Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

In a boost to Elon Musk's <keyword id="20034452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="starlink" source="keywords">Starlink</keyword>, Communications Minister Scindia has said the spectrum for satellite broadband will be allocated and not auctioned as sought by Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal. The satellite broadband spectrum will however be not given free and sector regulator Trai will fix a price for the resource, he told PTI in a text and video interview. "Every country has to follow the <keyword id="20848482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-telecommunications-union" source="keywords">International Telecommunications Union</keyword> (ITU), which is the organisation that lays out the policy for spectrum in space or satellites, and the ITU has been very clear in terms of the spectrum being given out on an assignment basis. In addition, if you look across the world today, I cannot think of a single country that auctions spectrum for satellite," Scindia said. India is a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency for digital technology. Musk's Starlink and global peers like Amazon's Project Kuiper back an administrative allocation. While Ambani's Reliance Jio has been vocal about the need to allocate such spectrum through an auction to provide a level playing field to legacy operators who buy airwaves and set up infrastructure like telecom towers, Mittal last month at an industry event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present articulated the need to use bidding for such allocation. Jio and Mittal's Bharti Airtel - India's largest and second-largest operators, respectively - feel that giving away the satellite broadband airwaves at a pre-decided price by the government will create an uneven playing field since they had to compete in an auction to get spectrum for their terrestrial wireless phone networks. The two are vying for a piece of the satellite broadband segment as well. Musk-led Starlink is demanding administrative allotment of licences in line with the global trend as it looks to tap into the world's fastest-growing mobile telephony and internet market. Scindia said the Telecom Act of 2023 passed in December has put the matter in 'Schedule 1', which means that the Satcom spectrum will be allocated administratively. Such an allocation will be at a government-decided price, and allow foreign firms like Starlink to offer voice and data services. If the spectrum were to be auctioned, it would have made it costlier for Starlink to roll out services. Starlink has applied for a licence to start operations in the country. Scindia, however, offered no clues on the fate of his application. The minister said that the regulatory process is very clear and transparent. The new Telecom Act has been passed, and the Satellite spectrum is very clearly a part of that in schedule one, he pointed out. "...and therefore, we are open to looking at the application of any entity that wants to invest in India at this point in time. I think only one or two licenses have been given out. And whoever else wants to participate, India is surely going to welcome that," the minister said. Last month, Musk, in a post on X, termed the demand made by Jio for shunning sector regulator Trai's consultation paper on satellite broadband being allocated and not auctioned as "unprecedented", and when Mittal made the pitch in the presence of the Prime Minister, he asked if it was "too much trouble" to allow Starlink to provide internet services in India. This was perhaps the first time that Musk, whose networth of USD 241 billion is more than the combined wealth of Ambani, Mittal and Gautam Adani, had spoken directly against demands for a level playing field made by the Indian firms. Musk, the mind behind PayPal, founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X (formerly Twitter), uses his social media platform on a daily basis to make his views known on a vast array of topics.

In a win for Elon Musk, Scindia says no to spectrum auction pitch from Ambani, Mittal

<ul><li>Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi have all reported a significant decline in their subscriber base in September 2024</li><li>BSNL has recorded an increase in its subscriber base in for the third month.</li><li>This comes after the tariff hike in July 2024, which increased tariffs by up to 25%.</li></ul> State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) continued to gain subscribers in September as private telcos continued to report a decline in their subscriber base for the third month in a row after the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms"> tariff hike</a>. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio had announced a tariff hike, which was followed by Airtel and Vi. The telcos had announced a tariff hike of up to 25%, which came into effect from July. The three telcos have lost significant subscribers during the July-September quarter. In September 2024, there was a net decline of 5.02 million users in the total subscriber base, taking the total subscribers to 1.153 billion at the end of the month. <h2>Reliance Jio records a huge decline in subscribers</h2>Reliance Jio recorded a decrease of 7.97 million subscribers in September 2024. With this, the telco’s subscriber base has declined from 471.75 million in August to 463.78 million in September 2024. Out of the 463.78 million subscribers, the company’s active subscriber base stood at 444.49 million, which is 95.84%, marking a steady increase in its active subscriber base. Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has also recorded a significant decline in its subscriber base in September at 1.43 million users. The telco’s subscriber base declined from 384.91 million in August 2024 to 383.48 million in September 2024. The telco continues to enjoy a high active subscriber base. The company's active subscribers stand at 380.68 million users out of its 383.48 million users, which is 99.27% of its total user base, the highest among all the telcos. <h2>Vi continues to bleed subscribers</h2>Vi, which is yet to launch 5G services in the country has once again reported a huge decline in subscribers. The company lost 1.55 million users in September 2024. The company’s subscriber base decreased from 214 million in August 2024 to 212.45 million users in September 2024. Out of the 212.45 million users, the company’s active user base stands at 179.52 million users, which is 84.50%. <h2>BSNL gains subscribers</h2>BSNL, the only telco that did not raise its tariff continues to gain subscribers. The telco recorded a growth of 0.85 million subscribers in September 2024, taking its total subscriber base from 91.05 million users in August 2024 to 91.90 million in September 2024. <h2>MNP requests continue to grow</h2>Mobile number portability (MNP), which allows users to shift from one telecom operator to another, recorded 13.32 million requests during September 2024. With this, the total number of MNP requests received since the introduction of this in November 2010 has reached 1.04 billion. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oppo-find-x8-and-find-x8-pro-launched-in-india-starting-at-69999/articleshow/115521010.cms">Oppo Find X8 and Find X8 Pro launched in India starting at ₹69,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/android-16-developer-preview-announced-new-features-timeline-and-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/115476441.cms">Android 16 Developer Preview announced – new features, timeline and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-wearables-market-declines-20-7-in-q3-2024-smartwatch-and-earwear-categories-struggle/articleshow/115447720.cms">Indian wearables market declines 20.7% in Q3 2024, smartwatch and earwear categories struggle</a>

Jio, Airtel and Vi lost nearly 11 million subscribers in September 2024

<ul><li>Telecom operators have reported an increase in ARPU after the recent tariff hike.</li><li>At the same time, the telcos have also lost subscribers in the quarter.</li><li>Airtel has recorded the highest ARPU at ₹233 per month, followed by Jio with an ARPU of ₹195.</li></ul>India’s leading telecom operators Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vi have lost subscribers in this quarter while recording a robust increase in their average revenue per user (ARPU) because of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms">recent tariff hikes</a> according to a report by Centrum. The ARPU for private telecom players was positively impacted due to tariff hikes implemented in July 2024. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111512587" title="Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Bharti Airtel continues to maintain its lead with an ARPU of ₹233 per month for the quarter, up from ₹211 per month in the first quarter of FY25 Reliance Jio reported an ARPU of ₹195 per month compared to ₹182 per month in Q1FY25 whereas VIL reported an ARPU of ₹156 per month, up from ₹146 per month in Q1FY25. The report indicates that the tariff increases will aid telecom operators in achieving higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), and the full impact of these tariff increases will become evident within a few quarters. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114944496" title="Reliance Jio IPO – India’s biggest telco to go public in 2025, retail IPO further away" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Conversely, the operator's subscriber base declined due to SIM consolidation resulting from tariff increases implemented in July 2024. Bharti Airtel lost around 2.9 million mobile subscribers in the quarter to reach 352 million. Reliance Jio lost around 10.9 million subscribers in the quarter to reach 479 million subscribers whereas Vi lost 5.1 million subscribers in this quarter mainly in the 2G segment to reach 205 million subscribers. This quarter also saw increased porting to the government-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), from private operators as tariffs were not raised by the telco. The report says SIM consolidation is expected to be largely over by the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal. It adds that besides tariff hikes, ARPU for the sector will continue to grow also led by subscribers moving from 2G to 4G and growth in post-paid subscribers. Average voice and data use is expected to increase with this migration. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113548793" title="Jio and Airtel lost subscribers in July after tariff hike, BSNL records growth" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Both Airtel and Reliance Jio are adding more cities to their 5G coverage with presence across most districts of India. About 148 million Jio subscribers have migrated to 5G and 105 million Airtel subscribers moved to 5G. With more 5G subscribers, data usage is expected to increase thereby increasing revenue and ARPU for telecom operators. The report says with these changes and reforms of September 2021, the telecom sector is moving towards some sort of stability. Tariff hikes in December 2019, November 2021 and July 2024 have led to a steady rise in operator’s ARPU. About the revival of Vi, the report says the government now has a 24% equity stake in the telco. The company is in discussion with banks to raise debt capital of ₹250 billion for its capex plans of ₹500-550 billion over the next 3 years to improve its network capacity. The company has also announced its plan to launch its 5G services in another 6 months. However, the net debt of the company still stands at ₹2 trillion. With inputs from ANI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-to-buy-a-majority-stake-in-pegatrons-iphone-plant-in-india/articleshow/115414852.cms">Tata to buy a majority stake in Pegatron's iPhone plant in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ntpc-green-energy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115403791.cms">NTPC Green Energy IPO – GMP, risk factors and all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/jiostar-announces-plans-starting-at-15-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/115326701.cms">JioStar announces plans starting at ₹15 – here’s everything you need to know</a>

Telcos report a rise in ARPU after tariff hike, lose subscribers

<ul><li><keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> has announced an AI-powered solution to tackle <keyword id="20649571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spam-calls" source="keywords">spam calls</keyword> and messages.</li><li>The telco will use AI to scan and alert users about spam calls and messages.</li><li>The company will roll out the new feature to all users for free.</li></ul> Spam calls and messages are a nuisance and while the <keyword id="19945464" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Telecom Regulatory Authority of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Telecom Regulatory Authority of India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) has taken steps to tackle the issue, it has failed to do so completely. Telecom operator <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> has now deployed <keyword id="21310835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-powered-technology" source="keywords">AI-powered technology</keyword> to try to solve the issue. The company termed it as the country’s “first AI-powered <keyword id="23323248" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spam-detection-solution" source="keywords">spam detection solution</keyword>”. The company has said that it will offer this spam detection solution to all users for free. "Spam has become a menace for customers. We have spent the last twelve months solving this comprehensively," said <keyword id="20174209" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopal-Vittal" source="keywords">Gopal Vittal</keyword>, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113548793" title="Jio and Airtel lost subscribers in July after tariff hike, BSNL records growth" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> As per the company, the tool will alert customers in real time to all suspected spam calls and messages. Customers won’t have to do anything to enable this and it will be auto-activated for all Airtel customers without them having to raise a service request or download any app. "Our solution has been able to successfully identify 100 million potential spam calls and 3 million spam SMSes originating every day," Vittal added. Airtel has claimed that the AI-powered spam detection solution, developed in-house by Airtel's data scientists flags suspected spam calls and messages accurately. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112841081" title="Airtel customers to get access to Apple TV+, Apple Music – telco to absorb Wynk Music employees" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> In addition to alerting users about spam calls and messages, this tool will also alert customers about malicious links received via SMS. To address this, Airtel said it has built a centralised database of blacklisted URLs and every SMS is scanned in real-time by an AI algorithm to caution users from accidentally clicking on suspicious links. "There are several indicators based on which we have identified spammers. We have developed an AI-enabled spam detection solution which analyses calls in 2 milliseconds and alerts users on the dialer," Vittal added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/diffusion-engineers-ipo-quick-review-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-more/slidelist/113687580.cms">Diffusion Engineers IPO quick review – IPO GMP, risk factors and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/manba-finance-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/113667907.cms">Manba Finance IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/it-is-cheaper-to-watch-coldplay-perform-in-abu-dhabi-than-to-pay-scalpers-for-mumbai-tickets/articleshow/113665893.cms">It is cheaper to watch Coldplay perform in Abu Dhabi than to pay scalpers for Mumbai tickets</a>

Airtel is using AI-powered technology to block spam calls and messages

<ul><li><keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> has partnered with Apple to offer its customers access to Apple TV+ and <keyword id="20066660" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apple-Music" source="keywords">Apple Music</keyword>.</li><li>The telecom operator will shut down the <keyword id="22938696" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wynk-Music" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wynk Music" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wynk Music">Wynk Music</keyword> app.</li><li>Airtel will reportedly absorb all the employees of Wynk Music.</li></ul>Indian telecom operator <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> has announced a partnership with Apple to bring access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music content to its customers through video streaming platforms <keyword id="20371132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xstream" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Xstream" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Xstream">Xstream</keyword> and Wynk Music respectively. Under the partnership, Airtel Xstream customers will be able to explore Hollywood and award-winning content on Apple TV+ which will come bundled with premium Airtel WiFi and postpaid plans. Apple Music will be accessible for Wynk Premium users. These Apple Music and Apple TV+ offers will become available to <keyword id="21638222" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-customers" source="keywords">Airtel customers</keyword> in India later this year. "Apple and Airtel are natural partners who strive to bring excellence to customer experience. This partnership with Apple will provide immense value to our customers since they will now have access to the best content and entertainment globally," Bharti Airtel chief marketing officer and EVP customer experience, Amit Tripathi said. "We are thrilled that Airtel customers in India will soon be able to enjoy all of the incredible content on Apple TV+ and Apple Music," said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats. <h2>Airtel to shut down Wynk Music, absorb employees</h2>Following this deal, Airtel will reportedly exit from the music vertical and shut down its Wynk Music app according to a report. The telco will absorb all Wynk Music employees. "Airtel is planning to close Wynk Music in the next couple of months. It will absorb all the employees into the company," a source told PTI. "We can confirm that we will sunset Wynk Music and all Wynk Music employees will be absorbed within the Airtel ecosystem. Airtel users will have access to Apple Music. Additionally, Wynk Premium users will receive exclusive offers from Airtel for Apple," an Airtel spokesperson said to PTI. With inputs from PTI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-iphone-16-to-be-launched-on-september-9-heres-everything-we-know-so-far/articleshow/112828818.cms">Apple iPhone 16 to be launched on September 9 – here’s everything we know so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/a-company-with-8-employees-looking-to-raise-12-crore-ended-up-getting-applications-worth-over-4700-crore/articleshow/112824522.cms">Delhi firm with just 8 employees seeks ₹12 crore via IPO, gets ₹4,700 crore worth of investor applications!</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/telegram-comes-under-the-scanner-in-india-for-extortion-and-gambling-will-it-be-banned-in-india/articleshow/112807370.cms">Telegram comes under the scanner in India for extortion and gambling – will it be banned in India?</a>

Airtel customers to get access to Apple TV+, Apple Music – telco to absorb Wynk Music employees

<keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vodafone Idea" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vodafone Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword> has secured contracts worth Rs 30,000 crore with <keyword id="19941076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nokia" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Nokia" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Nokia">Nokia</keyword>, <keyword id="19962937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ericsson" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ericsson" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ericsson">Ericsson</keyword>, and <keyword id="19897758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samsung" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Samsung" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Samsung">Samsung</keyword>, a PTI report revealed. These contracts, which span a period of three years, are a crucial part of the company's Rs 55,000 crore capital expenditure (capex) plan. The investment will focus on expanding 4G coverage, launching 5G services, and meeting the growing demand for data in India. The debt-laden telecom operator announced the deal as it strives to regain market share in an increasingly competitive industry. Vodafone Idea has faced financial difficulties since its merger in 2018 between Vodafone Group's Indian arm and Aditya Birla Group's Idea Cellular. Since then, the company has struggled to compete with larger rivals such as <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> and Reliance Jio, both of which have made significant inroads into India’s telecom market. The Rs 30,000 crore deal with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung is expected to provide Vodafone Idea with the necessary equipment to expand its 4G coverage from 1.03 billion to 1.2 billion people, as well as initiate the rollout of 5G services in key markets. The company confirmed that supplies under the new contract would begin arriving in the next quarter. In a statement, Vodafone Idea said that its primary goal is to enhance 4G connectivity across India while simultaneously preparing to introduce 5G technology. ""Vodafone Idea has concluded a mega, about USD 3.6 billion (around Rs 300 billion), deal with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for supply of network equipment over a period of three years. The capex programme is directed towards expanding the 4G population coverage from 1.03 billion to 1.2 billion, launching 5G in key markets and capacity expansion in line with data growth," the company said in a statement. Akshaya Moondra, CEO of Vodafone Idea, said as per a Livemint report, “"We have kickstarted the investment cycle. We are on our journey of VIL 2.0 and from hereon, VIL will stage a smart turnaround to effectively participate in the industry growth opportunities. Nokia and Ericsson have been our partners since our inception and this marks another milestone in that continuing partnership. We are pleased to start our new partnership with Samsung. We look forward to work closely with all our partners as we move into the 5G era." (With Reuters and PTI inputs)

Vodafone Idea seals Rs 30,000 crore deal with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung for 4G and 5G expansion

The impact of mobile phone service tariff hike was evident in July with <keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, Bharti <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords">Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vodafone Idea" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vodafone Idea">Vodafone Idea</keyword> reporting loss of customer base, which resulted in an overall decline in <keyword id="20781077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-subscribers" source="keywords">telecom subscribers</keyword> in the country. Reliance <keyword id="19906886" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jio" source="keywords">Jio</keyword>, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea increased their mobile service plan rates in the range of 10-27 % in the first week of July. Airtel and Vodafone Idea have more than doubled their entry-level mobile rates in the last 2-3 years to Rs 199 that comes with 28 days validity. State-run <keyword id="19970536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSNL" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BSNL" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BSNL">BSNL</keyword> was the only player that added new subscribers and led the market in terms of new net customer addition, according to a monthly subscribers report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday. According to the report, BSNL added over 2.94 million mobile subscribers in July. Bharti Airtel lost 1.69 million mobile subscribers which was highest among its peers. Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio lost 1.41 million and 758,000 mobile subscribers, respectively. Overall, the telecom subscriber base in the country declined marginally to 1,205.17 million in July from 1,205.64 million in June. North East, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Mumbai, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bihar, West Bengal, UP East, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh telecom circles recorded decline in mobile customer base post the hike in mobile services rates. The wireline or the fixed line connections segment increased by about 1% to 35.56 million in July from 35.11 million in June. Reliance Jio led the fixed-line segment with addition of over 480,000 new subscribers. It was followed by Bharti Airtel which added over 136,000 new subscribers, VMIPL 12,413, Vi 11,375, Tata Teleservices 3,971 and Quadrant added 12 new fixed line customers. BSNL was the biggest loser in the segment. The state-run firm lost 134,000 fixed line customers and its sister concern lost 56,454 customers. The broadband customer base in the country increased to 946.19 million at the end of July from 940.75 million in June. Top five players accounted for 98.42% of total broadband connection in the country. Reliance Jio led the chart with 488.63 million <keyword id="23252277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="broadband-customers" source="keywords">broadband customers</keyword>, Airtel with 284.03 million, Vodafone Idea with 126.72 million, BSNL with 29.61 million and Atria Convergence with 2.26 million. Bharti Airtel led the machine-to-machine cellular mobile connections with 28.46 million subscribers accounting for 53.02 % market share.It was followed by <keyword id="21892784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vodafone-idea-limited" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea Limited</keyword>, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and BSNL with market share of 27.71 %, 13.68 % and 5.58 % share respectively.

Jio, Airtel, Vi record customer loss post tariff hike, BSNL becomes only gainer in July

New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> ("<keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>") announced on Monday that it has begun re-farming its existing <keyword id="10952298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mid-band-spectrum" source="Orion">mid-band spectrum</keyword> to accommodate the rapidly increasing traffic demand on its 5G network. According to an exchange filing, with a growing number of customers transitioning to 5G, Airtel is reallocating its mid-band spectrum to expand 5G services across the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands nationwide. The re-farming of the mid-band spectrum aims to provide customers with enhanced <keyword id="726530" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="browsing-speeds" source="Orion">browsing speeds</keyword> and improved <keyword id="2551158" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indoor-coverage" source="Orion">indoor coverage</keyword>. As data demand escalates, Airtel is accelerating its spectrum re-farming efforts to deliver an exceptional 5G experience to its users. Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, remarked, "As more customers pivot to our 5G services, we have re-farmed our mid-band spectrum which was being used for 4G services. With this, we are also ready to launch Stand-alone technology. This will mean that the <keyword id="2365216" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-network" source="Orion">Airtel network</keyword> will be the first network in India to run on both stand-alone and non-standalone modes allowing us to deliver the best experience in the market." Airtel has successfully piloted the switch between standalone mode (SA) and non-standalone mode (NSA) modes on its 5G network in select circles, including Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar, with encouraging results. This capability will enable Airtel to introduce new innovative applications, services, and solutions through open APIs, differentiated connectivity, and service-based architecture. In collaboration with smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Airtel will push NSA and SA combined binaries with carrier aggregation functionality, further enhancing the 5G experience. Over the past year, Airtel has showcased the power of 5G with numerous use cases that have transformed the way customers live and conduct business. Airtel's 5G rollout has been one of the fastest in the country, now covering all 28 states and 8 union territories. (ANI)

Airtel accelerates 5G revolution by re-farming mid-band spectrum to meet surging demand, enhance browsing speed

New Delhi: Nine of the top-10 most valued firms together added Rs 2,01,552.69 crore in market valuation last week, with <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> stealing the show, amid bullish investors' sentiment in equities. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 1,707.01 points or 2.10 per cent. The 30-share BSE Sensex hit its lifetime high of 83,116.19 on Thursday. Bharti Airtel's valuation jumped Rs 54,282.62 crore to Rs 9,30,490.20 crore, becoming the biggest gainer among the top-10 firms. The market capitalisation (mcap) of <keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> surged Rs 29,662.44 crore to Rs 8,80,867.09 crore. <keyword id="19950119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Consultancy-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Consultancy Services" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Tata Consultancy Services">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> (TCS) added Rs 23,427.12 crore taking its valuation to Rs 16,36,189.63 crore. The mcap of Hindustan Unilever soared Rs 22,438.6 crore to Rs 6,89,358.33 crore and that of <keyword id="19895995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDFC-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HDFC Bank" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="HDFC Bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> zoomed Rs 22,093.99 crore to Rs 12,70,035.77 crore. The market valuation of Infosys climbed Rs 17,480.49 crore to Rs 8,07,299.55 crore and that of ITC rallied Rs 15,194.17 crore to Rs 6,42,531.82 crore. The valuation of <keyword id="19896380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Industries" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword> jumped Rs 9,878.19 crore to Rs 19,92,160.61 crore and that of State Bank of India went up by Rs 7,095.07 crore to Rs 7,05,535.20 crore. However, the mcap of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) declined by Rs 3,004.38 crore to Rs 6,54,004.76 crore. Reliance Industries was leading the chart of the top-10 most valued firms followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Infosys, State Bank of India, Hindustan Unilever, LIC and ITC.

Mcap of nine of top-10 most valued firms jump Rs 2 lakh crore, Bharti Airtel leads the surge

In 2024, majority of internet users are subscribing to <keyword id="19936815" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT-platforms" source="keywords">OTT platforms</keyword>. After all, who doesn’t like watching their favourite content at whatever time they want? The days when we had to wait for a particular TV show are almost over. As more and more people shift towards consuming OTT content, telecom brands are taking notice of this and are offering various subscriptions bundled with their plans. The three major telecom providers in India – <keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, Vodafone and <keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> have many options to choose from when it comes to going for a plan that comes with an OTT subscription. Let us take a detailed look at at some of the best postpaid and prepaid plans from <keyword id="19906886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio" source="keywords">Jio</keyword>, Airtel, and <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea</keyword> that include OTT subscriptions. <h2>Jio postpaid and prepaid plans with OTT benefits</h2> <h2><keyword id="20318741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="postpaid-plans" source="keywords">Postpaid Plans</keyword></h2> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/reliance-jio-launches-new-plan-under-rs-200-get-2gb-daily-data-and-more/articleshow/112653218.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Reliance Jio </a>offers a variety of postpaid plans that come with OTT subscriptions, providing value beyond just calls and data. Rs 399 Plan: Includes 75GB data with rollover up to 200GB, unlimited calling, 100 SMS/day, and access to <keyword id="19897536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Netflix" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> Mobile and <keyword id="20197203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Prime" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Prime">Amazon Prime</keyword> for one year. Rs 599 Plan: Offers 100GB data with 200GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and Netflix Mobile and Amazon Prime subscriptions. Rs 799 Plan: Provides 150GB data, 200GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and includes Netflix Mobile, Amazon Prime, and two additional SIMs for family sharing. Rs 999 Plan: Comes with 200GB data, 500GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, Netflix Mobile, Amazon Prime, and three additional SIMs. Rs 1,499 Plan: Offers 300GB data, 500GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and international benefits including 5GB data and 500 minutes of international calling. Also includes Netflix Mobile and Amazon Prime. <h2>Prepaid Plans</h2> For those who prefer prepaid, Jio also offers plans with extensive OTT benefits. Rs 448 Plan: This is the latest plan from Jio offering many benefits. The plan is valid for 28 days. It offers 2GB/day data, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and subscriptions to 13 OTT platforms, including SonyLIV, ZEE5, and JioCinema. Rs 398 Plan: Comes with 2GB/day data, unlimited calls, and access to multiple OTT apps like Sony LIV, ZEE5, and Lionsgate Play, valid for 28 days. Rs 857 Plan: Offers 2GB/day data for 84 days, unlimited calls, and access to Amazon Prime Video Mobile Edition, Disney+ Hotstar Mobile, and other OTT platforms. Rs 1,099 Plan: Includes 2GB/day data, unlimited calls, and free Netflix Mobile subscription for 84 days, along with JioTV and JioCinema. Rs 3,227 Annual Plan: Provides 2GB/day data for 365 days, unlimited calls, and a one-year subscription to Amazon Prime Video Mobile Edition along with other OTT benefits. <h2>Airtel postpaid and prepaid plans with OTT benefits</h2> <h2>Postpaid plans</h2> Airtel’s postpaid plans are packed with OTT subscriptions and additional benefits. Rs 499 Plan: Offers 75GB data with 200GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and subscriptions to Amazon Prime for six months and Disney+ Hotstar Mobile for one year. Rs 999 Plan: Includes 150GB data with 200GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and access to Disney+ Hotstar Mobile, Netflix Basic, and Amazon Prime. Rs 1,499 Plan: Provides 200GB data, 200GB rollover, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and subscriptions to Netflix Standard, Disney+ Hotstar Mobile, and Amazon Prime. <h2>Prepaid Plans</h2> Airtel’s prepaid plans also come with rich OTT offerings. Rs 359 Plan: Valid for 30 days, includes 2GB/day data, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and access to Airtel Xstream Play with 20+ OTT platforms. Rs 399 Plan: Offers 3GB/day data for 28 days, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and access to Airtel Xstream Play. Rs 699 Plan: Provides 3GB/day data for 56 days, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and Amazon Prime Membership for 56 days. Rs 1,499 Plan: Valid for 84 days, comes with 3GB/day data, unlimited calls, 100 SMS/day, and a Netflix Basic membership. <h2>Vodafone Idea postpaid and prepaid plans with OTT benefits</h2> <h2>Postpaid plans</h2> Vodafone Idea's postpaid plans offer various OTT subscriptions along with additional perks. Rs 401 Plan: Includes 50GB data, unlimited calls, and access to SonyLiv Mobile, Zee5, and Hungama Music. Rs 501 Plan: Offers 90GB data, unlimited calls, and subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar Mobile, and Zee5. Rs 701 Plan: Provides unlimited data, unlimited calls, and access to Disney+ Hotstar Super, Amazon Prime, and Zee5. Rs 1,101 REDX Plan: Comes with unlimited data, unlimited calls, 3,000 SMS/month, and premium OTT benefits including SonyLiv, Zee5, and Disney+ Hotstar. The plan also includes international roaming benefits and airport lounge access. <h2>Prepaid Plans</h2> Vi’s prepaid plans are designed to offer maximum entertainment along with data benefits. Vi Movies &amp; TV Plus Plan: Priced at Rs 248, it includes access to 17 OTT apps, 350 live TV channels, and 6GB of additional data. Vi Movies &amp; TV Lite Plan: Costs Rs 154 and offers access to 16 OTT apps and 2GB of additional data. Vi Movies &amp; TV Pro Plan: Priced at Rs 202, it offers access to over 13 OTT apps and 5GB of additional data. Whether you’re a postpaid or prepaid user, Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have tailored plans that offer not just connectivity but a wealth of entertainment through OTT subscriptions. From Netflix and Amazon Prime to Disney+ Hotstar and SonyLiv, these plans ensure you stay connected and entertained at competitive prices. Choose the plan that best suits your data needs and OTT preferences, and enjoy seamless connectivity along with premium content.

You Searched For "Airtel India" and got 11 results

In a win for Elon Musk, Scindia says no to spectrum auction pitch from Ambani, Mittal

PTI

Jio, Airtel and Vi lost nearly 11 million subscribers in September 2024

Sourabh Jain

Telcos report a rise in ARPU after tariff hike, lose subscribers

Sourabh Jain

Airtel is using AI-powered technology to block spam calls and messages

Sourabh Jain

Airtel customers to get access to Apple TV+, Apple Music – telco to absorb Wynk Music employees

Sourabh Jain

Vodafone Idea seals Rs 30,000 crore deal with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung for 4G and 5G expansion

BI India Bureau

Jio, Airtel, Vi record customer loss post tariff hike, BSNL becomes only gainer in July

PTI

Airtel accelerates 5G revolution by re-farming mid-band spectrum to meet surging demand, enhance browsing speed

ANI

Mcap of nine of top-10 most valued firms jump Rs 2 lakh crore, Bharti Airtel leads the surge

PTI

Jio, Airtel, or Vodafone? Best postpaid and prepaid plans with OTT subscription

Divyanshi Sharma

Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike

Sourabh Jain

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides