COMMUNICATIONS
Hurricane Beryl makes landfall on Caribbean island; damages buildings, affects communications across the region
Hurricane Beryl ripped off doors, windows and roofs in homes across the southeastern Caribbean on Monday after making landfall on the island of Carriacou as the earliest storm of Category 4 strength to form in the Atlantic, fueled by recor...
Jio, Airtel Tariff Hikes: Users can still avoid increased prices. Here's how
Reliance Jio and Airtel will raise tariffs from July 3, 2024, to boost Average Revenue per User (ARPU), impacting millions of subscribers. Prepaid users can avoid hikes by recharging before July 3. Adjustments range from 12% to 25% for Jio and 11% to 21% for Airtel. Postpaid users will see immediate changes in their billing cycles.
Landslides snap surface communication in several Arunachal districts
Surface communication to several districts in Arunachal Pradesh was disrupted due to landslides triggered by heavy rain, officials reported on Saturday. A crucial road stretch from Aalo to Mechukha suffered damage between Roing and Pene villages amidst continuous downpour. Shi-Yomi District's Information and Public Relations Officer, Jumi Ete, confirmed landslides at multiple locations in the area, emphasizing the strategic significance of the Aalo-Mechuka road for deployed Army personnel. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) mobilized resources to clear the blockage, aiming to restore passage for light motor vehicles by Saturday evening if weather permits.
No 'communication' from Sebi after initial inquiries: Quant MF
Quant schemes had liquid assets, which include large-cap stocks, T-bills, G-Secs, gold, and silver, worth approximately 53.5% of their total equity AUM, the asset manager said.
Jio hikes tariff by 12.5 to 25%; launches new plans
On Thursday, Jio, owned by Reliance, revealed a tariff increase ranging from 12.5% to 25% alongside the introduction of new plans. In the recent spectrum auction by the Department of Telecommunications, Jio secured additional 1800 MHz band spectrum for Bihar and West Bengal, as informed by Reliance Industries to the exchanges on Wednesday.
5G spectrum auctions: Bharti Airtel likely largest bidder, govt mops up around Rs 11,300 crore
India's second 5G spectrum auction concluded around Wednesday noon after seven rounds, lasting just over a day, with the government collecting approximately Rs 11,300 crore. Bharti Airtel is likely the largest bidder, acquiring airwaves in the sub-GHz 900 MHz band as well as in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. Market leader Reliance Jio likely bought 5G bandwidth in the 1800 MHz band.
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Trai invites views on norm for transferring ownership of machine-to-machine SIMs
The telecom regulator, Trai, is seeking industry views on allowing critical M2M communication services on unlicensed airwaves. It has identified 20 critical M2M services, including those for connected & autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and smart grid operations.
TRAI directs telcos to make spam complaints user friendly on app/web
The Indian telecom regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), has directed service providers to make their mobile apps and web portals more user-friendly for complaint registration. The regulator has mandated that options for UCC complaint registration and preference management should be easily accessible on these platforms.
Kanchanjunga accident: How a communication failure proved fatal
Railway officials stated that due to the automated signals not working, the loco pilot of the freight train should have stopped at red lights and then proceeded cautiously at a speed of 10-15 km/h. Instead, he was issued a paper line-clear ticket, a T/A 912, which allowed the freight train to cross Rangapani without reducing speed, leading to the collision.
Starlink, Project Kuiper requests for landing rights under process: IN-SPACe chairman
Both companies have yet to get permits to provide satcom services in India — their applications are pending before the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) — but Goenka said this would not delay the grant of landing rights to them by the space sector regulator.
WhatsApp business calling service won't disrupt traditional toll-free channels: Experts
WhatsApp's recent introduction of calling features for businesses is not expected to significantly impact traditional telecom voice calling. Experts in the communications sector believe it will focus on "contextual calling" rather than disrupting toll-free customer service lines used by large enterprises.
Reliance Jio down: Users report issues with JioFiber & mobile internet
Reliance Jio is currently experiencing a widespread service outage across India, impacting access to communication applications and affecting remote employees. According to Downdetector, there is a notable issue with both fiber and mobile internet connectivity. Complaints surged to about 2,300 reports around 1:41 pm, subsided briefly by 2:11 pm, but then increased again with over 1,900 complaints.
Jio-SES JV Orbit Connect gets IN-SPACe authorisation to enter satcom space
Orbit Connect India, a joint venture between Reliance Jio Platforms and SES, has obtained crucial landing rights and market access authorizations from IN-SPACe, India's space regulator. This move positions Jio against Bharti Enterprises-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Elon Musk's Starlink, and Amazon's Kuiper in India's satellite communications sector. Jio is also seeking trial satellite spectrum from the DoT for advanced trials on its nationwide satellite broadband network, aiming for an early allocation to begin trials.
Jio Satellite Communications seeks trial spectrum after IN-Space clearance
The Department of Telecom has already granted satellite communication service licence GMPCS and internet service provider licence to Jio Satellite Communications.
Tata Communications secures five-year contract with World Athletics
Tata Communications signed a five-year contract with global sports organization World Athletics, expanding its media business by adding over 20 international events. Dhaval Ponda, Global Head of Media and Entertainment Services at Tata Communications, highlighted the significant viewership of World Athletics events.
Jyotiraditya Scindia takes charge as Minister of Communications
Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has emphasized the importance of the telecom division and India post division on both a global and local level. Scindia, who has previously served as civil aviation minister in the Modi cabinet, pledged to deliver according to the Prime Minister's aspirations and the 140 crore people of the country. He also highlighted the challenges of overseeing India's 5G spectrum auction, retaining India's three-private player telecom market structure, and ensuring the survival of Vodafone Idea, the government's largest stakeholder.
Jyotiraditya Scindia is new telecom minister
Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Minister of Communications in the Modi Cabinet 3.0, faces key challenges in overseeing the 5G spectrum auction, ensuring the survival of Vodafone Idea, and implementing new telecom rules. His role also involves making decisions on satellite spectrum usage and improving the quality of telecom services for consumers. Scindia's return to the Cabinet marks a significant political journey from the Congress to the BJP, highlighting his academic background and past political affiliations.
Telecom gear makers seek 2-year extension for security testing of customers' WiFi
Telecom gear manufacturers are pushing to delay the mandatory security testing deadline for WiFi CPE and IP routers, requesting a two-year extension and voluntary certification. They cited high costs and limited accredited labs. The Department of Telecommunications had previously extended the application start date to January 1, 2024, and then to July 1, 2024, with further extensions for certified models.
DoT take down over 1000 SMS content templates to protect citizens from potential fraud
DoT, with support from MHA, cracked down on spam calls by blacklisting 73 SMS headers and 1,522 content templates to prevent SMS fraud, as reported by ToI.
DoT aims to notify rules under Telecom Act soon
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) aims to notify rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 within 100 days of the new government taking charge. The rules will streamline the regulatory framework, ensuring compliance, and cover spectrum allotment, satellite communications, biometric data, and more, with a focus on customer data security and technology changes.
Trai to tighten rules to check pesky communication
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) plans to strengthen regulations and increase penalties to combat pesky communications affecting mobile phone users. Trai will issue a consultation paper to tighten rules and prevent misuse of the system, according to chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti. The government has allocated a new 160 numbering series for service and transactional calls, distinguishing them from promotional calls using the 140 series.
Trai to shortly release views on regulating communication apps
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is set to provide recommendations on the possible regulation of over-the-top (OTT) communication apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. The consultation process initiated in July last year continues, with stakeholders having provided their comments.
Soon-to-be unfair trade practice, telemarketing & fraudulent calls to incur criminal liability
The Department of Consumer Affairs is working to bring out relevant guidelines in a couple of months. These will put accountability on telemarketers and their principal entities — such as banks, real estate companies or any other consumer-facing business — while sending promotional or transactional messages or making such calls for customer conversion.
Proximus sets ambitious targets after acquisition of Route Mobile in India's largest inbound FDI deal
Rajdip Gupta, managing director and chief executive of RML, who will now lead the Proximus group’s global CPaaS business said, he finds immense cross-selling and business development opportunities for RML’s products in regions like Australia, LATAM and Europe.
Proximus thinks the route is clear for a 15% margin boost
Proximus targets revenue growth by acquiring Route Mobile, expanding globally with generative AI. Telesign's fraud solution introduced in India. RML acquisition to enhance CPaaS dominance. WhatsApp, RCS access highlighted.
Enterprise demand keeps telcos’ voice channel revenue growing
Despite challenges in personal voice calling revenue for telecom operators, the enterprise sector sees significant revenue from voice channels. With the rise of digital-native businesses in India, voice services like IVR, outbound calling, and contact center telephony remain vital for customer support. Industry experts foresee continued growth in voice communication alongside other digital channels.
Elon Musk's Starlink one step away from getting greenlit in India with in-principle govt nod
The Telecom Ministry has granted an in-principle approval to Elon Musk's Starlink for satellite communications services in India, ahead of Musk's visit to the country. The approval follows almost three-and-a-half years of deliberation and awaits final vetting by the Home Ministry. Once approved, Starlink will receive a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license, a crucial step for offering satellite communication services in India.
Trai recommends govt funding for testing new telecom innovations as part of sandbox framework
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has suggested that the government should provide funding for testing new products in the communications sector to bridge the digital divide. The regulatory sandbox framework allows entrepreneurs to test their products on live networks even without funding. However, the regulator emphasizes the need for network security and consumer protection.
Airtel versus Jio: More shots fired in the satcom space battle
Airtel and Jio stand sharply divided on various issues related to satcom and have battled each other over complexities that surround satcom. The rivalry between the two biggies, with other satcom players also divided sharply, continues. A few days ago, they locked horns over the usage and price of satcom.
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