Airtel’s Exciting Independence Day Celebration Offer – Get 1000 GB Additional Data with Airtel Xstream Fiber Home Broadband Connection

As part of Independence Day celebrations, Airtel has rolled out an exciting limited period offer for customers opting for its Airtel Xstream Fiber Home Broadband. 

Airtel is giving 1000 GB FREE additional data with the purchase of a new Airtel Xstream Fiber connection. The limited period offer is applicable on all Airtel Xstream Fiber plans and is available to customers across all top cities* where Airtel provides Xstream Fiber broadband services.  

India is witnessing a massive surge in demand for quality home broadband as people work from home, children take online classes and OTT based digital entertainment grows.  

Airtel Xtream Fibre offers ultra-fast broadband with speeds upto 1Gbps and serve the requirements of multiple connected devices in today’s homes.  

The limited period offer of 1000 GB FREE additional data adds even more value to Airtel Xstream Fiber plans that start at just Rs 799/month and come with exciting Airtel Thanks benefits such as 12 months Amazon Prime membership and Airtel Xstream content plus Wynk Music. 

*Offer not applicable on unlimited data and prepaid broadband plans. 1000 GB additional valid for 6 months. 

Jio to Offer One Year of Amazon Prime Membership at No Additional Cost to its JioFiber Customers

Amazon has announced its collaboration with Jio, India’s largest and fastest growing digital service company, to provide JioFiber subscribers access to premium content on Amazon Prime Video app on its set-top box. In addition, Jio will offer one year of Prime membership worth INR 999 a year to JioFiber customers on Gold and above broadband plans, at no extra cost.  Through this deal, JioFiber customers can now seamlessly access the Amazon Prime Video app on their TV and enjoy Amazon’s latest and exclusive blockbuster Hollywood, Bollywood and Indian regional movies, top TV shows, stand-up comedies, kids programs, including critically acclaimed Indian and global Amazon Originals.

JioFiber customers, on Gold plans and above, can activate their Annual Amazon Prime Membership by signing in using their Amazon account or create a new Amazon account through their Jio Set-top box and by logging into MyJio app or Jio.com.  Customers who are not eligible can simply recharge with JioFiber Gold and above plan to avail the offer. Existing Amazon Prime Members can directly sign-in to the Amazon Prime Video app on their Jio Set-top-box and start watching Prime Video’s wide selection of content including critically acclaimed Indian Amazon Originals like Paatal Lok, Four More Shots Please! The Family Man, Mirzapur and much-loved global Originals like Jack Ryan, Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Boys amongst many others.

“We are delighted to work with Jio to make Amazon Prime membership available to Jio Fiber customers” said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India. “With the annual Prime membership consumers will have access to the full bouquet of Prime benefits - unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive video content, free and fast shipping, access to exclusive deals, ad-free music on Amazon Music, unlimited reading through Prime Reading and mobile gaming content with Prime Gaming.  At Amazon, we constantly strive to offer customers, the best-in-class entertainment. With this launch, we will further extend the reach and access of Amazon Prime Video in India, giving more customers the experience of watching our broad selection of popular Amazon Originals, blockbuster movies, Indian as well as international shows, on their TV sets.”

“Our partnership with Amazon Prime Video opens up a new world of entertainment for JioFiber customers. Jio continues to provide an enriched experience to its customers and this tie-up enable JioFiber users avail one year of Amazon Prime membership at no extra cost” Anshuman Thakur, Head of Strategy, Jio,  said in a statement.

About Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video has the largest selection of latest & exclusive movies including Gulabo Sitabo, Thappad, Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhaan, Bharat, Dabangg 3, Good Newwz, Mardaani 2, Bhoot, Indian language titles including AB Aani CD, Hit (The First Case), Maharshi, Dharala Prabhu, Darbar, Madha, Sufna, Maya Bazaar 2016, Trance, Shylock, Love Mocktail, Luv Ni Love Storys, Saaho, Pattas, Professor Shanku O El Dorado, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, Dia, Choricha Maamla, Jallikattu, Kumbalangi Nights, Dear Comrade, Virus, Cheel Zadap, Chal Mera Putt, Triple Seat  and TV shows, stand-up comedy, biggest Indian and Hollywood films, US TV series, most popular Indian & international kids’ shows, and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals including Paatal Lok, Four More Shots Please! – Season 1 and 2, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, The Family Man, Made In Heaven, Mirzapur, Comicstaan, Inside Edge Season 1 and 2, global Originals like Upload, Hunters, The Boys, Good Omens, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all available, ad-free, with a world-class customer experience. The service includes titles available in Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi and Bengali.

To watch the newest releases in Hollywood & Bollywood, the latest US TV shows, kids’ favorite toons and Amazon Originals, please visit www.PrimeVideo.com or download the Amazon Prime Video app today and sign-up for an Amazon Prime membership only at ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly.

About Jio

Jio Platforms Limited (“Jio”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, has built a world-class all-IP data strong future proof network with latest 4G LTE technology (through its wholly owned subsidiary, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited). It is the only network conceived and born as a Mobile Video Network from the ground up and supporting Voice over LTE technology. It is future ready and can be easily upgraded to support even more data, as technologies advance on to 5G, 6G and beyond.

Jio will bring transformational changes in the Indian digital services space to enable the vision of Digital India for 1.3 billion Indians and propel India into global leadership in the digital economy. It has created an eco-system comprising of network, devices, applications and content, platforms, service experience and affordable tariffs for everyone to live the Jio Digital Life. As part of its customer offers, Jio has revolutionised the Indian telecom landscape by making voice calls for Jio customers absolutely free, across India, to any network, and always. Jio makes India the highest quality, most affordable data market in the world so that every Indian can do Datagiri.

Does US lag in internet speed over other countries?

The US is lagging far behind other industrial nations in the availability and high speed internet broadband connection, according to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) report.

The report states that the average download speed in South Korea is 20.4 mbps, four times faster than the US average of 5.1 mbps. Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands follow South Korea with an average of 15.8 mbps, 12.8 mbps and 11.0 mbps respectively.

The new research indicates that between 2007 and 2009, the average download internet speed in the US has increased by only 1.6 mbps, from 3.5 mbps in 2007 to 5.1 mbps in 2009. At this rate, it is likely to take the US 15 years to catch up with current internet speed in South Korea, the country with the fastest average internet connection.

The report says, "Our nation continues to fall far behind other countries. People in Japan can upload a high-definition video in 12 minutes, compared to a grueling 2.5 hours at the US average upload speed." The 2009 speed test done by speedmaters.org shows that only 20 percent of those who took the test have internet speed in the range of the top three ranked countries - South Korea, Japan and Sweden. Even more alarming, 18 percent do not even meet the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) definition for current - generation broadband as an always-on internet connection of at least 768 kbps downstream.

Continued job growth, innovation and rural development require high-speed, universal networks. Data shows that for every $5 billion invested in broadband infrastructure to create these networks, 97,500 new jobs in the telecommunications, computer and IT sectors will be created.

Larry Cohen, President, CWA said, "Every American should have affordable access to high-speed internet, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, fragmented government programs and uneven private sector responses to build out internet access have left a digital divide across the country."

The US President Barack Obama has pledged to put broadband in every home and the FCC has embarked on an ambitious project to bring high-speed internet access to every corner of the country.

According to the CWA report, the fastest download speed in the US is in the northeastern parts of the country while the slowest is in states such as Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Agencies

11.9 m new Indian subscribers added in June

India's telecom industry continued its robust growth story in June by adding 11.91 million new subscribers to take the total subscription base to 464.82 million, said a government statement.

The number of total subscribers in the country as on June 30, 2008 was 325.78 million.

The wireless (GSM and CDMA) segment added 12 million new subscribers, while the wireline segment witnessed a dip of 134,000 connections, the statement said.

The overall tele-density reached 39.86 percent in June 2009 as compared to 28.33 percent in the like period last year.

Broadband connections reached 6.4 million at the end of May and the total number of licences issued for Internet service providers (ISPs) is 375, the statement added.

Under the Bharat Nirman programme, public telephones were provided to 264 villages in May.

Agencies

Can India emerge as the 3rd largest Internet users by 2013?

The number of internet users worldwide is expected to touch 2.2 billion by 2013 and India is projected to have the third largest online population during the same time, says a report.

"The number of people online around the world will grow more than 45 per cent to 2.2 billion users by 2013 and Asia will continue to be the biggest Internet growth engine.

"... India will be the third largest internet user base by 2013 - with China and the US taking the first two spots, respectively," technology and market research firm Forrester Research said in a report.

Globally, there were about 1.5 billion Internet users in the year 2008.

Titled 'Global Online Population Forecast, 2008 to 2013', the report noted that emerging markets like India would see a growth of 10 to 20 per cent by 2013.

"In some of the emerging markets in Asia such as China, India and Indonesia, the average annual growth rates will be 10 to 20 per cent over the next five years (2008-13)," the report said. India's number of Internet users was estimated to be 52 million in 2008.

In the next four years, about 43 per cent of the Internet users globally are anticipated to reside in Asia and neighbouring China would account for about half of that population.

"... the shifting online population and growing spending power among Asian consumers means that Asian markets will represent a far greater percentage of the total in 2013 than they do today," Forrester Research Senior Analyst Zia Daniell Wigder said.

According to the report, the percentage of internet users in Asia would increase to 43 per cent in 2013 from 38 per cent in 2008.

"The percentage of the global online population located in North America will drop from 17 per cent to 13 per cent between 2008 and 2013, while Europe's share will shrink from 26 per cent to 22 per cent.

"The percentage of those in Asia will increase from 38 per cent to 43 per cent and Latin America will remain steady at about 11 per cent of the global total," Forrester noted.

The report said apart from China, other Asian countries with substantial online growth rates include India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

"By contrast, growth rates in some of the more mature markets such as Japan and South Korea will rise by less than two per cent each year," it added.

Agencies

Will broadband, mobile be key drivers to economic growth?

Access to affordable high-speed Internet and mobile phone service are key to economic growth and job creation in developing countries, the World Bank said in a report.

The report, Information and Communications for Development 2009, found that for every 10 percentage-point increase in high-speed Internet connections there is an increase in economic growth of 1.3 percentage points.

"Internet users in developing countries increased tenfold from 2000 to 2007, and there are now over four billion mobile phone subscribers in developing countries," said Mohsen Khalil, World Bank group director for global information and communication technologies.

"These technologies offer tremendous opportunities," Khalil said. "Governments can work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers."

The report identified the mobile platform as the "single most powerful way to reach and deliver public and private services to hundreds of millions of people in remote and rural areas across the developing world."

Broadband provides the basis for local information technology (IT) services industries which create youth employment, increase productivity and exports, and promote social inclusion, it said.

"Currently though, few people in developing economies have access to broadband networks," the report said. "In 2007, an average of less than five percent of the population of low-income economies was connected to broadband networks
, and that was mostly in urban centers."

"Access to broadband completes the information foundation for a modern economy and should be a priority in national development plans," said Katherine Sierra, World Bank vice president for sustainable development.

"Governments can play a key role in expanding broadband access by policies and incentives that encourage competition and private investment," she said.

The World Bank supports information and communications technology projects in more than 100 countries with a portfolio of more than three billion dollars.

Agencies

India ranked fourth with 81 mn Net users

India has been ranked fourth among the top 10 nations in the world with 81 million Internet users. United States leads the chart with 220 million Internet users followed by China (210 million) and Japan (88.1 m).

Brazil comes next to India with 53.1 million users, UK 40.2 million, Germany 39.1 million, Republic of Korea 35.5 million, Italy 32 million and France 31.5 million.

The Internet Governance Forum has released these statistics on the eve of its third four-day global conference that begins at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre on December 3.
From about 70 million people (1.7% of the world population) who had access to the Internet at the end of 2007, the figure crossed 134.8 crore by 2007. Asia has the highest number of Internet users with an estimated 568.7 million people followed by the Americas with 377.9 million.

Europe ranks third in this list with 335.9 million users and Africa and Oceania close the rank with 51.8 million and 14 million users respectively, according to the IGF. India, however, does not find place among the top ten nations in terms of broadband connections where too the US stands first with 73.2 million connections.

China has 66.4 million, Japan 28.28 million, Germany 19.6 million, UK 15.6 million, France 15.5 million, Republic of Korea 14. 7 million, Italy 10.8 million, Canada 9 million and Spain 8 million broadband connections. While there were a total of 13.5 million Internet subscribers in India, representing 1.15 per 100 people, broadband subscribers accounted for five million among them.
However, the number of users, who have online access but do not themselves subscribe, is a whopping 81 million or 6.93 users per people.

Source: PTI

Is Google a threat to telcos?

Google's influence and market power with key telecommunications industry stakeholders is having a significant impact on the industry, says research firm Gartner.

According to Alex Winogradoff, research vice president, Gartner, Google will continue to be a market disruptor and disintermediator, especially in the communications market. "Carriers should selectively partner with Google rather than trying to compete, especially in areas where they don't have differentiated and core assets," he said. "However, carriers should also find common ground with Google (for example, on network neutrality) and, if necessary, look for creative ways to oppose Google on issues critical to their survival."

Gartner said that coming late to the operating-system and mobile markets has not been a problem for Google and that its Android and Open Handset Alliance (OHA) activities have already had a profound effect on the mobile industry. In addition to disrupting the traditional telecom ecosystem, Google's actions are diluting the market potential and the service providers' ability to profitably monetise their investments in new markets (such as entertainment and software as a service (SaaS) applications).

The research firm highlighted six critical actions by Google that have already had, or will have, the greatest impact on the telecom industry. Google pressured the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to set aside the "C" Block (22MHz to 11MHz in the uplink and 11MHz in the downlink within the US 700MHz spectrum auctions) as an open-access spectrum. All winning "C" Block bidders would be required to provide open access to applications (which cannot be blocked) and devices (which cannot be locked).

Google's primary motivation was to encourage the development of open broadband network platforms to ensure they will be able to deliver bandwidth-intense over-the-air services and applications.

On November 5 2007, several technology and wireless companies jointly announced the formation of the OHA and the development of Android, a new software platform for mobile devices that includes an operating system (OS), middleware and key applications based on the Linux OS and open-source principles.

This was quickly followed on November 12 2007, with a preliminary release of the Android SDK, as part of Google's $10 million developer challenge. This will help ensure that application and access openness is maintained on the mobile Internet as effectively as on the wired network to enable Google's ad model to spread as successfully as it has on the wired Internet; to open up the "closed" mobile industry ecosystem to Google's applications; and to enable Google to exert a strong influence over the development of the next-generation mobile OS.

Since the US regulator (FCC) adopted four network neutrality principles designed "to encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet," Google and other Web-centric companies have been lobbying the US Congress to codify these rules in favour of something called non-discrimination in network design between the public and private Internet.

In short, Google wants regulation to ensure that the public Internet remains free from potential discrimination and content blocking but also wants equality between the public and private Internet at no cost to customers or Web companies (in essence, no quality of service).
Google has been investing heavily to develop the world's most complete storehouse of geographic and mapping data supported by innovative applications that can detect mobile devices.

Google wants to be "the most-trusted source" and the best at matching up unique geographic location-based data so it can take advantage of just-in-time advertising opportunities derived from location-aware applications and bypass device manufacturers and carriers as the gatekeepers of location data.

Known as "white space" in the US and "interleaved spectrum" in the UK, this is the underutilised 800MHz spectrum that can be used to broadcast TV through the airwaves but also has highly favourable propagation characteristics for wireless broadband.

A powerful industry lobby backed by Google, Microsoft, Philips, Dell, HP, Skype and others (known as the Wireless Innovation Alliance) has been urging the FCC to develop rules to unlock the potential of TV white spaces.

Google's interest in white spaces is another effort to ensure that there are viable broadband options available for their services. The spectrum, which will likely be released as an open spectrum in 2010, would become another means for bypassing the carrier access network. Google is looking to engage enterprises by getting them hooked on using its applications and cloud computing infrastructure. Making it easy for users to download Google applications and giving them free space on Google's cloud infrastructure.

This will give Google great marketing insight to help it develop a presence within the SMB market. With eventual migration to larger enterprises where enterprises will come to Google for all their back-office SaaS needs.

The impact on carriers looking to generate revenue from the SaaS business model within the SMB market will require carriers to clearly differentiate their applications from Google or partner with it.

Source: Indiatimes

BA Systems eyes 10pc of Indian networking solutions market

BA Systems, the Bangalore-based router manufacturing company, headquartered in San Jose, California, has entered the router market and is aiming at a market share of 10 percent in the networking solutions space in India by 2009-10.

The company has launched 'Enterprise' category of routers with a contract manufacturer in India. Its USP is its price, which it claims is about 30-50 percent cheaper than competitors. B. Jagadish, director marketing, BA Systems, speaks about the company's entry into the Asian market and the growing market for Enterprise routers, in an interview with CIOL's Manu Sharma. Excerpts:

CIOL: Being a US company what made you roll out your products in India?
B. Jagadish: BA Systems is headquartered in San Jose and has presence in Bangalore, Singapore, Hong Kong and China. We are targeting the Asia-Pacific market since it is growing by many folds in the Enterprise segment of routers. India, in particular, has a big market and the router market is growing at 15-18 percent. In comparison, it is growing by only 5 percent in the developed countries. Therefore, we have launched our products here and plan to expand overseas through our OEM network. In fact, we have already sent our first shipments to China and Bangladesh.

CIOL: Describe the Enterprise router market and what is its estimated growth in India?
BJ: The Enterprise routers industry segment is presently estimated at $4 billion and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 30 percent to touch $10-billion by 2010. According to an IDC report, while Edge, PC based, wireless, ADSL, broadband, XDSL and core routers make up most of this industry, Enterprise is in lesser numbers, but is catching up.

CIOL: What are the routers that you have launched and what applications do those support?
BJ: The BA Systems' EN3500, and EN2400 integrated routers uniquely address key customer requirements such as reduction in CAPEX and OPEX, and the power to implement IP networking services with minimal disruption and maximum remote control from a central location. This is achieved by combining the high performance and carrier-grade reliability of the BA Systems Operating System (BOS) with a central management application -- a BA Systems Element and Services Management Supervisor (BESS).
The modular, multi-threaded design of BOS, in combination with the EN series high-performance hardware, provides for the best-in-class performance, both raw and with multiple services loaded.

CIOL: Who are your competitors in this segment?
BJ: Cisco Systems has a market share of over 90 percent, while Juniper Networks, Nortel, Tasman, Huawei and 3Com are the other major players in this segment. BA Systems has just made an entry into the market and hopes to capture a 10 percent market share by 2010.

CIOL: How do you plan to tackle your competitors?
BJ: The BA Systems' EN series represents the next generation of integrated routing platforms. The EN series is the first routing platform that leverages the combination of optimized hardware with tested, interoperable, and modular high-performance operating system –(BOS), thereby affording significant CAPEX savings.
BA Systems' products are deployed in mission-critical networks at high profile customers, including a leading national telco, banks, stockbrokers, MSPs and BPOs. BA Systems strategically partners with channels, including systems integrators and service providers to go-to-market. The company provides partners with level-3 technical support, training and feature customization for partners/customers.

CIOL: What kind of marketing and sales support does the company provide?
BJ: Our support base for the customers will be out of India. We have already started a toll-fee line that will be attended by us starting next January. Presently, we provide technical support to our customers that make it unique unlike others and have no plans to outsource the aftersales support. We provide technical support to our customers to handle them faster and understand their needs better. Presently, it is offered 12x5, and once the volumes build up, it will be 24x7. The company also has marketing offices in Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi. Besides, we will have full-fledged offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad by October 2007.

CIOL: What sort of pricing models are you following for you products?
BJ: Our USP is our cost that is incomparable to any competitors even Cisco. Our solution comes at a cost that is at least 30 percent lower than close competitors Cisco, and can even be as less as 50 percent less if it is an end–to-end solution. Our hardware contributes a lot, while our software has own patent rights. We are the only router company with a local manufacturer. Neither Cisco, Juniper or anyone else has such a facility. Most of them source their products from either China or Taiwan.

CIOL: Who are your present customers and whom are you targeting?
BJ: Our products are affordable, off-the-shelf components. We started production in May 2006 and have already installed the products at the Taj Group, ITC, STPIs and co-operative banks. We also have corporate clients like Fortune Financials, Bosco Steel, BNA BPO and Divya Systems. The company will also be tapping into the railways, airlines, telecom and defence sectors in 2008 as they are all based on tenders.

CIOL: How is the feedback from your existing customers?
BJ: The feedback has been phenomenally good. It is because of our modular operating system, inherent features, rollback graceful restart, route tracking, SLA monitoring tool, etc. All of these are the major empowerments that our customers have experienced. We offer end-to-end solutions, including real-time WAN management. In fact, we have moved away from offering a product to a total solution.