Posts

“So, this consultation paper is focussed on this aspect as the central issue. The central theme of this paper is concerning the regulatory imbalance between these two set of services which are similar or substitutable. We have received a large number of comments and counter-comments and we will come out with our recommendations or regulations or order in a month’s time,” Sharma added. Asked if Trai would focus on a separate consultation paper on the video part or the video OTTs, he said: “We are not talking about the type of applications....

Trai Rule on Faulty TV Connection The industry regulator tweeted saying that in case any customer faces the issue of faulty connection then there is a provision of a call centre where the subscribers will be able to register their complaint and log in their grievance. Further, in the Tweet, Trai said that in case after making a claim there is no action from the respective cable operator or DTH provider then the subscribers won’t have to pay after 72 hours....

Sun Direct DPO Packs Now Come in Six-Month Packages As noted, Sun Direct is providing the DPO packs in regional languages such as Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali and Odia for up to six months. Users are also allowed to choose the DPO packs for three months as well. As expected, subscribers choosing the DPO plans for six or three months will get some discount. For example, if a user selects the Sun Direct Telugu DPO Pack 1 for one month, the charges will be Rs 179....

Trai Finding Loopholes in Channel Selection Process Trai’s new tariff order gave the subscribers the freedom of choosing the channels they want to watch and to only pay for them. This was a big breakthrough for the industry since now the consumers were in full control of what they were going to pay for. However, the struggle was the process of selection of channels, which was not streamlined from the DTH providers’ side....

In recent times, Unified Payments Interface or UPI has made it very easy for people to get their monetary transactions done in a breeze. This is applicable for both business and personal transactions since via UPI, it can be done instantly and without additional costs. For those of you unaware, UPI is regulated and governed by the NCPI or National Corporation of India, which had recently announced that certain changes will be made to the apps, which were a bit shocking to certain apps like Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay, but that will be discussed later on....

Verizon, a prominent name in the North American telecom business has been doubling down on its 5G Business Internet service. The telecom company has announced that the 5G Business Internet service, which is an enterprise-level wireless internet service for companies is now available across 42 cities in the USA. Previously, Verizon had launched this service only in 24 cities across the country. It’s worth noting that 5G Business Internet is a service that is available for businesses of all sizes and is not really meant for the end consumers, unlike the normal 5G or 4G LTE network....

Verizon Business announced that its private 5G wireless network is live at The Smart Factory at Wichita, a new immersive, industry experience centre convened by Deloitte. Verizon collaborates with Deloitte and other companies in the Smart Factory ecosystem to advance smart manufacturing deployment and allow manufacturers to quickly adopt cutting-edge Industry 4.0 solutions and technologies that support new business models that improve quality, productivity, and sustainability. Verizon, as a builder-level collaborator in The Smart Factory at Wichita ecosystem of 20 leading global companies, intends to use this network of companies to help customers from various industries to innovate their approach to better connectivity and use of data to improve real-time coordination between people and assets....

Vodafone Idea (Vi), a prominent telecom operator in India, has got the support of a majority of its shareholders to issue shares worth Rs 1600 crore to the ATC (American Tower Corporation). If the amount of Rs 1600 crore is unpaid to ATC even after 18 months, the tower company can convert the due amount into equity for itself. Vodafone Idea will be issuing debentures worth Rs 1600 crore to the ATC for now....

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is around the corner, and cricket fans in India would want a Disney+ Hotstar subscription for watching the games on the go regardless of wherever they are. But the thing is, many find the over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions quite expensive and unworthy when it comes to purchasing them in a standalone manner. However, Vodafone Idea (Vi) offers users prepaid plans which bundle free Disney+ Hotstar subscriptions....

The reports of Vivo launching its first foldable smartphone in China in 2022 have been circling around for a while. The first foldable device from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer could be Vivo X Fold. Even though the brand hasn’t confirmed any official date for the launch, speculations suggest that the smartphone could arrive in March itself or the next month. Now in a new development, the design schematic of the Vivo foldable smartphone has been leaked....

“This is important. It means we can today announce the largest launch of 5G in the UK and be the first to announce 5G roaming. It means UK businesses can lead the world in adopting 5G to boost productivity and attract investment,” said Nick Jeffery, CEO, Vodafone UK. A choice of 5G smartphones will be available online and in Vodafone stores and will go on sale next week. Xiaomi Mi MIX 3, Samsung S10, Huawei Mate 20X and Mate X are included in Vodafone’s 5G smartphone offerings in the UK....

The renowned telecom operators of the UK, Vodafone and O2, have signed a new deal to trade airwaves for creating more efficient blocks of the 5G spectrum. Both the telcos have already deployed mass infrastructure to provide a 5G network for fast and reliable internet and telecommunications services. The new deal between Vodafone and O2 will make the 5G network more efficient in indoor and outdoor areas. Also, the network coverage will expand across urban, suburban and rural areas....

Vodafone Idea Has to Pay Rs 53,000 Crore to DoT Vodafone Idea is one of the telcos which has been facing huge trouble from the supreme court’s verdict. As per the estimates of DoT, the telco giant has to pay Rs 53,000 crore to DoT. However, Vodafone Idea self-assessed dues stand at Rs 23,000 crore out of which Rs 7,000 crore is the principal amount. Till date, the telco has just paid Rs 3,500 crore as AGR dues....

Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, and Reliance Jio, all have shown their support for the relief measures that were announced by the government today. The Government of India (GoI) has changed its definition of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues and have also allowed a moratorium with interest rates for four years in the payments related to AGR and spectrum purchased, ease in process of getting clearance for tower installation, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through automatic route which will aid the telecom sector in the long run, and digital KYC among other things....

Vodafone Idea (Vi) promoters, including the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) and the Vodafone Group Plc of the United Kingdom (UK), were expected to infuse capital into the company. However, months have gone by, and not a single promoter has infused any capital in the telco. On top of that, Vi has not been able to secure investment from any outside investor yet, and it is not a good sign for the upcoming 5G spectrum auctions....

Vodafone Idea (Vi) was quite desperate to get the tariff hikes going. The telco was just waiting for Bharti Airtel to make the first move. Post the tariff hikes; analysts are positive that Vi’s revenues are going to grow. However, the subscriber churn rate is also expected to be higher. In a note, Motilal Oswal Institutional Equities said that Vi’s average revenue per user (ARPU) figure would grow to Rs 128 with the help of the tariff hikes....

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is confident about its future in India as well as 5G services. This is because of the reforms that the government recently announced. Because of the moratorium on dues announced, it has become possible for Vi to work on its networks for now and not get pressured because of the statutory dues in its books. As per a PTI report, the telco’s non-executive chairman, Himanshu Kapania, Vi, will be able to invest in new technology and services, including 5G, because of the recent reforms....

Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in India, is losing customers to its competitors pretty fast. Vi has not been able to compete with Airtel and Jio because of capital issues. The ailing telco has not seen any success in raising funds from external investors yet. What’s hurting Vi more is that the tariffs between all the operators are almost the same, and the Indian users are mainly prioritising the 4G network services of competitors....

Vodafone Idea has silently hiked the prices of postpaid plans in four more circles- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and Maharashtra & Goa. Vi increased the prices of Rs 598 and Rs 699 Family postpaid plans to Rs 649 and Rs 799, respectively in the Uttar Pradesh East circle. Back then, the revised plans were effective in only the UP East region, but now, these postpaid plans are applicable in five telecom circles....

Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in India, has been very vocal about the surprise and how it is “inconceivable” for it to understand that the Supreme Court (SC) can’t order a rectification in errors made by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) while calculating the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. It is not just Vodafone Idea, but also Bharti Airtel, who was rooting for the SC to order the DoT for rectifying the errors made in total dues calculation....