Reliance Jio Trials Small Cells on Street Lights to Extend 4G LTE Service

India's Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to make use of street light poles to extend its 4G LTE service, starting from the Mumbai suburbs. The Mukesh Ambani-led company has submitted a proposal to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), a public transportation service provider of Mumbai and greater Mumbai areas, for approval to use the space on the street lights in the city to install its pole units. Each pole unit will consist of a small cell supporting 4G LTE, a sandwich box, an unlicensed band radio, integrated kiosks, said the Operator.

According to Reliance Jio, the project will consist of the installation of its equipment on over 215 lamp posts in Mumbai's 'D' ward, and will commence with a trial that involves 25 poles, which will validate the availability and performance of the 4G service, According to Reliance Jio, BEST has already given its approval for the trial.

The company also said that it expects to spend Rs.1.5 lakh per pole for rental with an extra of Rs. 60,000 per pole to host the equipment. The company will also be providing 4G dongles and Mi-Fi devices which will let consumers use the 4G service from any phone that has Wi-Fi feature. Reliance Jio has also been working with other utility companies, including Kerala State Electricity Board, to facilitate similar deployments.

Source: policychargingcontrol.com

GSM mobile base rises 1.4% in Feb to reach 69.7 cr users: COAI

GSM mobile operators added 95.94 lakh more subscribers in February, taking the overall user base to 69.70 crore at the end of the month, industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said today.

"All India GSM cellular subscriber figures as of February 2015 stood at 69.70 crore. The subscribers increased by 95.94 lakh in February, (1.40 per cent increase from previous month," COAI said in a statement.

The number of GSM mobile users stood at 68.74 crore at the end of January, it added.

COAI, which represents telecom players like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, said the data does not include GSM subscriber number of Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, BSNL and Quadrant.

Reliance Jio Infocomm, which is yet to start its mobile telephone services, is also a part of the body.

Company-wise, Bharti Airtel added 30.69 lakh subscribers to take its base to 22.31 crore at the end of February. It has a market share of 32.01%.

Vodafone added 19.50 lakh users during the month to reach a total of 18.24 crore users and has a market share of 26.18 per cent.

Idea Cellular added 26.98 lakh subscribers, taking the total subscriber base to 15.54 crore. The firm has a market share of 22.30 per cent.

Among others, Aircel and Uninor added 9.15 lakh and 6.65 lakh subscribers and their user bases stood at 8.05 crore and 4.51 crore, respectively, as of February end.

Videocon added 2.77 lakh users during the month with a total subscriber base of 69.02 lakh, while state-run MTNL added 18,719 users to increase its overall base to 34.04 lakh at the end of February.

Source: Business Standard

Why the Internet of Things matters

As the world moves towards converging technologies, analysts predict that billions of devices will be able to communicate with each other—an ability that has the potential to dramatically enhance the quality of living and change the way we experience products around us. The Internet of Things, or IoT, is defined as a worldwide network of “things” that include identifiable devices, appliances, equipment, machinery of all forms and sizes with the intelligence to seamlessly connect, communicate and control or manage each other to perform a set of tasks with minimum intervention. The goal of IoT is to enable things to be connected any time, any place, and with anything or anyone. IoT is not a single technology, but a concept. IoT research has its roots in several domains, including Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication and Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSAN), Ubiquitous Computing, and the Web-of-Things (WoT).

This is perhaps one reason that analysts also prefer to call it The Internet of Everything, or IOE. Regardless of the nomenclature, IoT or IoE is rapidly emerging as a third, and likely bigger wave in the development of the Internet, according to a 15 December report by consulting firm KPMG. With the advent of the Personal Computer (PC), the number of active Internet connections swelled to the millions. Then came the second wave as smartphones and tablets were introduced and quickly adopted, and all of a sudden a single person could have multiple devices connected to each other. We are now at the beginning of the third wave as wearable devices—fitness bands, watches, and eyeglasses, automobiles, appliances, and sensors connect to the Internet, bringing the number of connected devices into tens of billions, said the report. While the fixed Internet connected 1 billion users via PCs, and the mobile Internet connected 2 billion users via smartphones (on its way to 6 billion), IoT is expected to connect 28 billion “things” to the Internet by 2020. This rapid growth is being driven by a steep decline in prices of components such as RFID chips and the increasing ubiquity of broadband access.

The government of India’s Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) released the first IoT policy framework proposal for India, in October. This policy document related to the IoT framework is part of the broader ‘Digital India’ vision shared by the central government. The government envisions creating a market of $15 billion by 2020 in India, increasing connected devices from the current 200 million to 2.7 billion by 2020. Along with tax incentives and duty rebates on imports (up to 100%) and domestic purchase of raw materials required for IoT products’ manufacturing, the government also proposes incentives for development of IoT companies’ incubation centres and funding Indian IoT companies’ travel to international exhibitions and industry forums, in its draft policy framework.



The government has proposed an allocation of $21 million on a public-private partnership basis as 50% funding for at least five projects each from different categories such as smart cities, water, environment, health, waste management, agriculture, safety and supply chain or similar IoT applications/projects over a period of three years. India’s mobile app developer community of a little over 2 million—expected to increase to 3 million by 2017—also makes it the largest base of mobile app developers in the world.

An increasing portion of these developers could potentially focus on IoT apps and innovations, according to a December report by Bengaluru-based telecom research and advisory firm Convergence Catalyst. But there are challenges too, the report points out. For instance, India has its own cultural, market and structural challenges that could potentially hinder the growth of an IoT ecosystem in India, both as a market and an innovation hub. Moreover, most of the Indian technology companies (primarily in the IT and Telecom domains) are primarily service businesses and are not product or platform companies.

While service-based businesses ensure early revenues, they lack scalability and have lesser competitive advantage, In order to lead the IoT space, and leverage the domestic and global market opportunities and most importantly compete with global companies, Indian technology-based companies need to evolve into product and platform developers, the Convergence Catalyst report says. The IoT value chain in India is also disconnected and fragmented. There is a lack of component players, which is a key hindrance for design, testing and development of IoT products in India. Sourcing these components (mainly from China) is a time consuming process, which could extend the product development cycle, and could also introduce potential quality issues. Another key issue in India is the fewer number of large-scale electronics and semiconductor products manufacturing facilities. Also, wireless data connectivity is not ubiquitous in India. This is a fundamental structural issue for deployment and adoption of IoT applications and services in India. And, as digital infrastructure goes mainstream, there can be challenges like security, data breach, interoperability and privacy which may pose barriers to the overall framework, note the KPMG analysts in their report. Security could be of the utmost concern, as data would be exchanged over connected devices and underpinned by data breach of personal information. The consumer could be one of the most important stakeholders in this scenario, the report notes.

Data privacy in digital infrastructure holds a high value as it is directly related to personalization and real-time insight generation. According to the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), the IoT industry in India is expected to be a $15 billion market by 2020. It is expected that India would have a share of 5-6% of the global IoT industry. Digital infrastructure is expected to create tremendous opportunities for technology companies across verticals and in key applications like smart cities, smart utilities, smart healthcare and smart transportation. Technology visionaries and several start-ups are already flooding the market with smart devices and are intent on taking it to the next level where these devices would be collectively intelligent, notes the report. According to software industry lobby group Nasscom, over 400 start-ups of the current total of 3,100 (over 800 get added annually), deal with disruptive technologies like wearable tech, home automation and fleet management, 3D printing, payment solutions and automation, big data and social media analytics. India, with an enhanced focus on ‘digital infrastructure’ under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, can look forward to addressing the current social economic challenges faced by the people, leveraging the power of digital infrastructure, notes the KPMG report, adding that digital infrastructure can also be expected to play a big role in the success of the ‘Make in India’ programme.

Source: Livemint

Reliance Jio 4G One Step Away From Commercial Launch

The much awaited 4G services from Reliance Jio has reached its penultimate stage or simply a step away from its commercial launch. The company has started offering the beta version of its 4G services in the first week of March, 2015.

Typically, in beta phase of any launch, a company or a service provider for that matter, offers the service in its entirety but to a closed group.

Reliance Jio had completed the alpha phase of its 4G services by February. During this period, the company completed TSTP (Test Schedule and Test Procedure) for 4G technology in 19-20 circles where it has demonstrated 4G speeds of 29 Mbps to 34 Mbps.

According to industry insiders, the beta launch of Reliance Jio will go for around 40 days whereby all stakeholders (employees and vendors) will test its 4G services. Once the beta phase is completed, Reliance Jio will see whether 4G city coverage is ubiquitous and consumers get desired speed. If the KPIs (key performance indicators) are met and the network is stable, Reliance Jio will go for a commercial launch of network in that city.

In the beta phase, besides the voice and data services, Reliance Jio is testing various applications like Jio Drive which is similar to Apple FaceTime where people can make video calls. In terms of app, Reliance Jio is focusing on various apps be it magazine store, movie store, entertainment store and others. So, with the flick of a finger, one can read magazines, listen to music, watch movies or do video calls.

If everything goes as per plan and the beta launch was successful, the Mukesh Ambani led telecom firm would make the commercial launch of the 4G services by second quarter of FY 2015-16.

Reliance Jio has invested Rs 70,000 crore and the 4G network will cover 5,000 towns and cities accounting for over 90 percent of urban India and 215,000 villages in India. To provide pan India 4G coverage, the company is planning to commission more than 100,000 base stations by end-2015.

In order to provide better service to consumers, the company is planing to automate 4G services by launching a customer portal where prospective consumers can fill in their details and choose their tariff plan from the existing bouquet of services which can be changed as per consumers requirement. To provide convenience, Reliance Jio is planning to deliver 4G SIM cards at customer locations. All these services will be unique from Indian perspective.

 Source: Tele Analysis

Reliance Jio racing to launch its 4G services before government-mandated timeline

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm is racing to launch its 4G services before a government-mandated timeline, after recent trials of parts of the network threw up technical problems around connecting one point with another, two people close to developments said.

"The network backhaul isn't ready. Even the billing system is not in place. It would take nearly a month to set up and try out that system. Moreover, it cannot really be put in place until the company has an operational network," said a third person.

Jio could be closest to a launch in Mumbai and Gandhinagar where it is testing services. Besides these two regions, the company is tying up 3,700 sites for its network in Delhi, another person said.

Securing sites and permissions to lay more optic fibre is also proving to be a challenge, said a fourth person close to developments. The company has said it plans to launch its high-speed data and voice services in 2015 but has never given a specific date. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rules stipulate that it must roll out services by second half of 2015, five years from the time it was allotted 4G airwaves in the 2300 MHz band.

Responding to a query from ET on problems with signal testing, a Reliance Jio spokesman said these were rumours.

"We would like to assure you that these (problems with signal testing) are mere rumours. Hence at this point, there is nothing that we can share with you. We will be happy to share with you any development we achieve on this front with you as and when there is any," the spokesman said.

However, the spokesman did not respond to when the company planned to launch its services. Industry body the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), of which Reliance Jio is a member, has however requested the DoT to extend the deadline for roll out of 4G services to 2020, citing various hurdles mainly delay in development of technology and regulatory procedures. The request is pending with DoT.

"Everyone knew what Jio was trying has never been tested at such a large scale, so there were bound to be some glitches," said the first person quoted earlier. Jio was the only company to have won data airwaves across India in a government auction in May 2010, but that was in the 2300 MHz band — an airwave frequency that has a short range and therefore needs nearly three times the number of telecom towers compared to networks operating in the 900 MHz band. The voice quality on the band is also poor compared to other frequency bands.

To supplement its frequency spectrum, the company bought more airwaves in the 1800 MHz band in February 2014 and is widely expected to buy more in the 800 MHz band in the upcoming auction — both of which can be used to offer 4G services, though under different technological standards. Some say Jio could even be targeting 900 MHz, which is considered the most suitable for 3G voice and data, even though it may cost them over $1 billion more to re-tune networks.

Source: Economic Times

No conclusive proof of mobile radiations causing cancer: ICMR study

A latest study by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said there is no conclusive data or evidence so far to show that radiations from mobile phone or towers have adverse health effects.

However, doctors, mainly leading oncologists, maintain that in the absence of enough scientific evidence there is need to take precautions as any kind of radiation poses potential threat of cancer.

"The ICMR has further informed that there is no scientific confirmed evidence that use of mobile phones causes mental and physical diseases. There is no proven scientific evidence yet to suggest that electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile phone may lead to cancer, tumour, mental imbalance, dementia, headache and it can even damage DNA of a person," Minister of state for health and family welfare Shripad Yesso Naik said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha this week.

However, the ICMR study also maintains there is need for further investigation.

"...the growing body of scientific evidences indicates some bio-effects and possible adverse health effects of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) which merit further investigations," the statement said.

Many countries have developed health based precautionary guidelines for exposure of electromagnetic frequency radiations from cell phone towers, after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified such radiations under group 2 B-carcinogen category.

Doctors say there is need for long term studies to arrive at a definite conclusion and given the increasing incidence of cancer, people must take precautions while using cell phones.

"There are some evidences that mobile phones and their towers emit high radiations and this can cause mutation and genetic damages which can lead to brain tumors. Till the time it is not completely proven otherwise, there is a need to control radiations," says Dr Sandeep Chatrath, chief executive officer of Dharamshila Cancer Hospital.

According to Dr Anshuman Kumar, director, Asian Cancer Centre, any radiation can be harmful if the exposure is persistent and for a longer duration.

"Purposeless abnormal growth of our own cells can damage DNA. However, body has its own potential to recover from the damage but if the exposure to radio frequency waves continues for a longer duration and the dose is high then it may lead to permanent damage of DNA leading to tumor or cancer," Dr Kumar said.

While doctors maintain that radiations from cell phones can cause infertility, stress, psychological disorders and even obesity, government said the ICMR is conducting a multi-disciplinary cohort study in Delhi & National Capital Region (NCR) to find out adverse effects of radio frequency radiation (RFR), if any, emitted from cell phone on adult Indian population.

"Under this study specific absorption rate, power density, wave length and frequency of RFR emitted from various types of cell phones used by enrolled subjects as well as from cell phone towers installed at various places in Delhi are measured," Naik said. He added, the study would correlate physical characteristics of such radiation emitted from various cell phones with the clinical and laboratory findings to examine whether use of cell phone is associated with reproductive dysfunctions, male infertility, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disorders and ENT disorders and promote cancer.

Source: Times of India

Telcos likely to commit $13 bn in spectrum sale: Fitch

Telecom companies are likely to commit USD 13 billion or over Rs 80,000 crore in the ongoing spectrum auction with Idea Cellular being the "most exposed" in the race as a bulk of its licences are getting expired soon, global ratings agency Fitch has said.

The much awaited spectrum auction, wherein eight companies are bidding to acquire radiowaves in four bands, started today.

Fitch said: "The auction is likely to see intense bidding by telcos to retain their existing spectrum and to acquire new spectrum as supply is limited. Telcos are likely to commit at least USD 13 billion in the auctions."

The government has set a base price of Rs 82,395 crore for the 2G and 3G spectrum across various frequencies.

Sources in the government have said that it expects bids to top Rs 1 lakh crore.

The bids are expected to ease pressure on the rising fiscal deficit, which has already overshot the budget estimate and was at 107 per cent as of January.

Over three fourths of the bids will come from the top four operators including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, while Reliance Jio - slated to make pan-India entry this year - will also be bidding, the agency said.

Among the lot, the Aditya Birla Group-promoted Idea may have to bid most aggressively as over 70 per cent of its annual revenue is at stake, it said.

"Idea is most exposed in the auctions as it needs to retain its expiring spectrum in circles which contribute around 70 per cent of its annual revenue," it said, adding that it is the same for Vodafone and Airtel at 45 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively.

Each of the three said companies' total bids will be between USD 2.5 to 4.5 billion, including acquiring spectrum getting expired as well as new spectrum for serving the growing data usage.

Source: Business Standard