BROADBAND SERVICES
Flipkart consolidates fintech offerings into single vertical ahead of festive sales
Flipkart has integrated its various fintech services into a single vertical named ‘Flipkart Pay’. This new platform includes services like UPI, bill payments, insurance, and co-branded credit cards. The move follows recent expansions and a spinoff of PhonePe. Meanwhile, Amazon is also boosting its fintech activities, creating a more competitive payments market.
Bangladesh restores internet as students call off job-quota protests
Bangladesh has restored internet services as normalcy returns following student protests against job quota reforms, which resulted in nearly 150 deaths and thousands injured. The protests, beginning in universities, led to nationwide unrest, curfews, army patrols, and internet suspension. The government assured international partners of stability, while critics condemned the force used against demonstrators. Protests paused after the Supreme Court scrapped most quotas, opening 93% of jobs to merit-based selection. Students called off the agitation, with educational institutions set to reopen.
India among world's fastest-growing 5G networks: Economic Survey 2024
India’s 5G network is rapidly advancing, with its global mobile broadband speed ranking rising from 118 to 15 as of March 2024, according to the Economic Survey 2023-24. To support this growth, the government will allocate 5% of Universal Services Obligation Fund collections for telecom R&D. India’s teledensity has grown from 75.2% in March 2014 to 85.7% in March 2024, with wireless connections reaching 116.5 crore.
Economic Survey 2023-2024: India among world's fastest growing 5G networks
India's 5G rollout has propelled its global mobile broadband speed ranking from 118 to 15, per the Economic Survey 2023-24. The government allocates 5% of the USOF for telecom R&D. India's teledensity and internet subscribers have significantly increased, and the BharatNet program is enhancing rural broadband connectivity.
Jio wired broadband user base up 34.5% in a year, Airtel's 24.2%
The demand for 5G-based fixed wireless access services is driving growth in India's wired broadband sector. Reliance Jio has seen a 34.5% increase in its user base, surpassing Bharti Airtel. Analysts believe that 5G FWA services could lead to new revenue streams for telcos, with higher ARPU compared to mobile services. India's fixed broadband market has potential for significant expansion.
GTPL Hathway lines up ₹100 cr to expand its HITS service
The company, which received a HITS licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on Friday, will undertake its future subscriber expansion through HITS, the official added, requesting anonymity.
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Consumer spending on mobile services dips sequentially in Q4
User spending on mobile services (post-GST) rose a modest 1.4% sequentially to about ?55,524.5 crore in the fourth quarter of FY24 - 44% lower than the 2.5% sequential growth clocked in the third quarter of FY24 - as per latest sector performance data issued by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
TRAI may offer some leeway on service quality rules to telcos
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to ease some of the parameters in its proposed quality of service (QoS) regulations, initially deemed too stringent by the telecom industry. This comes as TRAI emphasizes the need for telecom operators to enhance their service quality, particularly after recent tariff hikes.
Telco revenues surged to Rs 2.3 lakh crore in FY24: CLSA
The Indian telecom industry's gross revenue surged 87% to Rs 2.39 lakh crore in FY24, driven by the launch of services by Reliance Jio. Jio and Bharti Airtel gained subscribers at the expense of Vodafone Idea. The two top telcos now control 78% of sectoral revenue, expected to rise to 83% by FY26. Vi's revenue market share fell to 15.7%, while Airtel and Jio saw revenue growth, with Jio leading at 41.4% RMS.
Telecom sector revenue surges 87% to Rs 2.4 lk cr in FY24: Report
Telecom sector revenue in FY24 reached Rs 2,39,900 crore ($29 billion), an 87% increase from its FY19 low following Reliance Jio's market entry and about 40% higher than FY16 figures, according to a CLSA report. This surge reflects the continuing subscriber gains by Jio and Airtel at Vodafone Idea's expense, with Jio and Airtel now controlling 78% of the sector's revenue combined, a figure CLSA expects to rise to 83% by FY26.
Jio outpaces Airtel in 4G/5G user additions during April
Active, or visitor location register (VLR) data put out every month by Trai indicates the number of mobile users regularly using a mobile network. As a result, Jio’s active user base jumped to 433.42 million users, while Airtel and Vodafone Idea’s active user base declined to 383.32 million and 192.64 million users respectively.
Jio Satellite Communications seeks trial spectrum after IN-Space clearance
The Department of Telecom has already granted satellite communication service licence GMPCS and internet service provider licence to Jio Satellite Communications.
Airtel announces new plans for T20 World cup with free Disney+ Hotstar offer
Airtel launches special T20 World Cup recharge offer starting at Rs 499 for 28 days, including Disney+ Hotstar subscription. Plans also offer access to Airtel Xstream Play.
ACT Fibernet invests in network solutions startup Aprecomm
ACT Fibernet is among India’s largest wired internet service providers, operating in 25 cities and serving 2.2 million customers. With this investment, the company aims to strengthen its ability to provide the best home Wi-Fi experience for its customers.
Airtel to deploy FWA on SA network, full scale impact likely in FY2Q: Gopal Vittal
Bharti Airtel is deploying fixed wireless access (FWA) services in 25 cities. The full-scale impact is anticipated in the second quarter, crucial for 5G monetization and follows a standalone architecture approach like Reliance Jio.
India needs Rs 4.2 lakh cr investment to connect 24 cr households with broadband by 2030
According to the break-up provided by Prashant Singhal, fibre deployment will need investments in the range of Rs 2.7-3 lakh crore, passive infrastructure Rs 90,000-96,000 crore, WiFi and in-building solutions Rs 6,600-Rs 9,000 crore, data centres Rs 9,700-Rs 14,100 crore and satellite broadband services Rs 26,000-29,000 crore.
Jio bundles 15 apps' premium services including Netflix basic subscription with broadband plan for Rs 888/month
Jio has bundled premium services of 15 apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Lite, Disney+ Hotstar, with its 30 mbps broadband plan for Rs 888 a month. This new postpaid plan offers exclusive access to over 15 leading OTT apps, including popular platforms like Netflix's basic plan, Amazon Prime, and JioCinema Premium.
MNP number shows competition intense as Jio, Airtel fight for Vi users
Telecom companies compete fiercely for market share. Vodafone Idea struggles without 5G. Airtel and Jio focus on service quality and rural expansion. Broadband users increase, with Jio leading the growth.
Access to international orbital slots opens new doors for Indian satcom companies
Experts and industry executives said this will allow Indian players to tap surplus international satellite capacities to deliver satcom services at competitive rates in India.
Loan recovery agents calling you for no reason? Blame it on the mobile SIM you just bought
The rise of recycled mobile numbers poses challenges for new users, leading to unwanted calls and difficulties in linking numbers to bank accounts. Telecom firms release over 10 million recycled numbers monthly due to limited resources. Lack of coordination between departments results in new users facing inconvenience in updating KYC details with various authorities.
Broadband business seen bolstering Q4 revenues for Airtel and Reliance Jio
Analysts anticipate Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, leading telecom operators in India, to witness moderate sequential growth in their fiscal fourth-quarter mobile revenue. This growth is primarily driven by robust broadband user additions, with no tariff hikes implemented. Conversely, Vodafone Idea (Vi) is expected to experience a decline in revenue due to persistent heavy customer attrition.
On a hi-fibre, wi-fi diet
India's digital growth, focusing on mobile connections, payments, and 5G rollout, requires enhancements in optic fibre, satellite connections, Wi-Fi networks, and public Wi-Fi hotspots. Balancing all these elements is crucial for sustainable progress.
White House makes last-ditch push for internet subsidy program
White House seeks $6 billion to extend internet subsidy program for 23 million households through 2024. FCC's Rosenworcel stresses urgent need for continuation due to COVID-19 impact and support from major providers like Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T.
Priyanka Gandhi questions govt over satellite broadband spectrum
Priyanka Gandhi questions Telecom Bill alleging scam in spectrum allocation. Queries about BJP's role, electoral bonds, and bill passage chronology, raising concerns about national security and non-auction spectrum allocation route.
India's fixed communication revenue to grow to $13.2 bn in 2028 vs $11.5 bn in 2023: GlobalData
According to a GlobalData report out Thursday, revenue from fixed broadband services will grow at a CAGR of 3.5% in the 2023-2028 period, driven by a growth in broadband subscription and higher average revenue per user (ARPU) from fiber broadband.
Telcos play big for IPL: New mobile & broadband plans aim to boost revenue during cricket extravaganza
The plans come bundled with speed bumps, free usage, additional data and other benefits, taking advantage of a typical mobile data spike between 3% and 8% during the period to boost revenue. The recharge plans on offer from Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for the tournament period provide users with additional data limits at a discounted price, besides providing extra data benefits to existing recharge packs.
Govt likely to treat satellite broadband as telecom service, allow 100% FDI via automatic route
The Indian government is expected to treat satellite broadband as a telecom service, allowing companies like Eutelsat OneWeb, Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, and Telesat to be eligible for 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) through the automatic route. This move is expected to clarify foreign ownership rules for companies planning to launch broadband-from-space services in India and encourage top dollar inflows into the satcoms sector.
Airtel winner in 4 of 5 metrics in fixed broadband services, Jio most consistent: OpenSignal
Bharti Airtel has emerged as a leader in four out of five metrics measuring the service quality of telecom operators' fixed broadband services, according to an OpenSignal report. Airtel has topped the charts in broadband video experience, upload speed, download speed, and peak download speed. Reliance Jio, on the other hand, emerged as a top performer in broadband consistent quality.
ET Explainer: What is Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology? Does it work with existing handsets?
The technology allows Starlink to deliver direct satellite broadband connectivity on smartphones anywhere on the planet, including IoT devices. However, the service is not intended to compete with 4G/5G networks and is best suited for remote areas with no cellular coverage. The launch of satellite broadband services in India is pending regulatory approvals.
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