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Tag: IoT

  • Vodafone Business Services IoT campaign- Make Your Business #SmarterwithIoT

    Vodafone Business Services IoT campaign- Make Your Business #SmarterwithIoT

    MUMBAI: Today technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), digital and big data are reshaping and transforming every industry. Vodafone’s IoT Barometer Report 2017-18 states that the proportion of companies embracing IoT on a massive scale has doubled since 2016. Backed by global expertise Vodafone Business Services has taken leadership in introducing an enterprise brand campaign #SmarterWithIoT. The campaign aims to establish Vodafone’s leadership in IoT and reiterate its unique differentiator of deploying the right IoT solutions across verticals.

    Combining the insights from its C-Suite Survey and the Annual IoT Barometer Report, #SmarterWithIoT is targeted at enterprise customers to own mindshare, preference and trigger business conversations. The integrated campaign positions Vodafone as the “Global Leader in IoT”, thus highlighting its #SmarterWithIoT business solutions in the areas like parking, fleet tracking, industrial IoT, automotive management, healthcare, garbage bins, utilities management, factories and home automation.

    The year-long #SmarterWithIoT campaign comprising, print, digital, social media, and events, went live with innovative OOH elements and contextual print advertising in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

  • Jio now ready for IoT onslaught

    Jio now ready for IoT onslaught

    MUMBAI: Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio) is at it again and the competition better watch out. The company is gearing up to harness the internet of things (IoT). It is focussing first on enterprises and industries while also initiating talks with car manufacturers and consumer durable companies.

    The company has hired Ayush Sharma from the Silicon Valley as senior vice president of engineering and technology to drive the business around IoT and other technologies such as mobile edge computing, distributed artificial intelligence and blockchain.

    “Jio is looking at these technologies to enable the world’s largest programmable network with alternate technologies available,” Sharma said. “It will take at least around a year to enable consumer IoT but the large focus is on enterprise IoT. We are working on specific use cases.”

    Sharma has joined the company after working on his own venture, MotoJeannie, in the US. He has worked for telecom equipment makers Huawei, Ericsson and Cisco in the past in the US.

    Jio’s 4G network will complement IoT for enterprise and industrial use cases that require bandwidth and latency, he said. The company had recently said that it had started offering enterprise solutions along with fibre-to-the-home on a trial basis in a few locations.

    “The idea is not just to launch IoT products and solutions for consumer IoT but also for enterprise and industries,” Sharma said, adding that the parent company, Reliance Industries, is looking to use these technologies initially within in-house verticals such as retail and logistics to make them intelligent.
    For consumer IoT, Jio is working with a variety of technology vendors and bringing car manufacturers, consumer durables and appliances players, among others, on board to build a complete ecosystem. “We are building our own platform with big data strength,” he said.

    Also Read:

    RIL’s Rs 2.35 lakh crore investments in Jio start to payoff 

    ALTBalaji, Reliance Jio in content partnership deal

  • The year the telecom sector quaked

    The year the telecom sector quaked

    An interplay of myriad factors contributed to India’s telecom industry witnessing both turmoil and revolution in 2017. Consolidation was the buzzword as some of the largest telecom operators merged even as Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJio) emerged as a frontrunner for Reliance Communications’ (RCom) assets according to reports. RJio can also take credit for ushering in a data revolution in the country.

    Moreover, smartphone penetration during the year increased three-fold with the aggregate number of users at more than 300 million. With smartphones still accounting for less than 50 per cent of handset users (650 million) in the country, another surge in data consumption is on the anvil.

    The price war

    Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani sparked a price war in 2016 with the launch of Reliance Jio. As a consequence, the country’s large telcos have been burning through cash this year to hold on to their market share. Vodafone and Airtel tried luring customers through cheap data and unlimited calling offers. Reliance Jio, however, clearly won that battle. Within the first month of commercial operations, Jio announced that it had acquired 16 million subscribers. This was the fastest scaling up by any mobile network operator anywhere in the world. The operator crossed the 50 million subscriber mark 83 days from its launch, crossing 100 million subscribers on 22 February 2017. By October 2017, it had around 130 million subscribers. 

    With telcos looking to push for higher data pack purchases, 4G became cheaper than 3G. Today, 4G data costs are as low as 1 paisa per MB.

    Sectoral consolidation 

    From as many as 13 players at one point in time, we are now left with just five major contenders even as RCom sits on the brink of leaving the fray. Earlier this year, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular decided to merge operations to create India’s largest telecom operator worth more than $23 billion beating Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Airtel. With this deal, Vodafone India’s valuation stood at Rs 82,800 crore and Idea’s at Rs 72,200 crore. 

    RCom, reeling under a debt of around Rs 46,000 crore, shut down its voice services from 1 December 2017 after it failed to close its wireless business merger deal with Aircel. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a directive to RCom’s customers to move to other networks by the end of this year. Vodafone, Airtel, and Jio created special packs for RCom customers to lure them to their networks. 

    Telcos and handsets 

    In July 2017, Jio introduced JioPhone–the company’s first affordable 4G feature phone powered by KaiOS. The phone was made available for a security deposit of Rs 1500, which could be reimbursed on returning the phone after three years. This phone was released for beta users on 15 August 2017 and pre-booking for regular users started on 24 August 2017. 

    To strengthen its presence amidst the battle for market share, Airtel launched Android-powered 4G smartphones in partnership with Indian cellphone manufacturer Karbonn Mobiles. Airtel also partnered various other mobile handset manufacturers, including Intex, to create an ‘open ecosystem’ of affordable 4G smartphones.

    Not one to be left out of the party, Vodafone and domestic handset maker Micromax came together to offer a smartphone priced a shade under Rs 1000 with a three-year rider.

    Internet of Things

    Despite posing privacy risks, Internet of Things, or IoT, remained one of the buzzwords in tech circles this year. According to Vodafone Plc’s annual IoT barometer report 2017-18, the percentage of companies with more than 50,000 connected devices active has doubled in the last 12 months with over 84 per cent of IoT adopters saying that their use of IoT has grown in the last year. From the Indian organisations that were a part of the study, 81% felt that IoT was key to digital transformation.

    In India, Vodafone marked itself as the first brand to undergo this evolution. The telco repositioned itself as a contemporary and future-fit brand. It is a significant metamorphosis for one of India’s most iconic and loved brands since the ‘Power to you’ tagline was introduced in 2009. This new positioning, a part of Vodafone’s rebranding exercise across 36 countries, is designed to underpin its belief in new technologies and digital services playing a positive role in transforming society.

    Net neutrality  

    In what was seen as a sign of things to come, the US Federal Communications Commission voted in December to scrap net neutrality, which requires internet service providers to treat all internet traffic equally. The TRAI, not too long after, came out in strong support of net neutrality in a series of recommendations following a long process of consultations on the issue. The regulator believes that the licensing terms should be amplified to provide explicit restrictions on any sort of discrimination in internet access based on the content being accessed, the protocols being used or the user equipment being deployed. 

    With IoT being the talk of the town, networks fighting to grab RCom’s assets and customers, and an ongoing telco war between Airtel, Vodafone, and Jio to become the country’s numero uno operator, it will be interesting to watch how the industry shapes up in 2018.

  • Star to host Premier League movement on 2 & 3 March, legend Alan Shearer to participate

    MUMBAI: The Football Movement, jointly hosted by India On Track, is being held in partnership with the Premier League’s Indian broadcast partner Star Sports. The conference will bring British and Indian football organisations and businesses together to discuss ways to continue to grow the sport in India.

    The UK businesses and Premier League football clubs including Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City, Southampton and Watford will attend the meet.

    The UK Department for International Trade (DIT) together with India on Track (IOT) and the Premier League will bring key British and Indian football clubs, sports organizations and businesses together at the second holding of ‘The Football Movement’ conference in Mumbai.

    This football conference, which takes place on 2 & 3 March , will give a platform to clubs, businesses and experts from India and the United Kingdom to interact and explore commercial opportunities in the sport.

    The Football Movement, jointly hosted by India On Track, is being held in partnership with the Premier League’s Indian broadcast partner Star Sports. This two-¬‐day conference will feature keynote speakers including Richard Scudamore, Executive Chairman of the Premier League, St.John Gould, Director for UK Trade and Economics, India at the British High Commission and senior representatives of the Indian Super League and Premier League clubs. Panel sessions, workshops and keynote speeches will provide a platform for UK and Indian businesses to discuss potential opportunities and the sustainability of the game in India’s emerging football sector.

    A delegation of UK businesses and top British football clubs are participating in the conference as part of DIT’s ‘Sport is GREAT’ campaign. The delegation includes top football companies such as; Amaven, Alad, Baltic Publications, Final Third Sports Media, PwC, Deltatre, AVC Immedia, Barriers International India, Steer Davies Gleave and senior management from the following clubs; Arsenal, Southampton, Everton, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford and Charlton Athletic.

    The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Strengthening the Football Ecosystem in India’. It will focus on the broader aspects of the game, with a view to assessing the current landscape in greater detail. The conference seeks to address the core pillars of modern-¬‐ day football such as commercial sustainability, youth development, leagues and competitions, broadcasting, support services as well as the role of corporates through CSR.

    St.John Gould, Director for UK Trade and Economics, India at the British High Commission, New Delhi will deliver the welcome address at the conference, which will be attended by distinguished panelists and speakers, including industry leaders, policy-¬‐ makers, investors, and pioneers in the field of commerce of football, from both India and the UK.

    St. John Gould said: “As someone who spends a huge chunk of his waking hours thinking about the ‘the beautiful game’, this conference is very exciting. But I am not just a fan, with a cold-eyed business approach; this is one of India’s boom areas. There is a rapid growing interest in football in India. The Premier League dominates the screens and is avidly followed. The huge success of the Indian Super League has captured the imagination of the next generation of Indians and they now look at football as a serious sport. UK football wants to be part of that. I am delighted to welcome the Premier League, clubs, business, experts and legends to India.”

    “From cutting – edge sports technology to skills, we want to bring the best of British football to India and use this conference to explore opportunities for collaboration”

    Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore said: “Football continues to grow apace in India and the Football Movement conference will provide an excellent opportunity to knowledge share with local clubs and leagues, and to meet businesses interested in contributing to the growth of the sport.”

    “At the Premier League, we and our clubs are committed to supporting the development of all levels of Indian football. At the top end of the sport we have a co-¬‐operation agreement with the Indian Super League, and at grassroots level our Premier Skills programme works across the country to provide opportunities for local coaches and referees to take AIFF accredited courses. The Football Movement conference will provide a great platform for us to discuss with other football bodies and businesses how we might work together to further grow all elements of the sport. I am looking forward to attending.”

    “Football is at an inflection point in India driven by a passionate and young fan base. The deep fan affinity for the Premier League and the mass following of the Indian Super League all point to a great future for the sport in India. Our vision of a day when Indian fans would have their own home-¬‐grown heroes to follow is soon going to be a reality. The ‘Football Movement’ is a great opportunity for stakeholders from across the ecosystem to unify and collaborate to take Football in India to fulfil that vision, said Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director of Star India, the Premier League’s official broadcast partner in India, who will also be speaking at the event.

    India On Track founder and CEO Vivek Sethia added:
    “Indian Football has seen a seismic shift in its positioning in the sports ecosystem in India in the last 3 years with the emergence of the Indian Super League (ISL). We are now at the cusp of a new phase in the country’s footballing journey and to ensure its continued growth, we need to lay down strong foundations by creating a sustainable support ecosystem that will keep pace with the rapid growth of the game.”

    The Indian delegates will get an opportunity to meet English footballing legend and the Premier League’s all-¬‐time top goal scorer (260 Premier League goals), Alan Shearer, who will present a special address at the conference.

    Alan Shearer said: “I’ve seen the power football has to bring communities together all over the world, whether through playing or coming together to watch the sport. It’s fantastic to see the growing interest in the Premier League in India and I hope that The Football Movement will identify opportunities and help establish partnerships that will contribute to the continued development of the local game.”

    The Premier League trophy will be on display at the conference and delegates will have the chance to have their photograph taken next to the silverware.

    The Football Movement is also part of the UK/India Year of Culture 2017 a major celebration of bilateral cultural exchange, jointly organized by the UK Government and Government of India.

  • CES 2017 catapults a connected world

    CES 2017 catapults a connected world

    LAS VEGA: CES 2017, the 50th anniversary of the largest global gathering of innovation and connectivity, concluded today, introducing ground-breaking products, providing opportunities for companies in every major global industry to conduct business, and shattering records.

    CES 2017 showcased the connected future of technology. With more than 3,800 exhibiting companies and exhibit space of more than 2.6 million net square feet, CES 2017 was a record-breaker, welcoming the world’s biggest companies in addition to hosting more than 600 startups at the Eureka Park Marketplace. More than 175,000 industry professionals, including 55,000 from outside the U.S., convened in Las Vegas to drive the ever-evolving global technology industry forward. A highlight video announcing official show stats can be found here.

    “CES 2017 shifted to a new level as large and small companies from around the globe gathered to reveal solutions for many of our world’s most challenging problems,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA). “Our industry is bettering the world through connectivity and innovation, touching literally every facet of our lives. Today’s connected world was on full display this week at CES 2017 – our largest, boldest show in history.”

    “From startups to established businesses, traditional tech companies, along with those in new industries like travel and sports, came together and vigorously embraced technology for the 50th anniversary of CES,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, CES and corporate business strategy, CTA. “This year’s show was all about connectivity – both in the form of the technologies unveiled and in the valuable face-to-face business connections happening throughout the show.”

    “CES is the world’s most important technology trade show, but now it is so much more,” said John Penney, chief strategy officer, Starz. “By gathering the world’s great innovators, companies, technologies, products and entrepreneurs in one place, CES is now an integral part of the global innovation system. CES and its attendees are working to build a better future for us all.”

    “CES 2017 was a global showcase that demonstrated that we are in a new era of innovation where technology is valued not just for the devices it produces but for the experiences it makes possible,” said Bridget Karlin, managing director, IOT, Intel.

    Connectivity was everywhere at CES 2017 – enabling nearly every product category, from self-driving cars and smart cities to digital health and 5G – and a major focus throughout CES conference tracks. 5G will revolutionize our connected world, and the entire connected ecosystem came together at CES 2017.

    “CES 2017 was a coming out party for the future of 5G which we estimate will generate a net 20 million new jobs,” said Dr. Jim Mault, vice president and chief medical officer, Qualcomm Life.

    CES 2017 welcomed government officials from around the world. U.S. government leaders in attendance included three members of the Federal Trade Commission, three members of the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, along with U.S. Senator Dean Heller and seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Other top level U.S. government attendees included representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, International Trade Commission and Patent and Trademark Office.

    Notable global political leaders in attendance included His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands; Franҫois Fillon, French presidential candidate; Axelle Lemaire, France’s Deputy Minister for Innovation and Digital Affairs; Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs; Jaime Reyes Robles, Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Government of the State of Jalisco, Mexico; Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Communications; Navdeep Bains, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; Brad Duguid, Canada’s Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth; and Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Government.

    “CES educates public officials about our industry,” said John Godfrey, senior vice president of public policy, Samsung Electronics. “It was great to see so many key officials at this year’s show.”

    CES is the global stage for innovation, with attendees from more than 150 countries and more than 100 official national delegations.

    “This is the one show where I can see all of my international partners in one place. It is the one event where I invite them and they all come,” said John Ivey, president and CEO, MiTek Corp. and AtlasIED8.

    CES 2017 drew world-famous celebrities from Hollywood, sports, eSports and music to Las Vegas to experience the latest in tech. CES Ambassador Aisha Tyler; Major League Baseball All-Star Bryce Harper; NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal; U.S. Olympian Michael Phelps and actress Octavia Spencer were among the many stars participating in the show. See a full list of celebrities attending CES 2017.

    With more than 6,500 members of the media in attendance, CES 2017 garnered worldwide media coverage. The show also received impressive social media momentum, including nearly 1.4 million mentions using #CES2017 hashtags.

    CES 2017 also hosted competitive contests, including the Best of CES awards, presented by Engadget, and the Mobile App Showdown, presented by Living in Digital Times. The semi-finals for Richard Branson’s Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) also returned to CES for a chance to compete in the final round of competition at Branson’s Nekar Island. Be sure to check out all the winners.

    Now in its third year, the annual CES Asia™ will run June 7-9, 2017 in Shanghai, China, showcasing the latest ideas and innovations from global brands and promising startups. Companies interested in applying to exhibit can find more details at CESAsia.com.

  • CES 2017 catapults a connected world

    CES 2017 catapults a connected world

    LAS VEGA: CES 2017, the 50th anniversary of the largest global gathering of innovation and connectivity, concluded today, introducing ground-breaking products, providing opportunities for companies in every major global industry to conduct business, and shattering records.

    CES 2017 showcased the connected future of technology. With more than 3,800 exhibiting companies and exhibit space of more than 2.6 million net square feet, CES 2017 was a record-breaker, welcoming the world’s biggest companies in addition to hosting more than 600 startups at the Eureka Park Marketplace. More than 175,000 industry professionals, including 55,000 from outside the U.S., convened in Las Vegas to drive the ever-evolving global technology industry forward. A highlight video announcing official show stats can be found here.

    “CES 2017 shifted to a new level as large and small companies from around the globe gathered to reveal solutions for many of our world’s most challenging problems,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA). “Our industry is bettering the world through connectivity and innovation, touching literally every facet of our lives. Today’s connected world was on full display this week at CES 2017 – our largest, boldest show in history.”

    “From startups to established businesses, traditional tech companies, along with those in new industries like travel and sports, came together and vigorously embraced technology for the 50th anniversary of CES,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, CES and corporate business strategy, CTA. “This year’s show was all about connectivity – both in the form of the technologies unveiled and in the valuable face-to-face business connections happening throughout the show.”

    “CES is the world’s most important technology trade show, but now it is so much more,” said John Penney, chief strategy officer, Starz. “By gathering the world’s great innovators, companies, technologies, products and entrepreneurs in one place, CES is now an integral part of the global innovation system. CES and its attendees are working to build a better future for us all.”

    “CES 2017 was a global showcase that demonstrated that we are in a new era of innovation where technology is valued not just for the devices it produces but for the experiences it makes possible,” said Bridget Karlin, managing director, IOT, Intel.

    Connectivity was everywhere at CES 2017 – enabling nearly every product category, from self-driving cars and smart cities to digital health and 5G – and a major focus throughout CES conference tracks. 5G will revolutionize our connected world, and the entire connected ecosystem came together at CES 2017.

    “CES 2017 was a coming out party for the future of 5G which we estimate will generate a net 20 million new jobs,” said Dr. Jim Mault, vice president and chief medical officer, Qualcomm Life.

    CES 2017 welcomed government officials from around the world. U.S. government leaders in attendance included three members of the Federal Trade Commission, three members of the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, along with U.S. Senator Dean Heller and seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Other top level U.S. government attendees included representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, International Trade Commission and Patent and Trademark Office.

    Notable global political leaders in attendance included His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands; Franҫois Fillon, French presidential candidate; Axelle Lemaire, France’s Deputy Minister for Innovation and Digital Affairs; Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs; Jaime Reyes Robles, Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Government of the State of Jalisco, Mexico; Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Communications; Navdeep Bains, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; Brad Duguid, Canada’s Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth; and Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Government.

    “CES educates public officials about our industry,” said John Godfrey, senior vice president of public policy, Samsung Electronics. “It was great to see so many key officials at this year’s show.”

    CES is the global stage for innovation, with attendees from more than 150 countries and more than 100 official national delegations.

    “This is the one show where I can see all of my international partners in one place. It is the one event where I invite them and they all come,” said John Ivey, president and CEO, MiTek Corp. and AtlasIED8.

    CES 2017 drew world-famous celebrities from Hollywood, sports, eSports and music to Las Vegas to experience the latest in tech. CES Ambassador Aisha Tyler; Major League Baseball All-Star Bryce Harper; NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal; U.S. Olympian Michael Phelps and actress Octavia Spencer were among the many stars participating in the show. See a full list of celebrities attending CES 2017.

    With more than 6,500 members of the media in attendance, CES 2017 garnered worldwide media coverage. The show also received impressive social media momentum, including nearly 1.4 million mentions using #CES2017 hashtags.

    CES 2017 also hosted competitive contests, including the Best of CES awards, presented by Engadget, and the Mobile App Showdown, presented by Living in Digital Times. The semi-finals for Richard Branson’s Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) also returned to CES for a chance to compete in the final round of competition at Branson’s Nekar Island. Be sure to check out all the winners.

    Now in its third year, the annual CES Asia™ will run June 7-9, 2017 in Shanghai, China, showcasing the latest ideas and innovations from global brands and promising startups. Companies interested in applying to exhibit can find more details at CESAsia.com.

  • TRAI to meet b’casters, MSOs, DTH ops, telcos on ’17 roadmap

    TRAI to meet b’casters, MSOs, DTH ops, telcos on ’17 roadmap

    NEW DELHI: As promised by TRAI chairman RS Sharma, the regulator is getting pro-active. It has scheduled meetings with top executives of telecom, broadcasting, DTH and MSO companies over the next one week starting 6 January, 2017 to seek their opinion on issues to be taken up during 2017.

    The first of these high-level meetings would take place Friday when TRAI Chairman and other officials would interact with CEOs of all telecom companies, including Bharti, Vodafone and Reliance Jio, to discuss and identify important issues that need to be taken up during the year, PTI reported.

    A similar meeting is slated with top executives of cable, broadcasting, MSO and DTH companies on January 10, 2017, PTI quoted TRAI sources as saying.

    “We have invited the CEOs of all telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance Jio and others for a discussion on January 6. Similarly, we have invited top executives of broadcasting companies, MSOs, and DTH companies on January 10,” the PTI report quoted sources as saying.

    TRAI’s latest initiatives are in line with what Chairman RS Sharma had told indiantelevision.com in a year-end interview middle of December 2016 on charting a roadmap for 2017.

    “What we plan to do in 2017 is something interesting. While there will be always issues that will need TRAI’s urgent attention — for example, the government may ask for advice on spectrum prices — we are trying to create a calendar for the next year…. highlighting the works that need to be taken up in 2017 and which will act as a roadmap,” Sharma had told indiantelevision.com.

    Asked about the issues likely to be taken up by TRAI in2017, in consultation with the industry, Sharma had indicated it could involve data and consumer protection, Internet of Things (IoT), digital terrestrial broadcasting and other issues related to emerging technologies.

    ALSO READ

    “There would be a lot on TRAI’s plate in 2017” – RS Sharma

  • TRAI to meet b’casters, MSOs, DTH ops, telcos on ’17 roadmap

    TRAI to meet b’casters, MSOs, DTH ops, telcos on ’17 roadmap

    NEW DELHI: As promised by TRAI chairman RS Sharma, the regulator is getting pro-active. It has scheduled meetings with top executives of telecom, broadcasting, DTH and MSO companies over the next one week starting 6 January, 2017 to seek their opinion on issues to be taken up during 2017.

    The first of these high-level meetings would take place Friday when TRAI Chairman and other officials would interact with CEOs of all telecom companies, including Bharti, Vodafone and Reliance Jio, to discuss and identify important issues that need to be taken up during the year, PTI reported.

    A similar meeting is slated with top executives of cable, broadcasting, MSO and DTH companies on January 10, 2017, PTI quoted TRAI sources as saying.

    “We have invited the CEOs of all telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance Jio and others for a discussion on January 6. Similarly, we have invited top executives of broadcasting companies, MSOs, and DTH companies on January 10,” the PTI report quoted sources as saying.

    TRAI’s latest initiatives are in line with what Chairman RS Sharma had told indiantelevision.com in a year-end interview middle of December 2016 on charting a roadmap for 2017.

    “What we plan to do in 2017 is something interesting. While there will be always issues that will need TRAI’s urgent attention — for example, the government may ask for advice on spectrum prices — we are trying to create a calendar for the next year…. highlighting the works that need to be taken up in 2017 and which will act as a roadmap,” Sharma had told indiantelevision.com.

    Asked about the issues likely to be taken up by TRAI in2017, in consultation with the industry, Sharma had indicated it could involve data and consumer protection, Internet of Things (IoT), digital terrestrial broadcasting and other issues related to emerging technologies.

    ALSO READ

    “There would be a lot on TRAI’s plate in 2017” – RS Sharma

  • NCR, Bengaluru lead mobile phone sales: #FlipTrends2016 annual report

    NCR, Bengaluru lead mobile phone sales: #FlipTrends2016 annual report

    BENGALURU: Indian eCommerce major Flipkart said that sales on its platform were led by shoppers from the NCR region closely followed by metros Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad in 2016 in its annual #FlipTrends2016 report. Among the tier-2 cities, Guwahati and Jorhat in North East India were first time entrants to the top gainers list; amongst other tier 2 cities Mysore, Salem, and Tirupur from South India led sales in the smartphones category. South India emerged yet again as the most tech-savvy region, accounting for over 35 per cent sales, while North stood at 28 per cent, West at 22 per cent, and East India at 15 per cent.

    Flipkart Head – Mobiles Ajay Yadav said, “The popularity of smartphones in India, as clearly indicated by #FlipTrends, highlight the shift consumers are making towards 4G enabled smartphones. Today consumers are opting for brands and models that could not just offer them the features, but were smart on the pocket as well.”

    Yadav further added, “More of our customers are choosing Flipkart as their preferred platform of choice when it comes to shopping for mobiles. Industry-first innovations such as No Cost EMI and Easy Product Exchange, along with exclusive brand partnerships and flash sales, have helped us to maintain the market leadership in this segment.”

    The IOT category of smart bands and smart watches saw tremendous growth of over 500 per cent from 2015 reveals the report. Top sellers in this category were Apple, Motorola, and Samsung.

    Attributing more than 50 per cent of its sales to mobile phones because of affordable 4G smartphones from national and international brands, the report says that the smartphones category in India continues to be one of the most hotly contested arenas in online shopping. Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi Note 3, Moto E 3 Power, and Lenovo K5 and Samsung J5 were the top 5 bestselling mobile phones of the year says the seven point annual report. Lenovo, MI, Samsung, Motorola, and LeEco remained the most favourite brands.

    Analysing online shopping of over 10 crore or 100 million customers across India, #FlipTrends2016 recorded data collected from online shoppers over 2016 across all Flipkart-owned platforms.

  • NCR, Bengaluru lead mobile phone sales: #FlipTrends2016 annual report

    NCR, Bengaluru lead mobile phone sales: #FlipTrends2016 annual report

    BENGALURU: Indian eCommerce major Flipkart said that sales on its platform were led by shoppers from the NCR region closely followed by metros Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad in 2016 in its annual #FlipTrends2016 report. Among the tier-2 cities, Guwahati and Jorhat in North East India were first time entrants to the top gainers list; amongst other tier 2 cities Mysore, Salem, and Tirupur from South India led sales in the smartphones category. South India emerged yet again as the most tech-savvy region, accounting for over 35 per cent sales, while North stood at 28 per cent, West at 22 per cent, and East India at 15 per cent.

    Flipkart Head – Mobiles Ajay Yadav said, “The popularity of smartphones in India, as clearly indicated by #FlipTrends, highlight the shift consumers are making towards 4G enabled smartphones. Today consumers are opting for brands and models that could not just offer them the features, but were smart on the pocket as well.”

    Yadav further added, “More of our customers are choosing Flipkart as their preferred platform of choice when it comes to shopping for mobiles. Industry-first innovations such as No Cost EMI and Easy Product Exchange, along with exclusive brand partnerships and flash sales, have helped us to maintain the market leadership in this segment.”

    The IOT category of smart bands and smart watches saw tremendous growth of over 500 per cent from 2015 reveals the report. Top sellers in this category were Apple, Motorola, and Samsung.

    Attributing more than 50 per cent of its sales to mobile phones because of affordable 4G smartphones from national and international brands, the report says that the smartphones category in India continues to be one of the most hotly contested arenas in online shopping. Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi Note 3, Moto E 3 Power, and Lenovo K5 and Samsung J5 were the top 5 bestselling mobile phones of the year says the seven point annual report. Lenovo, MI, Samsung, Motorola, and LeEco remained the most favourite brands.

    Analysing online shopping of over 10 crore or 100 million customers across India, #FlipTrends2016 recorded data collected from online shoppers over 2016 across all Flipkart-owned platforms.