India’s mobile phone market reaches an important milestone of 1 billion subscribers

The mobile subscriber base in India has crossed a billion mark for the first time, and reached 1003.49 million subscribers. India is second only to China to cross this major milestone in world of mobile phones. However, number of active wireless subscribers was marked to be 902.26 million at end of October 2015.
In the month of October, a total of 6.83 million mobile subscribers were added by the telcos. Out of the 1003.19 million mobile subscribers, 578.11 million were urban subscribers, while 425.38 million were rural subscribers. Wireline subscriber base continued to decline, and dropped to 25.85 million. During the month of October, 2015, 5.11 million subscribers submitted their requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

Operator-wise subscriber base (in millions)

1. Airtel – 237.97
2. Vodafone – 189.47
3. Idea – 167.28
4. Reliance Communications – 111.41
5. Aircel – 84.60
6. BSNL – 80.42
7. TATA – 60.84
8. Telenor – 48.71
9. MTS – 8.26
10. Videocon – 7.84
11. MTNL – 3.60

During the month of October 2015, Bharti Airtel added the maximum number of new subscribers (2.76 million) followed by Vodafone (adding 1.3 million), and Reliance Communication (adding 1 million). Both, BSNL and Idea, added 0.72 million, while Telenor added 0.93 million subscribers in the October of 2015. On the contrary, Tata lost over 1.17 million subscribers during the month.

The overall tele-density in India increased from 80.98 at the end of Sep-15 to 81.44 at the end of Oct-15. While urban tele-density marginally declined from 152.76 at the end of September 2015 to 152.58 by the end of October 2015. The rural tele-density increased from 48.66 at the end of September 2015 to 49.37 by the end of October 2015.

The broadband subscriber base increased from 120.88 million at the end of September 2015 to 125.22 million at the end of October 2015. Out of these 125.22 million broadband subscribers, 108.48 million were wireless broadband users. Bharti Airtel (29.03 million), Vodafone (24.48 million), Idea Cellular(20.28 million), BSNL (19.43 million) and Reliance communications Group (11.47 million) were the top five broadband service providers in the country.

BSNL offers 10 percent discount on broadband speed restoration add-on plans

BSNL has announced a special promotional offer where it is providing a discount of 10 percent on broadband speed restoration add-on plans as a part of Christmas, New Year and Republic day. This offer will be effective from 25-12-2015 to 31-01-2016 in all the circles on a promotional basis.

BSNL’s speed restoration add-on plans for broadband subscribers offer restoration of unlimited broadband plan speed even after crossing the FUP limit. Subscribers can choose from Rs. 100 for 2GB, Rs. 200 for 5GB, Rs. 300 for 10GB, and Rs. 500 for 20GB high-speed data quota for the rest of the billing cycle. Subscriber will then receive to a pop-up message when the data quota gets exhausted. Subscribers can then choose add-on plan of choice and the charges will be included in the next billing cycle.

Christmas and New Year holiday are the times when a lot of data is used by customers. Hitting FUP limit and using slow Internet speed for the rest of the month is something that everyone hates. This is a welcome move from BSNL to offer discount on its add-on plans broadband plans.

Kerala outgrows metro cities in telecom revenue growth

As per data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Kerala recorded the maximum revenue growth of 14 percent in the period between April and June of 2014 and AMJ 2015. The revenue of the state increased from Rs 1878.44 crore in the AMJ quarter of 2014 to 2135.4 crore in AMJ 2015.

Idea seems to be the biggest beneficiary of this growth in the Kerala circle with the company recording maximum growth of 20.6 percent. The company’s revenue increased from Rs 704.93 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 887.87 crore in AMJ 2015. Vodafone is at second spot in the circle with the company’s revenue increasing from Rs 450.77 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 513.14 crore in AMJ 2015. Kerala is a category `B’ circle and has a tele-density of around 95%.

Overall, the telcos recorded an increase of 6 percent with revenue increasing from Rs 44736.06 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 47627.39 crore in AMJ 2015. Significantly, the top three telcos outgrew the market during this time frame. While both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India recorded an increase of 7%, Idea Cellular recorded an increase of 17% in its revenue during this time period.

As per data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Kerala recorded the maximum revenue growth of 14 percent in the period between April and June of 2014 and AMJ 2015. The revenue of the state increased from Rs 1878.44 crore in the AMJ quarter of 2014 to 2135.4 crore in AMJ 2015.

Idea seems to be the biggest beneficiary of this growth in the Kerala circle with the company recording maximum growth of 20.6 percent. The company’s revenue increased from Rs 704.93 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 887.87 crore in AMJ 2015. Vodafone is at second spot in the circle with the company’s revenue increasing from Rs 450.77 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 513.14 crore in AMJ 2015. Kerala is a category `B’ circle and has a tele-density of around 95%.

Overall, the telcos recorded an increase of 6 percent with revenue increasing from Rs 44736.06 crore in AMJ 2014 to Rs 47627.39 crore in AMJ 2015. Significantly, the top three telcos outgrew the market during this time frame. While both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India recorded an increase of 7%, Idea Cellular recorded an increase of 17% in its revenue during this time period.

How to Track a Cell Phone by its Number?

Since I wrote about Free Mobile Phone Tracking, I have been getting queries from a lot of users on “how to track a mobile phone by just having it’s number?” This can be either malicious or well intentioned. But before we go into the details about all those websites which claim to track cell phones by just inputing a number, I would like to discuss few things.

Ethics of Cell phone tracking

Tracking someone else’s phone constitutes a major invasion of privacy, no doubts about it. This is irrespective of your intention being good or bad. Think again if this is the only way out for you, before proceeding further.

Idea behind Tracking Cell Phones

Most cell phone tracking methods work on the premise that the cell phone often “pings” the nearest cell operator’s towers.
GPS-enabled cell phones don’t require cell towers, and may be located anywhere in the world by satellite triangulation in a similar manner. In some countries like US, cell companies are mandated to keep track of cell phones to an accuracy of 100 feet, so that help can be made available in case of emergency.

So far, so good. But is there a way to actually track or locate a mobile phone? Let us check the possible solutions-

Tracking Websites

So, what about all those free and paid websites claiming to track down any mobile phone on click of a button? The one’s where you just need to put in the cell phone number in order to track it? Can they really track a phone?

In simple words, the answer is a big NO. I am yet to come across a website which actually works as claimed. Sites like “Reverse Phone Detective” or “Track the number” never seem to provide accurate location information.

Google the Phone number

If you’re trying to figure out the general location of the owner of the number, as opposed to real time tracking, a good old fashioned Google search will probably do the trick. The person might have been un-paranoid (or unaware) enough to have it publicly posted on a social networking site, along with other potentially location-identifying information. Again, this is a small chance, and it won’t work in real time.

Cell Phone Hacks

Theoretically and logically speaking tracking a cell phone is quite possible. Experienced hackers won’t have any problems with any of this. It is perfectly possible to track a cell phone’s location – after all, the cell operators do it – even if you just know the number and have had no physical access to it, without the user having any indication of this happening. While this hasn’t reached epidemic levels, the possibility is there.

Cell Phone Tracking Software

The only guaranteed way to really track a cell phone is through some sort of installed software on the device itself. There are lots of free and paid solutions for smartphone like Apple iPhones (iPhone Tracking solutions) and Blackberries, and even for general phones like Nokia S60 based phones.

However, this generally requires physical access to the phone, and consent of the user, both of which might be difficult to get, and probably defeats the point of what you’re trying to do here.

So tracking a cell phone by just having its number is not practical, unless you are/hire an experienced hacker, which isn’t a good idea anyway.

Telecom department changes verification process of new mobile connections

All mobile service providers will now be following a new verification process of new mobile connections. The telecom department’s access service cell, which is a competent authority, has ordered all the mobile service providers to follow the alternative process to existing process issued for verification for new mobile connections.

The alternative process covers service providers having service authorisation licenses, including CMTS, UAS, and UL (AS). Under the new process, the entry of various fields in customer applications form (CAFF) should now be made electronically instead of manual writing. In addition, the photograph of the customer should now be taken at Point of Sale (PoS) itself and the same should be populated in the CAF instead of pasting the photo in the existing process.

Further, the scanned imaged of the Proof of identity (PoI) and Proof of Address (PoA) documents furnished by the customers should be embedded in the CAF.
TelecomTalk has reviewed the order letter, titled “Customer application form embedded with photograph and scanned images of Proof of identity (PoI) and Proof of Address (PoA)”. The letter also says that the copies of PoI and PoA documents submitted by customer should also be attached and maintained along with CAF as in the existing process.

“It shall be ensured that the scanned images of PoA and PoI/ photographs captured at PoS should not be stored at PoS terminal to avoid any misuse of the same,” the letter read.

Gionee Marathon M5 with massive 6,050mAh battery goes official in India at Rs. 17,999

Gionee Marathon 5 had been creating enough buzz for a while. Today, at an event held in Bangalore, the company has made the battery-focused smartphone official in India, at a price tag of Rs. 17,999. The device will be available in Black, White, and Gold color options. Interestingly, for online sales, Gionee has partnered with the e-commerce giant, Flipkart.

The primary feature of the device is its long lasting battery, which is touted by the company to last up to 4 days on a single charge. There are two 3,010mAh batteries on the rear, and the combination of both makes the battery size of 6,020mAh. There is an extra feature onboard that can spike the battery life even more, the ‘Extreme Mode’ feature boosts the standby time even at 5 percent battery life to whopping 62 hours. The phone is also supported by the reverse charging feature, which allows users to use the Marathon M5 as a power bank to charge other devices.

Coming on to the other specifications, the Marathon M5 features a 5.5-inch IPS AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, and is powered by a 64-bit 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 chipset coupled with 2GB of RAM. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Amigo 3.0 UI on top, and has 16GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. In the imaging department, it sports a 13-megapixel primary camera with LED flash, along with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone supports connectivity features such as dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, and microUSB 2.0

Gionee Marathon M5 specifications

• 5.5-inch IPS AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
• 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM
• Android 5.0 Lollipop with Amigo 3.0 UI on top
• 16GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD card
• 13MP primary camera with LED flash, and 5MP front-facing camera
• dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1,and microUSB 2.0
• 6,020 mAh battery

Xiaomi Unveils The Redmi Note 3, Its First Phone With A Fingerprint Scanner

Increasing the focus on its nascent payment service, China’s Xiaomi has brought a fingerprint scanner to its range of affordable smartphones for the first time after it unveiled the third-generation Redmi Note in Beijing today.

The sensor, which is located on the reverse of the Redmi Note 3, is the most striking feature of the new 5.5-inch phablet, which will retail for 899 RMB ($140) and will initially debut in China. Also of note, the phone comes with a metallic body for the first time while Xiaomi has increased the device’s battery to a whopping 4000mAh capacity.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by a Helio X10 chip from MediaTek. It comes in at 8.65mm thick and, at 164g, is 4g heavier than the previous Redmi Note 2, which was unveiled just three months ago. The Redmi Note 3 also includes the same 13-megapixel front camera and five-megapixel rear camera as its predecessor.

This device is likely to be the first of many from Xiaomi to get a fingerprint scanner, but its unveiling today marks Xiaomi’s step into the payments space in a potentially major way. While the sensor can be used to unlock the phone without a passcode, like those on devices from other companies, that’s just the start.

Back in July, Xiaomi fully released Mi Wallet, a new feature that goes beyond services like Apple Wallet or Apple Pay to allow payments, bank account management and other financial services for Xiaomi device owners. Now, Xiaomi is widening the base for the mobile payment service that could be an important part of Mi Wallet.

The basic Mi Wallet service is available worldwide, but some specific elements — for example mobile payment — are limited to China for now. Given that Xiaomi sold 60 million devices last year, and it is aiming to reach 80 million this year, its entry into mobile payments could be hugely significant.

(Interestingly, just hours before this launch event, sources leaked Apple’s plan to launch Apple Pay in China by February. Coincidence? Just maybe.)

Xiaomi wasn’t quite done there for today, though.

The firm also unveiled its second generation tablet, the Mi Pad 2. Now with a full metallic body, like the Redmi Note 3, Xiaomi said the new Mi Pad is 18 percent thinner and 38g lighter than the previous model. Oh, and it comes in a new “Champagne Gold” color option, too.

In more detail, the Mi Pad has shifted over from its previous Nvidia internals, with the gen-two model powered by an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 processor with an Intel Atom 64-bit CPU. It has a 7.9-inch display, eight- and five-megapixel cameras on the back and front, and a 6190mAh battery. It also supports USB Type-C port.

The Mi Pad 2 is priced at 999 RMB (around $155) or 1,299 RMB (around $200) for 16GB and 64GB models, respectively. Interesting, the larger 64GB version will also be available as a Windows 10 device from next month — making it a fairly inexpensive entry point to Microsoft’s latest operating system.

And finally, because good things come in threes sometimes, Xiaomi announced the second generation of its ‘smart’ air purifier, which first launched in December. Version two is lighter and smaller, the company claimed.

TTSL bucks the trend, says easing of spectrum cap will trigger unfair competition

Telecom services provider Tata Teleservices (TTSL) has said in a presentation to the Department of Telecom (DoT) that a relaxation of caps would lead to unfair competition in the industry, the Economic Times reported. However, telcos such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have favoured the relaxation norms as it would facilitate the sharing and trading of airwaves.

Currently, a firm cannot hold over 25% of the total spectrum allocated across various bands in any circle and over 50% of the airwaves in a particular band being shared/traded.

“The reason for opposition could be that it will give companies such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone more leeway to buy or share spectrum with smaller players that are potential partners for Tata Teleservices,” the report said.

Recently, the Viom Networks stake sale has come as a big relief for Tata Teleservices, which has Rs 34,000 crore of debts on its books. Even though the company was first to start its services in wireless telephony, it has been one of the worst performing companies.