WHAT IS INDIA’S FIRST OPEN NETWORK? YES IT'S AIRTEL LEAP

Now any mobile user can check Airtel Network coverage across the country, in fingertips. Just login to www.airtel.in/opennetwork, and Airtel user can check the network status in real time using My Airtel App.

India's First Concept of Open Network -

Open network is a bold new initiative by Airtel to build a better network. Airtel are opening up there network information for you to share your feedback, so that we can improve our coverage and give you an experience like no other. On the portal (www.airtel.in/opennetwork), User can–

• View Airtel current and planned towers
• Check the strength of the tower’s signals in their area
• Report network related issues
• Help Airtel set up new towers by sharing location options

Project leap is Airtel's biggest network transformation program aimed at delivering a world class network that will see an investment of Rs. 60,000 crores in the next 3 years.

Open Network is a new initiative under Project Leap as a part of which Airtel are making their entire network information open to their customers.

Open Network will definitely improve Airtel network. In case of network issues, User will be able to see the network performance in their area. User can also suggest locations to host new towers for network enhancement and better experience.

Even it does not affect current tariff plans. For any tariff information, you may visit www.airtel.in

Open Network will definitely improve Airtel network experience. Open Network has been created exactly for that purpose. User can raise a network issue through www.airtel.in/opennetwork.

If user facing a network issue in their area, they can visit the link www.airtel.in/opennetwork, drop a pin at the exact location and share your details to raise the complaint.

If coverage showing good in user location, but still customer having issue with network on that location, In this case user would request you to visit the link www.airtel.in/opennetwork, drop a pin at the exact location where you are facing the issue and share your details to raise a complaint.

“Towers Upgrading” mean -

Those are the towers which are in the process of being upgraded from 2G data to 4G/3G data network.  

Towers Needed” mean -

“Towers Needed” are the locations where Airtel have identified network issues and they are looking for locations to host new towers.

“Towers forcibly shutdown” mean -

Those are the locations where Airtel had towers but now they have been shut down by property owners or relevant authorities. 

User can submit their request for tower installation - 

To share a lead, please visit airtel.in/opennetwork, drop a pin near user location, share their details and click submit.

In 2015, Project Leap took the first brave step in building a truly transparent network. It is now time to take the next step. With India's first Open Network. An open sharing platform that gives each one of you access to our tower maps, our weak spots, our strong signal zones, high- speed internet and more. In other words, you see what we see. So you can question us, judge us and even partner us in building a truly great network. A journey that has to start with us opening up to you.

Open Network is an honest endeavor to build a better network. We are opening up our network information so that our customers can tell us where the gaps are, so that we can improve our coverage and give an experience like no other. In this Initiative lies a conviction that we want to be and can be better than what we are today. Please visit www.airtel.in/opennetwork

Loon Project: Indian government asks Google to choose telco partner

NEW DELHI: Government has asked Google to select a telecom operator as partner for testing the balloon-based Internet technology, Loon Project, in the country.

"Google wants to test the Loon Project in expensive and scarce spectrum bands. It has been asked to partner with any telecom operator that can meet its requirement and then approach the government for testing Loon," an official source told PTI.

The official said that if Google wishes to conduct a test with BSNL, it can carry out the experiment in the spectrum held by the state-owned company.

"This approach should resolve the spectrum band sought by Google as well as security, to some extent," the official added.

An e-mail sent to Google went unanswered.

In India, Google has approached the government to set up the Loon project that has the potential to replace mobile towers as it can directly transmit signal on 4G mobile phones.

The Telecom Ministry has formed a panel under IT secretary and asked BSNL to look at providing necessary support for the experiment. Meetings in this regard were held in October-November. The project hit a roadblock after Google sought to conduct test in 700 Mhz or 800 Mhz band instead of 2500 Mhz band that BSNL holds.

The 700 Mhz band is the most expensive and efficient spectrum for telecom services and is yet to be allocated to any service provider. Telecom regulator Trai has suggested including this spectrum in upcoming auction at a minimum price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz and a company will require to buy a minimum of 5 Mhz.

Google, under its Project Loon, is using big balloons floating at a height of 20 km above the earth surface for transmission of Internet services. It has already tested this technology in New Zealand, California (the US) and Brazil.

As per Google, each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area of about 40 km in diameter using a wireless communication technology called LTE, or 4G.

Google uses solar panel and wind to power electronic equipment in the balloon throughout the day.

6 Best 4G LTE Smartphones having more than 3GB RAM

CES-2016 event is over but it has witnessed launches of a lot of many smartphones out of which Chinese giant LeTV’s Max Pro was more attractive because of its awesome features. It has been said about it that it is the world’s first smartphone to feature 2.2 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. It means it will support LTE Category 12 download speeds of up to 600Mbps, and LTE Category 13 upload speeds of up to 150Mbps.  It supports 4G LTE FDD – LTE 1800/2100/2600MHz bands.

This dual SIM phone sports a 6.33-inch WQHD aka 2K display (2560×1440 pixel resolution), 21MP primary camera with dual LED flash and 2.0μm large pixel front camera. Its front facing camera is 2Ultra pixel camera. The handset features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sense ID 3D ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, 4GB DDR4 RAM, internal storage options in three categories as 32GB, 64GB or 128GB and a 3,400mAh battery. Le Max Pro also has a USB Type C port and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based EUI OS.

LeTV Max Pro also support Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology that can charge the phone quickly from 0 to 60 percent charge in 30 minutes.

This phone will be available very soon in India through  eCommerce website Flipkart but right now you have many other options of similar specifications.

The most preferred phone with this LeTV Max Pro phone is Yu Yutopia that has comparable specs as follows : It is 5.2 inch HD display phone powered by two processors i.e. 2 GHz quad-core processor plus 1.5 GHz quad-core processor , fitted with front camera of 8MP and rear camera of 21 MP, 4GB RAM and expandable internal storage of 32GB. It is powered by 3000mAh battery. Its current price is approx Rs 25000.

The other one is Huawei Mate 8 smartphone that was also unveiled at CES-2016 but it has already made success in China last month. Huawei Mate 8, dual SIM phone, sports a full metal body, 6-inch Full HD display, 16MP primary camera, 8MP front snapper and an impressive 4,000mAh battery. It is powered by company’s homegrown Kirin 950 processor. It comes in two variant of RAMs  3GB or 4GB with options of internal storage of 32GB or 64GB. Mate 8 is priced at €699 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant and €599 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage model in the international markets.

If you can compromise for smartphones having RAM of 3GB, then you have more options to fulfill your need of combo of RAM and powerful selfie  camera by choosing a phone from following options.

ASUS  Zenfone Selfie: It is 5.5 inch HD display phone powered by 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, fitted with both front and rear camera of 13 MP, 3GB RAM and internal storage of 32GB. Powered by 3000mAh battery. Its current price is approx Rs 17000

Lenovo Vibe S1 : It is 5.0 inch HD display phone powered by 1.7 GHz octa-core processor, fitted with front camera of 8MP and rear camera of 13 MP, 3GB RAM and expandable internal storage of 32GB. Powered by 2500mAh battery. Its current price is approx Rs 14000

OnePlus X : It is 5.0 inch HD display phone powered by 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, fitted with front camera of 8MP and rear camera of 13 MP, 3GB RAM and expandable internal storage of 32GB. Powered by 2525mAh battery. Its current price is approx Rs 17000

Review of Reliance Jio’s LYF-4G Smartphones Water-1, Water-2 and Earth-1

Ahead of official launch of VoLTE featured 4G LTE services in the country by Reliance Jio, the company has already launched its own branded LYF three smartphones Earth-1, Water-1 and Water-2 and have listed them on reliancedigital.in for info, the website neither taking pre-order for the phone nor it says anything about its availability. These LYF smartphones are being manufactured by Chinese handset maker ZTE.

All three smartphones are similar with all other smartphones available in the market but these LYF smartphones will support both 4G LTE FDD bands 3 & 5 and TDD bands 40  and are powered with superior features like HD Voice calling, WiFi calling, seamless voice to video calling switch etc. The MRP set for customers are Rs 23990, Rs 14999 and Rs 14690 for Earth-1, Water-1 and Water-2 models respectively.

All three devices are powered with 1.5 GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Water-1 and Water-2 devices have 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage while Earth-1 has 3GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage.

For detailed technical specifications, see the below table.