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<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=reliance+jio&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Reliance Jio</a> has filed a complaint, accusing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=airtel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Airtel</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=vodafone&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Vodafone</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Idea&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Idea</a> of lobbying against it. A complaint has also been registered against the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Cellular+Operators+Association+of+India&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Cellular Operators Association of India</a> (COAI) As per reports, the Competition Commission of India (<keyword id="47183" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CCI">CCI</keyword>) has ordered a detailed probe against <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>, Vodafone, <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> and COAI in this matter and will investigate whether unfair business practices were done. Sources told ET the CCI would also examine COAI’s conduct. The probe by the Director General (DG) has been ordered for allegedly trying to restrict the entry of <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, the official added. Director General (DG), which is the investigation arm of the CCI, will look into the matter. An Airtel spokesperson told ET, "We have not received any such communication from the CCI and would, therefore, not be able to comment. We have already stated that we have always responded with alacrity and provided a staggering quantum of PoIs (Point of Interconnections) to Reliance Jio in record time." "Though we have not seen the order as it has not been published yet, we are disappointed at the apparent news (if confirmed), that the CCI has decided to go forward with an investigation into the complaint filed by Reliance Jio," COAI Director General Rajan Mathews told ET. Also, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has alleged the incumbent telecom players that they do not provide sufficient network connectivity. Sources told ET the watchdog has concluded that dominant telecom players allegedly colluded and used the platform of COAI to deny point of interconnection to Reliance Jio.

Reliance Jio cries cartelisation by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea; regulator orders probe

Cellular operators body COAI today termed <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>'s consultation paper on call connect charges as "unfair on incumbent operators", and questioned the regulator's urgency in initiating the process of interconnect review, which the association claimed "favours new entrants". 
 "We are unable to understand what is the hurry. Usually, there is a 2-3 years timeframe (for the review) but it has only been one year," COAI (<keyword id="105151" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cellular-Operators-Association-of-India">Cellular Operators Association of India</keyword>) director general <keyword id="133375" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajan-Mathews">Rajan Mathews</keyword> told . 
 
On Friday, TRAI started the review of interconnection charges -- paid by one telecom operator to another for connecting phone calls -- against the backdrop of 4G and Internet telephony changing the way consumers communicate. 
 
At present, the termination charges for a mobile to mobile local and national long distance call is pegged at 14 paise per minute while the termination charges for international incoming call to wireless and wireline stands at 53 paise per minute. 
 Telecom <keyword id="1068171" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) has sought public view on how domestic termination charges should be computed -- cost based or Bill and Keep (BAK) -- for maximisation of consumer welfare, adoption of more efficient technologies and growth of the telecom sector in the country. 
 
In BAK method, each telecom operator bills its own subscribers for outgoing traffic that it sends to other interconnecting network and keeps the revenue received from its subscribers. 
 
"TRAI is trying to introduce 'Bill and Keep' method, and the move would mean that new operators would not have to pass on payment to existing operators, while the latter will have to 'incur costs'," Mathews said. 
 
"It is unfair to the incumbent operators and appears to favour new entrants. This is a misguided effort from TRAI that will help new entrants, at the cost of the incumbent...We are extremely disturbed by this, this further tilts the level playing field," he alleged. 
 
Stating that no country with calling party pays regime has zero termination charges, he pointed out that the previous TRAI move on termination rates for calls involving mobile and landlines had already been challenged in the court. 
 
"The IUC (Interconnection Usage Charges) paper requires us to give answers which are the context of the litigation, and therefore subjudice," Mathews said. 
 
The TRAI paper also seeks views on how charges would be impacted as telecom operators move to Internet Protocol-based networks. 
The regulator said that essentially, with the new arrivals viz voice over LTE (VoLTE) and internet telephony, any attempt to set uniform domestic termination charges on cost basis would be a challenging task. 
 
The last date for submission of IUC comments is September 5 and that for counter-comments is September 19, 2016. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

COAI calls TRAI's consultation paper on call connect charges 'unfair'

Net subscriber base of six major <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom">telecom</keyword> operators grew by 3.5 million to reach 776.97 million users in June 2016, after witnessing a degrowth for two successive months. "Total number of GSM subscribers as of June 2016 reached 776.97 million" and "the GSM subscribers increased by 3.50 million in June 2016," industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said in its subscriber report released today. 
 The COAI shared data of six telecom operators <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword>, <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword>, Aircel, Telenor and MTNL, which jointly account for about 70 per cent of Indian mobile market share. 
 
In April and May, the net subscriber base of these company declined 0.22 and 0.24 million, respectively. COAI's data in May reported increase in net subscriber base which it later corrected. 
 Airtel led the growth among these players by adding 1.4 million new customers taking its total mobile subscriber base to 255.73 million. It was followed by Vodafone and Aircel who added 0.7 million new customers each, Idea Cellular 0.69 million, Telenor 0.03 million and MTNL 0.01 million new users. COAI report did not include data of <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword>, <keyword id="6359475" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Teleservices">Tata Teleservices</keyword> and BSNL who also operate mobile network using GSM technology.

Telecom subscribers grew by 3.5million to 776.97million in June

(Photo Source: youtube.com/@Dharmaproductions) <ul><li>The Cellular Operators Association of India wants to ban the Bollywood sci-fi film “2.0” just a day before its release, accusing the film of spreading the wrong message about the use of mobile phones and mobile towers. </li><li>The <keyword id="6373028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="COAI">COAI</keyword> said that the content of the film is “defamatory” as it portrays the adverse impact of mobile phones and towers on humans, birds, and the environment. </li><li>Every person with a cell phone is a ‘murderer,’ Bollywood actor <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>’s character is seen saying in the film’s teaser. </li></ul>Bollywood stars and filmmakers are no stranger to protests before film releases. But a sci-fi Bollywood film “2.0,” which just released, is facing resistance from an unusual place. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), a trade body representing mobile India’s phone makers and mobile operators, wants a ban on the film that stars Bollywood veteran actors <keyword id="16227" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnikanth">Rajnikanth</keyword> and Akshay Kumar because it promotes negative attitudes towards mobile phones. COAI has asked India’s Central Board of Film Certification, which regulates India’s films, to revoke its certificate for provoking “obscurantist and anti-scientific attitudes towards the mobile phone, towers, and mobile services, ”The Indian Express <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/2-0-mobile-phone-operators-5467801/">reported</a>. In a letter to the board, the trade body reportedly accused the film of promoting ‘defamatory’ content including mentions that mobile phones and mobile towers were harmful for human, birds and the environment. It also reportedly said in a statement that the film’s content may spread misinformation that would create unfounded fear and mass paranoia. It also alleged that it violated many sections of the Indian Penal Code, Mint <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Consumer/r3bf8SS4LYMhfdaIMrj5rN/Rajinikanth-Akshay-Kumar-20-film-movie-screening-trailer.html">reported</a>, citing the statement. The association appeared to have taken issue with Kumar’s character saying in the film’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qOl_7qfPOM">teaser</a> that every person with a cell phone is a ‘murderer.’ The trade association counts Indian mobile service providers Jio, Vodafone-Idea, and Airtel among its members, according to its website.

India's telecom trade body wants to ban Bollywood sci-fi film ‘2.0’ for promoting negative attitudes towards mobile phones

Indian telcos have committed to invest around Rs 12,000 Crores in the next three months to improve networks which should help check the call drop issue in the country, <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Telecom">telecom</keyword> secretary <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=JS+Deepak&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">JS Deepak</a> has said. 
 
"The mobile phone operators have promised to add 60,000 new cell sites where they need to improve their quality of service," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=JS+Deepak&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Deepak</a> told reporters on Friday. 
 
"The government believes in the telecom sector. The quality of service must improve and industry has responsibility," he said. Telecom operators present at the meeting included <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bharti+Airtel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bharti Airtel</a> CEO (India, South Asia) Gopal Vittal, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Vodafone+India&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Vodafone India</a> CEO Sunil Sood, Idea Cellular Managing Director Himanshu Kapania and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Reliance+Jio&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Reliance Jio</a> Infocomm MD Sanjay Mashruwala. 
 
"We discussed with the telecom secretary how we plan to address the issue and the concerns of the sector," Rajan Mathews, director general of industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said after the meet. 
 The meeting comes at a time when ties between the telcos and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="TRAI">Trai</keyword>) have reached a low with both parties adopting aggressive stance against one another on several issues. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Telcos
will spend Rs. 12,000 Crores in next three months to tackle call drop

With the threat to voice and messaging business of telcos from apps that offer free calling and messaging service using the internet is rising, over-the top (OTT) players, or apps, such as <keyword id="790242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">Whatsapp</keyword> and <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword> could cut telcos voice revenues by half, forcing them to raise data rates which would further hurt broadband penetration in India, experts say. 
 According to a report by brokerage <keyword id="48085" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Credit-Suisse">Credit Suisse</keyword>, India is among the "most exposed" to the threat, compared with other markets such as US, Europe, Australia, China and Korea where data is a substantial part of overall revenue, and voice comes bundled as part of a data package. "Proliferation of OTT content services such as Skype and Whatsapp amongst others could trigger a whopping 30-50% revenue hit on telecom companies' voice services in the coming months. Telco messaging revenues have already taken a 30% hit, thanks to OTT players," said Rajan Mathews, director general of <keyword id="105151" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cellular-Operators-Association-of-India">Cellular Operators Association of India</keyword>, the trade body representing GSM carriers such as <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, Vodafone India and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword>, amongst others. 
	 

	Indian telcos on the other hand still derive over 80% of their revenue from voice. 
	 

	Ovum estimates $2.76 billion (Rs 17,545 crore) cumulative loss in SMS (and value-added service) revenue in India in the past two years due to growing popularity of OTT apps. 
	 

	While the research body doesn't have India-specific estimates for voice and messaging revenue losses going forward, globally, it was $54.2 billion in 2014 which is expected to grow to $63 billion by 2018. 
	 

	"The problem is one of arbitrage. Truth is licensed mobile operators are fighting a losing battle against unlicensed substitutable services like voice, messaging and video messaging services from the OTT players," Mathews said. Unlike the apps, a licenced mobile operator in India has to pay a host of charges, including spectrum usage charges, licence fees, <keyword id="6355686" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Service-tax">service tax</keyword> to the government, which adds to a telco's cost. But an OTT can provide the same voice - voice over internet (VoIP) and messaging services for free, as they are unlicensed. 
	 

	"This is precisely why, licenced telecom service providers cannot compete. The government must ensure the same services attract the same rules, in the interest of mobile carriers," Mathews added. Countries like France, the <keyword id="128625" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Internet-and-Mobile-Association-of-India">Internet and Mobile Association of India</keyword> (IAMAI), whose views mirror those of <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>, Skype, Amazon and other internet-based companies, countered, saying that internet apps as intermediaries were subject to Indian laws and Information Technology Act 2000. Additional regulation would lead to hampering innovation and unintended consequences. 
	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

Whatsapp, Skype might cut telcos voice revenues by 50 %

Indian mobile phone operators have warned that if they have to compensate their subscribers for call drops, they would be forced to increase their voice and data tariffs. 
 
Telcos are of the opinion that they are already investing a lot in 3G and 4G services, which is why they will not be able to bear the additional costs without any measures. They are also under pressure of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Telcos-may-need-to-shell-out-more-for-site-installations/articleshow/50452437.cms">increasing tower-installation costs</a>. 
 
"Any increase in operator costs, of which penalties are a part, puts upward pressure on tariffs," Rajan S Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India, told ET. COAI represents telecom companies operating on GSM tech such as Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. Companies using CDMA or dual technology, such as Tata and Reliance, are represented by the Association of Unified Service Providers of India (AUSPI). 
 <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword> has also got <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/TRAI-gets-government-support-regarding-call-drop-compensation-debate/articleshow/50451971.cms">the support of government</a> after it reminded the mobile companies of the impending <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/TRAI-reminds-telecom-operators-to-compensate-customers-for-call-drops/articleshow/50436405.cms">compensation roll outs</a> of Rs 1 for up to three calls a day. The compensation were expected to begin from January 1st but the mobile companies have said that they would wait for the court’s final decision before that. 
 
<a href="http://www.cellphonebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/call_tariff_hike_ubsln.jpg">Image source</a>

Telcos attempt an even deal; threaten to raise tariffs if call drop fine imposed

Incumbent telcos got into a fight with new entrant <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> over the matter of transparency of tariff plans at the open house discussion held by the <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>). Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> said that some offers, especially counter offers used to retain subscribers, should be kept confidential so that competitors can’t take advantage of the strategies. However, Jio was of the view that all plans should be made public on a common platform to maintain transparency. Telcos also demanded that they be allowed to segregate between new and existing users while offering tariff plans, adding that retention offers, which are more of less in the form of discounts, were not arbitrary and are instead based on several parameters including average revenue per user and customer loyalty. TRAI would most likely issue an order or guidelines in the coming 30 days on these issues. "When a customer wants to leave - going out of a continued relationship between customer and operator - this is the fundamental right of the operator to retain that customer, and it is not only specific to telecom industry... it is there for any industry where you can match the offer (from a rival)," said <keyword id="202324" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Gandhi">Ravi Gandhi</keyword>, regulatory head of Bharti Airtel. However, <keyword id="700571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anshuman-Thakur">Anshuman Thakur</keyword>, head of strategy and planning at Reliance Jio disagreed to Gandhi’s view. "Current measures for transparency are not adequate because the specification of transparency in the industry is not consistent, therefore we again urge that all plans that are being offered by telcos are published in a common platform and people can see the plans, and nothing beyond those plans is offered to anyone else," Thakur said. "The customer should be able to choose what's best for him, because they're the ones paying. Only the authority can offer this," he added. It’s just been a few days that TRAI barred carriers from offering different plans to same-category subscribers. As per <keyword id="133375" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajan-Mathews">Rajan Mathews</keyword>, Director General of <keyword id="105151" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cellular-Operators-Association-of-India">Cellular Operators Association of India</keyword>, a distinction needs to be made between acquisition of a new customer and retention of an existing customer while making offers. (Image source The Quint)

Airtel and Jio fight over transparency in tariffs at TRAI open house

<ul><li>Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has asked the government to reduce the speed of streaming platforms to ease pressure on network infrastructure. </li><li>COAI requested <keyword id="778108" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="streaming-services">streaming services</keyword> including <keyword id="2739840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotstar">Hotstar</keyword>, <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>, <keyword id="758541" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime">Amazon Prime</keyword> Videos to temporarily stream SD (standard definition) videos instead of HD (hi-definition) to ease the burden.</li></ul>Wondering if streaming a movie in HD might help you get rid of boredom during <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> lockdown? Well, you might be disappointed and might have to adjust with only SD video quality. Telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) asked the government to reduce the speed of streaming platforms to ease pressure on network infrastructure. "Due to lockdown/ quarantine measures in various parts of the country, a sudden surge in demand for online video streaming is also expected to rise substantially. This sudden surge in digital use is already putting pressure on the network infrastructure of the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)," Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash, COAI wrote in a letter to the government. COAI requested all streaming services including Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos to temporarily stream SD (standard definition) videos instead of HD (hi definition) to ease the burden. Moreover, it urged them to remove high bandwidth-consuming advertisements and pop-ups, and replace them with public announcements on awareness regarding the virus. The move comes after Netflix started slowing down its services across Europe by 25% over fears of internet break. Consumers availing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/mar/19/netflix-to-slow-europe-transmissions-to-avoid-broadband-overload">Ultra High definition package in Europe have started experiencing a reduction in picture quality</a>, reported the Guardian. "We understand that similar measures are being taken by various streaming platforms internationally like in the US and Europe as more and more countries enter lockdown to combat the spread of the virus," COAI said. (With inputs from PTI) See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise: 415 infected, 24 cured and 7 dead</a>

Hotstar, Netflix might reduce picture quality to avoid Internet breakdown

The cycle of cyberbullying is about more than just bullies and victims. To put a stop to it, everyone else – including the bystanders – need to get involved too. Picture a schoolyard, students standing in a circle around a girl or boy, being mocked for his or her clothes and possibly being shoved by some of the other students. A classic example of bullying, you might think. Now imagine this same behaviour – but happening in the devices in your children’s hands, in their bedrooms and around the clock. This is bullying of the 21st century, more invasive, maybe harder to notice, unless you know where to look. Today, digital skills have become crucial in not only shaping children’s social life but potentially their future professional lives also. While children today need to know how to make the best of the opportunities in the online world, they should also understand and learn to deal with risks, such as online bullying. Our children are the keenest explorers of the online world, and it is up to all of us to help them develop the skills needed to be smart online, to use their heads (and hearts) when interacting in the digital space and to know when they need to involve a parent or an authority. With June 16 marking Stop Cyberbullying Day, I encourage everyone to get educated on the new reality our children are facing, and help them deal with the risks of being online. Social media - the new virtual schoolyard As more children in India are expected to be online in the years to come, the occurrence of cyberbullying is likely to increase. Cyberbullying happens through text messages, e-mails, instant messaging services like Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat, in addition to social media networks like Facebook and <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>. These networks have seen an immense growth in users in India over the last years. India is a young country and has the second largest internet population. As per a WebWise report, in India, a whopping 98.8% of urban children use internet. 83.5% of children between 6 to 18 years are active on social media and hence there is a threat to their digital security. In fact, around 16% of such children have received inappropriate messages. Many children experience cyberbullying in some form; as victim or bully, or often as a bystander. Indeed, one can say that the schoolyard now encompasses social media. Your kids and cyberbullying – consequences and tips Cyberbullying differs from “traditional” bullying in several ways; cyberbullies hide behind screens, and are more likely to say harsher things when not facing the victim in person. This perceived anonymity, combined with the permanence of potentially offensive items like photos or videos online, intensifies the psychological and emotional effects, which victims of cyberbullying may suffer. Being bullied online is also sometimes very public and can be shared with a large audience in only a matter of seconds. And lastly, it’s always there. You can leave the physical schoolyard, but it’s much more difficult to turn off the digital world. With that, here are some of the ways parents can help prevent or mitigate such experiences: Learn about the virtual realities of your child’s world; go online. Think about what values you want to foster in your children and about your own activity on social media.Assure them that they can confide in you and trust and listen to them when they do. Bullying can be hard to talk about.Include them in the solution; this will give them the confidence to handle future situations of cyberbullying.Specify actions to handle the bullying, such as shutting out the online bully. In fact, seven out of ten teens say that this is the most effective method of prevention. We’ve got work to do In recent years, many initiatives on cyberbullying have been formed by partnerships between governments, NGOs and private companies in India. The goals of such programmes are to educate parents and students on cyberbullying and provide them tools to act safely and empathetically online. One very effective example is ‘WebWise’ programme. This is aimed at educating and empowering school children and teachers with digital resilience skills to stay safe on the Internet. The program aims to create awareness on Internet safety for children and to familiarize them with habits that can protect them from cyber harm. In last couple of years, we have trained more than 55,000 children through a school outreach programme. This is a workshop which covers multiple topics like cyber-bulling, safe passwords, cyber-predators, etc. The programme also engages teachers and parents to help them understand how to protect their children online. In the end, it is a shared responsibility to help empower children to reap the benefits of the digital word while staying safe. Empathy is a word that we should all impart on our children, our students and our stakeholders because everyone – whether bully, victim or bystander, whether digital service provider, NGO or government – everyone has a role to play in making sure the online world is a safe place for all. And empathy and awareness are our two strongest tools. (The article is authored by Mai Oldgard, SVP and Head of Sustainability, <keyword id="93456" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telenor-group">Telenor Group</keyword>)

The cyberbully’s playground: Open 24/7

When <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword> announced the tariff plans of his <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, he started a sort of pricing war in the telecom sector. 
 
Ambani disrupted the sector by offering 1GB data for just Rs 50, when other operators charge at least Rs 250 for the same. 
 
He also announced free voice calls from Reliance Jio to any operator, also asking other operators not to disrupt the common touch point. 
 The string of announcements made during the Reliance Annual General Meeting (AGM) tanked <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> and Idea’s shares. 
 However, <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>, Vodafone and Idea will be battling it out with more lucrative offerings. 
 
Rajan Mathews, director-general of GSM industry body Cellular Operators Association of India, told ET the incumbents could match Jio's launch offerings. 
 "The battle lines have now been clearly drawn. You have Jio with <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword>, Aircel and MTS on one side and Bharti, Vodafone and <keyword id="6354924" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idea-Cellular">Idea Cellular</keyword> on the other," he said. 
 
It also noteworthy that the telecom industry in under Rs 35,000 crore of debt and with the airwave auction coming up, the debt is going to go up. 
 
"Jio's launch has been one of the key worries we have had for the last couple of years, and this is turning out to be quite negative. We continue to stay cautious," Credit Suisse said. 
 
The consumers are going to benefit from the pricing war but it is yet to see how sustainable the model is.

Reliance Jio has triggered tariff battle; Idea, Vodafone to strike back with attractive pricing

New Delhi, Mar 25 () Video streaming apps like Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Tiktok have suspended transmission of high definition and ultra high definition content on mobile networks during the 21-day lockdown period. Sony, Google, Facebook, Viacom18, MX Player, Hotstar, Zee, Tiktok, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have decided to transmit only standard definition content to reduce load on cellular networks till April 14. "The digital industry has decided to act immediately in the larger national and consumer interest and to ensure the robustness of the cellular network," digital companies said in a joint statement. It was unanimously agreed that as an exceptional measure, all companies will immediately adopt measures, including temporarily defaulting HD and ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks, they said. Telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged mobile consumers to use data networks responsibly, so critical services can run smoothly on communications infrastructure.Mobile users can also do their bit by choosing to time some of their online activities during off-peak hours, like early morning or late evening, it said."The Prime Minister's call for social distancing and a now total lockdown has led to people staying at their homes. This has caused an unprecedented surge in mobile internet consumption. "As a result, the government and the telecom operators are concerned about its potential impact on the cellular network infrastructure," the joint statement said.According to COAI there has been a 20-30 per cent increase in data demand just in the last few days, as the states and union territories imposed lockdowns, and took measures to encourage social distancing and work from home, to check the spread of Covid-19. "The digital industry is acutely aware of this challenge and is committed to ensuring that all citizens are able to access mobile networks wherever and whenever they want," the joint statement said. PRS PRS ANSANS

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