<ul><li><keyword id="790242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> won't work on Android devices running on 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. </li><li>It will cease to support systems running on iOS9.</li><li>You can check your phone's settings to find out which OS is running the device. </li></ul>WhatsApp will stop working for some iPhones as well as Android smartphones starting November 1. According to the information on the WhatsApp FAQ section, starting November 1 Facebook-owned texting platform will cease to support systems running on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, iOS 9, and KaiOS 2.5.0. The Android phones' list released by WhatsApp includes smartphones from Samsung, LG, ZTE, Huawei, Sony, Alcatel, and others. All of these phones will not receive support from WhatsApp and will be incompatible with the app. To check which OS an <keyword id="6354606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iphone" source="Orion">iPhone</keyword> is running on, users can head over to the Settings menu, then to the general and information option, and then software, where they will be able to see the OS running that particular iPhone. Android users can head to Settings, then About Phone to see which Android version their smartphone is running on. After rolling out a new feature that allowed users to send messages that disappear after seven days, Facebook-owned WhatsApp is now reportedly working on a similar update that will have messages disappear after 90 days. Earlier, the popular messaging application had stated that it is working on view once messages that would disappear forever after just being viewed once. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/most-downloaded-social-and-entertainment-apps-in-india-as-per-app-annie/slidelist/86005574.cms">Most downloaded social and entertainment apps in India as per App Annie</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/jio-and-googles-low-cost-smartphone-check-out-expected-price-camera-display-ram-and-battery-specifications/slidelist/85974170.cms">JioPhone Next — All we know about Jio and Google’s low-cost smartphone</a>

WhatsApp won't work on some Android and iOS smartphones from November 1

The <keyword id="6354335" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword>) on Tuesday announced the sale and purchase of <keyword id="122724" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-securities">government securities</keyword> worth Rs 20,000 crore under <keyword id="475574" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="open-market-operations">open market operations</keyword>. The OMO would be conducted in two tranches, each worth Rs 10,000 crore. The auctions would be conducted on August 27, 2020 and September 3, 2020. "On a review of current and evolving liquidity and market conditions, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under Open Market Operation (OMO) for an aggregate amount of Rs 20,000 crore in two tranches of Rs 10,000 crore each," an RBI statement said. It further said that the central bank will continue to monitor evolving liquidity and market conditions and take measures as appropriate to ensure orderly functioning of financial markets. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-wants-to-increase-data-prices-to-100-per-gb-sunil-mittal-asks-subscribers-to-prepare-to-pay-a-lot-more/articleshow/77734318.cms">Airtel wants to increase data prices to ₹100 per GB, Sunil Mittal asks subscribers to ‘prepare to pay a lot more’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-startup-founders-are-opting-for-money-in-the-bank-instead-of-high-valuations-as-they-look-to-survive-this-pandemic/articleshow/77733965.cms">India's startup founders are opting for money in the bank instead of high valuations as they look to survive this pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/without-huawei-and-zte-in-india-airtel-and-vodafone-ideas-battle-against-jio-to-become-tougher/articleshow/77734889.cms">Without Huawei and ZTE in India, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea's battle against Jio to become tougher</a>

RBI to address the nervousness in bond market by buying and selling government securities worth ₹20,000 crore

During hearing a 2009 contempt case against advocate <keyword id="6368850" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="prashant-bhushan">Prashant Bhushan</keyword>, the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> on Tuesday observed that it is not only question of punishment but also faith in the institution that required detailed hearing and referred the matter to an appropriate bench. The contempt case is in connection with Bhushan's comments on the judiciary during an interview to the Tehelka magazine in 2009. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra told senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing Bhushan, that he must ponder that people come to court for relief, and when that faith is shaken then there is a problem. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for journalist Tarun Tejpal, contended before the bench that people come to court for justice and relief. "We will come and go but the institution exists forever. We must protect the integrity of the institution," submitted Sibal. The bench said let the matter be listed on September 10 before an appropriate bench by the Chief Justice. "I am short of time. I am demitting office," Justice Mishra observed, who is scheduled to retire on September 2, citing the matter requires detailed hearing. During the hearing, the top court observed that in this case in addition to the Attorney General, the assistance of some amicus is also required. Dhavan asked the bench to issue notice to the Attorney General. "Let us leave this to an appropriate bench," Justice Mishra noted. Dhavan argued that the important question is how much of the court's free speech jurisprudence could be read into suo moto contempt powers? SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-wants-to-increase-data-prices-to-100-per-gb-sunil-mittal-asks-subscribers-to-prepare-to-pay-a-lot-more/articleshow/77734318.cms">Airtel wants to increase data prices to ₹100 per GB, Sunil Mittal asks subscribers to ‘prepare to pay a lot more’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-startup-founders-are-opting-for-money-in-the-bank-instead-of-high-valuations-as-they-look-to-survive-this-pandemic/articleshow/77733965.cms">India's startup founders are opting for money in the bank instead of high valuations as they look to survive this pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/without-huawei-and-zte-in-india-airtel-and-vodafone-ideas-battle-against-jio-to-become-tougher/articleshow/77734889.cms">Without Huawei and ZTE in India, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea's battle against Jio to become tougher</a>

Supreme Court refers Prashant Bhushan's 2009 contempt case to another bench

<ul><li>Samsung is getting ready to work with Indian telecom operators to prepare them for the upcoming 5G rollout. </li><li>The South Korean tech giant already had a taste of success as the sole infrastructure partner behind Jio’s 4G network rollout.</li><li>Samsung will compete against Nokia, Ericsson and maybe, Huawei, to provide Jio, Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel with 5G infrastructure for their new networks.</li></ul>Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, is preparing itself for a possible 5G rollout in India, after equipped with the experience of doing the same in the US and South Korea. The company is looking to take advantage of the fact that it had deployed the massive network for Reliance Jio’s 4G services all by itself. And, it’s not the only company looking to capitalise on the $27 billion market potential that India presents. Meet the other players Ericsson, the Swedish multinational company, is also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ericsson-sees-27-billion-revenue-from-5g-as-it-sells-5g-network-equipment-to-vodafone-idea/articleshow/68075972.cms">working with Airtel and Vodafone Idea</a> — two of the primary players in India’s telecom space — with their 5G infrastructure. Nokia is working on India’s 5G spectrum and has already <a href="https://www.themobileindian.com/news/nokia-chennai-factory-to-manufacture-5g-radio-equipment-in-india-24145">started manufacturing</a> 5G radio equipment in its Chennai factory. The 5G New Radio (NR) is based on the new 5G standards that will increase the network’s capacity for transferring data, dole out lower latency and handle congestion better. And, they’re all hoping that Huawei is cut from the race so that there is one less competitor to face, when 5G spectrum allocation finally takes place. Huawei’s participation in the 5G race, as of now, still hangs in the balance. Indian government is yet to take a decision on the the Chinese company which was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/google-ends-ties-with-huawei-no-more-youtube-gmail-maps-play-store/articleshow/69408135.cms">blacklisted by the US government</a> — a move that Donald Trump, the US President, seems to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/trump-says-us-firms-can-sell-to-huawei/articleshow/70000658.cms">rolling back on</a>. Samsung’s 5G push Samsung has the first-mover advantage with 5G. It was the first among global smartphone manufacturer to launch the world’s first 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, earlier this year. It also promoted its 5G solutions that can be applied to self-driving vehicles, smart factories and the Internet of Things (IoT). Big money in the works The Indian government is hoping to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-wants-to-raise-6-trillion-from-the-largest-5g-spectrum-auction-ever/articleshow/69787896.cms">raise ₹6 trillion</a> from the largest 5G spectrum auction ever, but the telecom lobby says that the planned base price is of the 5G spectrum is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/planned-base-price-of-indias-5g-spectrum-too-high-says-telecom-lobby/articleshow/69651660.cms?from=mdr">too high</a>. Rajan Mathews, the director general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), stated, “The majority of our members believe the present pricing of the 5G spectrum is unaffordable and above even global discovered prices.” 5G is the fifth-generation of cellular network technology that is expected to boost connectivity speeds 20 times faster than 4G connections and reduce latency — the speed at which data gets from one point to the next — to as little as one millisecond. This means, a full season of a TV series can be downloaded in minutes and users can engage in graphic rich cloud gaming without lag. (with IANS inputs) See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-wants-to-raise-6-trillion-from-the-largest-5g-spectrum-auction-ever/articleshow/69787896.cms">The Indian government wants to raise ₹6 trillion from the largest 5g spectrum auction ever</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/5g-network-rollout-in-india-as-scheduled-2021/articleshow/68151978.cms">5G vendors claim India’s next-gen network rollout will still happen as scheduled</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ericsson-sees-27-billion-revenue-from-5g-as-it-sells-5g-network-equipment-to-vodafone-idea/articleshow/68075972.cms">Ericsson's pact with Vodafone Idea is the next step towards a $27 billion goal</a>

Samsung, Ericsson and Nokia get set for the big 5G windfall from India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">GettyTim Cook talks to Donald Trump at a tech roundtable last year.</div></div></div>Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Monday.<ol><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-meets-donald-trump-five-times-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Apple CEO Tim Cook has met Trump at least five times in a year in a desperate bid to keep him on-side amid the trade war</a>. There are signs that Cook's open dialogue with Trump has benefited Apple, with the company this week being granted a reprieve from Trump's 10% China import tariffs.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-contractor-accenture-forced-counselors-to-disclose-sessions-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Facebook content moderation firm asked on-site therapists to disclose counseling details with employees, according to an Intercept report</a>. The allegations were made on an internal employee message board, and contractor Accenture says it has investigated the claim and "confirmed that these allegations are without merit."</li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-huawei-tech-usa-license-exclusive-idUSKCN1V701U">The US Commerce Department is expecting to extend Huawei's temporary trade license by another 90 days, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters</a>. Huawei was given its initial license in May after it was designated a national security threat and placed on a blacklist.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-to-lend-employees-and-ceo-masayoshi-son-20-billion-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">SoftBank plans to lend its employees and CEO $20 billion to invest in its ambitious technology fund</a>. The loans are likely to have an interest rate of about 5%, the Wall Street Journal said, citing a source.</li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/pinboard/status/1162711159000055808">Twitter user Pinboard spotted that Twitter was running ads from Chinese state media criticising the Hong Kong protests</a>. The promoted tweets are from Xinhua News, and said the "escalating violence" in Hong Kong have taken a "heavy toll on the social order."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-protest-palo-alto-activists-ice-contracts-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Protesters blocked Palantir's cafeteria on Friday to pressure the $20 billion big data company to drop its contracts with ICE</a>. Activists said the protest was timely because Palantir is rumored to go public early next year, and they invited Palantir employees to take a stand.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/huawei-us-chief-security-officer-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Huawei's US chief security officer says he's been called a traitor for defending the Chinese tech giant</a>. Andy Purdy maintains that his goal is to "promote a safer cyberspace."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reliance-jio-millions-of-indians-online-reshaped-internet-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Silicon Valley is benefiting from the "Jio effect", after Indian telco Reliance Jio launched free data plans in 2016</a>. Facebook has posted consistent monthly active user growth for almost three years, thanks to the influx of new Indian users.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-sellers-organizing-anti-trust-doj-ftc-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Amazon sellers are organizing against the retail giant as the FTC and DOJ continues their antitrust probe</a>. Some sellers say that Amazon has an unfair advantage in accessing sales data on its third-party platform.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-customers-say-names-addresses-orders-exposed-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">Amazon accidentally sent some customers emails containing other shoppers' names, addresses, and order information</a>. "I'm angry," one Amazon customer who was impacted told Business Insider, "to have any personal information shared is a huge rights violation."</li></ol>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.You can also <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/free">subscribe to this newsletter</a> here - just tick "10 Things in Tech You Need to Know." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-submit-your-own-emoji-start-finish-2019-8">If you want an emoji that isn't available, you can create it. Here's how everyday people send their submissions.</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul><li>According to Forbes, <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword> is now the ninth richest person in the world with as much as $64 billion in his pockets. </li><li>He sold nearly half a quarter stake of his three-year-old telecom — raising $15 billion in 58 days — to Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mudabada, ADIA, TPG, Saudi PIF. </li><li>In March around this time, when the novel coronavirus hit India, Ambani lost as much as $17 billion after sub-zero crude oil prices crashed the stock markets <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/heres-how-mukesh-ambani-lost-5-8-billion-in-a-day/articleshow/74572111.cms">which slipped his Forbes rank to 21. </a> </li></ul>Mukesh Ambani made more than what he lost during the lockdown. Just today, the rally in the shares of Reliance added over $5 billion to his net worth, making him the ninth richest man in the world. Asia’s richest has added almost $28 billion to his fortune within four months. According to Forbes, Mukesh Ambani is worth $64 billion. <div type="image" title="snapshot-1592569929520" msid="76466767" hostid="261"></div> His wealth is largely linked to Reliance Industries — an pharma to oil to telecom conglomerate gaining share price day by day. RIL’s stock crashed during the Indian stock market meltdown. But one of his most promising businesses — Jio — came to the rescue. Reliance Industries added ₹1.75 trillion (about $23 billion) to its market capitalisation in the last six months as the one-time energy giant accelerated the pivot to becoming a technology, consumer and media giant. This included partnerships with some of the biggest name in each sector⁠— from Facebook to Netflix and a pending offer from Google and Microsoft. He sold nearly half a quarter stake of his three-year-old telecom — raising ₹168,818 crore (about $15 billion) in 58 days — to Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mudabada, ADIA, TPG, Saudi PIF. <div type="image" title="XX" msid="76466794" hostid="261"></div> READ ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/akash-ambani-was-the-one-to-choose-facebook-the-next-big-investments-for-reliance-jio-and-the-ideas-sold-to-investors/articleshow/76316650.cms">Inside the Reliance Jio deals – Akash Ambani was the one to choose Facebook, the next big investments and the ideas sold to investors</a> And today, his Reliance Industries declared <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/reliance-share-price-jumps-in-early-trade-because-mukesh-ambani-says-reliance-is-now-net-debt-free/articleshow/76456966.cms">itself net debt free</a> — nine months before the actual deadline of his promise of becoming one. In March around this time, when the novel coronavirus hit India, Ambani lost as much as $17 billion after sub-zero crude oil prices crashed the stock markets <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/heres-how-mukesh-ambani-lost-5-8-billion-in-a-day/articleshow/74572111.cms">which slipped his Forbes rank to 21. </a> He also lost the title of Asia’s richest man to internet billionaire Jack Ma <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/mukesh-ambani-snatches-asias-richest-man-title-back-from-jack-ma-with-a-little-help-from-mark-zuckerberg/articleshow/75312823.cms#:~:text=Ambanis%20gets%20his%20title%20back%20from%20Jack%20Ma&amp;text=Ambani%20lost%20Asia's%20richest%20tag,up%20for%20most%20of%20it.">but he gained soon.</a> Moreover, RIL’s share price plummeted as much as 39% between January 1 and March 23 during the massive sell off triggered by coronavirus — forcing them to trade below ₹1000 per piece. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/even-before-the-india-china-clash-asias-richest-man-mukesh-ambani-was-working-on-replacing-huawei/articleshow/76460868.cms">Even before the India-China clash, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani was working on replacing Huawei</a>

Mukesh Ambani recovers all the wealth lost early in the lockdown phase⁠— and some more, becoming the world’s ninth richest

<ul><li><keyword id="54613" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="makemytrip">MakeMyTrip</keyword> has announced a new platform that focuses on <keyword id="137739" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-agents">travel agents</keyword> called <keyword id="9820953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="myPartner">myPartner</keyword>.</li><li>Through this platform, MakeMyTrip will enable <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> agents to offer a variety of travel choices and travel booking convenience for their customers.</li><li>Meanwhile, with the hope of a vaccine in the near future, <keyword id="368700" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajesh-Magow">Rajesh Magow</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="255878" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="MMT">MMT</keyword> said that there are many encouraging signs in the business already.</li></ul>India’s largest travel aggregator MakeMyTrip has announced a new platform that focuses on travel agents called myPartner. Through this platform, MakeMyTrip will enable travel agents to offer a variety of travel choices and travel booking convenience for their customers. Currently, the platform is limited to hotels. The premise of the platform builds on the simple notion that India’s travel agents too need to go online with the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s top management said that there have been early shoots in the business since the reopening of the economy but for the sector to grow, everyone – online travel aggregators, travel agents, hotels, and more need to come together. “There are hundreds and thousands of properties in India and abroad, and it is impossible for a travel agent to have a one-on-one equation with each of them. In a world which is digitized, the information is also democratized,” said Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer, MakeMyTrip. The company is currently not charging a subscription fee to the travel agents. However, Prakash shared an overview of the scope of the market, saying that 20% of the overall room nights booked in India today are done by travel agents. Going the omnichannel way Prakash said the country’s thousands of travel agents have a deep understanding of how India travels and how they can make the customer experience better, and the consumer trusts them. OTAs in general, he added, holds the strength that they have built an inventory and relationship with hotels and partners. “myPartner launch brings these two things together. They have the demand but struggle with the supply – this is the right time to collaborate. So all our inventory will now be available for travel agents to book,” he said. With the latest offering, MMT is looking at an omnichannel business approach. MMT’s hope for the industry’s revival based on the pent up demand For the whole of 2020, the travel and tourism industry has come to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic. And avid travellers have had to take a backseat and control their wanderlust. MakeMyTrip earnings results for the April-June quarter also showed the extent of the impact that this pandemic has had on the travel and tourism industry. MMT’s revenues fell by 95.5% from $141.7 million to $6.3 million. But with the hope of a vaccine in the near future and things settling down, Rajesh Magow, CEO, MMT said that there are many encouraging signs in the business already, and it will only get better. “By the end of this fiscal year, overall the business will touch 65-70% of pre-COVID levels. For the domestic market, 50-70% is the estimate, for international, it will be lower. But the caveat here is that the COVID situation keeps improving. The activity is going to be more and more positive from hereon, and there will be a pent up demand once the vaccine is announced,” said Magow. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-startup-founders-are-opting-for-money-in-the-bank-instead-of-high-valuations-as-they-look-to-survive-this-pandemic/articleshow/77733965.cms">India's startup founders are opting for money in the bank instead of high valuations as they look to survive this pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/without-huawei-and-zte-in-india-airtel-and-vodafone-ideas-battle-against-jio-to-become-tougher/articleshow/77734889.cms">Without Huawei and ZTE in India, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea's battle against Jio to become tougher</a>

MakeMyTrip opens up its hotel inventory to offline travel agents

<ul><li><keyword id="6356812" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ericsson">Ericsson</keyword> just announced that they have been selected by Vodafone Idea Limited to deploy 5G-ready equipment across 8 circles in India. </li><li>This allows Ericsson to enhance Vodafone Idea’s networks with advanced LTE capabilities stepping closer towards their $27 billion goal. </li><li>Ericsson will also been providing network consolidation planning, design and network rollout services to help increase the efficiency of Vodafone Idea’s networks. </li></ul> Swedish telecom giant Ericsson will lay the fifth generation (5G) telecom network for India's largest mobile service provider, by number of subscribers, Vodafone Idea. The contract duration will be three years, according to Nitin Bansal, Ericsson's India managing director. The Stockholm-based company is hoping to capitalize on the $27 billion market potential from its 5G network roll outs in India. As a part of the deal, Ericsson will supply radio access and transport equipment from its 5G portfolio for Vodafone Idea in eight telecom circles in India. "Consolidation of the existing deployment base (2G/3G) will be carried out to maximise the spectrum on LTE," Ericsson said. In fact, Vodafone Idea is not the only Indian network that Ericsson that tie-ups for 5G integration. In one form or another, Ericsson has contracts will all major Indian telcos including Airtel and Jio. In October last year, Reliance Jio Infocomm and Ericsson unveiled jointly developed 5G use cases which were showcased over a live 5G network in Navi Mumbai and in Delhi. Ericsson is racing with Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, and Cisco in India as the world's second-largest telecommunications market, with over a billion active users as of October 2018, is set to the technology leap. The network trials by the Indian government are yet to begun though See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/What-is-5G-how-fast-is-it-and-when-is-it-coming/articleshow/67397568.cms">What is 5G, how fast is it, and when is it coming?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/5g-phones-and-foldable-phones-speculated-to-take-center-stage-at-the-mobile-world-congress-2019/articleshow/68043768.cms">5G and foldable phones speculated to take center stage at the Mobile World Congress 2019</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/if-you-think-5g-is-all-about-faster-network-speeds-youre-wrong/articleshow/39066964.cms">If You Think 5G Is All About Faster Network Speeds, You're Wrong</a>

Ericsson's pact with Vodafone Idea is the next step towards a $27 billion goal

<ul><li>India is waiting for 5G connectivity but there are challenges that need to be addressed.</li><li>Preeti Nagaraj from Ericsson spoke to Business Insider on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019 to highlight some of these challenges.</li><li>Aside from the pending 5G spectrum auction, there are also site acquisition and cost concerns.</li></ul>The time is right for 5G network in India. Not only have telecom companies in the US and South Korea already offering these services, Indian telcos are also starting to try and test the technology. Vodafone Idea is already using 5G technology to improve its 4G offerings. India is also awaiting the auction of 5G spectrum, and its use cases and applications are buzzing at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019 in New Delhi. At this event, Business Insider India caught up with <keyword id="8222657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="preeti-nagarajan">Preeti Nagarajan</keyword>, Head of Strategy for Business Area Networks at Ericsson. She highlights the challenges that India will have to overcome before the dream of 5G becomes a reality. 1. The need for a spectrum The rest of world may already by rolling out 5G connectivity to its users but, in India, 5G spectrum is yet to be allocated. This means full-fledged trials are still pending which is needed for telecom operators to test their technology. "India needs spectrum, let’s start there. It was very promising to hear that, before the end of the financial year, we should have the 5G spectrum auction in India. That needs to happen," said Nagarajan. 2. Spectrum is too expensive One of the reasons that the 5G spectrum auction has been delayed in India is because its too expensive for telecom companies. India’s debt-ridden operators are still reeling under the pressure to keep 4G costs low. But, there may be hope on the horizon. "They will come up with innovative policy solutions for pricing the spectrum. This helps our customers, the operators, to start bringing 5G in," stated Nagarajan. The Indian government announced that it is looking into new ways to price the spectrum to accommodate the requests of the telecom companies at IMC. 3. Finding space for the spectrum The biggest challenge when deploying 5G is acquisition of sites, according to Nagarajan. "Now we’re talking about Massive MIMO equipment, which are huge pieces of equipment out there. And, for every piece of spectrum out there, there’s equipment already at the site," she explained. As network connectivity expands, more towers and more antennas will be required. The And ownership of site will also have a greater role to play. "It’s extremely important that we own the site. And we help and enable our customers to own their sites in a good way," said Nagarajan. 4. <keyword id="8222656" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="affordable-5g-devices">Affordable 5G devices</keyword> On the consumer front, even if 5G network connectivity comes in, affordable 5G phones are yet to make into the market. "So, I think it’s in the roadmap. The technology is there for it," said Nagarajan. Earlier at IMC, Qualcomm announced that they have partners working on affordable 5G devices but it’s yet to be seen when they will make their way to India. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/5g-airports-ai-powered-safe-cities-and-many-more-that-huawei-has-on-offer-at-the-india-mobile-congress-2019/articleshow/71591351.cms">5G airports, AI-powered safe cities and many more that Huawei has on offer at the India Mobile Congress 2019</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/vodafone-ideas-4g-networks-will-now-run-on-5g-technology-and-huaweis-ai/articleshow/71592384.cms">Vodafone Idea's 4G networks will now run on 5G technology and Huawei's AI</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/reliance-jio-is-offering-a-new-bot-maker-for-small-businesses-to-build-their-own-video-call-assistants/articleshow/71590602.cms">Reliance Jio is offering a new bot maker for small businesses to build their own video call assistants</a>

Here are the biggest challenges for India as it rolls out its 5G network, according to a strategy expert

<ul><li><keyword id="6653" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-bank">ICICI Bank</keyword>'s new machine learning (ML) algorithms use <keyword id="6430693" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satellite-Data">satellite data</keyword> and images to determine whether a farmer is creditworthy or not.</li><li>The bank has been training its algorithms for two years and announced the commercial launch today with plans to cover 65,000 villages within the next few months. </li><li>ICICI Bank wants to use the solution to dole out more <keyword id="423016" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kisan-Credit-Cards">Kisan Credit Cards</keyword> (KCCs), which already account for one-third of its rural loan book. </li></ul>The same satellite data that predicts when the next storm is going hit will now be used by ICICI Bank to determine farmers’ creditworthiness. One of India’s ‘Big Four’, ICICI Bank has trained its own machine learning (ML) algorithms so that it no longer has to travel to far reaches of the country to physically examine farmland. “Satellites capture data remotely and accurately that, frankly, traditional methods cannot because of the travel involved and the analogous method,” said ICICI Bank’s executive director Anup Bagchi. According to him, the bank can now approve loans within a couple of days versus the industry-standard of at least 15 days if not longer. It also brings down the cost of intermediation by removing commute, logistics and other manual aspects that used to go into credit assessment. The availability of data isn’t the big issue — most it is publicly available online for free. However, using that data to give you the insights that you want is another story. For ICICI Bank, it’s not satellite data alone that will be in play but also other data sets — like information about soil — that are used to run an analysis. “We have partnered with agri-fintech companies specializing in harnessing space technology and weather information for commercial usage. We’ve worked very closely with them and our internal team to develop 40 parameters,” said Bagchi. Data is more reliable from a third-party Weather, imaging, colour, water level and cropping level data sets are only some of the inputs that get fed into ICICI Bank’s algorithm. Because it’s third-party data, it’s more reliable than taking a farmer at his word, according to Bagchi. “Assessment of credit is better in a decongested way. The data is known,” he said. The data is then analysed using 40 parameters as <keyword id="21340" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satellite-images">satellite images</keyword> from around the world are run through the algorithm. The results from that are then put into the bank’s scoring models to create indices at a district level as well as for individual land. “This provides an estimate of the past and future agricultural income, the timing of the harvest, and sources of incomes — key inputs for credit assessment,” Bagchi explained. ICICI Bank wants to give out more Kisan Credit Cards ICICI Bank spent two years just training its model. Only recently did the bank roll out its products across 500 villages in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.”We have confidence now that it works well, which is why we are now commercialising it” said Bagchi. The plan is to cover another 25,000 villages within the next month and hit a total of 65,000 villages in the near future. ICICI Bank claims that its the first bank in India, among only a handful globally, that uses satellite data to power the credit assessment of farmers. Currently, the bank’s rural loan book stands at ₹58,000 crore and Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) account for one-third of it. Even though Bagchi was hesitant to promise any numbers, he did say that he expects an uptick in farmers being able to obtain KCCs and bring down costs for the bank. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/without-huawei-and-zte-in-india-airtel-and-vodafone-ideas-battle-against-jio-to-become-tougher/articleshow/77734889.cms">Without Huawei and ZTE in India, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea's battle against Jio to become tougher</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-wants-to-increase-data-prices-to-100-per-gb-sunil-mittal-asks-subscribers-to-prepare-to-pay-a-lot-more/articleshow/77734318.cms">Airtel wants to increase data prices to ₹100 per GB, Sunil Mittal asks subscribers to ‘prepare to pay a lot more’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-startup-founders-are-opting-for-money-in-the-bank-instead-of-high-valuations-as-they-look-to-survive-this-pandemic/articleshow/77733965.cms">India's startup founders are opting for money in the bank instead of high valuations as they look to survive this pandemic</a>

ICICI Bank will now use satellite data to determine whether or not to give out farm loans in India

<ul><li>The Dimensity 800 is a mid-range chipset that comes with 5G support.</li><li>The first smartphones with this chipset could launch in the first half of 2020.</li><li>Qualcomm, the market leader, already has two <keyword id="8542055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mid-range-chipsets">mid-range chipsets</keyword> that support 5G.</li></ul>Taiwanese chipset maker <keyword id="6369515" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="MediaTek">MediaTek</keyword> has paved the way for cheaper <keyword id="7226328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="5g-phones">5G phones</keyword>. At CES 2020 trade show, they announced a new mid-range chipset with built-in 5G. Qualcomm’s plans to bring out two such chipsets - will encourage budget smartphone makers to enter the category. MediaTek announced its Dimensity line-up back in November 2019, starting with the Dimensity 1000. The Dimensity 800 which is now launched is a more affordable sibling. It suggests that MediaTek has been able to bring down the cost of making these modern chipsets. “MediaTek has already launched its flagship 5G smartphone solution, the Dimensity 1000, and with the 800 series 5G chipset family, we are bringing 5G to the mid-tier and mass market,” TL Lee, Head of MediaTek’s wireless business unit, said in a statement. The Dimensity 800, much like the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/article/heres-why-5g-phones-are-likely-get-cheaper-in-2020/articleshow/72445549.cms">Snapdragon 765</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/article/heres-why-5g-phones-are-likely-get-cheaper-in-2020/articleshow/72445549.cms">765G</a>, comes with a built-in 5G modem. This means smartphone makers will not have to pay anything extra for a 5G modem if they decide to use the chipsets. This reduces the cost of manufacturing and will allow them to pass on these savings to customers. MediaTek expects the first smartphones with Dimensity 800 to launch in the second half of 2020. 2020 could be the year of 5G This is good news for the many smartphone makers who have already labelled 2020 as ‘the year of 5G’. Xiaomi, one of the leading smartphone makers in the world, has plans to launch ten new 5G phones this year. Other top smartphone makers like Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus already launched 5G phones. With Qualcomm also offering two chipsets with 5G support in the mid-range, the average price of <keyword id="3900349" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G-Smartphones">5G smartphones</keyword> should come down drastically this year. Smartphone makers could hit the jackpot if the average price of 5G phones comes down to $400 - $600 (₹28,000 - ₹42,000). Right now, they can cost anywhere between $800 - $1,400 (₹57,000 - ₹1,00,000 approx.) Indian consumers might finally be able to test these phones too. The Indian government <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-airtel-vodafone-idea-5g-trials-terms-and-conditions/articleshow/73063720.cms">finally set a deadline</a> for telecom operators to submit their bids for 5G trials. The tests are expected to be completed in six months once the trials officially begin. In a very optimistic scenario, we could see Indian telecom operators offer 5G services sometime later this year. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/article/heres-why-5g-phones-are-likely-get-cheaper-in-2020/articleshow/72445549.cms">Here's why 5G phones are likely to get cheaper in 2020</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-airtel-vodafone-idea-5g-trials-terms-and-conditions/articleshow/73063720.cms">Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone have 10 days to submit their bids for 5G trials while a lot remains undecided</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/10-reasons-why-2020-will-be-the-year-of-5g/articleshow/72988533.cms">10 reasons why 2020 will be the Year of 5G</a>

Prospects of affordable 5G smartphones get another boost with MediaTek’s latest chipset

<keyword id="1325511" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-consumption">Government consumption</keyword> is expected to continue "pandemic-proofing" of demand, the Reserve Bank said on Tuesday. In its Annual Report 2019-20, the <keyword id="6354335" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> said that when the demands gets stabilised, private consumption is likely to lead the recovery. "Going forward, government consumption is expected to continue pandemic-proofing of demand, and private consumption is expected to lead the recovery when it takes hold, with non-discretionary spending leading the way unt il a durable increase in disposable incomes enables discretionary spending to catch up," it said. An assessment of aggregate demand during the year so far suggests that the shock to consumption is severe, and it will take quite some time to mend and regain the pre-Covid momentum, as per the report. It noted that private consumption has lost its discretionary elements across the board, particularly transport services, hospitality, recreation and cultural activities and behavioural restraints may prevent the normalisation of demand for these activities. The Reserve Bank's survey for the month of July indicates that consumer confidence fell to an all-time low, with a majority of respondents report ing pessimism relating to the general economic situation, employment, inflation and income; however, respondents indicated expectations of recovery for t he year ahead. "Urban consumption demand has suffered a bigger blow - passenger vehicle sales and supply of consumer durables in Q1: 2020-21 have dropped to a fifth and one third, respectively, of their level a year ago; air passenger t raffic has ground to a halt. Rural demand, by contrast, has fared better,a it said. Among underlying indicators, tractor sales picked up by 38.5 per cent in July, spurred by the robust pace of kharif sowing, while the contraction in mot orcycle sales eased in July -- from 35.2 per cent in June to 4.9 per cent in July. The decline in production of consumer non-durables turned positive in June. A fuller recovery in rural demand is, however, being held back by muted wage growth which is still hostage to the migrant crisis and associated employment losses. Initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is likely to generate employment in rural areas. Along with increased wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), they should provide a fillip to rural incomes, said the RBI report. On production activity, RBI noted that Indian agriculture is undergoing a distinct transformation, notwithstanding headwinds. "Going forward, shifting the terms of trade in favour of agriculture is the key to sustaining this dynamic change and generating positive supply responses in agricultural production. Experience shows that in periods when the terms of trade remained favourable to agriculture, annual average growth in agricultural gross value added (GVA) exceeded 3 per cent," the report said. "Hitherto, the main instrument of incentive has been minimum support prices, but the experience has been that price incentives have been costly, inefficient and even distortive. India has now reached a stage in which surplus management has become a major challenge. The priority is to move to pol icy strategies that ensure a sustained increase in farmers' income alongside reasonable food prices for consumers. An efficient domestic supply c hain becomes critical here. As per the report, India's manufacturing has been locked in a structural slowdown for "quite some time". "Reversing this decline warrants a complete rethink. The quality and efficiency of the physical infrastructure, which still significantly lags behind the global median, has to be enhanced to help manufacturing take off," RBI said in the report. "Benchmarking systems and procedures with the best in the world could galvanise growth in the sector, aided by cleaning up of stressed balance sheets of corporates by raising the efficiency of bankruptcy and solvency procedures." In addition, the RBI cited the need to unlock entrepreneurial energies and risk appetite by improving the business environment. "Faster enforcement of contracts, including through expansion of judicial and insolvency capacities, would be a game changer," the report said. "Property registrations can be speeded up from the current 58 days, and a centralised website can provide real time information on all regulatory compliance requirements." "In general, the compliance burden can be streamlined substantial. The COVID-19 crisis can be converted into an opportunity by using online provision of education and training to implement reforms in the social infrastructure by skill development and reskilling so as to prepare a labour force equipped to keep pace with a big thrust on infrastructure." SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/without-huawei-and-zte-in-india-airtel-and-vodafone-ideas-battle-against-jio-to-become-tougher/articleshow/77734889.cms">Without Huawei and ZTE in India, Airtel and Vodafone-Idea's battle against Jio to become tougher</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-wants-to-increase-data-prices-to-100-per-gb-sunil-mittal-asks-subscribers-to-prepare-to-pay-a-lot-more/articleshow/77734318.cms">Airtel wants to increase data prices to ₹100 per GB, Sunil Mittal asks subscribers to ‘prepare to pay a lot more’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-startup-founders-are-opting-for-money-in-the-bank-instead-of-high-valuations-as-they-look-to-survive-this-pandemic/articleshow/77733965.cms">India's startup founders are opting for money in the bank instead of high valuations as they look to survive this pandemic</a>

Government consumption will continue to 'pandemic-proof' India's demand says RBI

Guess who’s fuelling Modi’s ‘Make in India’ dream? Well, it’s none other than Mukesh Ambani. His venture Reliance Jio Infocomm has asked the handset makers to make 4G phones in India. If the manufacturers make phones in India, Reliance has agreed to buy all handsets and sell via them. 
 
Reliance Jio, which will be providing broadband Internet in India through LTE, will enable 4G connectivity. 
 
The telecom company is already planning to take this to the next level and is in talks with Micromax, Lava, Karbonn, Intex, and Lenovo. While some of the handset manufacturers are already setting up production base in the country, experts believe, this move will also help the manufacturers keep the phone prices reasonable as these will be manufactured locally. 
 
Micromax, Lava, Karbonn, and Intex are planning manufacturing units in India, with production set to commence in the next six months to a year. 
 
Jio has signed deals with Chinese handset makers Huawei, ZTE, Alcatel OneTouch (TCL Communications), CK-Telecom and Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment-owned K-Touch for procurement of smartphones for the company's consumer electronics brand, ReConnect, which will sell 4G handsets across India. 
 
Devices under the ReConnect brand will be priced between 4,000 and 25,000, they said. Jio has said it would ensure availability of under Rs 5,000 4G smartphones coinciding with its services launch. 
 
The company had promised that if there was any gap between demand and supply of smartphones at a particular price level, it could bridge the gap with its own brand under Reliance Retail. 
 
Under the partnership with Jio, companies like Huawei, ZTE, and Alcatel OneTouch will also provide dongles, routers and other broadband products aimed at homes and small office or home office customers. 
 
Reliance Jio is expected to be launched in December this year.

You Searched For "jio vs huawei" and got 13 results

WhatsApp won't work on some Android and iOS smartphones from November 1

IANS

RBI to address the nervousness in bond market by buying and selling government securities worth ₹20,000 crore

IANS

Supreme Court refers Prashant Bhushan's 2009 contempt case to another bench

IANS

Samsung, Ericsson and Nokia get set for the big 5G windfall from India

Prabhjote Gill

10 things in tech you need to know today

Isobel Asher Hamilton,Isobel …

Mukesh Ambani recovers all the wealth lost early in the lockdown phase⁠— and some more, becoming the world’s ninth richest

Preeti Soni

MakeMyTrip opens up its hotel inventory to offline travel agents

Sanchita Dash

Ericsson's pact with Vodafone Idea is the next step towards a $27 billion goal

Prabhjote

Sriram

Here are the biggest challenges for India as it rolls out its 5G network, according to a strategy expert

Prabhjote Gill

ICICI Bank will now use satellite data to determine whether or not to give out farm loans in India

Prabhjote Gill

Prospects of affordable 5G smartphones get another boost with MediaTek’s latest chipset

Rounak Jain

Government consumption will continue to 'pandemic-proof' India's demand says RBI

IANS

Know why Modi loves Mukesh Ambani

BI India Bureau