Mobile Services
Plan International, Telenor Group enter global partnership agreement
Norwegian Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International, and Sigve Brekke, Telenor Group President & CEO met in New York today during the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss the importance of partnerships and digitalising development to reach the SDGs and create shared value. They were joined by Norwegian Minister of International Development Nikolai Astrup.
NEW DELHI: Plan International and Telenor Group will enter into a partnership to collaborate on enhancing children and young people’s skills for a digital future.
The three-year partnership agreement was officially announced today at a United Nations General Assembly event in New York.
The new partnership will include both financial support and access to a range of digital and mobile technology solutions that will help advance the rights of children and young people, with a special focus on equality for girls. All joint projects will focus on building skills for a digital future for children and young people globally in order to reduce inequalities.
“We are proud to announce that Telenor Group, one of the world’s largest telecom companies, is partnering up with Plan International. Together we can use technology to break down the barriers that stand in the way of the poorest children and help close the digital gender gap for girls”, says Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International.
“Governments, businesses and organisations need to collaborate to stimulate growth and create shared value. Telenor collaborates with a handful global partners whose strategic vision, ability to deliver, and local knowledge benefit from the opportunities brought by digital and mobile technology – and vice versa. Plan International works tirelessly to advance children’s rights and equality for girls globally. Through our joint projects, innovative digital solutions can enhance this work further and contribute to reducing inequalities in the societies in which we operate,” says Sigve Brekke, President & CEO of Telenor Group.
The goal of the partnership is to reduce inequalities by the use of digital technology, mobile communication and internet. Telenor’s core competence on mobile communication and technology will be paired with Plan’s local knowledge and innovative program solutions. The aim is to develop optimal solutions to create skills for a digital future and empower societies.
Joint initiatives will focus on reducing inequalities through building skills for a digital future, such as digital literacy, education for out-of-school children, youth educational skills training, closing the digital divide, and educating children and youth on child online safety. The countries covered by the partnership are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The new agreement draws on previous successful partnership experiences in Pakistan between Plan International Pakistan and Telenor Pakistan. The two organisations have jointly set up Information and communications technology (ICT) labs in remote schools, where thousands of girls and boys as well as their teachers learn digital fundamentals as well as online safety. Norkring, a Telenor subsidiary, also has a partnership with Plan International in Malawi to use radios to spread awareness of children and girls’ rights.
Telenor Group has long-term partnership agreement with 2-3 global organisations. In 2014, a five-year global partnership agreement was signed with UNICEF to include both financial support and access to a range of mobile technology solutions that contribute to the advancement of children’s rights globally.
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.
