guruTricks: Airtel

Showing posts with label Airtel. Show all posts

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Hike, Airtel Payments Bank collaborate on digital wallet

Prashanth November 23, 2017 0

The companies plan to reach 5 million transactions this month.

Indian instant messaging application Hike on Wednesday partnered with Airtel Payments Bank to power its digital payment wallet. “We’re on track of over five million transactions this month (November) from services such as recharge and P2P.

“We’re excited and we look forward to working with Airtel on supporting this effort to bring more Indians online and enable easy transactional services for them,” Pathik Shah, Vice President, Product, Hike Messenger, said in a statement.

As per the collaboration, Hike messenger users will have access to Airtel Payments Bank’s merchant and utility payment services and KYC infrastructure. The messaging platform has over 100 million registered users. It is growing by over 30 per cent month-on-month (MoM). “We are delighted to partner with Hike to build a world-class digital payments ecosystem by leveraging our digital banking infrastructure,” said A. Ganesh, Chief Operating Officer, Airtel Payments Bank.

In September, Airtel Payments Bank integrated the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform that gave its users convenience of making secure digital payments to online/offline merchants and making instant money transfers to any bank account in India. At present, Hike — a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and SoftBank Corp — is handling over 10 billion messages and three billion stickers per month.

Aircel’s new tariff plans offer 1GB data per day, unlimited calls

Reliance

Prashanth November 21, 2017 0

Aircel's latest plans are for prepaid customers only.

Competing against major telecom operators, Aircel has launched three new plans for its subscribers. These plans are priced at Rs 88, Rs 104, and Rs 199, and are aimed at prepaid customers only. You can recharge your mobile with either of these plans online or through retail outlets.

Here’s what you get for the newly rolled out plans. Starting with the Rs 88 plan, Aircel subscribers will get 1GB of data daily along with unlimited calling for a period of seven days. Unlimited calling applies to both local and STD as well. Moving on to the Rs 199 plan, Aircel subscribers will get the same 1GB data daily and unlimited local plus STD calling but with an extended validity of 28 days. So the only two differences between these two plans is the duration of the recharge plan.

As for the Rs 104 plan, Aircel has a pretty interesting offering. Under this plan, subscribers will get validity of 1 year and the only offering is that calls will be charged at 20 paisa per minute. Commenting on the launch of this plan, Harish Sharma, regional head North – Aircel said, “We are confident that we will not only bolster our bond with our existing customers but new telecom users will choose Aircel as their preferred service provider.”

Aircel was recently in the news for its merger possibilities with Reliance Communication. However, the merger was called off last month receiving the last withdrawal acceptance from the National Company Law Tribunal. The reasons behind calling off the merger were due to “legal and regulatory” delays, and also due to “various interventions by vested interests” according to Aircel.

RCom also said that heavy competition in the industry played a big role in the merger not being successful. Both Aircel and RCom are way lag behind other telcos more primarily because of its 2G and 3G connectivity only. Leading telcos have all gone ahead offering affordable data tariffs for 4G connectivity.

Reliance Jio to ‘soon announce’ next JioPhone pre-booking date

Prashanth October 30, 2017 0

Reports have surfaced online claiming that Reliance Jio has stopped production of the JioPhone.

Earlier today, reports surfaced online claiming that Reliance Jio has stopped production of the JioPhone as the company shifts focus to the Android ecosystem. When you look at the scale and reach of Android, this move makes sense. But turns out that is not the case, at least for now.

BGR India reached out to a person with insider knowledge who claims that production of the Reliance JioPhone is very much on track. In fact, the company is looking at delivering the device to the 6 million who pre-ordered. Moreover, the company will also soon announce a new date for the pre-orders to begin again.

This is reiterated in a statement sent to BGR India by Reliance Jio’s spokesperson, which says, “JioPhone, ‘India ka smartphone’ is committed to fulfilling the country’s digital vision. Jio welcomes the initial 6 million Indians who are moving to digital life with the JioPhone and will soon announce the next JioPhone booking date.”

Our source further says that Reliance Jio is in talks with developers to come up with popular apps that are compatible with KaiOS. Despite being a feature phone, the JioPhone does bring a lot to the table, courtesy of Jio’s suite of apps. But one bone of contention has been the lack of popular apps such as WhatsAppand Facebook among others. Once a variant of these apps are launched for the JioPhone, there is no reason why it couldn’t offer an experience that can rival entry-level Android smartphones.

There is no denying that Reliance Jio has taken the market by storm with its ‘effectively priced Rs zero’ JioPhone. But lately, incumbent telecom companies have put their hats in the ring by launching uber-affordable smartphones with bundled tariff plans. Airtel has joined hands with the likes of Karbonn and Celkon to launch such entry-level smartphones, while Vodafone too is reportedly doing the same.

Reliance Jio likely to hike tariffs every 2-3 months now: Goldman Sachs

Reliance

Prashanth October 26, 2017 0

Market leader Bharti Airtel would be the biggest beneficiary of it.

Reliance Jio disrupted the domestic telecom market with uber-cheap tariffs, and endless freebies. It has not only compelled rival telcos to slash prices in a bid to retain customers, but has also pushed the telecom industry into further losses and debt. However, the Jio honeymoon period for customers might just be ending. Jio has gradually started upping its prices and reducing validity periods. And that trend is likely to continue in 2018, states Goldman Sachs in a recent report.

“We expect Jio to raise tariffs every few months, with the next potential increase in January 2018,” the US brokerage states. Jio raised its prices by 15-20 percent last week itself. It not only gives other telcos more breathing space, but also improves overall telecom ARPUs. Goldman Sachs also expects Jio to reduce the validity period of its Rs 309 plan from 49 days to 28 days in 2018. Jio has already reduced the validity of its popular Rs 399 plan from 84 days to 70 days in the recent revision. For a plan that is valid for 84 days, customers now have to shell out a minimum of Rs 459.

The biggest beneficiary of Jio’s revised offerings would be market leader Bharti Airtel, according to Goldman Sachs. “Airtel remains in an enviable position to grab market share and grow profits should the market continue consolidating at the tail end,” it said. Airtel is expected to improve its margins by 18 percent in 2018 as ARPUs rise. The operator has over 282 million subscribers and occupies nearly 30 percent of the mobile telephony market in India. In anticipation of a recovery period, Airtel stocks hit a 10-year high last week after Jio announced its revised tariffs. The ripple effect is likely to reach other incumbent telcos as well.

For Jio though it could be a challenge to retain all of its 128 million customers once the subsidized rates end. The Mukesh Ambani-owned telco became the fastest in the world to notch up 100 million customers in February. Most of the growth was fueled by its free, unlimited data offerings. But April 2017 onward, Jio started charging its customers for data, and by and by, has raised tariffs. In August, it recorded a decline in active connections that now stand at 75 percent — lower than the industry average of 86 percent. As rates go up further, it’d be interesting to see how Jio retains customers.

Airtel to migrate all 3G users to 4G VoLTE network in the next few months: Report

News

Prashanth October 18, 2017 0

3G still accounts for a majority of its users though.

Airtel, which was the first incumbent telco to roll out 4G VoLTE services, is now gearing up to phase out 3G and convert its existing users to the new network. While heavy investments have been made by Airtel in 3G, which still accounts for nearly 60 percent of telco revenues, 4G is fast becoming the standard on mobile phones. The company plans to migrate all its 3G users across the country to VoLTE over the next few months, according to reports. However, no specific time-frame is known.

Airtel has close to 280 million users on its network and a majority of them are on 3G. Hence, a mass conversion would require efforts from the telco. “What we need is that every base site that we have, we need to add a new technology so that the rollout that we are doing currently is almost entirely on 4G. Our 3G rollout is over and I would say 3G in anyway in 2-3 years, we will have to shut it down. Our 3G network will also shift to 4G. And these are mostly software switches,” an official was quoted as saying.

This comes at a time when all Indian cellular operators, including Airtel, are investing in 5G technologies and partnering with international companies to make them ready for the next phase of telecom revolution. The Indian government too has set up a committee to further the cause. While 5G readiness is a priority, it is 4G that is likely to driver revenues for telcos in 2018. Experts estimate that about 85 percent of Indian smartphone users would be on 4G LTEnetworks by next year.

Much of this shift has been triggered by Reliance Jio, which has made 4G truly accessible and affordable in the last one year. All telcos have been compelled to slash tariffs and offer potfuls of 4G data in order to curb the migration of subscribers to Jio network. As a result, both their toplines and bottomlines have suffered in 2017. Now, communication and advertising to make 3G users switcgh to 4G LTE would likely incur more costs. But given that most smartphones shipped today are 4G-ready, and even feature phones are now 4G-enabled, it is imperative for networks to upgrade their users.

Bharti Airtel launches Online Store, offers Apple iPhone 7 at Rs 7,777

News

Prashanth October 17, 2017 0

The Online Store services are currently available in 21 cities.

Bharti Airtel launched its Online Store that will offer a line-up of premium smartphones with affordable down payments, instant credit verification financing and bundled monthly plans.

Apple iPhone lovers can buy iPhone 7 (32 GB variant) at a down payment of Rs 7,777, with 24 monthly instalments of Rs 2,499.

The monthly instalments have a built-in postpaid plan which offers 30GB data, unlimited calling (local, STD, national roaming) and Airtel “Secure” package.

“This is another exciting digital innovation from Airtel to delight customers. We are making the entire process seamless and simple through digital technology,” said Harmeen Mehta, Global CIO and Director-Engineering, Bharti Airtel, in a statement.

The Online Store services are currently available in 21 cities and will be expanded to others in the near future.

Reliance Jio effect: Vodafone offers 90GB 4G data at Rs 399 for 6 months

Vodafone

Prashanth October 16, 2017 0

The offer is only for Vodafone prepaid customers.

Diwali is around the corner, and every telecom operator has been trying hard to grab the attention of users by launching several ‘value for money’ offers on data tariff and voice call plans. While Reliance Jio has once again announced its tariff plan at an attractive price, telecom operator Vodafone has launched a new plan for its prepaid users to counter Jio’s offer.

Under this plan, as reported by IndianExpress, Vodafone prepaid users can recharge with Rs 399 and get 90GB 4G data for six months along with unlimited local and STD calls. Talking about Reliance Jio’s offer, a customer needs to recharge with Rs 399. Upon recharge, Reliance Jio prepaid customers will get a 100 percent cash back. However, the offer is valid from October 12 to October 18. This means, to avail this offer, users need to get the recharge done between the period of October 12 until October 18.

However, the offer will activate starting October 19, under which users will get unlimited services for the next three months. This offer can be availed via the MyJio app, Jio.com, Reliance Jio store, Reliance Digital store, a partner retail store, or via wallets like JioMoney, Paytm, Amazon Pay, PhonePe or Mobikwik. A

On the other hand, Airtel has also been in news for offering cut-throat competition to Reliance Jio. Airtel under its Rs 399 plan offers 84GB of 4G data for 84 days. However, users can use only 1GB of data per day after which charges will be applicable. Under the plan, Airtel will also offer unlimited local and STD voice calling facility. Airtel has also partnered Indian smartphone makers Karbonn to offer a 4G smartphone called Karbonn A40 Indian at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399.

Airtel rolls out 4G VoLTE in Maharashtra and Goa

News

Prashanth October 13, 2017 0

Airtel has listed down compatible phones for its 4G VoLTE network.

Accelerating the adoption of Voice over LTE or VoLTE networks in the country, Airtel announced the launch of its VoLTE services across the rest of Maharashtra and Goa. The fast network support will be available only through Airtel 4G SIM.

The company announced that Airtel customers using 4G SIM in the said regions will be able to make calls using Airtel VoLTE and there will be no additional charges for VoLTE. Calls will be billed as per your existing plan or recharge packs.

Although Airtel VoLTE uses 4G network, in case there is non-availability, it automatically switches back to 3G or 2G network. The new network compatibility will also allow customers to continue with their data sessions at 4G speeds while the call is in progress.

If you are an Airtel user, you can upgrade to VoLTE by first checking if your smartphone is compatible with the newer network. You can visit www.airtel.in/volte and check if your phone is listed under supported devices. Airtel has tested and certified particular device models for VoLTE compatibility.

If your device is compatible, you will further need to update it to the latest operating system to ensure the latest version supports VoLTE. To update the device software, head to settings and check for software update. Lastly, ensure you have an Airtel 4G SIM.

If you are not using a 4G SIM, you can visit an Airtel store and upgrade it. You can then enable VoLTE by following the instructions provided on Airtel’s website. It is to be noted that dual-SIM handset users will have to inset their 4G SIM in the data SIM slot or slot 1, and set the network mode to ’4G/3G/2G (Auto)’.

Compatible Airtel VoLTE phones include iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, Samsung Galaxy A5, A7, A8, A9 Pro, J2 2016, J2 Pro, J7 2015, J7 2016, J7 Prime, J7 Nxt, On 8, On Nxt, Oppo F3, F3 plus and A71, Gionee A1, A1 Lite, X1, X1S, Lava Z series, and Vivo Y55L and Y66.

The announcement comes on the heels of Airtel’s merger with Tata. Under the merger, Airtel is also said to assume a small portion of spectrum in 1800, 2100 and 850 MHz bands that are suited for 4G connectivity. Although the two companies have entered into an understanding, the acquisition of the mobile businesses by Airtel is pending regulatory approvals.

Vodafone-Idea might be working on a series of low-cost 4G phones: Report

Vodafone

Prashanth October 13, 2017 0

They have reportedly approached Lava and Karbonn to manufacture the devices.

NEWS

Shortly after Airtel announced its Rs 1,399 4G phone in partnership with Karbonn, the Vodafone-Idea Cellular combine is also contemplating a similar device. Reports suggest that the two incumbents may be approaching domestic budget-phone makers like Lava and Karbonn to manufacture a sub-1,500 4G-enabled device. All this, in response to Reliance’s JioPhone that was announced in August, and recorded six million bookings in the first round.

The top four telcos — Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Reliance Jio — are now gunning for the absolute lower-end of the market, which consists of 400-500 million users who are still on feature phones. Many of them could even be on 2G networks. While the ‘effectively free’ JioPhone offers Jio’s content services along with 4G functionalities, the Karbonn A40 Indian which is being significantly subsidized by Airtel under its ‘Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone’ initiative is a smartphone running on Android Nougat. That is a delicious proposition at that low a price point.

The specifications of the rumored Vodafone-Idea feature phone, however, are not clear yet. Though analysts reckon that it could be a series of low-cost models instead of just one device. And unlike Airtel, which chose to extend its partnership to an already existing device, Vodafone and Idea are working with manufacturers for fresh handsets. ”We’re in discussions with all three telcos but plans have not been finalized,” Gaurav Nigam, product head at Lava, reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Vodafone India also has a contract with Chinese player itel for feature phones, but right now 4G-enabled sub-1,500 segment seems to be the focus for telcos. Finnish manufacturer Nokia too is closely following the developments in the space. At present, Nokia has four feature phone models in the Indian market, one of which is the revamped version of the iconic 3310. But none of these devices have 4G capabilities. “We are watching how this materializes. If we see a viable business proposition, we will definitely consider it [4G feature phone] and participate,” Ajey Mehta, India VP for HMD Global, recently said.

Bharti Airtel enters merger agreement with Tata Teleservices, to acquire portion of 4G spectrum

News

Prashanth October 12, 2017 0

The merger will add spectrum in 1800, 2100 & 850 MHz bands to Airtel's pool.

Tata Teleservices Limited and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Limited (Tata) is set to enter a formal merger with Bharti Airtel for the mobile businesses. The telecom operator has officially announced that it has entered into an agreement to merge the Consumer Mobile Businesses (CMB) of TTSL and TTML into Bharti Airtel.

Although the two companies have entered into an understanding, the acquisition of the mobile businesses by Airtel is pending regulatory approvals. As part of the merger, Airtel will absorb Tata’s consumer mobile business operations across the country in nineteen circles (17 under TTSL and 2 under TTML). This includes over 40 million customers who would add to Airtel’s userbase.

Bharti Airtel will also assume a small portion of the unpaid spectrum liability of Tata. Additional spectrum in 1800, 2100, and 850 MHz bands will be added to Airtel’s pool and further help the operator strengthen its 4G network.

The merger will also provide Bharti Airtel the right to use Tata’s existing fiber network. The merger is on a debt-free cash-free basis. Tata employees will be demerged on the lines of the two businesses CMB and EFL (Enterprise and Fixed Line and Broadband), and will be moved after an optimal manpower planning. Tata CMB’s operations and services will continue as normal until the completion of the transaction, and it will retain retain its stake in Viom.

On the merger with Tata, Bharti Airtel Chairman, Sunil Mittal said, “This is a significant development towards further consolidation in the Indian mobile industry and reinforces our commitment to lead India’s digital revolution by offering world-class and affordable telecom services through a robust technology and solid spectrum portfolio. On completion, the proposed acquisition will undergo seamless integration, both on the customer as well as the network side, and further strengthen our market position in several key circles. The customers of Tata will be able to enjoy India’s widest and fastest voice & data network, and bouquet of Airtel’s best-in-class products and services.”

“The acquisition of additional spectrum made an attractive business proposition. It will further strengthen our already solid portfolio and create substantial long term value for our shareholders given the significant synergies,” Mittal added.

N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said, “We believe today’s agreement is the best and most optimal solution for the Tata Group and its stakeholders. Finding the right home for our longstanding customers and our employees has been the priority for us. We have evaluated multiple options and are pleased to have this agreement with Bharti.”

The merger is the latest in the continued consolidation efforts seen across the financially strapped telecom sector in India. Following the commercial launch of Reliance Jio 4G services, incumbent operators have been thrown out of gear and players have been joining hands to ease better fight the juggernaut. Idea Cellular has also received approval for the $23-billion merger with Vodafone. The merger is expected to be completed by 2018.

Reliance JioPhone vs Airtel Karbonn A40 Indian

Reliance

Prashanth October 12, 2017 0

As Airtel challenges Reliance JioPhone with Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone, here’s a look at how they compete.

After disrupting the telecom space with affordable internet, Reliance Jio once again disrupted the market by launching a smart feature phone that is ‘effectively free.’ Feeling the heat from Jio, incumbent operators don’t want to stay far behind. Airtel recently announced its partnership with Karbonn to offer the A40 Indian smartphone at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399. Both devices come bundled with data and calling services. We take a quick look at how they compete based on specifications, tariff and price.

Connectivity

To begin with, JioPhone is a feature phone with smart features whereas the Karbonn A40 Indian is an entry-level smartphone. Both devices come with support for 4G VoLTE, and while it is not something new, a feature phone supporting the connectivity option is commendable. Also, it is worth mentioning that while the A40 Indian supports VoLTE, Airtel is yet to roll out the network band. JioPhone, on the other hand, only supports VoLTE, and doesn’t fall back to 2G, 3G or 4G.

Operating System

The A40 Indian, runs on Android 7.0 Nougat OS, giving users an access to millions of apps that are available on the Play Store, including WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and more. JioPhone, on the other hand, runs on KaiOS, and comes support for JioTV, JioMusic, JioCinema, YouTube and Facebook along with voice assistant support powered by Google.

Specifications

The A40 Indian features a 4-inch touchscreen display running at a resolution of 800×480 pixels. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core SoC paired with 1GB or RAM and 8GB onboard storage, expandable via microSD card. Just like the JioPhone, the A40 Indian and comes with 2-megapixel rear camera and 0.3-megapixel front snapper. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, it is armed with a 1,400mAh battery.

The JioPhone, on the other hand, comes with a 2.4-inch display running at a resolution of 320×240 pixels. It is powered by a dual-core SoC running at clock speed of 1GHz, paired with 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card. With a 2-megapixel rear camera and 0.3-megapixel front snapper, the JioPhone is armed with a 2,000mAh battery.

What about the effective pricing?

Karbonn A40 Indian is priced at Rs 2,899, and after a period of 36 months, you can avail refund of Rs 1,500, which brings its effective price down to Rs 1,399. Airtel will offer the refund in phases – Rs 500 after completing 18 months, and remaining Rs 1,000 after completing 36 months. However, to be eligible for this, a customer will need to do 36 monthly refills of Rs 169 (each month), which is around Rs 3,000 in the first 18 months, and Rs 3,000 in the remaining 18 months.

Reliance JioPhone is priced at Rs 1,500, which is a security deposit and is refundable when you return the device. If you return the device within the first 12 months, Jio will not offer any refund. If you surrender the device between 12-24 months, you will be eligible to get a refund of Rs 500, and a return between 24-36 months, you can get a refund of Rs 1,000. Only after completion of 36 months, customer can avail a refund of Rs 1,500. At the time of returning the JioPhone, GST will also be applicable.

Airtel vs Reliance Jio tariff plans

With the Rs 169 monthly refill, Airtel is offering unlimited voice calling and 500MB 4G/3G data daily. Jio, on the other hand, has a slightly cheaper plan priced at Rs 153, which offers unlimited voice calls, unlimited high-speed internet (500MB per day), after which speed will be throttled to 128Kbps.

Should you go for Karbonn A40 Indian or JioPhone?

Now, that is a tough call. There are advantages and disadvantages linked to both. Let me talk about A40 Indian first. It is a smartphone and runs on Android OS, which gives you an access to all the apps on the Play Store. You also get more functions, compared to a feature phone. However, it falls short on battery capacity aspect. Also, it is slightly expensive, which should not be a concern as it is a smartphone and not feature phone.

In case of JioPhone, it is cheaper, and comes with JioCinema, JioTV and JioMusic subscription for your entertainment. Jio will also be selling a dongle that will let you connect your JioPhone to TV to stream and watch your favorite TV shows and movies on big screen. However, the only problem is that it is not easily available, the wait time could be longer.

Essentially, the Karbonn A40 Indian is targeted towards customers who will be switching from feature phone to smartphone, whereas JioPhone is aimed at those who want smart features, but are uncomfortable with using the touchscreen. So, if you want a smartphone, the A40 Indian could be your bet, else, if you want to try out the smart feature phone and don’t mind waiting, opting for JioPhone will be a no brainer.

{BGR}

Airtel offers Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399 to take on Reliance JioPhone

Reliance

Prashanth October 12, 2017 0

It is still 'effectively' costlier than the Reliance JioPhone.

Reliance JioPhone is yet to be made available to all those who pre-booked. However, prior to that, Airtel has joined hands with domestic handset maker Karbonn to offer a 4G smartphone called Karbonn A40 Indian at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399.

Airtel partnered with 4G device manufacturers in India for its ‘Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone’ initiative, and the first product born out of it is the resultant Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone. It is directly targeted at the Reliance JioPhone, however, with its touchscreen display is apt for those who are migrating to the ‘smart’ phone interface.

The Karbonn A40 Indian was launched in July at a market price of Rs 3,499. However, under the initiative, it will be available at the lesser cost of Rs 1,399. The fine print here is that unlike JioPhone, there’s no refund on returning the device. If you want to purchase the phone, you will be required to make a down payment of Rs 2,899 and then take a minimum amount of recharges over the course of three years to receive cashback totaling to Rs 1,500. This essentially means, you essentially pay Rs 1,399 for the phone. It is worth noting the cashback amount will be credited to your Airtel Payments Bank account.

Now here are a few things to take into account. First, you will be required to make monthly recharges from Airtel, which will be worth Rs 3,000 in the first 18 months to avail Rs 500 as cashback. This needs to be followed with further recharges further Rs 3,000 for next 18 months to get the remaining Rs 1,000 as cashback. To sum up, you pay Rs 2,899 as first payment, followed by Rs 6,000 worth recharges in the three-year time period, to avail a cashback of Rs 1,500. Secondly, you must make recharges every month to be eligible for the cashback. With the Karbonn A40 Indian, Airtel is offering a bundled plan of Rs 169 per month which offers unlimited calling, 0.5GB of high-speed data per day.

As for the Karbonn A40, the smartphone will be available in offline stores. In terms of specifications, the smartphone features a 4-inch WVGA display and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core SoC with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. For optics, there is a 2-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera. It is fueled by a 1,400mAh battery. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 B/G/N, Hotspot, and Micro USB. It supports dual SIM, and is compatible with 4G LTE. The smartphone is available in color choices of Blue, Coffee Brown, Black and Champagne.

Bharti Airtel launches VoLTE services across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh

News

Prashanth October 10, 2017 0

To avail Airtel's VoLTE a person needs to have 4G/LTE enabled mobile devices.

Country’s largest telecom company Bharti Airtel today announced the launch of its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

“We are delighted to announce the addition of VoLTE capabilities on our 4Gnetwork in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as it enables high definition voice qualities and faster call set up time,” Dharmender Khajuria, Chief Executive Officer, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Bharti Airtel, told.

Airtel VoLTE, which works over 4G, will offer customers high definition quality voice calls along with faster call set up time, he added.

“Airtel VoLTE will be available on popular 4G/LTE enabled mobile devices, which must have an Airtel 4G SIM. Customers can call any mobile, landline network using Airtel VoLTE. There will be no additional data charges for VoLTE and calls will be billed as per existing plan or packs benefits,” Khajuria said.

Reliance Jio tops TRAI’s 4G download speed test for August

Vodafone

Prashanth October 09, 2017 0

Reliance Jio has topped the download speed by TRAI for the 8th consecutive month.

Reliance Jio has topped TRAI’s 4G download speed test for the eighth consecutive month. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India‘s speed data, Jio recorded average speed of 18.433 Mbps for the month of August. It was followed by Vodafone (8.999 Mbps), Idea Cellular (8.746 Mbps), and Bharti Airtel (8.550 Mbps).

While Reliance Jio has topped the download speed, Idea Cellular has achieved the highest 4G upload speed in September citing data compiled by telecom regulator TRAI’s MySpeed app. In comparison to Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular 4G upload speed for September stands at 6.307 Mbps. According to TRAI, Idea Cellular was followed by Vodafone, Reliance Jio and Airtel.

It is the eighth consecutive month when Reliance Jio has topped the TRAI speed chart compared to incumbent players Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. Last month, Reliance Jio clocked an average download speed of 18.331 Mbps, compared to Airtel at 9.266 Mbps, Idea Cellular at 8.833 Mbps, and Vodafone India at 9.325 Mbps.

According to the latest report from OpenSignal, Reliance Jio is the most widely available 4G LTE network in India. Apart from that, the report also revealed that Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, BSNL Mobile and Reliance Communications are the top six telcos. While the first three operators run both 3G and 4G networks the other two operate 3G-networks only.

Idea Cellular tops TRAI’s 4G upload speed rankings in September

Vodafone

Prashanth October 09, 2017 0

Idea Cellular reported an average download speed of 8.74 mbps during the month.

Idea Cellular said it achieved the highest 4G upload speed in September citing data compiled by telecom regulator TRAI’s MySpeed app.

Idea Cellular topped the chart in terms of average 4G upload speed for September at 6.307 mbps, the private telecom player said in a statement reeling off the TRAI data. It reported an average download speed of 8.74 mbps (megabits per second) during the same month. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI ) MySpeed app tabulates mobile data speed of various operators.

The regulator last week had said it plans to strengthen the MySpeed app and would also make its evaluation method more transparent after consultation with operators.

TRAI hopes to come out with a white paper soon on underlying methodology and algorithms used by the said app for calculating data speeds of various service providers. According to the data available on the TRAI site, Idea took the pole position in 4G upload speed, followed by Vodafone, Reliance Jio and Airtel. In terms of 4G download speed, Idea ranked third, after Jio and Vodafone, the TRAI data showed.

An Idea Cellular statement said it has rapidly expanded the network to 2.60 lakh sites across the country, with 50 percent dedicated to mobile broadband services. The company also said it added nearly 50,000 broadband sites over the last 12 months to August, growing its broadband footprint to cover 5,888 census towns and close to 1.05 lakh villages and reaching out to 45 percent population of the country.

Nokia hints at a potential 4G feature phone to rival Reliance JioPhone

Nokia

Prashanth October 05, 2017 0

Several Indian telcos and handset companies are working on 4G-enabled feature phones.

The feature phone market in India is undergoing a churn with several handset and telecom companies targeting the bottom-of-the-pyramid consumer with 4G-enabled devices. It all started with the launch of the “effectively free” JioPhone in August. Soon after, leading telco Bharti Airtel announced that it was coming up with its own low-cost 4G feature phone. Domestic handset maker Micromax rolled out its Bharat One phone in September. Intex and Lava are said to be working on similar devices. And now, Nokia might also be joining the league with a 4G-enabled feature phone.

HMD Global, which is Nokia‘s parent now, hinted that it could well be working on a feature phone with 4G functionalities, and made no bones about the fact that it is the JioPhone which, in fact, led them towards it. “JioPhone is definitely going to have an impact on the segment, and there is no question about it. We are watching how this materializes. If we see a viable business proposition, we will definitely consider it and participate,” Ajey Mehta, India VP for HMD Global, told ET.

At present, Nokia has four feature phone models in the Indian market, one of which is the revamped version of the iconic 3310. But none of these devices have 4G capabilities. While traditional feature phone users — more than 400 million of them in the country — may not require the advanced functionalities of a smartphone, a 4G calling and internet option doesn’t really harm. Hence, the JioPhone has been a trendsetter. And Nokia, which is a dominant brand in India’s feature phone market, is rightfully inspired. “If there is a business opportunity, for sure we are open to it…in that [feature phone] category, our brand is very strong,” HMD Global’s Mehta added.

Market sentiments favor it too. According to Counterpoint Research, nearly 25 million 4G-enabled feature phones are estimated to be shipped by the end of 2017. “JioPhone will shorten the upgrade cycle for feature phone users. Currently it is 3-4 years. It could come down to 1-2,” Tarun Pathak, Associate Director of Counterpoint Research, told BGR India in a prior interaction. JioPhone has already accounted for six million orders in the first round. There will be more soon. Airtel’s device is on the horizon too. And state-owned BSNL has tied up with Micromax for bundled offers on 4G feature phones. “Feature phones as a segment has seen the least amount of innovation in the last ten years,” says Pathak. But all that’s slated to change now.

RCom and Aircel merger called off

Vodafone

Prashanth October 02, 2017 0

The proposed merger has been called off due to regulatory and legal uncertainties.

Reliance Communications Ltd got another blow on Sunday after its merger with Aircel was called off with mutual consent. The two telecoms have been in agreement since last year for merging RCom’s mobile business with smaller rival Aircel. However, the announcement now again raises doubts over whether RCom is able to repay its massive debts.

According to RCom’s official statement, the merger has been called off on the account of ‘legal and regulatory uncertainties’. Led by Chairman Anil Ambani, RCom has an estimated debt of Rs 250 billion, which it planned to pay off by merging its wireless business with Aircel. The two signed binding agreements in September 2016. The merger was approved by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Competition Commission of India (CCI) board both.

Ambani at the recent AGM stated that RCom will bring in new plans for debt reduction, while also focussing on 4G and spectrum optimization. The company says, adopting to 4G focused strategies will allow it to eliminate the loss-making segments of RCom’s holistic business portfolio.

It is no secret that RCom has hit by Reliance Jio‘s disruptive entry in Indian telecom scene as well. Reliance Jio’s Chairman Mukesh Ambani is Anil Ambani’s elder brother, and India’s richest man. The elder Ambani kicked off Reliance Jio 4G services last year in September and since then has gained an unprecedented number of consumers in a very short time with free voice calls and unlimited data plans. Following which, other established telcos like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, Idea Cellular and even the state-run BSNL had to take to aggressive business strategies to keep up with the competition.

RCom states that the current competitive scenario in Indian telecom sector has changed industry dynamics and indirectly affected banks from financing telecom operators. Last month, a local business unit of Sweden-based Ericsson filed a plea against RCom on the account of bankruptcy. After the Aircel merger lapse, RCom said in a statement that it would monetize its spectrum, currently valued at Rs 19,000 crores, through trading and sharing arrangements. Further, it will continue to monetize of its tower and fiber. The company is at ‘unique advantage’ for it hold spectrum sharing and ICR Agreements with Reliance Jio, says RCom.

{BGR}

Popular Airtel Recharge Plans: What You Get In Rs. 149, Rs. 199, Rs. 349, Rs. 399

News

Prashanth October 02, 2017 0

Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom company, provides its customers with a number of options to recharge their prepaid Airtel connections.

Popular Airtel Recharge Plans: What You Get In Rs 149, Rs 199, Rs 349, Rs 399

Amid high competition in the telecom sector, Bharti Airtel has come up with new offers for its customers. Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom company, provides its customers with a number of options to recharge their prepaid Airtel connections. Aggressive data pricing along with free voice calling by new entrant Reliance Jio - which offers telecom services under brand name Jio - has stirred up competition in the telecom services market with the incumbent players rapidly reviewing their offerings, say some analysts. Some of Airtel's prepaid packs that include voice and data benefits include the STVs or special tariff vouchers priced at Rs. 149, Rs. 199, Rs. 349 and Rs. 399.

Here's what you get under Airtel's Rs. 149, Rs. 199, Rs. 349 and Rs. 399 packs:

Airtel Rs. 149 recharge plan

In its recharge pack priced at Rs. 149, Bharti Airtel offers "unlimited Airtel calls + 2GB data" with a validity of 28 days, according to its website - airtel.in. "Applicable only on 4G H/S (handset) & 4G SIM. T&C apply," Airtel added. That means Airtel customers using a 4G handset along with a 4G mobile SIM will be able to avail the benefits under the Rs. 149 recharge plan.

Airtel Rs. 199 recharge plan

Airtel's Rs. 199 pack comes with calling and data benefits including 1 GB of mobile data. Valid for 28 days, the Rs. 199 Airtel recharge pack includes unlimited local and STD calls, according to its website.

Airtel Rs. 349 recharge plan

Airtel's recharge plan of Rs. 349 includes voice and data benefits. Valid for 28 days, the Rs. 349 recharge pack from Airtel includes 28 GB of data (with a daily limit of 1 GB) along with unlimited calls. Airtel's Rs. 349 recharge pack comes with "unlimited local + STD calls", Airtel said on its website. Also, the 28 GB of data is available on all handsets, it noted.

Airtel Rs. 399 recharge plan

airtel rs 199 rs 399 recharge airtel website

Bharti Airtel's recharge plan or recharge pack priced at Rs. 399 offers unlimited calls (local and STD) as well as 70 GBs of data with a validity of 70 days to select customers. According to the Airtel website, customers using a 4G handset and a 4G SIM are offered the 70 GB along with the 70-day validity. The data of 70 GB can be used with a daily limit of 1GB, it noted. For others, the same Rs. 399 recharge pack came with "Unlimited Local+STD+Roaming outgoing calls+28GB (1GB/day) for 28 days", according to the Airtel website.

Bharti Airtel is also offering additional benefits to customers subscribing to its telecom network using new 4G handsets. "The 'Offer for New 4G Handsets' is being provided by Bharti Airtel Limited to Airtel Pre-paid subscribers in India whose 4G Handset (IMEI) latched for the first time on Airtel Network," Bharti Airtel said on its website. For example, a customer with a new 4G handset recharging his or her connection with the Rs. 399 pack is being offered 1 GB of data per day for 70 days. Listing the benefits offered to a customer eligible under the 'Offer for New 4G Handsets' scheme, Airtel said: "Unlimited Local + STD Calls (subject to fair usage Commercial Use policy) + 1 GB data per day (only available for 4G handsets with 4G SIM)+ for a period of seventy (70) days."

"For 4G Handset and 4G SIM extra 1GB Data for a period of 28 days," Airtel added.

Airtel's packs are priced differently in some states.

Airtel deploys 5G-ready technology in Bengaluru and Kolkata

Airtel

Prashanth September 28, 2017 0

Airtel customers will enjoy 2-3 times faster data speeds on their existing 4G handsets without any upgrades.

Bharti Airtel has announced the deployment of the country’s first Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology that is a key enabler for 5G networks. India joins a select group of countries in the world that have deployed this advanced technology. In the first round, the services would be deployed in Bengaluru and Kolkata, and will later extend to other circles. The deployment is part of Airtel’s ongoing network transformation program, Project Leap, in which it has invested Rs 60,000 crore.

It is estimated to increase carrier capacity by more than 5X, thereby making effective use of the current spectrum. Additionally, Airtel customers will enjoy 2-3 times faster data speeds on their existing 4G handsets without any upgrades or plan changes. Data speeds will now be seamless, offering enhanced user experience even indoors, in crowded places and in high-rises. “It would enable multiple users and multiple devices to work simultaneously without facing any congestion or experience issues especially at hotspot locations,” Airtel said in a statement.

Massive MIMO is essentially a pre-5G technology that readies a cellular network to meet the rising data demands. MIMO deployment uses multiple antennas that are located at both the source (transmitter), and destination (receiver). Those antennas are linked in order to minimize error and increase efficiency of a network. It creates 3D beams both on horizontal and vertical planes towards users located within its coverage area. Interestingly, massive MIMO uses green technology, thereby helping reduce carbon footprint. No other telecom operator in India has deployed this technology so far.

This announcement comes shortly after Airtel tied up with Korea’s SK Telecom to build a high-tech, high-capacity 5G network. “India is fast striding towards exponential and unprecedented data growth. Our latest deployment of Massive MIMO will help us serve this demand and would also give an impetus to build a future ready network. The deployment gives us a strategic advantage to provide faster speeds and enhanced user experience for our customers, thereby translating into improved spectrum efficiency,” Abhay Savargaonkar, Director – Networks, Bharti Airtel said.

Hot

Thursday, November 23, 2017

The companies plan to reach 5 million transactions this month.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Aircel's latest plans are for prepaid customers only.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Reports have surfaced online claiming that Reliance Jio has stopped production of the JioPhone.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Market leader Bharti Airtel would be the biggest beneficiary of it.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

3G still accounts for a majority of its users though.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

The Online Store services are currently available in 21 cities.

Monday, October 16, 2017

The offer is only for Vodafone prepaid customers.

Friday, October 13, 2017

Airtel has listed down compatible phones for its 4G VoLTE network.

They have reportedly approached Lava and Karbonn to manufacture the devices.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

The merger will add spectrum in 1800, 2100 & 850 MHz bands to Airtel's pool.

As Airtel challenges Reliance JioPhone with Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone, here’s a look at how they compete.

Connectivity

Operating System

Specifications

What about the effective pricing?

Airtel vs Reliance Jio tariff plans

Should you go for Karbonn A40 Indian or JioPhone?

It is still 'effectively' costlier than the Reliance JioPhone.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

To avail Airtel's VoLTE a person needs to have 4G/LTE enabled mobile devices.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Reliance Jio has topped the download speed by TRAI for the 8th consecutive month.

Idea Cellular reported an average download speed of 8.74 mbps during the month.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Several Indian telcos and handset companies are working on 4G-enabled feature phones.

Monday, October 2, 2017

The proposed merger has been called off due to regulatory and legal uncertainties.

Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom company, provides its customers with a number of options to recharge their prepaid Airtel connections.

Airtel Rs. 149 recharge plan

Airtel Rs. 199 recharge plan

Airtel Rs. 349 recharge plan

Airtel Rs. 399 recharge plan

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Airtel customers will enjoy 2-3 times faster data speeds on their existing 4G handsets without any upgrades.

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