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• 5G: Indian Telcos Getting Help from State Govts With RoW Charges, Here’s Why
• BSNL Offers a Very Attractive OTT Packed Broadband Plan With 100 Mbps Speed
• Reliance Jio Had Added Universal+ OTT Subscription With JioFiber Plans
• Vodafone Idea Took These Green Initiatives in FY22
• Direct-to-Mobile and 5G Broadband to Disrupt DTH, Cable TV Business
• Apple Planning Something Big to End Search-Engine Monopoly Globally
• 5G Launch in India Most Likely to be Delayed Given No Response from Cabinet Yet
• OnePlus 9 Pro Now Available at Rs 44,999 in India till June 30
• BSNL STV 229 Gives Access to Premium Games and Has 30 Days Validity
• Bharti Airtel Most Budget Friendly Prepaid Plans Which Also Offer Texting Benefits
• ACT Fibernet Powered 200+ Wi-Fi Hotspots Launched by Tamil Nadu Govt

5G: Indian Telcos Getting Help from State Govts With RoW Charges, Here’s Why Posted: 04 Jun 2022 11:46 PM PDT Many Indian state governments have reduced RoW (Right of Way) charges for deploying OFC (Optical Fiber Cable) and mobile towers for the telecom operators. This has happened very recently, and the telcos will get a huge relief because of that, as their costs for setting up new infrastructure and rolling out networks would go down significantly. So why are the state government's finally coming around together and aligning their RoW policies with the Indian Telegraphy RoW rules 2016? Here’s why I think this is happening. Pressure from Central Government The Central government must have had a role in this. The telecom sector is the backbone of the country and absolutely crucial for the development of the masses. The Central government knew the kind of high rubbish charges that telcos had to pay in many states for just rolling out fiber. This slowed down the growth of India's digital journey by making it a bad investment for the telcos. But by reducing the charges for laying fiber, many state governments have shown support for the Central government's vision of building a digital India. But this is not all. I think there's another selfish reason as well. Every State Would Want 5G to Arrive Fast Every state government would want its people to get access to 5G networks as fast as possible. But 5G would require a dense infrastructure setup. This wouldn't have been possible with high RoW charges. Thus, in order to get the telcos' attention, the state governments have started reducing RoW charges. COAI's Role The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has played a major role in communicating with the authorities and working with them closely to bring about a change in RoW policies in many states. The industry body, which represents the private telcos, had been pushing for the state governments to align their RoW policies with that of the Indian Telegraphy RoW rules 2016. All of these factors have helped the telcos majorly as many states have updated their RoW policies and reduced the charges for laying fiber and installing mobile towers. This will help the telcos significantly with the 5G rollout, which is not too far from now.

BSNL Offers a Very Attractive OTT Packed Broadband Plan With 100 Mbps Speed Posted: 04 Jun 2022 06:32 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) can be a very good company for getting a fiber broadband connection from. While the state-run telco is behind in the mobile business when compared with the private telcos, it is definitely a strong contender when it comes to broadband services in the country. Right now, if you are looking for an affordable broadband plan with decent speed which also offers OTT (over-the-top) benefits to the consumers, well, BSNL has a very solid option for you because of this one plan mentioned below. BSNL Broadband Plan With OTT Benefits that Comes With 100 Mbps Speed Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited offers its fiber broadband services under the brand 'Bharat Fibre'. The telco offers multiple options to the users. However, focusing on the plan which comes with 100 Mbps speed and also offers OTT benefits costs Rs 749. One thing that you must know about this plan is that it is not available in every circle. For example, this Rs 749 plan won't be in the offering from BSNL for users in Chandigarh but is available in Chhattisgarh. BSNL calls its Rs 749 plan – 'SuperStar Premium – 1'. The benefits of this plan comprise 100 Mbps internet speed with 1000GB or 1TB of data. Once the fair usage policy (FUP) data is exhausted, users will have to continue consuming the internet at 5 Mbps speed. In addition to this, BSNL will offer users a free fixed-line connection for voice calls. But the company won't provide the telephone gear; users will have to purchase it on their own from the market. As mentioned above, this broadband plan is packed with OTT benefits. With the Rs 749 fiber broadband plan from BSNL, users will get free subscriptions to the following OTT platforms – SonyLIV Premium, ZEE5 Premium, Voot, and YuppTV-Live. Note that the price of the plan doesn't include GST. Regardless, the total cost of the plan would be near about Rs 900, which is not a bad deal considering the benefits that users get with this plan. While 1000GB of data is not less, BSNL still could have offered 3.3TB of monthly FUP data like other private internet service providers (ISPs) to give its offering a bigger edge or advantage over the competition.

Reliance Jio Had Added Universal+ OTT Subscription With JioFiber Plans Posted: 04 Jun 2022 06:14 AM PDT Reliance Jio's fiber broadband arm JioFiber is now offering users a new OTT (Over-the-top) benefit of Universal+. This OTT benefit has only been bundled by the telco in its broadband plans which already came with OTT benefits. So, the base OTT bundled prepaid broadband plan from JioFiber, which comes for Rs 999 and offers 150 Mbps speed, will also bundle a Universal+ subscription for the users. Jio hasn't reduced any other OTT subscriptions from its plans but has only added an extra one. Note that the company has been offering this particular OTT subscription for a little while now, but it wasn't offered originally to the users when JioFiber OTT plans were announced. JioFiber Offers Some of the Best OTT Bundled Prepaid and Postpaid Broadband Plans Not long back, JioFiber had announced new postpaid broadband plans. The company had already been offering prepaid broadband plans for a long-time now. If you are looking for an OTT bundled broadband plan, JioFiber is arguably the best option for you in India. Sure, there are other options like Airtel and BSNL if you want broadband plans with OTT benefits, but JioFiber plans are the best because you can also claim a Set-Top Box (STB) from the company. This STB is offered for free if you are purchasing an OTT plan from JioFiber. So, all the OTT benefits that you get with your broadband plan will enable you to watch the content directly on your TV. The best thing is, you don't even need a Smart TV for that. Even if you have an old TV, you can just plug in the Jio STB and start watching content from your favourite OTT platforms. JioFiber's broadband plans are comparatively better because of the sheer number of OTT subscriptions that users get. With the Rs 999 broadband plan of the telco, users get a total of 16 OTT benefits which also include Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and more.

Vodafone Idea Took These Green Initiatives in FY22 Posted: 04 Jun 2022 05:03 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in India, recently shared its green business practices. 'Green' here implies good for nature. In FY22, the telco continued to adopt environmentally sustainable practices laid down by the company's Energy and Carbon Management Policy. In FY22, VIL (Vodafone Idea Limited) was able to achieve a 25% reduction in energy consumption in outdoor BTS compared to indoor BTS – over 75% of the telco's BTS portfolio is outdoors. The company continued with its diesel elimination project to reduce carbon footprint, and it carried on at over 16,000 sites. VIL said that it implemented power-saving features to reduce overall energy consumption during FY22. Further, 100% of the telecom equipment that VIL procured over the last year comprised of low power consuming telecom hardware. VIL Has Solar Solutions at More than 2000 Sites in India Vodafone Idea said that it has over 2400 sites equipped with solar solutions, and there are off-site renewable energy (RE) deployments in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, etc. The telco is also focused on upgrading or modernising its old hardware to reduce overall power consumption. VIL is also running a green initiative to save trees. The company had converted its commercial approval process to online from paper, which resulted in saving over 32,500 A4 sheets, which is equivalent to saving almost 250 kg of wood. In addition to this, the Vodafone Idea Foundation (VIF), the CSR arm of Vi, is dedicated to promoting the idea of a green planet at the school level. Starting June 7, VIF's educational programs will cover five weeks of awareness campaign on 'Climate Change' in each of the schools it is working. Every corporate and business today needs to take active measures to ensure that they are not harming the environment while conducting operations. Big companies such as Vodafone Idea need to stay at the front with green initiatives to promote a green planet.

Direct-to-Mobile and 5G Broadband to Disrupt DTH, Cable TV Business Posted: 04 Jun 2022 02:37 AM PDT The world is moving fast towards content over the internet on the go. This is what is boosting the growth of the over-the-top (OTT) sector in India as well. India is a country with very affordable data rates and the telecom operators have worked hard to ensure that their networks reach most parts of the country. As the technology evolves, the Direct-to-Mobile (DTM) model of consuming content would become quite common in the coming years. This would definitely affect the current cable TV as well as the Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators majorly. Apurva Chandra, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Secretary said that consumption of broadband and utilisation of spectrum in India would improve the convergence between DTM and 5G networks. 5G Rollout to Ensure High-Quality Content Visuals If bandwidth has been an issue for you until now for watching anything in great quality over the internet, well, 5G would change that for you. Chandra was speaking at the 'Direct-to-Mobile and 5G Broadband – Convergence Roadmap for India' conclave at IIT Kanpur. He said that the arrival of 5G and DTM would entail some infrastructure changes besides regulation. According to an Exchange4Media report, Chandra said that once DTM technology and 5G are formally launched, they would disrupt the current/traditional distribution platforms. He was talking about the DTH and the cable TV business. DTM would ensure that users won't have to rely on a mediator company or a distribution platform for consuming content from the broadcasters. This might mean a reduced cost for watching content over the long run. Even the broadcasters will be able to benefit from this as they will gain access to a completely new set of users and be able to get more behavioural data from the consumers. Chandra said that with the arrival of DTM, even the viewing habits of the users in India will change completely and news consumption will grow manifold in the country.

Apple Planning Something Big to End Search-Engine Monopoly Globally Posted: 04 Jun 2022 12:57 AM PDT Apple, one of the largest tech companies in the world, is planning something exciting and out of the blue for users. The company is known for building a strong ecosystem of products and services which integrate with each other very well. The Cupertino tech giant is now reportedly planning the launch of a new search engine. Tech blogger Robert Scoble has predicted a list of things that the world will get to see during the upcoming WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) event that is going to kick off on June 6, 2022. One of the things that Scoble mentioned was an Apple-owned search engine. There's already an Apple internet browser called Safari, which is now being used by more than a billion users globally. Very soon, we could also see Apple's own search engine too, which might be the default search engine for Safari. Apple Could End Google's Monopoly While there are plenty of other search engines present, no search engine enjoys the kind of attention that Google does. It is almost a monopoly of Google over the search-engine business. Apple could give Google a potential threat with its own search engine. Talking to TechRadar, Scoble said the information around the search engine is based on his sources and partly on deduction. Thus, there's not very hard evidence present that Apple is, in fact, planning to enter the search engine business as well. The upcoming WWDC 2022 event is going to be a very exciting one. We will get to see new generation operating systems across Apple's product lines, including Macs, iPads, and iPhones. Further, we could see announcements around the new M2 chipset and the products that it will power in the near future. Apple's WWDC event will shed light on whether there's a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (both 13.3-inches) in the company's plans or not.

5G Launch in India Most Likely to be Delayed Given No Response from Cabinet Yet Posted: 03 Jun 2022 11:55 PM PDT Everyone's waiting for the 5G launch in India. The telcos have made their networks ready for handling higher demand and have tested multiple innovative use-cases to ensure that they can monetise as fast as possible with commercial 5G rollout. However, given the pace at which the developments are taking place, it is unlikely that the 5G launch in the country would go as planned. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is still waiting for the Cabinet to give its final decision on matters related to spectrum auction. But the Cabinet, which was expected to reply before the end of May, hasn't announced anything yet. The first week of June is almost over, and until the time there's a response from the Cabinet, DoT can't release Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the spectrum auction. PMO's Goal Might become an Impossible Dream Soon The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had directed DoT to speed things up so that a commercial launch of 5G networks is possible by August 15, 2022. However, once DoT floats NIA, it would take at least 54 days before the spectrum auction could take place. Since we are already in June and the NIA hasn't floated, the PMO's goal is more likely a dream now. The Cabinet will take the final call on the spectrum pricing and other details revolving around the spectrum auction soon. There's no fixed date as such for the response from the Cabinet. But DoT is likely to announce the spectrum auction in June itself once the Cabinet decisions arrive, and then within two months, the telcos would have a spectrum auction in their hands. For the end consumers of telecom services, the delay in the 5G launch won't be a big issue. The expansion of 4G network coverage throughout the country has ensured that people in India are always connected to the internet and their loved ones via calls.

OnePlus 9 Pro Now Available at Rs 44,999 in India till June 30 Posted: 03 Jun 2022 09:57 PM PDT OnePlus's flagship device of 2021, the OnePlus 9 Pro, is still a powerful smartphone in 2022. Yes, the device had its fair share of issues when it came out, but all that has been sorted with the software updates now. The OnePlus 9 Pro was the first device from the company to feature an LTPO display with support for 120Hz refresh rate. After more than a year of its launch date in India, the price of the device has been severely discounted by the company. Also, the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro certainly had an effect on the end price of the device. Let's take a look at the new prices of the smartphone and the bank offers you will get when you purchase it. OnePlus 9 Pro Price in India Right Now OnePlus 9 Pro is now available for Rs 49,999 with 8GB+128GB. It can be purchased at a discount of up to Rs 5,000 if the consumer has a CITI credit card. There's also a cashback offer of 10% on the American Express card, but it is not an instant discount. In addition to this, OnePlus will also offer consumers a free six-month subscription to Spotify Premium. So if the user purchases the device for Rs 49,999 with a 10% instant discount via a CITI credit card, you can get the device for Rs 44,999. Further, if you have an older device to exchange, the deal would sweeten even more for you. There's also a 12GB+256GB variant available for the users. It will be available for Rs 54,999. All the offers mentioned above for the base memory variant of the device apply to this variant as well. The Citi bank offer will stay until June 30, 2022. The OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is still powerful enough to do everything in 2022 that the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset can do. The display of the OnePlus 9 Pro is curved and comes with support for a maximum resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels. The device carries a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging. The current OnePlus 10 Pro supports 80W fast-charging, so not much of a difference then. There's a quad-camera setup at the rear with a primary Sony IMX789 48MP sensor, Sony IMX766 50MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 8MP telephoto sensor, and a 2MP monochrome sensor. For selfies, there's a Sony IMX471 16MP sensor at the front.

BSNL STV 229 Gives Access to Premium Games and Has 30 Days Validity Posted: 03 Jun 2022 08:49 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) offers users a Special Tariff Voucher (STV) worth Rs 229. With this voucher, users can stay relaxed for over a month or 30 days before they have to recharge again. People who are tired of recharging with 24 days and 28 days plans can get the Rs 229 plan from BSNL. But this plan also has another major benefit. It is that users get access to premium games with this plan. Let's take a look at the complete benefits. BSNL STV 229 Details BSNL STV 229 packs unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS/day, and 2GB daily data for the users. These freebies for 30 days are not actually a bad deal for 30 days. The same plan would cost upwards of Rs 300 with the private telecom operators. Note that the internet speed falls to 80 Kbps post the consumption of FUP (fair-usage-policy) data for the day. But apart from these benefits, users also get to play ad-free unlimited premium games. BSNL has partnered with Onmobile Global Ltd and bundles Challenges Arena Mobile Gaming Service on Progressive Web App (PWA) with this plan for the users. This plan has multiple benefits. While the premium games might not be the biggest center of attraction this plan has, it certainly adds to the value provided. BSNL is also working on launching its 4G networks very soon in the country. Right now, users have to mostly rely on the state-run telco's 3G networks whenever they purchase or recharge with STVs such as the Rs 229 plan. But in the near future, all of these plans will be backed with the power of 4G networks which will be a treat for all the BSNL users. The STV 299 is not the only plan with which BSNL is bundling gaming benefits, but it is certainly a plan made for people who want to go for 30 days recharges.

Bharti Airtel Most Budget Friendly Prepaid Plans Which Also Offer Texting Benefits Posted: 03 Jun 2022 06:33 PM PDT Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator, has been in the focus of the investors and analysts because of its good performance and positive outlook toward business growth. The telco has already managed to reach very near its short-term average revenue per user (ARPU) goal of Rs 200. But in a few months, there will be another tariff hike to boost the ARPU and overall revenues. Thus, before that happens, let's take a look at the most budget-friendly prepaid plans from Bharti Airtel, which also offer texting benefits to the users. Bharti Airtel Prepaid Plans With Texting or SMS Benefits, Which Are Also Very Budget/Pocket Friendly The first plan that will make its entry to this list will be the 'Smart Recharge' plan offered for Rs 99 only. This plan earlier used to come for Rs 79. But after the prepaid tariff hikes in November 2021, the cost of the Rs 79 plan went up to Rs 99 while the benefits remained the same. With the Rs 99 prepaid plan from Bharti Airtel, users get Rs 99 worth of talktime, 200MB of data with a total validity of 28 days. SMS benefits are offered with this plan, but they cost users Rs 1 for local SMS and Rs 1.5 for STD SMS. The next two plans on the list are the Rs 155 and the Rs 179 plans, which offer 1GB and 2GB of data. Both plans will offer users unlimited voice calling. The Rs 155 plan comes with a total validity of 24 days, while the Rs 179 plan comes with a total validity of 28 days. The SMS benefit is the same for both plans, which is users get a total of 300 SMS with either of these plans. In addition to these benefits, users can also claim some additional ones from Airtel Thanks. These are the prepaid plans from Bharti Airtel under Rs 200 and hence are in the affordable category for most, which offer SMS benefits to the users. People who rely too much on voice calling should instead go for the Rs 155 or the Rs 179 plan. The Rs 99 plan can act as a good tool to keep the secondary SIM active for users.

ACT Fibernet Powered 200+ Wi-Fi Hotspots Launched by Tamil Nadu Govt Posted: 03 Jun 2022 08:48 AM PDT The Tamil Nadu government on Friday launched a total of 224 public Wi-Fi hotspots in Chennai. All the Wi-Fi hotspots are powered by ACT Fibernet, a leading internet service provider (ISP) in the country. The Wi-Fi hotspots were launched in the presence of Shri Udhayanidhi Stalin, Member of the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly and Youth Secretary, DMK and Mr Sandeep Gupta, Chief Operation Officer, Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd, along with the other dignitaries and officials. ACT SmartFiber Technology Has been Used for Wi-Fi Hotspots The Wi-Fi hotspots are powered by ACT SmartFiber Technology which will help with ensuring a safe internet experience for the public. With these Wi-Fi hotspots, people in Chennai will be able to seamlessly communicate with their loved ones and colleagues over the internet. ACT is the perfect partner for the Tamil Nadu government for this initiative as it was acknowledged by Ookla as the fastest and most consistent wired broadband network provider in Chennai. Users Will Get Free Internet Users in Chennai will be able to get free internet with these Wi-Fi hotspots. First of all, users will have to login through the ACT Free Wi-Fi portal with their phone number and enter the OTP (One-Time-Password) they get on their device to authenticate the login. Then, users can use the internet from these Wi-Fi hotspots without any cost for the first 45 minutes at 20 Mbps speed and a 1GB data limit. The hotspots have been installed in the following areas – Corporation Parks, Amma Canteens, T-Nagar Smart City, Triplicane, Royapettai, Napier Park/May Day Park and Ratna Café junction for easy access. This is a great opportunity for people to get access to the internet who can't afford to recharge with daily data packs. It is also in line with the Digital India vision of the Modi government. The need for digital inclusion has gone up, and everyone should be able to access the internet and connectivity to not be at a disadvantage over people who already have internet access.

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