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Supreme Court tells Airtel, Vodafone to give TRAI details of segmented offers

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to disclose details sought by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in connection with segmented offers.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said: “In the light of the above historical background, what is now sought by TRAI to ensure adherence to the regulatory principles of transparency, non-discrimination and non-predation, cannot be said, at least prima facie to be either illegal or wholly unjustified.”

“Hence the I.A. (intervention application) is allowed and a direction is issued to the respondents to disclose information/details sought by the appellant regarding segmented offers.”

However, the top court said is the duty and responsibility of the TRAI to ensure that such information is kept confidential and is not made available to the competitors or any other person.

In exercise of powers conferred by Section 11(1)(b)(i), read with Section 11(2) of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, the TRAI issued the Telecommunication Tariff (63rd Amendment) Order, 2018 dated February 16, 2018. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea challenged it before the TDSAT.

Primarily, the challenge was to the “Reporting Requirements” and “Significant Market Power” (SMP). Another grievance was about the insistence of the TRAI about the disclosure of segmented discounts.

The TDSAT set aside the Telecom Tariff 63rd Amendment Order in so far as it changes the concepts of SMP, non-predation and the related provisions.

The TRAI filed civil appeals against this order and also filed an intervention application seeking interim direction to the service providers to disclose information sought by it regarding the segmented offers.

In the number of segmented offers provided by telecom service providers (TSPs) during a period of 12 calendar months from January 2019 to December 2019 in various states, the TRAI contended that the details of these offers are not even disclosed to it.

“Therefore, despite being a regulator, TRAI is not in a position to analyse whether the plans are transparent and non-discriminatory and whether predatory pricing is resorted to by TSPs in the garb of segmented offers or not,” it contended.

The TSPs argued that segmented offers, as found by the TDSAT, constitute “confidentially designed trade practices”. Therefore, the TDSAT held that there is no need for reporting.

The TSPs also contended that whenever the TRAI wanted to call for details of segmented offers about which it received complaints, they are ready and willing to furnish the same. However, so far, the TRAI has not received any complaint.

The top court noted that the TDSAT said segmented offers and discounts offered in the ordinary course of business to existing customers without any discrimination within the target segment, do not amount to a tariff plan and that therefore, there is no need for reporting.

“Eventually, the impugned order namely the 63rd amendment order February 16, 2018, was issued. The amended definition of Reporting Requirement makes it clear that the Reporting Requirement is for the information and record of the TRAI,” said the top court.

Source: IANS

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Ericsson Showcases differentiated connectivity for the value of 5G

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Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) showcased its advanced 5G connectivity solutions and innovative 5G use cases based on differentiated connectivity at the Ericsson Imagine Live Roadshow today. Ericsson has announced the launch of a new software toolkit to strengthen 5G Standalone network capabilities and enable premium services with differentiated connectivity. The portfolio enhancement comes as the growth of new use cases and rising mobile user expectations on the quality of 5G experience are putting greater demands on network capacity and performance.

In the ‘Capture the value of 5G’ zone, experience sports like never before with the Enhanced Sports Experiences demo, where a feature-rich app allows sports clubs to engage directly with their vast fan bases, creating new revenue streams. Leveraging network slicing and APIs, service providers can ensure the ultimate fan experience and gain revenue share.In 2024, Ericsson is extending CSP slicing subscriptions to include micro-payments for short-term connectivity needs.

Another demo called Superior Uplink for Live streams, offers seamless real-time livestreaming via commercially available smart glasses, overcoming the hindrance of 5G upload speeds with Uplink Carrier Aggregation. This technology boosts upload speeds by combining frequencies, enhancing performance, promoting Standalone 5G adoption, and optimizing spectrum utilization.

In the ‘Programmable Networks’ zone, we’re showcasing how Ericsson is transforming the mobile network landscape by enabling elevated service differentiation for premium 5G experiences with Service Level Agreement assurance, revolutionizing CSP offerings. Ericsson’s new software toolkit with advanced RAN and Core capabilities empowers CSPs to seize growth opportunities by providing differentiated connectivity at scale. Another demo showcases how our RedCap technology supports CSPs’ business growth by reducing the complexity and size of device platforms for mid-tier use cases, expanding the 5G ecosystem to cater to diverse connectivity needs across consumer and enterprise/industrial segments on both FDD and TDD bands.

The ‘Enterprise Transformation’ zone showcases how critical infrastructure industries such as power plants, wind farms, and oil refineries can enhance worker safety and efficiency with our private 5G networks use case demos. Partnering with RealWear and OverIT, we enable secure, reliable, realtime access to complex data in order to provide an immersive connected worker experience for use in hazardous environments where accurate positioning and the ability to handle a high density of connected devices is required.

In the ‘Shape our Future Together’ zone, we’re building on the successful API showcase at Mobile World Congress 2023 with partners like Zoom and Blacknut. This year we are demonstrating high-demand use cases with world-leading brands such as Toyota and Sony using QoD API with network slicing. This underscores Ericsson’s thought leadership in the Network API and 5G monetization space, aligning with our strategy to build a platform business and our vision of industry cooperation with strong partners.

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Airtel announces its largest ever 5G roll-out in 125 cities

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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.

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Apple rolls out beta programme for iPhones to enable 5G services

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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

 

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