BSNL to launch Fiber-WiFi, IPTV service in Kerala tomorrow

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the state-owned telecom operator, will launch WiFi-based Fiber broadband connections in Kerala tomorrow, starting with the Kochi business area. This will be the first time that BSNL is offering last-mile connectivity over Wifi under its fiber broadband service. So far, BSNL has been giving fiber broadband connections only in those locations […]

BSNL offers unlimited data for 1 year for FTTH upgrade in Kerala

State-owned telecom operator BSNL has unveiled a new promotional offer under which it will give unlimited data to landline and DSL customers willing to upgrade to its fiber-to-the-home service Bharat Fiber in Kerala. The plan, called CS340, entitles the user to unlimited data at 1 Mbps for 1 year on payment of Rs 1,200 (Rs […]

Jio reduces validity of long-term plans to 11 months

Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator, has reduced the validity of its long-term recharges from 1 year to 11 months. Other operators continue to offer 1 year validity for their yearly plans. Jio used to offer two yearly plans – one priced at Rs 2,020 and another priced at Rs 1,299. The costlier plan was […]

Vodafone Idea cannot pay AGR dues – India Ratings

India Ratings, a unit of Fitch Group, downgraded the credit rating of Vodafone Idea and said it doesn’t see how the company can pay the money sought by the Department of Telecom as directed by the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra has asked companies such as Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel […]

AGR DUES: Why Vodafone Idea shutdown is unlikely

Vodafone Idea, one of the top telecom operators in India, is likely to deposit Rs 2,500 cr towards the demands raised by the Department of Telecom related to revenue share under India’s telecom license rules, according to industry sources. The company has been served with a total demand of over Rs 53,000 cr. Meanwhile, Bharti […]

Shutdown fears? Vodafone Idea is still expanding

Even as shares of Vodafone Idea tanked 17% over fears that the company may shut down or file for bankruptcy, the latest numbers posted by the company show that it continues to invest in its network. The correction in the stock price followed a renewed warning yesterday that the company may not be able to […]

Jio’s 6 paise charge led to massive shift in customers to Airtel

Reliance Jio’s decision to charge 6 paise per minute for outgoing calls to other networks had a massive impact on consumer behavior, according to indications from Bharti Airtel’s numbers and management commentary. Jio had, on October 9, announced that it was withdrawing all plans that came with free minutes to non-Jio networks, and from then […]

Airtel keen for a second round of price increase

Bharti Airtel, the former No.1 telecom operator in India, said it is keen on having a second round of price increases in the year starting April, but can do it only if the rest of the industry follows suit. Airtel said it needs to get more money from its customers to ensure that its investors […]

BSNL asks for 5G spectrum from the Govt

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, which is in the middle of a massive turnaround program, has officially asked the government for the allotment of 5G spectrum, according to Sanjay Dhotre, junior minister for communications, Government of India. “Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has requested DoT to assign spectrum for 5G services on Pan India basis (except […]

Reliance blocks sideloading of third-party Android apps on Jio Fiber box

Reliance Jio, the country’s largest telecom operator, has started blocking the ‘sideloading’ of third-party Android apps on its Jio Fiber set top boxes. The operator had recently introduced Android Pie-based fiber set top boxes for its users over the last few weeks, and subscribers soon realized that the box came with two key assets that […]

Reliance Jio users cut down on data, voice usage after price hike

Users of Reliance Jio’s 4G service have started cutting down on their data and voice usage the company implemented price increases in December, thus limiting the benefits of the price hike from fully flowing through to the company. The average data consumed by a Reliance Jio user fell to 11.1 GB per month during October-December […]

Viacom18 testing Voot Premium with international content

Viacom18, the entertainment-focused joint venture of TV18 Broadcast and US-based ViacomCBS, will launch a new content app focusing on premium, English language content, CEO Sudhanshu Vats said today. Commenting on his company’s third quarter results, Vats said the app is currently undergoing beta testing. Viacom18 currently has two apps, Voot — which largely offers Indian […]

Airtel, Reliance Jio release list of WiFi calling supported mobile handsets

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have released a list of supported mobile phone handsets that can be used with their newly launched ‘WiFi Calling’ feature. While Airtel supports only four brands — Apple, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Samsung, Reliance Jio’s WiFi calling can be activated on phones from 12 brands. Besides three of the four companies […]

TRAI unlikely to recommend floor pricing

Telecom regulator TRAI is unlikely to recommend floor pricing for voice and data services in India due to ideological as well as practical reasons, according to industry officials. The telecom regulator today came out with a consultation paper saying it wants to broad-base the discussion on setting minimum price for data and voice. At present, […]

COMING SOON: Tata Sky Binge+ Android Box; Training manual leaked

Tata Sky’s much awaited Android set-top-box, Tata Sky Binge+, is all set to become available in the coming 2-3 weeks as a dealer has leaked the technician’s reference guide for installing the service. The manual, leaked on social media, confirms what has already been reported — it will be built on top of Android TV […]

Jio cuts validity of 149 pack, remains cheapest under new 4G plans

A day after shocking consumers by increasing plan prices by around 20-40%, Reliance Jio has re-introduced the Rs 149 unlimited plan, but with a shorter validity and lower daily data allowance. The original Rs 149 plan used to offer 1.5 GB of daily data for four weeks (28 days) and was the most affordable monthly […]

Star India, Sony sign deals to place apps on Jio Fiber box

Two major broadcasters, Star India and Sony Pictures Networks, have signed deals with Reliance Jio to place their content apps on the telecom provider’s fiber to the home set-top-box, even as others are in talks to do so. Under the deals, Jio will provide a fixed amount for each subscriber who accesses these apps for […]

ANALYSIS: Can Reliance Jio avoid increasing 4G data prices?

On Tuesday night, Reliance Jio — the telecom operator that has made wireless data accessible to crores of Indians for the first time — said it would adopt ‘appropriate increases’ in tariffs over the next few weeks to help generate enough money to fund investments. The comment came in the wake of similar statements by […]