Jio Prime membership opens on March 1: New tariff plans revealed

HIGHLIGHTS

• Reliance Jio said to offer cheapest Prime plan at Rs. 149
• Rs. 499 pack said to offer 60GB data with no daily data limit
• The Jio Prime plans come into effect from April 1

You can subscribe to Reliance Jio Prime from Wednesday, March 1 until March 31. While Reliance Jio had only revealed one new tariff plan when it announced the Prime subscription, a new report claims that Reliance Jio will offer two new monthly plans apart from the Rs. 303 plan announced last week. Reliance Jio will reportedly offer a Rs. 149 pack under which subscribers will receive unlimited voice calls and 2GB 4G data without any daily cap for a month. Another pack will be cost Rs. 499, and will also offer 60GB 4G data with 2GB daily data cap while will offer unlimited voice calls.

To recall, the company last week announced its new Jio Prime subscription plan, which will now charge over 100 million subscribers for data and other services from April 1. Reliance Jio had announced a Rs. 303 per month pack under which existing Jio customers will get unlimited data, calls, text messages, and other services that users get as part of Jio's Happy New Year Offer.

According to a Moneycontrol report citing a CLSA note, Reliance Jio will also offer long duration plans priced at Rs. 999 with a validity of 60 days and data allowance of 60GB, Rs. 1,999 for 90 days with 125GB data, Rs. 4,999 for 180 days with 350GB data, and Rs. 9,999 for 360 days with 750GB. All these Jio Prime plans are said to come with no daily limit.

"As per our discussion with channel partners and retailers, Reliance Jio has revealed more tariff plans under the "Jio Prime Program" that requires one-time membership charge of Rs 99 to be paid before March 31, 2017," said CLSA in a note.

Reliance Jio's new Jio Prime is an extension of the unlimited services offered under the Happy New Year Offer by another year, and every subscriber needs to pay Rs. 99 annual fees for the Jio Prime subscription. Jio Prime subscriptions will kick off from Wednesday and will end on March 31, 2017. After March 31, Reliance Jio subscribers won't be able to avail the bundled services at Rs. 303 per month. The Jio Prime plans come into effect from April 1, 2017, the day the existing Jio Happy New Year Offer expires.

Nokia 3310 And Snake (2017): Hands-On Review

The Nokia 3310 has long been considered one of the world's greatest phones, and much to the delight of old school mobile users, the device made a comeback at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this week.

Expected to carry a €50 (£42, $52) price tag when it hits stores later this year, the new and improved handset now sports a colour screen, rather than the monochrome display of old. Saying that, it still looks to please those that prefer the simple life - reminiscent of a time without the likes of disappearing selfie videos, emojis and augmented reality filters.

I got to play around with the nostalgic Nokia phone at the show. Here are my first impressions.

I get hands-on with Nokia's updated 3310 at MWC 2017 [Credit: Lee Bell]

Design

The funny thing about the 2017 version of the Nokia 3310 is that you find yourself liking the things that you'd usually hate in more modern smartphone offerings. I mean, it wouldn't feel like the 3310 if it wasn't made of a nice and cheap-feeling plastic, so I was oddly pleased with how bargain-basement the build quality is.

The Nokia 3310 is chunky by today's phone standards [Credit: Lee Bell]

In this instance, you kind of want the 3310's design to feel cheap and cheerful, mainly to ensure it distances itself as far away as possible from the modern flagship handsets of today. And that it does. It's cumbersome, tawdry and every button press reminds you just how cheap the phone really is.

The 3310 also comes in some seriously bright neon-esque colours, which make the whole user experience even more tacky, but fun, too. All-in-all, it feels great in the hand. Light, smart and simple.

Display

Nokia new 3310 phone builds on the original 1.5-inch monochrome display with a 2.4in 240 x 320 resolution screen, which is quite an upgrade, considering.

As you'd expect, it's on no par to modern standards but that's the beauty of it. This phone is all about getting as far away from the polished 1080p screens that we've come to take for granted. And it still does the job. It's bright, clean, and as pixelated as any early-2000 phone was, and it's this that makes you want one.

Performance

Navigating to and from the main menu and back again is made simple with the 3310's physical keys. A directional pad is joined by Back and Call buttons.

In terms of the Internet, the 3310 has 2.5G, so you can surf the web with the Opera Mini browser. You can get on Facebook and Twitter if you have to, but don't expect a fluid iPhone-esque experience. And it also has good old SMS messaging and a phonebook you can store all your friends' numbers in so you can call them. Yes, how crazy.

The 3310's performance is nippy enough for simple tasks [Credit: Lee Bell]

Snake 

The main concern when trying out the 3310 for the first time was: "Does it come bundled with one of the most addictive games of all time: Snake?" Thankfully, I can confirm that it does. But don't get too excited.

The retro phone game has been given a makeover, and not in a good way. You now control a more animated amphibian that collects red apples from various points across the screen, and in my opinion, it's way too busy now. You can even travel diagonally. Say what?! The true beauty of Snake was that it was simple, and Nokia shouldn't have strayed too far from the game we all know and love. Nevertheless, the fact that it's there at all is enough to make us fall in love with the 3310 all over again.

Battery and connectivity

The 3310's poor resolution ensures battery life doesn't disappoint. This thing can be charged and left lying around on standby for a month before it needs juicing up again, and you can talk for an entire day without needing to reach for the microUSB cable. It's also got a 3.5mm headphone jack for MP3 playback, something even the latest iPhone doesn't have. There's also MicroSD card slot under the battery inside the phone's casing.

Camera

You can't compare the 3310's 2 megapixel camera to those featured in smartphones of today, Think back to the first smartphone camera you ever used - that's how the 3310 feels.

The 3310's camera is low quality but very nostalgic at the same time [Credit: Lee Bell]

Input from forbes

India vs Australia: Adam Gilchrist asserts Virat Kohli's team does not need rank turners to win

Adam Gilchrist also heaped praise on Steve O’Keefe after his stupendous success in the first Test

India were bowled out for poor scores of 105 and 107 in the Pune Test against Australia, and succumbed to a massive 333-run defeat within three days. Steve O’Keefe walked over the famed Indian batting line-up and ended with a record spell of 12 for 70, handing the hosts their first Test defeat at home since 2012. While many lauded Australia’s victory that seemed impossible to the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Sourav Ganguly, Australia’s former cricketer Adam Gilchrist was particularly happy and thrilled. Gilchrist, who filled in for an injured Ricky Ponting to guide Australia to a historic series win in India in 2004, says that Virat Kohli’s team is strong enough to not require rank turners to win.

Speaking on the topic of turning tracks in India, Gilchrist told Mumbai Mirror, “The Chinnaswamy Stadium, we all know, can produce a beautiful cricket pitch — one that can reward the batsmen and bowlers alike. They can go for a conventional pitch which plays well early on and then deteriorates later or prefer the one like in Pune which was substandard. They can do that but they probably run the risk of losing another toss. If they win the toss, India will logically dominate the Test match and if they lose the toss, they could find themselves in trouble. And that would be risky when you are down in the series. But India has a the team that is capable of playing high quality cricket and get result on much better wickets than what we have seen. They don‘t need traditional India cricket pitches.”

Gilchrist could not stop praising Australia for their remarkable victory, “Looking at the two teams prior to the Test, it was unexpected, and certainly not in three days. My thoughts were that Renshaw (Matt) and Handscomb (Peter) did not have any previous experience but they prepared very well and had the best of the condition on a wicket which was not up to the standard. All in all, they did well to get that win and it is exciting for the rest of the series. India still play well in these conditions and they will be cursing. They will be ready to strike back.”

Gilchrist remained silent on the comments of Harbhajan and Ganguly, who predicted a whitewash. Instead he recollected the days when Glenn McGrath used to forecast the results ahead of any series, “McGrath always used to say 5-0, 4-0, 3-0 (for Australia) and I was happy to leave that to him. I never liked to predict results but those were not the only ones to write Australia off. Many others too did that but the team worked hard for the success. They have got off to a perfect start and the challenge is to win the game in Bangalore.”

Gilchrist said India need to stop over-depending on their captain as well as their ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. “Virat, as I have said, is undoubtedly the world class player, a proven performer. But he can’t do business every single time. So there is a challenge for the rest of the batting group to find a way to shine on the odd times when Virat has not. Ravi Ashwin’s record speaks for itself. But the Australian batsmen seem to have a plan for him. He has a challenge too,” Gilchrist explained.

Gilchrist heaped praise on O’Keefe after his stupendous success in the first Test, “He is a hard worker, he has been very loyal and high performer for New South Wales for many years. Many have felt that his results had gone unrewarded by the previous Australian selectors. He did not get what he deserved in Test cricket. There were a few people who questioned he being in the team and he is enjoying proving them wrong. He is a very solid bowler who knows his game very well.”

No conversation is complete without mentioning MS Dhoni. Both these players have managed similar responsibilities from being a wicketkeeper to captain of the national side or leading from the front with the bat. Gilchrist concluded by saying “Batting, keeping and captaining at a time is not easy to do. I would not expect MS to be too upset about the loss of captaincy. He has achieved everything that can possibly be achieved in cricket. He has won all the trophies that one can win. I think he is enjoying his limited attendance in cricket. He has been one of the most exciting cricketers to watch in the last 10-15 years.”

WHO Lists 12 Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and the Urgent Need for New Drugs

Highlights

• WHO published the first-ever list of antibiotic-resistant pathogens
• It included 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat
• The most critical group of all includes multi-drug resistant bacteria

There are all sorts of diseases in the world, and every once in a while comes a certain 'microorganism' which creates havoc in the form of dangerous diseases like Ebola, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, and the like. Scientists have time and again come up with effective antibiotics to control the diseases and save lives, but the shocking part is that each year these microbes come back twice as more potent and resistant to the antibiotics. As such it is a constant struggle to reinvent and find effective cures. In such cases, intensive research is the only thing that can save lives as scientists discover more characteristics and behaviour of the triggers.

Recently, WHO published the first-ever list of antibiotic-resistant "priority pathogens" that included 12 families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. The intention was to spread awareness, as well as guide and promote research and development of new antibiotics. There is a serious concern on the growing global resistance to antimicrobial medicines.

What Did the List Include?

According to the global health body, the list is divided into three categories according to the urgency of need for new antibiotics: critical, high and medium priority.

"The most critical group of all includes multi-drug resistant bacteria that pose a particular threat in hospitals, nursing homes, and among patients whose care requires devices such as ventilators and blood catheters. They include Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and various Enterobacteriaceae (including Klebsiella, E. coli, Serratia, and Proteus)," said a WHO statement.

It said that all the bacteria can cause severe and often deadly infections such as bloodstream infections and pneumonia.

"These bacteria have become resistant to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporins - the best available antibiotics for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria," said the report.

High- Medium Priority Type

The second tier includes antibiotics of high priority - for Enterococcus faecium, which is vancomycin-resistant; Staphylococcus aureus, which is methicillin-resistant; Helicobacter pylori, which is clarithromycin-resistant; Campylobacter spp, which is fluoroquinolone-resistant; Salmonellae, which is fluoroquinolone-resistant; and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone-resistant.

The third tier includes medium priority antibiotics for Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is penicillin-non-susceptible; Haemophilus influenzae, which is ampicillin-resistant; and Shigella spp, which is fluoroquinolone-resistant.

"This list is a new tool to ensure research and development responds to urgent public health needs," said WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation Marie-Paule Kieny in the statement.

Evelina Tacconelli, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Tubingen and a major contributor to the list, said, "New antibiotics targeting this priority list of pathogens will help to reduce deaths due to resistant infections around the world.

"Waiting any longer will cause further public health problems and dramatically impact on patient care."

Inputs from IANS

SpaceX to Send Two Tourists Around Moon in 2018

SpaceX said Monday two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon in what would mark the farthest humans have ever traveled to deep space.

The United States has not sent astronauts to the Moon since NASA's Apollo missions of the 1960s and '70s.

"We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year," said a statement by CEO Elon Musk.

Also Read: NASA may send robotic spacecraft to Sunnext year

"This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them."

The tourists, who were not named, "have already paid a significant deposit," Musk's statement added.

Health tests and training are to begin this year.

"Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow. Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results," Musk said.

The tourists will ride aboard the California-based company's Crew Dragon capsule, which is scheduled for its first unmanned test flight later this year.

It is based on the design currently used to send cargo to the International Space Station, with upgrades to allow for human transport.

The capsule will launch atop SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, which is scheduled for its first test flight this summer.

The rocket "will be the most powerful vehicle to reach orbit after the Saturn V moon rocket," Musk said.

"At five million pounds of liftoff thrust, Falcon Heavy is two-thirds the thrust of Saturn V and more than double the thrust of the next largest launch vehicle currently flying."

Commercial space race
Musk - who co-founded PayPal and also heads Tesla Motors - is seen as the emerging leader of the modern commercial space industry, after becoming the first to send a private cargo carrier to the International Space Station in 2010.

The 45-year-old native of South Africa is a long-time space enthusiast, who is also outspoken about his vision to colonize Mars.

Last September he unveiled ambitious plans to establish a colony on the Red Planet by sending 100 humans at a time - starting in 2024.

SpaceX also plans to send an unmanned Dragon cargo capsule as early as 2018.

In the same month Blue Origin, founded by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, unveiled plans to build a massive rocket called New Glenn to launch people to space, but the company's president said going to Mars could take decades.

And on the space tourism front, Virgin Galactic, led by British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, has set a goal of taking people to the edge of space, more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth.

Despite the hefty $250,000 price tag, more than 600 would-be astronauts have already signed up, including actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher.

Meanwhile, if all goes as planned, lift-off for Musk's two moon tourists will occur next year from the same launch pad near Cape Canaveral that the Apollo program used for its lunar missions.

Musk posted the company's announcement on Twitter by stating: "Fly me to the moon Ok."

Indian engineer killed in Kansas: White House says reports on shooting ‘disturbing’

The White House has said that the early reports coming from Kansas, where an Indian engineer was shot dead and another injured in an apparent hate crime, were “disturbing.” The White House also condemned the alleged hate crimes against the Jewish community in the US.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily news conference that “early reports coming from Kansas are equally disturbing”.

Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed and Alok Madasani, of the same age, was injured in the shooting by 51-year-old US navy veteran Adam Purinton who screamed racial slurs and told them “get out of my country.”

A 24-year-old American named Ian Grillot tried to intervene and received injuries in the firing in Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas.

Spicer, during his briefing, also condemned the alleged hate crimes against the Jewish community and asserted that there is no space for violence based on religion and ethnicity.

“From our country’s founding, we’ve been dedicated to protecting the freedom of our citizens’ rights to worship. No one in America should feel afraid to follow the religion of their choosing freely and openly. The President has dedicated to preserving this originating principle of our nation,” Spicer said.

“And while we’re at it, I don’t want to get ahead of law enforcement, but I was asked the other day about the story in Kansas, the shooting in Kansas. While the story is evolving, early reports out of Kansas are equally disturbing,” the White House Press Secretary said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined local law enforcement agencies in investigating the incident that has shocked the entire Indian-American community and several hundreds of Indians either working or studying in the United States.

Spicer said Trump continues to be deeply disappointed and concerned by the reports of further vandalism at Jewish cemeteries.

“The cowardly destruction in Philadelphia this weekend comes on top of similar accounts from Missouri and threats made to Jewish community centers around the country. The president continues to condemn these and any other form of anti-semitic and hateful acts in the strongest terms,” he said.

His remarks came after vandals broke and overturned more than 500 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, the latest in a spate of recent bomb threats and attacks against sites for Jews across the United States.

NASA may send robotic spacecraft to Sun next year

NASA plans to send its first robotic spacecraft to the Sun next year that is slated to get within six million kilometres of the blazing star to probe its atmosphere.

Humans have sent spacecraft to the Moon, Mars and even distant interstellar space. Now, NASA plans to launch the Solar Probe Plus mission to the Sun which is about 149 million kilometres from the Earth.

"This is going to be our first mission to fly to the Sun," said Eric Christian, a NASA research scientist at Goddard Space Flight Centre.

"We can't get to the very surface of the Sun," but the mission will get close enough to answer three important questions, Christian said.

First, the mission will hopefully unveil why the surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is not as hot as its atmosphere, called the corona.

According to NASA, the surface temperature of the Sun is only about 5,500 degrees Celsius. However, the atmosphere above it is a sizzling two million degrees Celsius.

"You would think the farther away you get from a heat source, you would get colder. Why the atmosphere is hotter than the surface is a big puzzle," Christian said.

The scientists also want to know how solar wind gets its speed, 'Live Science' reported.

"The Sun blows a stream of charged particles in all directions at a million miles an hour. But we do not understand how that gets accelerated," he said.

The mission may also ascertain why the Sun occasionally emits high-energy particles that are a danger to unprotected astronauts and spacecraft.

NASA has designed a 11.4 centimetres carbon-composite shield, which is designed to withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft of 1,370 degrees Celsius.

The unmanned probe will have special heat tubes called thermal radiators that will radiate heat that permeates the heat shield to open space, "so it does not go to the instruments, which are sensitive to heat," Christian added.

Airtel makes roaming free throughout India, reduces International Roaming charges by 90%

"I am declaring war on roaming", telecom tycoon Sunil Mittal said on Monday as his firm Bharti Airtel removed roaming charges for outgoing and incoming calls as well as SMSes and data usage within India as it takes on competition from new comer Reliance Jio.

India's largest mobile phone service provider also said there will be no roaming data changes while international call charges will be cut by up to 90 per cent to as low as Rs 3 per minute and data charges by up to 99 per cent to Rs 3 per MB across popular roaming destinations.

"I am declaring a war on roaming," he said at the World Mobile Congress here.

The 17-18 countries Airtel operates-in will allow its customers to have the freedom to switch on their mobile phones "wherever and whenever they want".

Mittal said "90 per cent of people turn off their data when they travel," including himself, and wait until they can find wi-fi in their hotel or buy local prepaid SIM cards to avoid stiff charges.

"We have a global network, but very few people are allowed to enjoy it," he said, adding that "it (exorbitant fees) is a disaster our industry has created".

Despite vast network "55 per cent of our people in the developed world switch off their mobile data. It is my estimated guess that 90 per cent of travellers from emerging markets switch off their mobile data. They go for local SIM cards, they go for the nearest wi-fi spot, they wait for themselves to get to their hotel. What have we done to our industry? This must stop," he said.

The industry needs to address this as well as the disdain its customers have for operators, he said.

"I can promise you that during my term at GMSA, roaming charges and bill shocks will be a thing of the past. I promise you that," said Mittal, who is also the chairman of the GSMA, the trade body for the mobile industry.

Starting April 1, Airtel customers roaming within India will enjoy free incoming calls and SMS and there will be no premium on outgoing calls allowing them to speak freely wherever they are within the country.

Also, there will be no additional data charges on national roaming. Home data packs for customers will apply even while they roam across India.

The moves follows within days of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio charging for its services from April 1 but will continue to offer free voice and national roaming.

Jio will match the lowest data tariff and add 20 per cent additional data, he announced on February 21 adding customers signing-up before March 31 have the option of continuing existing unlimited services for a year at Rs 99 plus a monthly charge of Rs 303.

Bank Strike Today; Cash, Cheque Transactions Hit

Top private lenders like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank however will continue to function normally but cheque clearing operations could be hit.

Banking operations were hit today as employees of state-owned banks are on a one-day strike. An umbrella body of nine bank unions has called a day-long strike today to  press for various demands including those related to wages. All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary CH Venkatachalam said around 10 lakh bankers - ranging from officers to clerks - belonging to the nine unions joined the strike.  Besides cheque clearances, cash operations will also be hit. He said clearance of 40 lakh cheques totalling around Rs. 22,000 crore would be affected.

Top private lenders like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank however will continue to function normally but cheque clearing operations could be hit.

Employees of the IT departments of some state-run banks have been granted exemption from the strike. The online banking operations are expected to function as normal. As many as 27 public sector banks control 75 per cent of the total business in the country.

The other demands of unions include compensation for employees and officers for extra hours of work put in following demonetisation in November and early initiation of process of next wage revision of bank employees. They have also demanded adequate recruitment in all cadres, stringent measures to recover bad loans and accountability of top executives. Besides, they have pitched for criminal action against wilful defaulters.  Unions are also opposed to the proposed labour reforms of the government and outsourcing of permanent jobs in the banking sector.

According to Mr Venkatachalam, Chief Labour Commissioner held a conciliation meeting between the bank management association on February 21 but the meeting did not yield any positive result. (With Agency Inputs)

Airtel to buy Telenor India to augment spectrum holdings and customer base

India’s leading telco Bharti Airtel said that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Telenor South Asia Investments to acquire the latter’s India operations, Telenor Communications Private Limited or Telenor India. The move will allow Airtel to further bolster its strong spectrum footprint in these seven circles, with the addition of 43.4 MHz spectrum in the 1800 MHz band. Also, Airtel will also be able to expand its user base following the acquisition, which is subject to requisite regulatory approvals.

As part of the agreement, Airtel will acquire Telenor India’s running operations in seven circles – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam.

Airtel said that these circles represent a high population concentration and therefore offer a high potential for growth.

The move comes at a time when the industry is going through an intense consolidation phase with Vodafone and Idea involved in merger talks and Reliance Communications finalising its acquisition of MTS India and a merger with Maxis-owned Aircel. Analysts say that Reliance Jio’s entry with disruptive voice and data offers is driving consolidation in India.

The proposed acquisition will include the transfer of all of Telenor India’s assets and customers, further augmenting Airtel’s overall customer base and network.

Airtel said that it would ensure quality services to Telenor India’s customers, while offering them the added benefits of its innovative product portfolio, access to superior voice & data services, mobile banking, VAS and domestic/ international roaming facilities. Telenor India’s operations and services will continue as normal until the completion of the transaction.

 “The agreement underlines our commitment to lead India’s digital revolution by offering world-class and affordable telecom services through a robust spectrum portfolio spread across multiple bands. On completion, the proposed acquisition will undergo seamless integration, both on the customer as well as the network side, and further strengthen our market position in several key circles. The customers of Telenor India will now be able to enjoy India’s widest and fastest voice & data network, and a range of Airtel’s world-class products and services,” Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel, said in a joint statement.

“The acquisition of additional spectrum through this transaction, which made an attractive business proposition, has further enhanced our already robust spectrum portfolio. The proposed transaction will also create substantial long-term value for our shareholders given the significant synergies,” added Vittal.

Sigve Brekke, Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Group, said the today’s agreement is in the best interest of our customers, employees and Telenor Group. Finding a long term solution to our India business has been a priority for us, and we are pleased with our agreement with Airtel.

“The decision to exit India has not been taken lightly. After thorough consideration, it is our view that the significant investments needed to secure Telenor India’s future business on a standalone basis will not give an acceptable level of return,” he added.

Reliance Jio Aims to Disrupt Taxi Space With App-Based Taxi Service: Report

Reliance Jio Infocomm, which has disrupted the Indian telecom space with free data and voice services, pushing other telecom operators to consider merger and acquisition strategies, is now planning to disrupt India’s taxi space with the launch of an app-based taxi service. Reliance Jio Cabs, expected to be launched as early as this year.

Reliance Jio claims to be a digital company than mere a telecom operator, and it already offers a slew of digital services spanning across video, music, Live TV and cloud service among others.

The Mukesh Ambani-led 4G entrant has reportedly ordered around 600 cars for its fleet from makers such as Mahindra and Hyundai to begin the service.

Jio’s taxi service is likely to be launched in Bangalore and Chennai initially, followed by a similar launch in Delhi and Mumbai, according to FactorDaily. It also reported that Jio is looking to bring in aggressive pricing to take on companies like Uber and Ola in the taxi service segment.

According to the publication sources, Jio has also appointed consulting firm E&Y to advise it on pricing strategies that align with Reliance Industries Chairman Ambani’s plans to go all out to get market share.

Reliance Jio has been offering free data and voice services, and it has recently crossed over 100 million customers before its March 31, 2017, target. The telco recently announced its Prime service for these 100 million customers and new customers joining Jio network before March 31, 2017.

Under the Prime service, Jio subscribers will have to pay Rs. 303 every month for the next one year and will get 1GB of data every day, or 30GB in a month, which is a much higher quantum and far cheaper than any of the offers of incumbent operators, besides paying a nominal opt-in charge of Rs 99.

Jio will also start charging its customers starting April 1, 2017

Reliance Jio’s Tariff Plan to Improve Industry-Wide ARPU Over Longer Term: Moody’s

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio’s tariff plan beginning April 1 this year will improve industry-wide average revenue per user over the longer term, but intense price competition is expected to persist over the next few quarters, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

"we still expect intense price competition to persist over the next few quarters, as incumbents such as Bharti, Vodafone India (unrated) and Idea Cellular respond in efforts to protect their subscriber market shares,” Annalisa Di Chiara, Vice President, Corporate Finance Group, Moody’s Investors Service said in a note.

Reliance Jio had earlier this week said customers joining its network after March 31 will pay according to the subscription plans that range from Rs 149 to Rs 4,999. The telco, however, launched its Jio Prime service for its existing 100 million customers, and new customers who are coming before March 31, 2017.

Also Read: Reliance JioAims to Disrupt Taxi Space With App-Based Taxi Service: Report

Under the service, Jio customers can continue to enjoy benefits for another 12 months till March 31, 2018, by paying just Rs 303, besides paying nominal fees of Rs 99 for membership between from March 1 to March 31. Jio prime members will also get full bouquet of digital services worth Rs 10,000 completely free until March 31, 2018.

Moody’s on Friday also said that Bharti Airtel’sproposed acquisition of Norway-based Telenor’s India unit is creditpositive.

Following the proposed acquisition, Bharti Airtel’s spectrum holding will increase in seven circles, and its subscriber market share will increase by around 2% (based on December 2016 figures), enhancing the company’s leading market position in India’s highly competitive mobile telecommunications market, and providing further growth potential in these areas.”

“It’s a non-cash deal, and although Bharti will take over outstanding spectrum payments and other operational contracts, including tower leases, we do not expect it will have a material impact on the company’s consolidated leverage. Bharti’s adjusted consolidated debt/EBITDA (including deferred spectrum liabilities) was 3.3x as of December 2016,” Di Chiara said.

[With Latest Proof] Reliance Jio fiber first impressions in Mumbai with download speeds crossing 93 Mbps

Reliance Jio, the operator which recently crossed the 100 Million subscriber mark, is aggressively making its place in the highly competitive Indian telecom space. The operator during its free services offering single-handedly managed to lift India from the 150th position globally for mobile data consumption to the current number one position. CEO Mukesh Ambani declared that Jio subscribers alone consume as much data as all the subscribers of all operators in USA put together.

The reason why Jio can offer this quantum of data to its subscribers without getting its network choked is because it has Fiber backhaul for its BTS as compared to microwave backhaul used by the incumbent operators which cannot handle this amount of load. Jio recently announced its prime membership from 1st April for its subscribers joining the network on or before 31st March 2017 for a one-time fee or Rs.99.

Also read: Reliance Jio’s Tariff Plan to Improve Industry-Wide ARPU Over Longer Term: Moody’s

Once the wireless segment gets stable, Jio will turn its focus to the wired broadband segment where it will offer FTTH services with speeds up to 100 Mbps under the name Jio Fiber. Jio is laying out optic fibre across the length and breadth of the country at war footing, subject to the right of way obtained from various municipal corporations within the city limits.

In Mumbai, the operator is currently offering free Jio fiber services in select locations and housing complexes with truly unlimited data usage, similar to the beta testing phase for employees and their family and friends and early adopters of LYF handsets before the commercial launch of wireless services. Currently, people residing in the locations where Jio is offering the free preview just need to pay a Rs.4500 refundable deposit for the consumer premise equipment, which they can get back if they choose to not continue with the service once Jio starts to charge for it.

I visited an acquaintance’s place where the Jio fiber was installed and decided to test the network performance. In the image above, the pic to the right shows the square modem cum wifi router with Jio branding while the smaller device held above it is the splitter for the optic fiber. The screenshot in the middle shows the speed test result using the net velocity app. I got a download speed of 93 Mbps and upload speed of 78 Mbps while the latency was just 7 ms. This is an ideal performance since the network is not yet loaded with only a handful of users utilising it, the actual performance will be visible after commercial launch.

Other developments:

Jio is also working on its IPTV solution where it will offer 500+ live TV channels on its Android-based set top box including full HD channels streaming over its fiber broadband network. Jio has also signed a deal with AirWire to offer connected car IoT device in India. Jio will soon launch its smart home solutions including remote unlocking of doors and controlling of lights and AC through the smart home app.

Watch the 89th Academy Awards - Highlights of Oscars 2017‎

Here are the latest on the 89th Academy awards:

10: 42 am: It might seem like the best joke pulled by Jimmy Kimmel so far. But with all seriousness, this fiasco can be marked as the best goof up in the history of Academy Awards. The 89th Academy Awards ended on a crazy note with the wrong name for Best Picture being announced on stage by the presenter. Still one can't figure out if this end is a good surprise or a bizarre one.

10: 33 am: The joke is probably on Warren Beatty who read out the wrong name at first. La La Land was announced to have won the award. But minutes later, after the acceptance speech began, and the entire crew of La La Land took the stage, Moonlight was announced as the Best Picture.

10: 24 am: Emma Stone wins award for Best Actress for La La Land. The award was presented by last year's Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio. 

10: 14 am: Casey Affleck wins Best actor for the movie Manchester by the Sea.

10: 11 am: Damien Chazelle wins Best Director for La La Land. 

10: 07 am: Jimmy Kimmel showered cookies and donuts down on the audience.

10: 02 am: Moonlight won an award for Adapted screenplay.

9: 59 am: Manchester by the Sea wins award for the Best Original Screenplay. The award was received by Kenneth Lonergan.

9: 53 am:  Jennifer Aniston took the stage to present the year's montage of the great actors and artists who passed away in the past year.

9: 48 am: The award for the Best Original Song is bagged by La La Land for the song City of Stars. Scarlett Johansson presented the award for the same.

9: 40 am: La La Land wins award for Best Original Score. Justin Hurwitz received the award.

9 39 am:  Jimmy Kimmel did not fail to entertain the audience. The mean tweet franchise that was introduced was bitter but better at fun. The winners and the nominees were seen reading out disturbing tweets about them. This was followed by a performance by John Legend. 

9: 26 am: La La Land wins yet another award for Best Cinematography. Linus Sandgren took to the stage to accept the award.

9: 20 am: Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel took a jab at Donald Trump. It seems like Kimmel couldn't care less. Jimmy tweeted the President of USA asking if he was up. The tweet was projected on the big screen just to make the moment a tad more dramatic. 

9: 16 am:  Sing grabbed the award for The Best Live Action Short Film. The award was received by Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy.

9: 10 am:  The White Helmets wins award for Best Documentary Short Film.

9: 08 am: On a lighter note, Jimmy Kimmel lifted Sunny Pawar from Lion while the theme song from the animation movie The Lion King played in the background. 

9:07 am:  Hacksaw Ridge wins award for Best  Film Editing.

9:00 am: The Jungle Book wins award for Best Visual Effects.

8: 43 am: La La Land wins the award for the Best Production Design. David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco received the award. 

8: 40 am: Zootopia wins award for Best Animated Feature Film. 

8: 38 am: Piper wins award for the Best Animated Short Film.

8: 23 am: Charlize Theron and  Shirley MacLaine presented the award for the Best Foreign Language Film. Iranian drama The Salesman won the award this year. The director Asghar Farhadi boycotted the award function. However sent a statement which reads, "“My absence is out of respect for the people of my country” before describing Trump’s ban as “inhumane”.

8: 02 am: Viola Davis wins the award for the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences. Viola received a standing ovation while she stood emotionally on the stage. She gave a powerful speech, and thanked her family and friends for the same.

Viola Davis. (Photo | AP)

7: 57 am: Hacksaw Ridge wins academy award for Best Sound Mixing.

7: 53 am: Arrival wins award for Achievements in Sound Editing .

7.40 am: The award for Best Documentary Feature is won by 'OJ: Made in America', which was based on the sensational murder trial of OJ Simpson back in the 1990s. He was accused of murdering his wife and her alleged lover. 

7.35 am:  Harry Potter spin-off movie 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', wins award for Best Costume. 

7: 30 am: David Ayer's directorial 'Suicide Squad' wins the 'Best Make-up and Hair' award.

7: 19 am: Mahershala Ali wins the 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' award for Moonlight. So Moonlight opens its account, by bagging the first award of the night. Dev Patel missed the train, despite his fine performance in Lion.

7: 13 am: Now legendary actress Meryl Streep comes under Kimmel's roaster.He says that it is Meryl's 20th consecutive Oscar appearance, although she didn't star in any film in last year. He also jokingly requests the audience to give her an 'undeserving' round of applause.

7: 11 am: Talking about Oscars and fashion, Ruth Negga's long-sleeved custom Valentino gown is a scene-stealer and landed the actress on several best-dressed lists for the evening.

Negga, who is a best actress nominee for "Loving," combined the high lace collar with responsibly sourced rubies. She also included one accessory that several other stars included — a blue ribbon supporting the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ruth Negga, wearing the ACLU ribbon, arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

Negga was among those cited by People magazine as the best dressed of the evening. Other popular looks included a velvet gown worn by Taraji P. Henson, and a fringe gown sported by best actress nominee Emma Stone.

Opinion online was mixed about Halle Berry, who rocked a huge head of tousled curls along with a one-shoulder dress.

While the men get less scrutiny, many online noted the ruffles on best actor nominee Ryan Gosling's tuxedo shirt, with some likening it to a look from a 1970s prom.

7: 08 am: Kimmel starts the event by roasting Matt Damon. He also congratulates Amazon.com for their first ever association with the Oscars.

7: 00 am: The 89th Academy Awards finally starts, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting his first Oscars. His entry was a quirky one too, with a dance performance.

6: 40 am: Each celebrity who strolls the Oscars red carpet seems to have their own style as they pass their cheering fans in the bleachers.

Some, like Emma Stone and Jeff Bridges, smile politely and wave while others just walk by, seemingly oblivious to the adulation.

Martin Butler, right, arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

Laura Dern and Nicole Kidman, meanwhile, joined hands and lifted them in a cheer of their own.

As for those in the bleachers, when they aren't cheering many are gossiping.
Among the comments overheard: Vince Vaughn and Dern are tall and Michael J. Fox is really short.

6: 30 am: Justin Timberlake is the king of the Oscars red carpet, as least as far as the bleacher fans are concerned.

While some celebrities like Viggo Mortensen and Scarlett Johansson ignore the bleacher crowd, Timberlake stopped to lead a cheering war between two sections.

Justin Timberlake, left, and Jessica Biel arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

As wife Jessica Biel stood by in a stunning gold dress, Timberlake put his hand to his ear to draw applause.

Then he'd judge which section was winning by raising and lowering his hands
The crowd responded with raucous cheers.

6: 20 am: Veteran actor Mel Gibson hits the red carpet too.

Rosalind Ross, left, and Mel Gibson arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the                   Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

6: 10 am: Justin Timberlake says the beginning of the Oscars is going to be free of politics.
Timberlake tells The Associated Press, "Watch the top of the show, it will be very un-political. I can promise you that."

It is an apparent tease to Timberlake's performance of his Oscar-nominated song, "Can't Stop the Feeling," which is from the animated film "Trolls."

Timberlake says he's honoured that the film academy honoured such a feel-good song. Timberlake says "I think the world could use a little bit of that."

Andrew Garfield arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

Even before Sunday's ceremony begins, politics is on the mind of many nominees. Some top nominees, including Ruth Negga and director Barry Jenkins, are wearing blue ribbons supporting the American Civil Liberties Union.

Others, including documentary nominee Ava DuVernay and best actor nominee Andrew Garfield, say art is inherently political and winners should express their feelings about the current political climate if they wish.

6: 04 am: Andrew Garfield, one of the lead actor nominees for his breathtaking performance in Hacksaw Ridge, has arrived at the red carpet. Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry are here too.

Jessica Oyelowo, left, and David Oyelowo arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

6: 00 am: It was a no-brainer for Lin-Manuel Miranda when it came to picking a date for the Oscars.

It's his mother, Luz, who got him there after all.

Miranda's mother says she stayed up late watching the Oscars every year and told her son he would be there someday.

To which her son adds that she earned the honor "by calling dibs when I was 10 years old."
5: 45 am: Prominent faces arriving at Red Carpet so far: Octavia Spencer, Jackie Chan, Felicity Jones, Dev Patel and Matt Damon.

Casey Affleck arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 

(Photo | AP)

5: 40 am: Stars are mixing high fashion with some advocacy on the Oscars red carpet.
Several top nominees are sporting blue ribbons supporting the American Civil Liberties Union, including best actress nominee Ruth Negga and best original song nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Miranda brought his mother to the Oscars, and she also prominently displayed the ribbon. The ACLU is among the groups suing over a travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump's administration that has been placed on hold by federal courts.

Director Barry Jenkins planned to wear one, and realized in the middle of a red carpet interview that he had lost it.

Jenkins, who is nominated for best director for "Moonlight," says he does not yet know what he would say if he wins an Oscar Sunday. He says, "I think art is inherently political," and he supports any artists who speak out about politics at the awards show.

Best actor nominee Casey Affleck also wore the ribbon at Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards, where he won the award for best male lead.

5: 30 am: First rule for Oscar bleachers fans: Yell loudly if you want to get a celebrity's attention.

That's what a group of fans did — repeatedly — until Ruth Negga politely turned away from a red carpet TV interview to give them a wave.

Before she could, however, one of her earrings fell out. Fortunately, her team saved it, she smiled and waved, then moved on.

After waving to the crowd, Lin-Manual Miranda made sure bleacher fans didn't overlook the person he was with. He pointed to her and mouthed the words, "My Mom."

Jackie Chan, beaming ear to ear, pretended to toss one of two stuffed pandas he was carrying into the crow. A disappointed groan moved through the bleachers when he moved on.
Jackie Chan has brought some furry friends to walk with him on the Oscars red carpet.

The action star did red carpet interviews clutching two plush panda toys. He told The Associated Press that he is a panda ambassador and also owns two of the bears in China.

The bears are dressed in yellow jackets and silver boots with UNICEF name tags, while Chan is sporting more traditional formal attire. Chan says he takes the bears with him everywhere, snapping photos with them. He says he may sell them for the charity.
Chan was a recipient of an honorary Oscar last year.

5: 25 am: Celebrities have begun arriving on the red carpet in Hollywood ahead of the 89th Academy Awards.

Hundreds of people sitting in the fan bleachers shouted excitedly when actor Jerry O'Connell walked by.

Broadway star Cynthia Erivo is also among the first arrivals, her shock of white hair a beacon in the crowd.


The weather is slightly chilly and there's the possibility of sprinkles from gray clouds overhead.