which you can continue it for Rs 179 per month. Other notable features of the Tata Play Binge+ STB include a built-in Chromecast, Tata Play On-Demand Library with 1000s of shows & movies, a voice Search Remote powered by Google Assistant, the ability to record up to 25hours of programs with Tata Play Record Plan, showcase movies, 2 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory, 5000+ apps and games from Google Play Store and Live TV through satellite or internet Airtel Xstream Box The Airtel Xstream Box is a new age DTH television box that enhances any television into a smart TV. The Airtel Xstream Box comes at a price tag of Rs 2,000 and offers slightly better benefits. For the one-time payment of Rs 2,000 users get the Airtel Xstream Set-Top Box, the outdoor unit (dish antenna, wire), the remote, delivery and installation. This also includes subscriptions to linear TV channels, the validity of which is as per the offer available for the users. Moreover, Airtel Xstream Box also comes with access to a free three-month subscription to the content on the Airtel Xstream app which includes Sony Liv, Lionsgate Play, Eros Now and more. It is also pre-integrated with a three-month subscription to Amazon Prime Video. After the said period of three months, in order to avail of the features of the Airtel Xstream Box including accessing OTT apps and online content, users have to keep their Airtel DTH account recharged with a minimal monthly amount. The monthly packs begin from as low as Rs 153. The Airtel Xstream Box runs on Android 9.0 Pie-based Android TV OS and through the Google Play Store has access to 5000+ Apps and Games. The Airtel Xstream Box is a DTH STB which is integrated with a Chromecast so that it can stream OTT content in addition to the usual DTH services. Users can also search for their content using Google Assistant directly from their remote.

5G Network Capabilities Can Be Attained With Small Cells Deployment, Says Dipa Posted: 19 May 2022 09:28 AM PDT The Delhi-based industry group Dipa has shared insights that could help attain 10 Gbps – 20 Gbps capabilities in the fifth generation or 5G era. According to the director-general at Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (Dipa), Tilak Raj, there is a need to deploy small cells and fibre across telecom infrastructure sites in order to achieve these goals. For those unaware, Dipa represents telecom infrastructure providers such as ATC Tower Corporation, Tower Vision, Indus Towers and V-Con Telecom Towers. Why Small Cells? Tilak Raj Dua in a statement said that a Traditional microwave can only provide speeds of 500 Mbps-1 Gbps whereas an E-band-based microwave can provide 1-2.5 Gbps of speed depending on the allocation of the number of spots. However, to achieve capacities of 10-20 Gbps, there is a need to deploy small cells and fibre across all the tower sites. The director-general at Dipa talked about the crucial role of small cells in the 5G network rollout. He stated that small cells will support a higher number of users simultaneously facilitating a low-cost deployment. Putting it in simpler words, the infrastructure provider’s representative believes that the deployment of small cells might result in the provision of customised coverage for private 5G networks. Dua went on to state that the telecom towers will play a key role once the 5G network arrives as it is much more efficient for telecom operators to share or lend infrastructure than to start from scratch, and tower companies offer this infrastructure for sharing on a non-discriminatory basis. Speaking at the 5G India Leadership Summit 2022, Dua stated that small cells will not only provide scalability at a low-cost but will also provide the same enhanced speed, capacity and ultra-low latency in hyper-dense areas as the 5G networks will focus on. Currently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to finalise the next modalities for the next spectrum sale after it receives approval from the cabinet. The government is aiming to 5auction 5G airwaves somewhere around August 15. Dua stated that the latest technology is just around the corner and the telecom industry and the government is trying to close all loose ends to make the rollout smooth suggesting that small cells would help efficiently enable infrastructure.

Jio to Offer 1.5GB of Free Data and More for 4 Days to Users in North East and Assam Posted: 19 May 2022 09:05 AM PDT Reliance Jio has announced that it will be offering four days of complimentary unlimited benefits plan to the affected users in Assam. The telecom operator has announced that users will get 1.5GB of daily data, 100 SMS/day and unlimited voice calling under this initiative. This is a step from Reliance Jio to help the users who are negatively impacted due to heavy rain in Assam. People living in districts including Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong East, Karbi Anglong West, Hojai and Cachar in Assam will get a complimentary plan from Reliance Jio. Jio’s Message to the Customers in Assam Jio said in a message sent to customers in Assam, "During last few days your service experience was impacted due to extreme weather conditions. As a goodwill gesture, we have applied a complimentary 4-day unlimited plan on your number.” This is a good step from the telco and it will be offered to the Jio users living in the area. Users will get these benefits automatically from the telco and they don't have to pay anything against it. The benefits are offered as a help to the people who are seriously affected by the heavy rain in different districts of the state.

OnePlus Nord 2T Launched With Dimensity 1300 Chipset, Triple Cameras and More Posted: 19 May 2022 08:34 AM PDT The popular smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has finally introduced its much-anticipated OnePlus Nord 2T smartphone globally. The device has been in the rumour mill for quite some time and a lot of details were already known. OnePlus Nord 2T is the first smartphone from the brand which is T-numbered. OnePlus Nord 2T arrives with a MediaTek chipset, an AMOLED display, triple cameras and more. Let's take a look at the specifications and price details of the new OnePlus Nord 2T smartphone. OnePlus Nord 2T Specs OnePlus Nord 2T has been launched with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for a 90Hz refresh rate. The device comes with a hole-punch cutout at the top left corner of the screen housing the selfie camera. The display screen also has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. OnePlus Nord 2T is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset which is one of the latest processors from the Taiwanese chipmaker. The processor on the device is coupled with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB UFS 3.1 storage and 12GB LPDDR4X RAM with 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The internal storage of the smartphone is not expandable. The handset operates on Android 12 with Oxygen OS 12 on top. The brand has announced two years of system updates and three years of security updates with Nord 2T. Talking about the camera specifications Nord 2T comes featuring a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP Sony IMX766 main camera sensor with support for OIS. The secondary cameras include an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor. The front of the smartphone arrives with a 32MP selfie camera. The device is backed by a 4500mAh battery with support for 80W fast charging. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC, Beidou, Galileo, and USB Type-C port for charging and data sync. OnePlus Nord 2T Price OnePlus Nord 2T has been launched for a starting price of EUR 399 which is about Rs 32,400. The smartphone comes in Gray Shadow and Jade Fog colour options and will be available for sale via Amazon and the official website of OnePlus.

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