TRAI forcing the shut down of 2G networks – Idea Cellular CEO

Idea Cellular CEO Himanshu Kapania said sector regulator TRAI was forcing telecom operators to shut down their older networks as it pushes for the adoption of newer technologies, seeking urgent intervention from the government. Kapania said the move towards phasing out of older technologies could have a negative impact on connectivity, especially in areas like […]

Twitter doubles ‘word limit’ to 280 characters

After years of debate, micro-blogging website Twitter is testing a higher word limit for some of its users, including some in India. Users, particularly active ones with large following, have been pleasantly surprised to see the limit of 140 characters relaxed as of today morning. “This is a small change, but a big move for […]

Sun Direct becomes first DTH in India to start HEVC transmission

Sun Direct, a unit of Sun TV, has become the first DTH or cable operator to start transmission using next-generation HEVC compression technology in India. The company has introduced two HEVC — short for high-efficiency video codec — channels on its GSAT-15 beams. HEVC, also known as H.265, requires only 55%-60% of the bandwidth compared […]

Reliance Jio offers iPhone 8 at Rs 9,200 effective price, here’s how to book

Reliance Jio has opened pre-booking for the new Apple iPhone with an effective price of just Rs 9,200 under a dual cashback offer. The sticker price of iPhone 8 is Rs 64,000 in Jio stores. However, if you buy the device along with a 12 month contract of services from Jio, the company will return […]

Why Reliance Jio’s new 90GB-for-799 plan is bad news for Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular

Reliance Jio, the country’s largest internet service provider, will unveil a new tariff plan for iPhone 8 users that will offer 90 GB of 4G data for Rs 799 over a 28-day period, media reports said. That works out to Rs 8.88 per GB, which is almost half the rate valid for a comparable non-iPhone […]

Google will create an iPhone rival with Pixel – expert

Google was forced to enter the smartphone hardware business as makers of Android smartphones have largely failed to develop a product that can compete against the iPhone, an industry expert said, adding that the result of union could rival what Apple has to offer. “With tighter control on Pixel, Google will now focus on making […]

Balaji Telefilms to share digital content with Vodafone

Balaji Telefilms will make its digital content available Vodafone’s Play multimedia app, the telecom operator said. Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO – ALTBalaji said the aim of his company was to make the content more widely available. “Our content caters to the Indian language, urban mass audience and is targeted at the 18-35 years demographic. The early […]

Bharti Airtel dismayed, Vodafone disappointed by TRAI IUC cut

As expected, incumbent telecom operators have expressed their disappointment with the regulator going ahead with cutting the interconnect charges paid by one operator to another at the time of handing off internetwork calls. The operators are likely to approach the government and the court against the move to reduce interconnect charges to 6 paise per […]

Ambani suddenly looks like the smart guy after TRAI termination charge cut

Operators such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL and Idea Cellular are likely to cut call tariffs for 2G and 3G users after TRAI decision to cut ‘termination charges’ to 6 paise per minute from 14 paise. More importantly, the bet that Mukesh Ambani placed by making voice free seems to be paying off as his […]

TRAI asks RCom to generate MNP code for 4.4 mln subs; puts Oct 30 deadline

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications to generate unique porting codes for all its 43.62 lakh GSM subscribers in Gujarat and send it to them by SMS. It has also granted an exemption to the 90-day lock-in rule for new customers who joined RCom or those who ported into […]

Idea Cellular raises 4G plan prices by 25%, 84-day pack now at Rs 505

Even as Reliance Jio continues its slow move towards ‘full pricing’ of its services, rival Idea Cellular has taken a step towards increasing promotional 4G pack prices across its tariff cards. While the operator was offering 1GB data per day for 84 days at around Rs 400 in key 4G states, it has now increased […]

50% of Idea Cellular cell-sites now have 3G or 4G

Idea Cellular said it has now achieved 3G or 4G penetration for 50% of its cell-sites. “Idea added nearly 50,000 broadband sites over the last 12 months period ending August ’17, growing its broadband footprint to cover 5,888 Census towns and nearly 105,755 villages, reaching out to 45% population of the country,” the company said. […]

RCom to shut down 2G GSM network in Gujarat

Reliance Communications said it has asked subscribers in Gujarat to move to its 4G network as its 2G spectrum in the state is expiring at the end of this month. “The Company has initiated migration of its customers in Gujarat circle to an all 4G network, prior to expiry of 2G spectrum in that circle […]

OnePlus beats Apple in customer satisfaction – CMR India survey

Even as Apple and its iPhone brand remains the most aspirational smartphone in India, it is OnePlus — owned by the same Chinese company that makes Vivo and Oppo — that has won the hearts of its Indian customers. OnePlus — which brings out only one phone at a time — emerged as brand with […]

4G tablets overtake 3G models in India for the first time

The sales of 4G-enabled tablets overtook that of 3G tablets for the first time in the April-June quarter of this year, numbers from CyberMedia Research showed. About 36% of the tablets sold in India during the three months came with 4G technology, while 33% came with support for only 3G high-speed data. In the preceding […]

Vodafone offers unlimited voice, data in 18 countries at Rs 5000/month

Vodafone today introduced an unlimited roaming pack for Indian users in 18 countries priced at Rs 500 per day or Rs 5,000 per month. Both incoming and outgoing calls as well as data usage will be free. “We launched our flagship unlimited international roaming proposition for USA, Singapore and UAE in April, and are now […]

Bharti Airtel starts VoLTE roll-out, service live in Mumbai

Bharti Airtel launched its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services today, starting in Mumbai, and said call charges will remain the same. Airtel VoLTE, which works over 4G, will offer customers HD quality voice calls along with faster call set up time. “Airtel VoLTE will be available on popular 4G/LTE enabled mobile devices, which must have […]