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• Mobile Tower Installation Frauds in India, COAI and DIPA Warn Public
• Virgin Media O2 Brings UK its First 5G Connected Hospital
• OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro Comes to India With Smart Features and Affordable Price
• Signal Boosters and Wireless Jammers Illegal in India
• Vodafone Idea Added Maximum Subscribers in Gujarat in April 2022
• Apple AirPods Pro 2 Might Not be as Good as We Thought
• Tamil Nadu Residents Might Soon See Ration Shops Becoming Wi-Fi Points
• BSNL Has Hiked Tariffs Indirectly
• Vodafone Idea Needs to Add Subscribers to Show Business is Strong
• Will Nothing be Just Another Tech Company
• Reliance Jio With Akash Ambani as Chairman – Things You Should Know
• BSNL Will Also Have a Pie of B2B Revenues if 5G Rolled Out Soon
• Jio, Vi and Airtel Plans With a Certain Edge
• Airtel and Jio Duopoly Will Never be a Real Threat for India
• Vodafone Idea Most Attractive Plans Today
• 5G mmWave Services Will Not be Meant for Consumers
• BSNL Has Silently Added Three New Prepaid Plans
• Noise Flair XL Neckband Earphones Launched in India
• Tecno Spark 8P About to Debut in India
• WhatsApp to Bring New Useful Features Soon

Mobile Tower Installation Frauds in India, COAI and DIPA Warn Public Posted: 04 Jul 2022 05:52 AM PDT Indians are getting duped of hard-earned money by the fraudsters claiming to install mobile towers on the premises of the people and pay rent against it. Thinking of it as an opportunity to earn extra income, people usually give in to the bait of these fraudsters. These fraudsters ask people to pay up a small deposit in their personal or company accounts in the name of government tax for leasing their premises for the installation of mobile towers. To make the deal seem authentic, these fraudsters also offer the individuals a fake 'No Objection Certificate' from the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology. Note that the mobile towers in India are set up only by the infrastructure providers (IPs) or the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also has an updated list of companies that can set up mobile towers which they mentioned on the telecom department's website. So before accepting the offer from any individual or a company, check if the organisation which has approached you is present on the list or not. DIPA and COAI Warn Public of Mobile Tower Installation Fraud T R Dua, Director General, DIPA (Digital Infrastructure Providers Association) said that mobile towers are installed in India by companies such as Summit Digital Infrastructure, Indus Towers, American Tower Corporation, Tower Vision and Ascend Telecom. DIPA has been actively publishing a public notice in newspapers for keeping the public alert and curbing the tower frauds. S P Kochhar, DG, COAI said that the public being cheated by fraudsters is causing a trust deficit in the country as well as insecurity towards the team personnel working on the ground to build a robust communication network. For any help with this matter, consumers can call the helpline number from anywhere in India by dialling 1800114000 or 14404. So the next time there is someone on your premises claiming to install a mobile tower and asking for a small deposit, ensure that they are authentic.

Virgin Media O2 Brings UK its First 5G Connected Hospital Posted: 04 Jul 2022 04:05 AM PDT The United Kingdom (UK) has received its first 5G-connected hospital. It has been possible because of a partnership between Virgin Media O2 and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Virgin Media O2 has switched on the 5G network at the hospital and it is a part of Maudsley Digital Lab's series of digital health and innovation trials funded by NHS Digital. It is a private 5G network which will provide dedicated connectivity for mission-critical digital health use cases for both the patients as well as the clinicians. The trial will focus on checking whether the 5G connected technologies in NHS Hospitals are safe, efficient and secure. the trial is now live across two wards at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in South London. Things such as tracking the air quality in the wards, linking up smart devices and monitoring to reduce medical waste will be focused on during the trial. What are the Main Things in this 5G Trial The Virgin Media 02 Business's private 5G network, leveraging the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) will offer high-speed, dedicated, reliable and secure data to the health professionals that they need for staying connected in real-time to the e-observations platform (eObs). There's an eObs app which has been designed to monitor the patients’ vital signs allowing the doctors or clinicians to make real-time observations and update patient records digitally through handheld devices. Instead of connecting the eObs app to the Wi-Fi network of the hospital, a 5G network will be used to monitor performance. Bruhati is the partner for South London and Maudsley for offering IoT technology during the trial. IoT devices will be able to smartly check the storage of medicines at optimum temperature, the air quality inside wards, and more. Technologies such as AR (Augmented Reality) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also be used for different tests powered by a 5G network.

OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro Comes to India With Smart Features and Affordable Price Posted: 04 Jul 2022 03:41 AM PDT OnePlus has just launched the OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro in India. This launch will expand the Y TV series portfolio of OnePlus in India. It is worth recollecting that OnePlus launched the OnePlus TV 43 Y1S Pro recently, and since it received an amazing response from the market, the company has decided to launch it in an even bigger size. Let's take a look at the specifications and price of the OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro. OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro Specifications The OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro comes with an upgraded 4K UHD display with support for a 10-bit colour depth feature. OnePlus said that users could enjoy real-time image quality with the advanced Gamma Engine Feature and see fast-moving scenes in a smoother manner with the MEMC technology. The display of the Smart TV also comes with support for HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG Format for a superior viewing experience. The OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro run-on Android TV 10 platform which gives users a full-integrated Smart TV experience. There is naturally support for Google Assistant, and users can also enable the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) for a better gaming experience. The Smart TV comes with support for Google Duo and MultiCast which is also an upgrade from the over TVs in the series. There is also a Smart Manager feature on this new OnePlus TV for a smarter and long-lasting TV experience. Users will be seamlessly able to connect their OnePlus Buds with the OnePlus TV along with other products such as the OnePlus Watch and OnePlus smartphones. The OS is OxygenPlay 2.0, which provides users with a diverse range of international and local entertainment. There is support for Cinematic viewing with Dolby Audio. The Smart TV comes with two full-range speakers with a total output of 24W. OnePlus TV 50 Y1S Pro Price The OnePlus TV 50 Y1S is priced at Rs 32,999 and will be available on Amazon.in as well as the official website of OnePlus. Axis Bank customers can get a discount of Rs 3,000 on the purchase of new OnePlus TVs.

Signal Boosters and Wireless Jammers Illegal in India Posted: 04 Jul 2022 01:54 AM PDT The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has just issued a fresh public advisory on the use of signal boosters/repeaters and wireless jammers. The telecom department said that the use of wireless jammer or signal jammer, GPS blocker or other signal jamming devices is illegal in India except specifically permitted by the Government of India (GoI). Only authorised organisations such as police forces, state or union territory governments, and defence forces can procure signal jammer models which are approved by the central government. Private sector organisations and individuals can't use signal jammers, and it is also illegal to advertise, sell or distribute such products in India. Unlawful to Use Signal Boosters Apart from signal jammers, the DoT advisory also focused on the use of signal boosters. Through signal boosters or repeaters, users can amplify the cell phone signal reception. But unauthorised use of such products results in disruption of public telecommunication services which jeopardises the quality and coverage of the networks. It also poses a risk and disruption to crucial calls made by the public to organisations such as the police force or hospitals. Thus, DoT has conveyed that it is unlawful for individuals and organisations to possess signal boosters. Only licensed telecom service providers (TSPs) can make use of such products in the country. Additionally, it is unlawful to sell and distribute signal boosters as well. All of these are punishable offences by the court. In case you have any information with respect to unlawful possession/use/sale of the above devices, kindly inform the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO), Department of Telecommunications, for necessary action in the matter. The contact number for WMO is 011-2905-4712, and the email ID is info.wmohq@gmail.com. The applicable laws for this matter are – The Indian Telegraphy Act, 1885 (Section 20 & others); The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (Section 6,6.1 & others); The Information Technology Act, 2000; Any other Security Guidelines/ provisions of the Government.

Vodafone Idea Added Maximum Subscribers in Gujarat in April 2022 Posted: 04 Jul 2022 12:11 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) has added more subscribers in the Gujarat circle in April 2022 than Airtel and Jio. Taking the data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report, Vi said that it added 42,671 new subscribers in Gujarat in April 2022. As per Vi, none of the telcos added these many new subscribers in the state during the month. Vodafone Idea's total subscriber base in the circle has gone up to 2,38,29,900. The subscriber market share of Vi in the circle has gone up to 35.40%. In terms of subscribers, Vi said it is the second-largest telco in Gujarat. Vodafone Idea had also added the maximum number of subscribers in the circle in January 2022 – 54,273. Gujarat is the seventh-largest circle in India in terms of subscriber base. There are a total of 6,73,18,449 mobile subscribers in Gujarat, and 19,308 subscribers were net additions during the month. In overall tele-density on an MoM (month-on-month) basis, Gujarat has seen a marginal decline from 95.08% in March to 95.01% in April 2022. Vodafone Idea Had Added Most Subscribers in Delhi in March and April 2022 A few days back, Vodafone Idea announced that it added over 3.3 lakh new mobile users in Delhi between March and April 2022. This figure is higher than what Jio and Airtel added. In April, Vodafone Idea added 2,55,857 subscribers, while in March, the telco added 76,320 mobile subscribers. Vi has been enhancing its network in multiple circles, and its subscriber market share is also increasing in certain circles. Delhi and Gujarat are two of the biggest circles in India, and this is a big positive for Vodafone Idea. The telco needs to consistently perform in these circles as well as others to gain new subscribers at a rapid pace. This is the only way Vi will be able to compete as an equal with Airtel and Jio in the near future.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 Might Not be as Good as We Thought Posted: 03 Jul 2022 11:31 PM PDT Apple launched the first generation AirPods Pro back in 2019. It has been almost three years since, and AirPods lovers are waiting for the AirPods Pro 2 to launch as soon as possible. There were many rumours around the alleged AirPods Pro 2 which is expected to launch later this year. Online reports suggested that AirPods Pro 2 will come with an in-built heart rate and body temperature sensor. But Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has said that isn't likely going to happen. Gurman wrote in his latest Power On newsletter that the AirPods Pro 2 are likely to arrive without the above-mentioned features in 2022. Will AirPods Pro 2 Also Miss Out on USB Type-C Port? The AirPods Pro 2 were reported to come with a USB Type-C port as well as an updated H1 chip. The developments were shared by 52Audio in a report last month. Since the expected heart rate and body temperature sensor are unlikely to arrive, there might be a possibility that there is no USB Type-C port either. An update H1 chip would not be a surprise as it is a new generation of 'Pro' AirPods. The Cupertino tech giant is expected to unveil the AirPods Pro 2 in the last quarter of 2022 or during the iPhone 14 launch, even expected in September 2022. AirPods Pro had received support for MagSafe charging last fall. Apart from that, there have been no upgrades provided to the AirPods Pro by Apple. It will be interesting to see just how big of an upgrade is the AirPods Pro 2 over the first generation. Music lovers will definitely be interested in putting on the new AirPods Pro 2 and testing the sound quality. Apple is known for delivering excellent quality audio products over the years, and the alleged AirPods Pro 2 shouldn't be an exception of any sort. The price of the product is expected to be in the premium range.

Tamil Nadu Residents Might Soon See Ration Shops Becoming Wi-Fi Points Posted: 03 Jul 2022 10:11 PM PDT The state governments across the country are trying to push the digital connectivity level in their respective state forward by easing the infrastructure setup process for the internet service providers (ISPs) and more. Tamil Nadu is now conducting a feasibility study to check whether the ration shops can be converted into Wi-Fi points. The state wants to offer Wi-Fi connection to the users living in a 200-meter radius near these ration shops at a nominal cost. As per an IANS report, a team of cooperation department officials under the joint registrars of cooperation are conducting this feasibility study. PM-WANI Scheme Wants to Convert Ration Shops into Internet Points The Prime Minister's Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme wants the ration shops in India to be converted into data centers for providing affordable internet connections to regular or general consumers. With the feasibility study, the cooperation department officials are focusing on things such as the space of the ration shops, location of these shops, ownership and the quality of internet service that will be provided to the consumers. The Central Government has not provided the cooperation department officials with any tariff rate ideas yet. Even the other technical specifications are yet to come from the central government. There are over 35,323 fair price shops in Tamil Nadu out of which 10,279 shops are part-time shops. The best thing will be that the government won't be profiting from this Wi-Fi service. The revenue generated will be credited to the bank accounts of these ration shops or the cooperative society that runs these shops. People living in hilly terrains and remote areas will benefit from such a move as mobile networks in these areas are often inconsistent or absent. Once the state cooperative department gets the report from the Joint Registrars, the technical details of the project will be made available. This is certainly a move that can be replicated by other state governments as well.

BSNL Has Hiked Tariffs Indirectly Posted: 03 Jul 2022 08:16 PM PDT On Saturday, TelecomTalk reported that BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) had added three new prepaid plans silently. While the plans have been added recently, they are actually not completely new. Confused? Well, BSNL used to offer these plans before as well. But the benefits used to be different. Right now, the benefits offered with these plans are lesser than what users got earlier. Let me break it down for you what users are getting right now with these plans against what they used to get. BSNL Rs 99 Prepaid Plan: Old vs New Benefits Earlier, BSNL was offering its Rs 99 prepaid plan with 22 days of validity and unlimited voice calling. But now, the same plan will come with 18 days of service validity and unlimited voice calling. So, the per-day cost of using this plan has risen from Rs 4.5 to Rs 5.5, a jump of Rs 1 each day. This plan doesn't bundle any other benefits for the consumers. BSNL Rs 118 Prepaid Plan: Old vs New Benefits The Rs 118 prepaid plan from BSNL used to offer 0.5GB of daily data to users with unlimited voice calling and no SMS benefits for 26 days with free PRBT service. BSNL has relaunched this plan with the same benefits except for a shorter validity of 20 days. This means the cost per day of using this plan has risen from Rs 4.53 to Rs 5.9. This is a difference of Rs 1.6 per day. BSNL Rs 319 Prepaid Plan: Old vs New Benefits BSNL used to offer the Rs 319 prepaid plan with 75 days of service validity, unlimited voice calling, 300 SMS and 10GB of lumpsum data. The benefits are the same with the new plan, except the validity has been reduced to 65 days. This takes up the daily cost of using this plan from Rs 4.25 to Rs 4.90, which is a jump of Rs 0.65 per day. The biggest price hike is on the Rs 118 plan, followed by the Rs 99 and then the Rs 319 prepaid plan.

Vodafone Idea Needs to Add Subscribers to Show Business is Strong Posted: 03 Jul 2022 06:28 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) is in an interesting position right now. All the relief measures provided to the telecom sector have ensured that Vi is not going to go out of the market. But the company hasn't made big improvements either. At this stage, it is not just a game of branding or offering more benefits. Telcos now need to differentiate on the basis of the quality of network services. Vi needs to show that it is better than Airtel and Jio in several areas apart from just delivering faster download and upload speeds. Consumers online have been asking for VoWi-Fi services in Southern India as well as other parts of North India. Vi must address these demands as soon as possible. Telcos Need to Add Subscribers, Drive ARPU UP and Deliver Profits The investors of the telcos just want to go see the company adding new active subscribers, earning more out of each of them, meaning a higher ARPU (average revenue per user) figure, and then deliver profits at the end of the day. This is what Vodafone Idea hasn't been able to do. The primary goal of the telco right now should be to add subscribers instead of growing ARPU aggressively. The more 4G customers it has on the existing network infrastructure, the more money it will make. ARPU figure can be pushed ahead with loyal subscribers in the mix. Vi has been focusing too much on increasing ARPU. Its tariffs should have ideally been where Jio is at right now. It would have helped the telco in competing with Airtel. Vi offers great additional benefits with its prepaid plans. If Vi's tariffs were the same as Jio's, it would have pushed more people to opt for Vi plans, as bonus data offers with Vi would have been a way better deal than what you are getting with Jio. On the other hand, Vi needs money from external investors. For that, the telco must improve ARPU as well. This is why Vodafone Idea's situation is interesting right now. The government is going to take a major equity piece in the company, which is further going to solidify the statement that Vi is not going to go out of business in the foreseeable future. With the funds that Vi might raise in the near future, it can boost its 4G network expansion, and enhancement plans to come into a strong position to compete with Jio and Airtel.

Will Nothing be Just Another Tech Company Posted: 03 Jul 2022 09:00 AM PDT Nothing has made some serious claims about being unique in every manner possible. The company is pretty new, backed by some serious people and organisations, and is led by Carl Pie, also known for co-founding OnePlus which has become a very prominent brand now. Pie has said it several times that Nothing doesn't want to deliver yet another smartphone which looks like every other device in the market and performs the same. Nothing wants to change the way people look at consumer tech. The company launched Nothing ear (1) in 2021 with a unique look, but standard performance. While the earphones were definitely standing out in the market, they weren't exactly the best in sound quality. Nothing Phone 1 is just a few days from launch. It has received a lot of hype because of the lights on the back. Hopefully, that isn't the only thing unique about the device. At the end of the day, a simple design with a solid body can work wonders, at least that's what iPhone's success signifies. It will be interesting to see how many people are actually irritated because of the lights on the back in dim or dark environments. Of course, there should be an option to turn it down completely. Nothing, Just Deliver a Strong Performer Nothing, I appreciate the effort you are putting into making your products. Hats off to the design team and the engineers. But at the end of the day, all I would need is a good smartphone with an appropriate price-to-performance ratio. Nothing can't be just another tech company. Its goal is to stand out in the market and it is definitely doing so with the looks of its products. But to be honest, there are other companies as well which are designing their products to stand out amongst the average. So, Nothing, as much as you focus on the design, focus on the performance. Give us a good display, good chip, good camera, and a strong cooling system (because we are tired of using smartphones that heat up a lot), with decent charging power. This is all a user would need in a smartphone.

Reliance Jio With Akash Ambani as Chairman – Things You Should Know Posted: 03 Jul 2022 06:54 AM PDT On the closing of working hours on June 27, Akash Ambani took over as the Chairman of Reliance Jio. Mukesh Ambani, one of the most successful business tycoons in India, stepped down from the board of Jio as a director and is paving the way for his eldest son, Akash Ambani, to lead Jio to new heights. Note that Mukesh Ambani is still the Chairman of Jio Platforms Limited (JPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which owns Reliance Jio. Mukesh Ambani has already led Jio to several new heights in a very short span. Now the ball is in Akash Ambani's court to make a difference. Akash Ambani Has Been Working with RIL and Jio for a Long Time Now If you are concerned for Jio's future, know that Akash Ambani is not a rookie. Akash has been closely associated with the Reliance Group and has helped the company grow in the digital segment as well as contributed healthily to the retail business. If you are a cricket fan, you definitely know how involved Akash Ambani is with Mumbai Indians. You will find him passionately bidding for players in the IPL auctions and sitting in the stadiums supporting his team, which is also owned by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Thanks to a Netflix documentary on Mumbai Indians, we know that Akash is very serious about things related to the team and its players. Akash was already serving as a non-executive director for Reliance Jio. He has been contributing to the company's strategies and success for a long-time. The specific contributions he has made in the digital services journey of Jio and RIL have pushed him to the position of Chairman for India's largest telecom company. For the unaware, Akash personally led some of the key acquisitions made by Jio in the last few years and was closely involved in the development of new technologies. Akash had also worked with a team of engineers in inventing and launching the JioPhone, an affordable 4G phone, in 2017. With the telecom industry stepping into the world of 5G, there couldn't have been a better time to mark a new beginning in Jio's management. Akash has some serious shoes to fill. Thus, regardless of all the work he has done behind the scenes so far, the real test for Mukesh Ambani's eldest son will begin now.

BSNL Will Also Have a Pie of B2B Revenues if 5G Rolled Out Soon Posted: 03 Jul 2022 03:00 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been working on rolling out 4G. But at the same time, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), the R&D arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which is BSNL's partner in launching indigenous 4G, has also been working on homegrown 5G solutions. C-DoT had earlier said that once BSNL launches 4G, it can also launch 5G with the help of a simple upgrade. There were indications that BSNL could get its 5G networks by 2023. If BSNL is able to roll out 5G networks by 2023, it will stand a chance to eat up some of the revenues coming from the enterprise or the B2B (Business-to-Business) segment. 5G services will be required by enterprises to automate different processes, and BSNL can jump in here to offer more affordable and quality services to the corporates with the power of seamless 5G. BSNL Will Get a New Revenue Stream This will be a completely new revenue stream for BSNL. While the state-run telco already offers enterprise services in India, they aren't sought by many enterprises. Most enterprises prefer purchasing services or products of private telcos, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel. BSNL will be able to boost its revenues by offering enterprise services with the power of 5G networks. However, in order to do that, BSNL will have to first prove that its network is ready for the workload and the use-cases needed by the enterprises. The private telcos have done that over the last year. The major challenge for BSNL would be finding an appropriate testing partner. C-DoT will certainly help BSNL here. BSNL Will Need More Time with 5G than Estimated But it might take more time than what the officials related to the matter have been suggesting. None of the Indian companies have the kind of experience or proof of concept with 5G that international vendors such as Nokia and Ericsson do. Since BSNL is not allowed to partner with foreign vendors, it is doomed to wait for local Indian companies to generate PoC around 5G technologies and then also work with them on different use cases. This will involve a lot of money and time, both of which will certainly affect BSNL's chances of rolling out 5G fast. Right now, BSNL should be focused on delivering 4G in every part of the country. The need for 4G is not going anywhere, at least for the next 6 to 7 years. Focusing on 4G and coming up with a better game plan to beat the private telcos would enable BSNL is earning more and grow fast in the future.

Jio, Vi and Airtel Plans With a Certain Edge Posted: 02 Jul 2022 09:34 PM PDT All three private telcos have a prepaid plan that has a certain edge to it. The telcos don't want to price their plans too differently from each other, but they strive to differentiate on the basis of additional benefits. All the companies offer different kinds of additional benefits. In the case of Vodafone Idea (Vi), the additional benefits are mostly data-oriented – for example, Binge All Night, Data Delights, and Weekend Rollover. With Airtel, it is Airtel Thanks which includes plenty of things such as Wynk Music, Apollo 24|7 Circle, FASTag cashback, and more. Jio offers access to its certain apps/platforms exclusively meant for Jio users. Today, we are going to look at one plan with an edge from each of these telcos. Reliance Jio Jio actually has two plans that would fit this category of plans with an 'edge'. Both of the Jio plans that we are talking about have the kind of benefits that none of the other operators offer. It is the Rs 1499 and Rs 4199 plan. Both these plans offer 2GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day with Jio apps. The unique thing about these plans is that they come with a Disney+ Hotstar Premium subscription. The Rs 1499 plan comes with a validity of 84 days while the Rs 4199 plan comes with a validity of 365 days. All the other telcos offer plans with Disney+ Hotstar Mobile subscription. No one offers a Premium subscription to the users. Bharti Airtel Airtel also has two plans that would fit under the said category – Rs 699 and Rs 999 plans. The Rs 699 and the Rs 999 plans offer users 3GB and 2.5GB of daily data. Both offer unlimited voice calling, 100 SMS/day, and a unique benefit of Amazon Prime Membership at no extra cost. Users get access to Airtel Thanks benefits with both these plans. The Rs 999 plan comes with a validity of 84 days while the Rs 699 plan comes for 56 days. Vodafone Idea With Vodafone Idea, almost every plan that comes with Hero Unlimited benefits is a treat and has an 'edge'. But if we had to single out one plan, we will definitely talk about the Rs 901 plan. With this plan, users get 70 days of service validity, which is a strange number and not conventional at all. Then, users get 3GB of daily data for the 70 days in addition to 48GB of bonus data. This is not all though, there are Hero Unlimited benefits included as well as a free Disney+ Hotstar Mobile subscription for one year. Overall, this is one of the best plans for data-heavy users for the medium term.

Airtel and Jio Duopoly Will Never be a Real Threat for India Posted: 02 Jul 2022 06:44 PM PDT The first half of 2021 made many feel like the Indian telecom sector is heading towards an inevitable duopoly of Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. Well, that's not true anymore. It won't happen because the government has addressed the concern. BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) is never really given any importance while discussing competition in the industry because it is a legacy network operator. Vodafone Idea is still not adding customers, but the telco has a path in front through which it can. Back in 2021, when the relief measures weren't announced yet, there were many who thought that Vi wouldn't survive in the competition and would go bankrupt at the end of the day. That could have been a very real possibility had the government not stepped in and announced a relief package for the Indian telecom industry. In fact, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is right now working on another relief package for the sector which would help the telcos in boosting business and growth. Vi has decided to give a considerable amount of equity to the government against the removal of accrued interest dues on the deferred AGR (adjusted gross revenue) payments. This will mean that it will be in the best interests of the government to keep the telco running no matter what happens. Airtel and Jio Duopoly Not Possible Now Vodafone Idea is unlikely to go out of the market now. But it certainly needs to come in a better position and improve performance to start making money for the investors. The promoters have shown their disinterest in putting the first foot forward to help the company. Regardless, Airtel and Jio’s duopoly is not possible now. Vodafone Idea is not going anywhere. Further, BSNL is also in line to launch 4G services across India with homegrown technology. For BSNL, we can only say one thing – better late than never. The telecom sector has been the backbone of the nation during the tough times that everyone had to go through in the last two and half years. Telcos were seriously stressed out on liquidity and had very little cash reserves or none at all to make fresh investments. But things have changed and are changing further. All the three private telcos are soon expected to launch 5G services as well. It will open up fresh streams of revenue for all the operators including Vi. Hopefully, Vi can change things in the near future or else all the help given to the telco would amount to nothing.

Vodafone Idea Most Attractive Plans Today Posted: 02 Jul 2022 10:27 AM PDT Vodafone Idea is the third-largest telecom operator in India currently. The telco doesn't have a very solid reputation in the industry and amongst the subscribers, but it has been managing business and trying to recover from losses. Regardless of how the network of the telco is, there's an undeniable fact that its plans load the most awesome additional benefits for the consumers. Today, we are looking at a few such prepaid plans from Vodafone Idea. Vodafone Idea Prepaid Plans With Attractive Benefits Vodafone Idea offers Hero Unlimited benefits with its prepaid packs priced Rs 299 and more. Note that we are not talking about the data add-on prepaid packs here. So naturally, all of its prepaid plans above Rs 299 can be a pretty good option if you are looking to use Vi as a primary connection. Unfortunately, Vi doesn't offer Double Data bundled prepaid plans anymore. They were a treat for the consumers. The maximum data that you can get from a Vi plan on a daily FUP (Fair-Usage-Policy) limit basis is 3GB. There are lumpsum data plans offered by the telco as well. If you are looking for the short-term, there are Rs 299, Rs 359, Rs 399, Rs 499, Rs 475, Rs 319, and Rs 409 plans. These are all the plans which bundle Hero Unlimited benefits. For those of you who are wondering what Hero Unlimited benefits are; they are a bundle of different additional benefits including Weekend Data Rollover, Binge All Night, and Data Delights. These plans are worth it if you are looking to go for a short-term plan with plenty of benefits. Some of these also come with a Disney+ Hotstar subscription and bonus data. Likewise, there are medium-term to long-term plans offered by the telco. The Rs 539 plan for 56 days offering 2GB of daily data can be an excellent option for users who want to consume a considerable amount of data and don't want to spend too much but can spend around Rs 500. There are 84 days and 365 days validity plans as well. All of these plans also come with Vi Movies & TV access. It is the in-house OTT (over-the-top) platform of Vodafone Idea. To check out more plans, you can visit the telco's website or mobile app.

5G mmWave Services Will Not be Meant for Consumers Posted: 02 Jul 2022 08:48 AM PDT If you are someone who is eagerly waiting for 5G to arrive in India so that you can see seriously high download speeds such as 4 Gbps which Vodafone Idea (Vi) demonstrated during a media event, you are waiting to be disappointed. You are definitely not going to get such high download speeds on your mobile directly. First of all, those speeds will only be possible if you are in the coverage of mmWave 5G. Telecom operators aren't going to invest heavily in mmWave 5G for the consumers. There are multiple reasons why. Firstly, telcos won't get a return on their investment. You ask why? Well, mmWave bands have a very fragile nature. They can be interfered by simple objects such as trees and walls to the extent that their coverage is no more than a few hundred meters. This means the telcos would have to set up micro sites every few hundred meters to make mmWave 5G a possibility. Telcos Will be More Interested in Launching 5G with Mid-Band Spectrum for Consumers Instead, the telcos would roll out 5G for consumers with the mid-band spectrum in the 3.5 GHz range. This makes a better business case for the telco to deliver 5G to consumers directly. With 3.5 GHz bands, telcos can deliver better coverage as well as higher speeds. Even that speed would be distributed amongst millions of consumers. So, you are likely going to see a speed boost with 5G. But it isn't going to be speeds such as 4 Gbps and more. You will only be able to do that with mmWave 5G, and that you won't get access to. mmWave investments are likely suitable for a closed or restricted environment for enterprise clients. Consumers don't even require that kind of speeds. A few reports suggest that 5G speeds are, on average, 10x faster than 4G. So, for example, if you are getting around 20 Mbps download speed with your 4G connection, you can expect to get around 200 Mbps with 5G. This is just an example and an estimated figure. The actual performance might be better or worse. Right now, India is preparing for 5G spectrum auction slated for July 26, 2022.

BSNL Has Silently Added Three New Prepaid Plans Posted: 02 Jul 2022 08:00 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has silently added three new prepaid plans to its offerings. These are not the two monthly recharge prepaid plans that TelecomTalk reported about a few days back. There are three new separate plans with 18 days, 20 days, and 65 days of validity. These are again more affordable than what you would have to pay with the private telcos, but they don't have the backing of the 4G network that the plans from the private telcos get. Let's dive into these new plans and check out what they are offering. BSNL Three New Prepaid Plans Launched Silently Cost Rs 99, Rs 118 and Rs 319 The three new prepaid plans added by the telco will cost users Rs 99, Rs 118, and Rs 319. The two new monthly recharge plans launched come for Rs 228 and Rs 239. This means that BSNL has effectively launched five new prepaid plans for the consumers. The new Rs 99 prepaid plan from BSNL will offer consumers unlimited voice calling with free PRBT for 18 days. There are no data or SMS benefits included with this one. The Rs 118 plan from BSNL will come with a validity of 20 days and offer 0.5GB of daily data along with unlimited voice calling. The internet speed will be reduced to 40 Kbps post the consumption of daily data. Users will not get SMS benefits with this plan as well, but they will get a free PRBT subscription. Lastly, there's the 319 prepaid plan which will offer 10GB of lumpsum data to the users with 300 SMS in total and unlimited voice calling for 65 days. This is the sort of prepaid plan that you can recharge with if you don't have much data and SMS needs, but you need a medium-term validity at least. You can also check out the two monthly prepaid plans launched by BSNL recently. As mentioned above, one costs Rs 228 and Rs 239. Both come with a monthly subscription and offer 2GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day with gaming benefits. The only difference is that the Rs 239 plan gives users extra Rs 10 balance on their main account.

Noise Flair XL Neckband Earphones Launched in India Posted: 02 Jul 2022 07:09 AM PDT Noise, an Indian manufacturer of audio and accessories, has announced the release of a new set of reasonably priced wireless headphones. The Noise Flair XL earbuds make the claim that they can provide 80 hours of listening time on a single charge cycle and also support quick charging. A new set of completely wireless neckband earbuds, the Flair XL, is part of a succession of items that are becoming progressively scarce as more and more consumers and companies switch to them. But for those who favour the neckband design and other features, the earbuds are a cost-effective choice. Noise Flair XL specifications and features Noise asserts that the Flair XL also features "Hyper Sync," which enables pairing with the most recent smartphone simply by separating the earbuds from their magnetic ear tip attachment. This should then make usability and ergonomics easier. The Noise Flair XL features what the company refers to as "TruBass." The latter is an enhancement mode that boosts the earbuds' low-frequency range or bass response in order to provide a sound signature with strong bass. In addition, the earphones have an environmental sound reduction capability that, while not intended to improve the audio quality of music playback through the earphones, does improve the call clarity and audibility. The earphone has Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, which makes the Hyper Sync feature of the earbuds possible. Additionally, it has Dual Pairing, which enables it to sync with two smartphones simultaneously, making it easy to switch between devices when you have several everyday items, as well as a low latency mode for seamless connectivity while gaming. The IPX5 durability certification for usage during workouts is another important feature because it is sweat-and water-resistant. The earphones' final boast is that they can provide 80 hours of nonstop audio listening with just one charge cycle. Additionally, Noise claims that 10 minutes of charging via its USB-C connector will provide 15 hours of playback time through the Flair XL earphones. Noise Flair XL price The Noise Flair XL earphones are now available for buy online and have just gone on sale. Both Noise's own web store and the e-commerce site Flipkart now sell the earbuds. The Flair XL is available from both stores for Rs 1,499 and comes in four colour options: Mist Grey, Burgundy, Jet Black, and Stone Blue.

Tecno Spark 8P About to Debut in India Posted: 02 Jul 2022 05:24 AM PDT The Pova 3 from Tecno was just released in India and features a 6.9-inch FHD+ display and a sizeable 7,000mAh battery. The company is currently preparing to introduce a new phone in the entry-level market. The business has declared that it will shortly introduce the Tecno Spark 8P in India. The company's social media account, which aired a video confirming a few details including the shape of the device, made the announcement. We may now predict that the smartphone may arrive this month in India since the teaser went public today. Tecno Spark 8P Specifications (rumoured) The Tecno Spark 8P's main features have previously been revealed through leaks. A 6.6-inch display with Full-HD+ quality would be featured on the Tecno Spark 8P, according to the report. In a waterdrop notch on the front, the selfie camera will be located. The teaser suggests that the phone may have a glossy camera island on top and a plastic back with two different patterns. Besides that the MediaTek Helio G70 SoC, which may be paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, is claimed to power the gadget. There is no information on the charging capabilities, although it may have an internal battery with a capacity of 5,000mAh. According to reports, the Tecno Spark 8P has a DTS dual speaker system and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Talking about the camera specifications there is no information about the other two sensors, even though the 50MP primary sensor is now to exist. These could perhaps be two 2MP depth and macro sensors, according to the speculation. An 8MP front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calls might be built inside the phone. Also, Turquoise Cyan, Atlantic Blue, Iris Purple, and Coco Gold are the four colours the smartphone is rumoured to come in.

WhatsApp to Bring New Useful Features Soon Posted: 02 Jul 2022 04:15 AM PDT There is evidence that WhatsApp is working on including a feature that would allow users to mask their online status. Users could select who can view their online status on the instant messaging app using this feature. In a subsequent version, it's likely to be accessible. Separately, it has been alleged that the Meta-owned firm is changing the window within which beta testers can remove messages. The function is present in WhatsApp for Android version 2.22.15.8, which is accessible through the Google Play Beta programme. Furthermore, a context menu for Windows beta is reportedly being rolled out by WhatsApp. WhatsApp's newest feature in more detail According to reports, WhatsApp is changing how long messages may be deleted for everyone. The messaging app is reportedly sending out the upgrade with the 2.22.15.8 beta for Android through the Google Play Beta programme. According to the source, WhatsApp is raising the time limit for the "Delete for Everyone" feature from the current one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds time options to two days and 12 hours. Users might remove messages that were sent in error with the longer time frame. Besides that according to a claim by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the messaging app, which is owned by Meta, is working on a feature that will allow users to hide their online status from certain contacts. Once available, this functionality will allow users to control who can view their online status directly from WhatsApp Privacy settings. A screenshot of the updated privacy setting functionality is included in the report. According to rumours, this feature is being worked on and will probably become available in a later version. On Windows beta, a new context has been released in addition to the option to hide the online status and time limit extension. Users who have downloaded the newest WhatsApp beta version 2.2225.2.70 for Windows from the Microsoft store can utilise this functionality. The report includes a snapshot of the updated context menu to help users understand the shortcuts available. The pate, undo, and select all text options are there, as shown in the screenshot. You can format text to be bold or italic. Before the official release, improvements to the functionality are anticipated.

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