Kolkata to go fully Wi-Fi in two months' time

Kolkata is set to become India's first fully Wi-Fi-enabled metro with a private operator launching the service from Park Street on February 5 and then rolling it out in a phased manner across 144 municipal wards. The whole city is expected to come under Wi-Fi coverage by Bengali New Year in mid-April.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee made the surprise announcement at the inauguration of the Kolkata book fair on Tuesday evening. "Delighted to announce that #Kolkata will become India's first fully Wi-Fi enabled metro city in the next 2-3 months. Park St from Feb 5," the CM tweeted after making the announcement.

In an obvious reference to the Centre's ambitious Digital India programme, party spokesperson Derek O'Brien tweeted immediately, "Let others talk about Digital India. We just delivered Digital Kolkata."

Trinamool sources said Mamata was keen to do something that would be viewed as a game-changer to not only alter the perception about Kolkata but also change the image of her government as one that is passive and embroiled in corruption to progressive. "With Wi-Fi service, the party will be able to bridge the divide and disconnect with urban youths, something that BJP was taking advantage of. Wi-Fi will be Trinamool's 'killer app'," a Trinamool leader said.To begin with, users of smart phones, tablets, laptops and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices travelling through Park Street, Loudon Street, Royd Street, Sudder Street and adjoining localities will be to access the service. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee who was entrusted to ensure that the service delivery deadline is met, told TOI the Kolkata Municipal Corporation would monitor the progress of Wi-Fi rollout and give it due priority.

Sources in Trinamool Congress said Mamata was keen to do something that would be viewed as a game-changer to not only alter the perception about Kolkata but also change the image of her government as one that is passive and embroiled in corruption to progressive.

"With Wi-Fi service, the party will be able to bridge the divide and disconnect with urban youths, something that BJP was taking advantage of. Wi-Fi will be Trinamool's 'killer app'," a Trinamool leader said.

With service provider Reliance JIO's officials, including business development head (east) Tarun Jhunjhunwala unavailable for comment, it wasn't clear how the company would provide the expensive service free. But sources in the industry said the Mukesh Ambani-owned company with deep pockets would offer WiFi free during the trial period when the service is being rolled out across the city. Later, the free time may be reduced to 30 minutes in a day or even less as price packages are introduced. Reliance JIO is believed to offer the service free-of-cost to ministers, bureaucrats and police.

"Reliance will not only get a first-mover advantage, there will be many who will get so used to the fast WiFi service by then that they will find it impossible to revert to 3G that will appear too slow," an industry expert said, pointing out that the company had already received a huge carriage fee waiver from KMC for laying the optic fibre cables for its 4G network.

Rival cellular operators are skeptical about the feasibility and business viability in a city like Kolkata where less than 1 lakh persons have 4G handsets and the average disposable income is low. "The ecosystem for such high-end services is not ready in Kolkata. Carrying out such a gigantic investment may prove costly," a telecom expert said.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have not hinted at any plans to make such Wi-Fi forays in Kolkata in the near future. Bharti Airtel did launch 4G Wi-Fi-enabled buses but it failed to catch the imagination of commuters.

Source: TOI

Indian tablet users may touch 40 million in 2015

Among the fastest growing tablet markets in the world, India is expected to see over 40 million users of the smart device this year, although the popularity of phablets may restrict that growth, research firm eMarketer said.

Phablets are devices with screen size in the range of 5-7 inches.

The firm estimates the number of tablet users in one of the world's largest internet market to grow by 24.8% in 2015 to touch 40.4 million.

The figure includes all individuals who use a tablet at least monthly this year, whether they own their own or not, it added.

"eMarketer expects that, like in South Korea, the use of phablets may obstruct tablet uptake in India. When smartphone users have access to large screens, tablets may seem superfluous," the firm said.

The firm expects India to overtake the US as the largest smartphone market in the world in 2016, suggesting that consumers in India are not ready to put down their smartphones any time soon.

Tablet usage growth will continue in the double digits through the end of eMarketer's forecast period (2018), when it estimates 60.2 million people in India to use the smart device.

However, the firm said while this growth is impressive, it represents a tiny share of the population of the country and it is still a long way behind all other countries in the region.

In 2015, only 3.2% of the Indian population will use a tablet compared with over 45% in Australia, 24.1% in China and 20.1% in South Korea, it added.

Source: ET

Reliance to make small digital stores base for Jio experience

Of the record 231 Reliance Digital stores Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail opened during the December quarter of current financial year, about 90% are smaller Digital Express and Digital Express Mini which will serve as a base for Reliance Jio when the latter is launched, said an executive who is aware of the company’s plans.

Digital Express are 2,000 square feet stores which focus on mobile phones, electronic accessories and so on, meant to be experience stores.

“They will need a base when they roll out 4G. They cannot open hundreds of stores at one go after rolling out Jio. They plan to turn them into experience stores for Jio,” said the executive.

Reliance Retail did not respond to the queries on the subject. Of the 279 stores Reliance Retail opened during December FY15 quarter, 231 stores belonged to Reliance Digital, the durable format of Reliance Retail.Reliance is synergizing operations of Reliance Retail with Jio.

Recently Reliance Jio’s managing director Sandip Das stepped down as MD and joined Reliance Retail’s board and entrusted with the task of mentoring Jio division at Reliance Retail.

According to reports, Reliance Industries, the parent of Reliance Retail and Jio, is looking tohave common executives to handle both divisions and a common infrastructure for back end.

“It is a wonderful strategy. I think they will continue to sell digital products and Jio products. These stores will also help them bring awareness about Jio,” said Rajeev Karwal, founder director at Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions, who was the first CEO of Reliance Digital.

Reliance Jio Infocomm is set to roll out its 4G LTE services in 800 Indian cities between April and June next year.

Reliance Digital, which debuted in 2007 in Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region, posted a turnover growth of 32% in Q3 of FY 2015, highest after fashion and lifestyle category. About 24% of Reliance Retail’s Q3 revenue mix came from Reliance Digital.

Source: BS

Google planning to launch its own telecom service: Report

Google Inc is preparing to sell mobile phone plans directly to customers and manage their calls and mobile data over a cellular network, The Information reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Google is expected to reach deals to buy wholesale access to Sprint and T-Mobile mobile voice and data networks, making it a mobile virtual network operator, the technology news website said.

The project, codenamed "Nova", is expected to be launched later this year, The Information said.

Google was considering launching mobile phone plans for markets where it sells Google Fiber internet service, according to the report.

It was not clear how widely Google plans to offer the wireless service, how much it would cost or which mobile device manufacturers, if any, have already agreed to work with Google for its new service.

Google, T-Mobile and Sprint could not be immediately reached for comment.

Source: TOI

Microsoft Research's AutoCharge uses light to wirelessly charge phones

Imagine if you could just toss your cellphone on a table, where it is automatically charged using a beam of light. It may become a possibility!

A team from Microsoft Research in China, which developed the new system, said wireless charging pads are more convenient than traditional wired smartphone chargers, but they still require users to consciously place their phone in a specific spot.

The new AutoCharge system allows users to put their phone down anywhere on a regular table to be recharged. Using an overhead camera and object recognition software, AutoCharge continuously scans the table top, looking for smartphone-shaped objects.

It can detect one in less than a second and then it shines a beam of focused light onto it. Both the camera and the light can rotate, in order to image and illuminate the target from an optimum angle, 'Gizmag' reported.

A photovoltaic (PV) panel on that phone subsequently generates electricity from that light, charging the phone's battery. The researchers said that in tests of the prototype using a phone-sized PV panel, it was found to charge phones approximately as fast as some wired chargers.

In order to keep from continuously lighting up phones that don't need charging, AutoCharge utilises a system in which the PV panel powers a microcontroller and an LED indicator on the top surface of the phone.

When the phone is first illuminated, that LED blinks in a specific pattern, indicating the battery's current charge level. AutoCharge uses its camera to detect that pattern, and only keeps illuminating the phone if it needs to get charged.

Once the phone's battery is full, the LED will flash in a different pattern, letting AutoCharge know that it's time to stop.

Source: ET

Telecom Commission suggests Rs 3,705 cr per Mhz for 3G

Inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission has suggested a base price of Rs 3,705 crore per megahertz as 3G spectrum base price for upcoming auction, about 11 per cent higher than what companies paid for the same in 2010 sale. It is also 36 per cent higher than what regulator TRAI's recommendation of Rs 2,720 crore per Mhz. "TC (Telecom Commission) is of the view that Rs 3,705 crore should be the base for 3G spectrum. The pricing will be proposed to be placed before Cabinet on Wednesday," an official source told PTI.

The Commission, headed by Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg, has considered sale of only 5 megahertz of 3G spectrum, while determining the price. This is only 25 per cent 20 Mhz recommended for auction by TRAI. The industry had also demanded sale of 20 Mhz. While TRAI has recommended 5 Mhz of 3G spectrum should be counted as one block, which means it can be bought by one company, the panel has suggested that 5 Mhz be divided in to two blocks of 2.5 Mhz each. All the 3G spectrum, which proposed to be put up for auction, need to be freed by the Defence Ministry. The Ministry has agreed to free 5 Mhz of 3G spectrum as of now and 15 Mhz when the government will notify a dedicated spectrum for defence forces as 'Defence Band and Defence Interest Zone'. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad expects the dedicated spectrum band for the defence sector to be notified in February. The Department of Telecom has announced dates for next round of spectrum auction for 800 Mhz (CDMA), 900 Mhz and 1800 Mhz bands but is yet to share details of 3G spectrum. The government expects to raise at least Rs 64,840 crore from the auction, excluding 3G.

Source: Moneycontrol

Reliance Jio to Work on Projects of National Interest

Reliance Jio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is working around various projects of national interest. It is amply known that the company is readying for its 4G services roll out but the company on Friday said that it is also working to address the entire value chain across various digital services.

“In addition to fixed and wireless broadband connectivity, RJIL also plans to enable end-to-end solutions that address the entire value chain across various digital services in key domains of national interest,” the company said in a statement while announcing its Q3 financial results.

The company’s net profit during the quarter dropped 7.7% to Rs5085 crore. The business from its BWA services or 4G services is mentioned in the ‘Other’ category in the report.

These domains, Reliance Jio said, include education, healthcare, security, financial services, government-citizen interfaces and entertainment.

“Reliance Jio aims to comprehensively address the requisite components of the customer need, thereby fundamentally enhancing the opportunity and experience of hundreds of millions of Indian citizens and organisations,” the company added.

It also said that the acquisition of Network 18 will help the company in launching some premier digital services in the domain of telecom, web and digital commerce.

Reliance Jio, the only company to have pan-India license for offering broadband services, is planning to roll out high-speed broadband connectivity as well as plethora of digital applications.

The company said around 100,000 people are working to build this infrastructure. Besides these, Reliance Jio had hired more than 10,000 full time employees and takes the help of around 30,000 more workers from its partners around the globe for this cause.

The company has also completed hiring of the top leadership which means that the projects are at the last leg of its trial and may be launched anytime now.

“Reliance Jio has finalised the key vendor and suppliers partnerships that are required to launch of our services and is making rapid progress in building the critical infrastructure needed to launch its services,” the company said in the statement.

In a recent show of its readiness, Reliance Jio, the Mukesh Ambani owned firm, had deployed its broadband access to offer WiFi during the Vibrant Gujarat event in Gujarat.

Source: Tele Analysis

Essar completely exits telecom business

By selling off yuMobile in Kenya to Bharti Airtel and local operator Safaricom, Essar has marked its exit from telecom business globally and completed monetisation in the segment for $6 billion.

Essar Global Fund Limited (EGFL), managed by Essar Capital, said in a statement that "it has completely exited the telecom business with successful closure of the transaction in Kenya."

Essar has concluded sale of its Kenya-based yuMobile to Airtel and Safaricom for $120 million.

The deal is part of EGFL's strategy to monetise global telecommunications portfolio at a value of over $6 billion, the statement said.

"With this EGFL has completed monetising its telecom business for an aggregate value of over $6 billion," the statement said.

Telecom Kenya Limited (ETKL), which operates the popular yuMobile telecom service in Kenya has sold its network, IT, and office infrastructure to Safaricom, while Airtel has absorbed over the 2.55 million subscriber base.

Airtel said that it has successfully integrated yuMobile customers into its network.

"Airtel now consolidates its position as the second largest mobile operator in Kenya with a combined customer base of over 8 million and a 26.6% customer market share," Airtel said.

yuMobile customers will also retain their existing mobile numbers and continue to enjoy their services.

"Completion of the ETKL transaction realises Essar Capital's strategy of divesting EGFL's investments in the global telecommunications sector," Firdhose Coovadia, board member of Essar Capital, fund managers of EGFL said.

In 2010, Essar sold the telecom tower business to ATC for $425 million.

In 2011, Essar sold its entire stake (33%) in Vodafone Essar for $5.2 billion.

In July 2014, the US-based outsourcing company, Aegis US, was sold to Teleperformance for $610 million.

And, now with the sale of the telecom business in Kenya, Essar has exited the telecom space thereby monetising all its investments.

Source: TOI

Connecting people: Will internet reach the remotest village by 2020?

In India, as recently as the 1990s, the availability of voice telephony was seen as a distant and unachievable utopia. Barely 20 years later, no longer is it a dream for Indians to make phone calls at will, but a virtual birthright. With over 900 million connections, and an interconnected set of networks that cover almost every village, just about all Indians have the possibility to access voice services, and most are regular users. Such is the pace of technological advancement, that the utopia that was only recently deemed unattainable is now achieved. A similar statement can be made about TV, where over 50 percent of Indian households now own one.

But the same cannot be said about people utilising the internet. As the graph on the next page shows, when it comes to internet use, India clubs itself more as a South Asian laggard than an emerging market IT bloomer. The actual number of users is still only 15 percent of the population. So, while widespread internet usage remains an Indian utopia today, could it be achieved by 2020?

In India, as in many countries, internet usage lags voice telephony penetration by years, if not decades. Today, telecommunication is so advanced that most Indians are already covered by a network that can provide a decent (albeit not ubiquitously high-speed) internet connection, so it is not just an access problem that is at the heart of India’s performance.  Internet usage is a function of consumer demand, and access a function of supply: India needs both to attain internet utopia.

What is it going to take to fix this and have widespread usage by 2020? In a nutshell, three developments:

1. High-speed mobile networks
In India, where PC and laptop penetration are as low as 10 percent, internet access will be reliant on a single technology: Mobile. Even if India’s super-ambitious national fibre rollout plans materialise, the vast majority of individuals will access the internet through mobile since the fibre links that go to gram panchayats will connect via wireless to local users. So, whatever it takes, achieving India’s internet dream depends on the mobile industry more than anything else.

The network investment required is substantial, and to give confidence to the industry to invest, we need a stable and predictable market environment. In essence, this means India must move towards a more manageable number of telecom operators, a helpful local legal and administrative framework that enables network build to take place easily, intelligent partnering between the public broadband authorities and the private sector, and utilisation of universal service funds that exist to support communications development in remote areas. There also needs to be a significant improvement in the quality of the internet experience. This requires not only more operator investment, but also a more realistic allocation of spectrum in cities.

The potential is high: According to a recent study by Ericsson, India can expect around 500 million internet users by 2020, with around 400 million connected through 3G.

Source: Forbes India

Reliance Jio applies for pan India MSO license

Reliance Jio Infocomm has applied for pan India Cable MSO (Multi-System Operator) license. It is expected to receive a pan India MSO license this financial year (2014-15). MSO stands for Multiple System Operator. MSO is the industry term for “Cable Company”.

Each cable TV installation serving a community is known as a “cable system”, and the operator of the system is called the “system operator”. Most system operators run cable systems in more than one community. Therefore, the vast majority of them are Multiple System Operators.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) is the first telecom operator to hold pan India Unified License. This license authorises RJIL to provide all telecommunication services except Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Service. RJIL holds spectrum in1800 MHz (across 14 circles) and 2300 MHz (across 22 circles) capable of offering fourth generation (4G) wireless services. RJIL plans to provide seamless 4G services using FDD-LTE on 1800 MHz and TDD-LTE on 2300 MHz through an integrated ecosystem.

RJIL is setting up a pan India telecom network to provide to the highly underserviced Indian market, reliable (4th generation) high speed internet connectivity, rich communication services and various digital services on pan India basis in key domains such as education, healthcare, security, financial services, government citizen interfaces and entertainment.

Source: telecomtalk.info/

Mukesh Ambani to use retail arm to drive Reliance Jio 4G

Set to launch its pan-India 4G datacom services under Jio brand soon, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has assigned its retail arm the mandate to develop the market for compatible devices and drive its growth.

“Devices are cornerstone in bringing broadband to the masses. The long-term evolution (LTE) ecosystem for devices in India is nascent,” Ambani said in a letter to the Reliance Retail team, referring to the standard industry jargon for the 4G technology.

“Reliance Retail is pioneering this LTE device ecosystem, building sales and distribution channels including retail stores,” the chairman said, while also announcing that his top executive Sandip Das will drive this initiative.

“To facilitate, Sandip Das will move from his role as MD (managing director) for Reliance Jio and join the board of Reliance Retail to mentor the Jio Division of Reliance Retail.

According to company sources, Ambani is attaching much importance to the 4G data telecom space and sees it as one of the major drivers of growth within the $75-billion group.

Recently, approval was secured to appoint two of Ambani’s children, Yale-educated Isha and Brown University graduate Akash, on the board of directors of Relince Jio Infocomm.

Commenting on the developments, Das said he had personally sought a shift in his role to mentor the Jio initiative of Reliance Industries.

“It will take the resources, deep conviction and substantial expertise of Reliance to build an LTE device ecosystem to a level similar to the availability of 3G devices,” said Das, who has been associated with a host of Indian and global telecom firms in the past.

“As Reliance Retail is building electronic goods sales stores and channels to pioneer and dominate this ecosystem, it will be a wonderful challenge for me to mentor this.”

As per data with the watchdog Teleco Regulatory Authority of India, India’s total telecom subscribers base as on Dec 1 last year, including multiple users, was around 965 million, while the broadband base was around 82 million.

The country is seen as the next big market for telecom after saturation in the US and China.

Source: Telecom Lead

Reliance Jio broadband wi-fi at Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show and Sardar Patel International Airport

Ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is powered by Reliance Jio free wi-fi service. The entire trade-show complex has been facilitated by Reliance group with provision of free wi-fi service which is so strong that one can watch video without buffering in mobile/tablet/laptop.

Over 100 youths are anytime found moving in the exhibition complex. They offer help to activate the wi-fi service. The activation process is actually very simple, and one can connect to Jionet wi-fi without any type of login process.

One of the Jionet assistant told us that there are 250 routers across the trade fair complex and each has 100 MBPS capacity. He observed that on an average, every user gets 10 MBPS connection minimum.

While other companies have stalls inside pavilions, Reliance has its own pavilion at Vibrant Gujarat Global Tradw Show. Reliance Pavilion mainly features Jio which is its upcoming product. Gaming, e-payment including e-transaction through mobile phone, video conferencing, TV programmes watching on the go are some of the features of Reliance Jio. The photographs attached with this article will give more clarity on Jio’s offerings.

According to company executives present in Reliance pavilions, the service may see commercial formal launch in April this year. Company executives further said that Jio has been presently launched as complimentary service at Sardar Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad for three months period. The service has also be launched for free at Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show for all including all visitors.















Source: http://deshgujarat.com/

Reliance Jio tests 4G

Moving a step closer to its 4G launch in Gujarat, Mukesh Ambani's ambitious telecom venture, Reliance Jio Infocomm, has conducted ground tests by offering free high-speed data during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The three-day PBD will conclude on Friday.

According to state government sources, the company will continue to offer the services as part of the extended soft launch during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2015. Reliance Jio has been conducting trial runs on and off for the past 8-10 months.

Source: B.S

Reliance Jio likely to offer 4G during PBD, Vibrant Gujarat summit

There’s no official detail available yet, but it is learnt through sources that upcoming 4th Generation(4G) service of Reliance Jio will be available in Gandhinagar during 7-13 January during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 and Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2015. While Pravasi Bharatiya Divas functions are going to be held in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad on 7-8-9 January, the Vibrant Gujarat Summit is going to be held on 11-12 January.

Source: Desh Gujarat

Electromagnetic fields and public health: mobile phones

Key facts

• Mobile phone use is ubiquitous with an estimated 6.9 billion subscriptions globally.
• The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
• Studies are ongoing to more fully assess potential long-term effects of mobile phone use.
• WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2016.

Mobile or cellular phones are now an integral part of modern telecommunications. In many countries, over half the population use mobile phones and the market is growing rapidly. In 2014, there is an estimated 6.9 billion subscriptions globally. In some parts of the world, mobile phones are the most reliable or the only phones available. Given the large number of mobile phone users, it is important to investigate, understand and monitor any potential public health impact. Mobile phones communicate by transmitting radio waves through a network of fixed antennas called base stations. Radiofrequency waves are electromagnetic fields, and unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays, can neither break chemical bonds nor cause ionization in the human body.

Exposure levels
Mobile phones are low-powered radiofrequency transmitters, operating at frequencies between 450 and 2700 MHz with peak powers in the range of 0.1 to 2 watts. The handset only transmits power when it is turned on. The power (and hence the radiofrequency exposure to a user) falls off rapidly with increasing distance from the handset. A person using a mobile phone 30–40 cm away from their body – for example when text messaging, accessing the Internet, or using a “hands free” device – will therefore have a much lower exposure to radiofrequency fields than someone holding the handset against their head. In addition to using “hands-free” devices, which keep mobile phones away from the head and body during phone calls, exposure is also reduced by limiting the number and length of calls. Using the phone in areas of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the phone to transmit at reduced power. The use of commercial devices for reducing radiofrequency field exposure has not been shown to be effective. Mobile phones are often prohibited in hospitals and on airplanes, as the radiofrequency signals may interfere with certain electro-medical devices and navigation systems.

Are there any health effects?
A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.

Short-term effects
Tissue heating is the principal mechanism of interaction between radiofrequency energy and the human body. At the frequencies used by mobile phones, most of the energy is absorbed by the skin and other superficial tissues, resulting in negligible temperature rise in the brain or any other organs of the body. A number of studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers. To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. Further, research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity”.

Long-term effects
Epidemiological research examining potential long-term risks from radiofrequency exposure has mostly looked for an association between brain tumours and mobile phone use. However, because many cancers are not detectable until many years after the interactions that led to the tumour, and since mobile phones were not widely used until the early 1990s, epidemiological studies at present can only assess those cancers that become evident within shorter time periods. However, results of animal studies consistently show no increased cancer risk for long-term exposure to radiofrequency fields. Several large multinational epidemiological studies have been completed or are ongoing, including case-control studies and prospective cohort studies examining a number of health endpoints in adults. The largest retrospective case-control study to date on adults, Interphone, coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), was designed to determine whether there are links between use of mobile phones and head and neck cancers in adults. The international pooled analysis of data gathered from 13 participating countries found no increased risk of glioma or meningioma with mobile phone use of more than 10 years. There are some indications of an increased risk of glioma for those who reported the highest 10% of cumulative hours of cell phone use, although there was no consistent trend of increasing risk with greater duration of use. The researchers concluded that biases and errors limit the strength of these conclusions and prevent a causal interpretation. Based largely on these data, IARC has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), a category used when a causal association is considered credible, but when chance, bias or confounding cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence. While an increased risk of brain tumors is not established, the increasing use of mobile phones and the lack of data for mobile phone use over time periods longer than 15 years warrant further research of mobile phone use and brain cancer risk. In particular, with the recent popularity of mobile phone use among younger people, and therefore a potentially longer lifetime of exposure, WHO has promoted further research on this group. Several studies investigating potential health effects in children and adolescents are underway.

Exposure limit guidelines
Radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile phone users are given in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – the rate of radiofrequency energy absorption per unit mass of the body. Currently, two international bodies ¹, ² have developed exposure guidelines for workers and for the general public, except patients undergoing medical diagnosis or treatment. These guidelines are based on a detailed assessment of the available scientific evidence.

WHO’S response
In response to public and governmental concern, WHO established the International Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) Project in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence of possible adverse health effects from electromagnetic fields. WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2016. In addition, and as noted above, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO specialized agency, has reviewed the carcinogenic potential of radiofrequency fields, as from mobile phones in May 2011. WHO also identifies and promotes research priorities for radiofrequency fields and health to fill gaps in knowledge through its research agendas. WHO develops public information materials and promotes dialogue among scientists, governments, industry and the public to raise the level of understanding about potential adverse health risks of mobile phones.

Source: radiationdoctor.org

India Plans to Raise $10.2 Billion in Telecom Spectrum Auction

The Indian government plans to raise 648.4 billion rupees ($10.2 billion) selling telecommunications airwaves as it seeks to narrow the budget deficit to a seven-year low.

The government expects to earn 160 billion rupees from an auction of some of the spectrum before March 31, according to a statement today on its website. The defense ministry also will free up additional airwaves for commercial use, according to the statement.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is preparing to present the budget for the financial year starting April 1, aims to cut the deficit to 4.1 percent of gross domestic product this fiscal year amid missed revenue goals. The shortfall reached about 90 percent of the full-year estimate by the end of October, with tax revenue falling 62 percent short of target.

To reach his goal, Jaitley is also increasing taxes on gasoline and diesel. Last month he decided against extending a tax break that would have benefited the local automobile industry.

Modi’s cabinet today set a base price of 36.5 billion rupees for the auction of 800 megahertz frequency, 39.8 billion rupees for 900 megahertz and 21.9 billion rupees for 1,800 megahertz, a telecom ministry official in New Delhi told reporters, asking not to be identified citing rules. The defense ministry agreed to vacate 5 megahertz each in 17 circles in the 2,100 megahertz frequency.

In the 900 megahertz frequency, the spectrum being offered is currently licensed to Idea Cellular Ltd. (IDEA), Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) and Bharti Airtel Ltd. (BHARTI), the nation’s telecommunications regulator said in October.

India raised $9.8 billion from an auction of wireless spectrum in February 2014 in which billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. emerged as a competitor to Vodafone Group Plc and Bharti Airtel Ltd.

Source: Bloomberg

RJIL to start services on Republic day

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL), the telecom unit of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, is likely to launch its services on January 26th.

According to senior level sources in RJIL, the company will start services in Kolkata, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat circles by end of this month or on the occasion of Republic day of India.

Recently, RJIL has received signalling point codes from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for launching its national long distance (NLD) and international long distance (ILD) services.

It has been allotted the codes for both ILD and NLD services in Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka and Kolkata.

However, RJIL has pan-India 20MHz broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum in the 2,300MHz frequency band for 22 telecom circles and 5-7 MHzspectrum in the 1,800 MHz band in 14 circles which it plans to use for offering high-speed 4G services in 2015.

On the other hand, the company was the only operator to acquire pan-India 4G spectrum during the $8 billion BWA auction in 2010.

In the meantime, RJIL has signed infrastructure sharing deals with a number of major players, including Indus Towers, Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel’s infrastructure arm Bharti Infratel.

Earlier, the company had also sought regulatory approvals to merge its two subsidiaries, Infotel Telecom and Rancore Technologies, with itself.

Reliance Jio holds a unified license, while Infotel Telecom has licenses for long-distance telephony and Rancore is an R&D unit.

Source: Voice n Data

Will Reliance Jio start its services by end of January ?

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) could be launching its much awaited 4G services in by end of this month (January). The services will be launched in Kolkata, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat circles.



As we know, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already assigned signalling point codes to Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd for launching its national long distance (NLD) and international long distance (ILD) services in Mumbai, Delhi, Karnataka and Kolkata. The codes have to be used within six months, or they would be withdrawn, according to the regulations under which they were issued. Signalling Point Codes are required to establish interconnection between two networks.

Reliance jio has pan-India 20 MHz broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum in the 2,300MHz frequency band in 22 telecom circles and 5-7MHz spectrum in the 1,800 MHz band in 14 circles which it plans to use for offering high-speed 4G services in 2015. RJIL was the only operator to acquire pan-India 4G spectrum during the $8 billion BWA auction in 2010.

The operator has since signed infrastructure sharing deals with a number of major players, including Indus Towers, Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel’s infrastructure arm Bharti Infratel.

Source: Telecom Talk