Mobile Services
Digital payments surge during lockdown to benefit telcos
NEW DELHI: Digital payments in India are surging in the ongoing Covid-19-caused lockdowns which will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration and build an ecosystem of services.
According to a research report by CLSA, acceleration in data penetration will especially be positive for Bharti Airtel, as 50 per cent of its subscribers are still to upgrade to 4G, and in services, the latest catalyst will be Reliance Jio”s partnership with WhatApp for JioMart rampup.
CLSA said that digital payments in India are surging in the ongoing Covid-19-led lockdowns. Already these had jumped three-fold over the last two years to 3 billion transactions a month.
Within digital, mobile accounts for 50-75 per cent of transactions in volume and value. However, India”s mobile data penetration is still only 57 per cent even as mobile penetration is 87 per cent. Growing digital payments will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration and build an ecosystem of service, the report said.
Already, India”s retail digital payments were expanding with retail digital volumes expanding at 56 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from December 2015 to December 2019 and value expanding at 30 per cent CAGR.
RBI data reveals government”s demonetisation had brought down cash in circulation as a percentage of GDP to 8.7 per cent in FY17. Subsequently it increased to 11.2 per cent in FY19 but had still not reached pre-demonetisation levels, underlining rise in digital payments.
“Our talks with a leading mass market DTH operator reveals that the ongoing all-India lockdown has propelled digital DTH recharges from 60 per cent to 80 per cent within weeks,” the report said.
UPI, an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI), which allows instant money transfer between two bank accounts on a mobile platform, is being promoted aggressively by the government.
Launched in April 2016, UPI monthly transactions have risen to 1.3 billion with Rs 2.2 trillion transaction value implying 43 per cent of total digital payment volume and 32 per cent of total value.
UPI transactions now account for 41 per cent of total mobile banking transactions in value, up from 14 per cent in January 2018 and the government is now taking even more steps to aggressively promote digital payments via UPI in ongoing lockdowns.
The surge in digital payments will accelerate data and services penetration, CLSA said. The latest catalysts for digital services will be Reliance Jio partnership with Facebook”s WhatsApp which will accelerate JioMart (O2O offering of Reliance Retail) rampup.
Digital payments increase subscribers” engagement with mobile, lower churn and most importantly, the need for digital payments will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration.
An acceleration in mobile data penetration will specially be a positive for Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea with over 50 per cent of own mobile subscriber base yet to upgrade to 4G.
Further as mobile increasingly becomes the instrument of cashless/digital payment in the short and the long run it will build a growing ecosystem of useful services, CLSA said.
Source: IANS
NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India’s telecommunications services provider, today announced the launch of its ultra-fast 5G services in 125 cities. Airtel 5G Plus service is now available to customers in over 265 cities in the country.
Airtel 5G Plus has three compelling advantages for customers. First, it runs on a technology that has the widest acceptance in the world with the most developed ecosystem. This ensures that all 5G smartphones in India seamlessly work on the Airtel network. Second, the company promises to deliver the best experience – between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than today coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect. Finally, Airtel 5G Plus network will also be kinder to the environment with its special power reduction solution. Powered by the reliable Airtel network infrastructure, Airtel 5G Plus will provide superfast access to High-Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos et all.
Commenting on the launch, Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel said, “5G has revolutionized the world of internet, ushering new era of connectivity and communications that will prove to be a game-changer for the country. At Airtel, we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of network and service to our customers as we roll-out 125 more cities today. Airtel was the first in the country to offer 5G services in October 2022, and today’s mega launch is our promise to connect every Airtel customer in the country with ultra-fast Airtel 5G Plus. Our 5G rollout is on track to cover all towns and key rural areas by March 2024.”
Airtel 5G Plus service availability will continue to rapidly expand – including service in all towns and villages in the country soon – as the company is working towards offering nationwide coverage. Airtel is now offering its 5G services in every major city from the upper northern city of Jammu to the southern tip of Kanyakumari.
In the last one year, Airtel has demonstrated the power of 5G with a host of powerful use cases that will change the way customers lead their lives and do business. From India’s first live 5G network in Hyderabad to India’s first private 5G network at the BOSCH facility in Bengaluru to partnering with Mahindra & Mahindra to make its Chakan manufacturing facility, India’s first 5G enabled auto manufacturing unit, Airtel has been at the forefront of 5G innovation.
NEW DELHI: Apple Inc has rolled out a beta programme to enable 5G on Apple devices as the upgrade lets users try out pre-release software.
This software upgrade enables 5G access on Apple devices, as and when service providers Jio, Airtel and Vodafone enable 5G network access, sources said.
Apple Users have to enrol for the Beta Programme on the website, install a profile and download the software.
Jio users using iPhone 12 and above, in cities where JioTrue5G has been rolled out, will be invited to the Jio Welcome Offer. Jio Welcome Offer provides unlimited 5G data at up to 1 Gbps speed to users at no additional cost. However, there is a condition that prepaid users must be on active Rs 239 and above plan. All Postpaid users are eligible for this trial.
Airtel is not providing any special 5G offer like Jio to their users. In the cities/areas in which the Airtel 5G network has been launched, users can trial 5G services as a part of their existing plan, once they have updated the latest Apple Beta software.
While an email sent to Apple did not solicit an immediate response, the firm had last month stated: “We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December”.
Airtel and Jio customers on iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE (3rd generation) models can experience 5G as part of Apple’s iOS 16 Beta Software Program. The Apple Beta Software Program is open to anyone with a valid Apple ID who accepts the Apple Beta Software Program Agreement during the sign-up process.
If a user has an iCloud account, that is an Apple ID, it is recommended they use that. If they do not have an iCloud account or any other Apple ID, they can create one.
Customers who want to try the beta software should back up their iPhones before installing the beta software. It is recommended to install the beta software only on non-production devices that are not business-critical. Users can also provide feedback to Apple on quality and usability, which helps Apple identify issues, fix them, and make Apple software even better.
The iOS beta comes with the built-in Feedback Assistant app, which can be opened from the Home screen on the iPhone or iPad or from the Dock on the Mac.
Source: Press Trust of India
5g
Nokia wins multi-year deal with Reliance Jio India to build one of the largest 5G networks in the world
NEW DELHI: Nokia has announced that it has been selected as a major supplier by Reliance Jio to supply 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from its comprehensive AirScale portfolio countrywide in a multi-year deal. Reliance Jio is India’s number one mobile operator and has one of the largest RAN footprints in the world.
Under the contract, Nokia will supply equipment from its AirScale portfolio, including base stations, high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas, and Remote Radio Heads (RRH) to support different spectrum bands, and self-organizing network software. Reliance Jio plans to deploy a 5G standalone network which will interwork with its 4G network. The network will enable Reliance Jio to deliver advanced 5G services such as massive machine-to-machine communications, network slicing, and ultra-low-latency.
Akash Ambani, Chairman Reliance Jio, commented: “We are pleased to be working with Nokia for our 5G SA deployment in India. Jio is committed to continuously investing in the latest network technologies to enhance the experience of all of its customers. We are confident that our partnership with Nokia will deliver one of the most advanced 5G networks globally.”
Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO at Nokia stated: “This is a significant win for Nokia in an important market and a new customer with one of the largest RAN footprints in the world. This ambitious project will introduce millions of people across India to premium 5G services, enabled by our industry-leading AirScale portfolio. We are proud that Reliance Jio has placed its trust in our technology and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with them.”
Nokia has a long-standing presence in India. This new deal will mean that Nokia is now supplying India’s three largest mobile operators.
