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Google Photos to Stop Free Unlimited Storage (Here’s What You Can Do)

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Looking for the best alternatives to Google Photos? Then, consider these cloud-based photo saving services as the best Google Photos alternatives to keep your memories safe and secure.

The day has finally arrived. As per the updated Google Photo’s storage policy, there will be no free unlimited storage starting 1st June 2021. Indeed, the search engine giant has been providing unlimited free photo backups for years.

However, there’s a BIG change in terms of Google Drive policy.

Apart from charging beyond 15GB storage space, Google has also updated its policy of deleting data from inactive accounts. Let’s look at each point in detail.

New Storage Policy for Google Photos:

Disclosing it as a change in Google Photo’s Storage Policy, Mr Shimrit Ben-Yair, Vice President, Google Photos shared some interesting updates.

Starting 1st June 2021, the Google photos along with Google Workspace documents and spreadsheets will count for the storage cap.

That means, your regular Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, sheets, slides, drawings, forms, Jamboard files along with Google Photos will have a 15GB storage cap.

However, there’s a small relief for Google Pixel smartphone owners. As stated, they would get high-quality photos backup for free. Earlier, the Google device owners used to get unlimited photos storage for original quality.

15GB Storage Space Calculation from 1st June 2021:

90 percent full

Don’t panic. Google has got you some relief by announcing that all photos and documents uploaded before June 1st will not be counted under free 15GB storage.

It clearly mentioned that Google photos uploaded after June 1st will be counted against the 15GB free cap. Thus, you have over 6 months to decide whether to continue with Google or not.

Most of us would be shocked to find this new storage limit on Google Photos. However, if we happen to observe its competitors like Apple iCloud or Microsoft OneDrive, they just offer 5GB storage space.

Leaving it aside, Google Photos have got an interesting tool to organize your snaps. You can now find and delete unwanted stuff like blurry images that add up the storage space.

The latest feature displaying a personalized estimate for how long the storage may last helps you to manage the backed up data.

google storage left

1. GoogleOne ~ Alternative to Free Google Photos Backup:

Undoubtedly, Google Photos is a super cool platform that make your memories last forever. However, free things don’t last forever.

Rule of thumb! Anything free today will end up costing you $9.95 a month sometime in the future.

Sensing it as a good opportunity, the cloud storage companies might even offer some interesting deals to grab the customers from Google.

Then?

If you happen to exhaust free 15GB storage offered by Google Photos then what’s your next best option?

The search engine giant offers a subscription plan named Google One that offers more storage to use across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.

If you have decided to go increase your storage space with Google, there are many plans under Google One including shared family plans.

The base pricing for Google One starts at $1.99 per month (INR 130) offering 100GB. For $2.99 per month (INR 210), you get 200GB. If you own a lot of data, then 2TB storage space at $9.99/month (INR 650) would suffice. For power users, Google One has got 30TB plan at $149.99/month.

GoogleOne plans

The best thing about these plans is one can invite up to 5 additional family members to enjoy the benefits of plan on sharing basis.

To sweeten the deal, Google has offered a free VPN facility for US Google One members on a 2TB or higher plan at no extra cost.

This is with respect to Google Photos storage.

The other option is to use multiple google accounts. However, Google has updated that it will delete the content if the service is inactive for 2 years. The safest way is to keep them active by visiting Gmail or Google Photos on the web or mobile.

2. Amazon Photos (Free with Prime):

Amazon Photos Prime

Undoubtedly, Amazon Prime is not all considered as the cloud storage service provider. However, the reality is much different.

Amazon is known for selling everything on Earth. But only a few know about Amazon Photos. Through its cloud storage facility, Amazon offers photo storage facility.

Luckily, this Amazon Photos is free for Prime subscribers. One can store unlimited photos with full resolution and 5GB videos. That means you’ll be able to save photos in original quality. Just download Amazon Photos App and sync your personal collection.

The Amazon Prime subscription costs $12.99 per month or $119 per year. You just need to keep your Amazon Prime subscription active or else it will revert back to free 5GB plan.

Both Amazon Photo storage and Amazon Drive offer unlimited photo storage and 5GB video storage facility. If you want more space for videos, then you need to purchase the space.

If you just need Amazon Cloud Storage, then pay $11.99 per year to get 100GB storage. For power users, Amazon has got 1TB storage plan at $59.99 per year.

For photographers, Amazon’s Unlimited Photo storage is a godsend. Indeed, this is the best Google Photos alternative to date. However, if you shoot videos, then it’s not for you. Vimeo Pro could be a good option for videographers.

3. Flickr PRO Subscription:

FlickrPRO subscription

SmugMug owned Flickr is probably the earliest photo cloud storage provider in the market. The Flickr free account limits you to store only 1000 photos and videos. It comes with 200MB file limit for images and 1GB file limit for videos.

However, the Flickr Pro provides unlimited storage plan and is one of the best Google photos alternatives.

The main disadvantage of Flickr is it supports only JPEG, PNG and GIF photo formats. By default, any other photo format is converted into JPEG. Similarly, the Flickr supports MP4, AVI, MWV, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, M2TS, OFF and OGV video formats.

The monthly subscription of Flickr PRO costs $6.99 plus tax whereas the Annual plan is priced at $59.99 plus tax.

4. Microsoft 365 OneDrive (More Economical):

Microsoft 365 OneDrive plans

If you happen to observe Microsoft 365 OneDrive, it is more affordable and offers a great solution. Leaving OneDrive Basic 5GB free plan, there are many plans based on storage offering.

The OneDrive Standalone 100GB costs $1.99 per month (INR 140). On the higher side, Microsoft 365 Personal costs $69.99 per year (INR 4199) offering 1TB storage.

There’s a Microsoft 365 Family Plan that costs $99.99 per year (INR 5299) offering 6TB total (1000GB per person) for up 6 people. Moreover, you get fully installed and up-to-date Office on up to 5 PCs or Macs.

Truly, Microsoft 365 Family Plan is a clear winner for storing your personal photos and other documents.

5. Apple One Subscription:

AppleOne plans

Everyone knew a lot about Apple iCloud storage. However, the latest AppleOne is the latest thing to bundle Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud storage and more into one simple plan.

Apple has got 3 plans under AppleOne subscription – Individual, Family and Premier. With Individual Plan ($14.95/month), you get 50GB of iCloud storage along with Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple arcade.

The AppleOne Family Plan ($19.95/month) provides 200GB iCloud storage along with other benefits. The higher-end AppleOne Premier plan ($29.95/month) supports 2TB of iCloud storage that can be shared with up to 5 other family members.

If you still need further iCloud storage space, then you can upgrade from your device. The pricing is as follows:

iCloud StorageMonthly Cost in USAMonthly Cost in India
50GB$0.99INR 75
200GB$2.99INR 219
2TB$9.99INR 749

Honorable Mention: Vimeo PRO Subscription

VimeoPRO

As discussed, we do have a number of options for photo storage but when it comes to videos, there are a handful.

If you are a videographer, then Vimeo Pro could be a safe bet.

Vimeo is a platform similar to YouTube. It is used by independent creators and production companies. The Vimeo Basic is free to access that comes with 5GB storage limit.

On the other hand, the Vimeo Plus facilitates 250GB videos every year with several limitations. The Vimeo Pro costs $20 per month and hosts 20GB per month and 1TB every year. The Vimeo Business plan has no weekly limit and provides 50TB total storage at $50 per month.

The higher-end Vimeo Premium offers 7TB storage and facilities unlimited live streaming at $75 per month.

What’s Your Opinion?

Today, people are more interested in almost instant gratification. That’s the reason the cloud storage platforms including Dropbox, Backblaze B2, Amazon Web Services S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud etc has got a huge demand.

Moreover, storing photos only in home or even with multiple disks, carry a greater risk, as accidents like fires or flooding or theft can occur.

In the age of 50MP images and 4K videos, the local backup may not be always feasible. Nevertheless, it’s still good to have a local backup of your personal collection and print the best ones.

It’s simple. Purchase a large HDD and back it up yourself. Buy two HDDs and back one to the other. It’s cheap and a one-time buy.

Never make the cloud your only copy of your precious memories…

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

AP FiberNet 149: Internet, Cable TV and Telephone Connectivity as Sankranti Gift

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The state AP FiberNet is all set to roll out the digital transformation.

Andhra Pradesh will be a trendsetter in digital connectivity. The sunrise state of Andhra Pradesh will soon steer a revolution in the form of knowledge power through the Fiber Grid project.

The infrastructure for AP Fibernet will take a shape soon. And the project is expected to start by Sankranti festival. The Internet, Cable TV and telephony services will be provided at the doorstep through the project.

The first phase of the Fiber Grid project was launched in Visakhapatnam in March 2016. Soon, this technological revolution would reach the entire Andhra Pradesh.

As per the reliable sources, the AP Government led by Mr N Chandra Babu Naidu has asked the functionaries to deliver the on-demand broadband connectivity via AP FiberNet as the Sankranti gift.

AP FiberNet’s Internet, TV & Phone Bundle Package:

The AP CM himself tweeted that the Government is providing the internet through AP State FiberNet Ltd at Rs 149 per month for a 15 Mbps line to households. The offices will get a 100Mbps line at Rs 999 per month.

Apart from the high-speed broadband internet connectivity, each connection will get 150 free-to-air TV channels and telephone facility within the same cable network.

tv internet phone bundle

As per the reliable sources of information, AP FiberNet will have a 51 series seven-digited phone numbers. To dial that number, one should add STD code of the location. AP Government will also provide free unlimited calls between the 51 series phone number.

Smart Village Initiative:

To this effort, Mori and surrounding villages in Sakhinetipalli Mandal in East Godavari district are being developed as smart villages by leveraging Digital Technology through AP FiberNet.

The Andhra Pradesh government announced that the Information Technology and Investment Department would avail of a loan of Rs 300 crores from the banks. And another Rs 100 crores from APMDC to purchase customer premises equipment boxes. The state government would extend the guarantee for the loan.

In the first phase, 10 lakh people will get set-top boxes. Prices of each of these AP STBs have been set as Rs 4,000 instead of the commercial Rs 14,500 in the open market.

Customers purchasing the set-top box at an outright price of Rs 4,000 will be given the first preference. One can even purchase the STB by paying Rs 199 and Rs 99 EMI for the next 3 years. There is another option to get the AP STB by paying Rs 500 as down-payment and Rs99 EMI for 4 years.

The AP Government has already started importing the required STBs and would take another 7 weeks to get delivered. Thus, the AP State FiberNet is all set to roll out the digital transformation on the eve of Sankranti Festival. The government plans to connect 1.3 crore households through AP FiberNet.

AP FiberNet

Will the AP FiberNet Rs149 Internet be Worth it?

Currently, the cable TV customers are paying a minimum Rs 500 but the new AP State FiberNet promises to deliver 5GB of 15Mbps speed internet, 150 free-to-air channels and a telephone connection all at Rs 149 is an excellent value for the money if they promise to deliver the speed guaranteed.

Definitely, this is a bold step to launch high-speed internet services at a throwaway price. Fiber optics is the future of the internet and Google Fiber is the first one to realize its potential.

Google may find it difficult to roll out Google Fiber in India but surely it can inspire many firms to start Digital India campaign.

As it is always said, good to start with something new and gradually improve and innovate with the services. Let’s hope the AP netizens will rejoice at Naidu’s aim to transform Andhra Pradesh into a digital state.

fiber optics internet
Image Credit: Tetra Images / Getty Images

Google Yet to Receive Permission for Google Maps Street View Launch in India

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Google Maps Street View – Exploring and Revealing the World.

The internet search giant Google’s virtual mapping tool, Google street view, is yet to receive permissions in India.

As per Mr Sanket Gupta, Maps Lead, Google India, the search giant is yet to get permissions on the policy front to roll out Street View feature in India.

Google Maps Street View ~ Explore the World Without Leaving Home:

Google Street View Program let the users view 360-degree, panoramic and street-level images across more than 83 countries and 10 million miles.

It displays panoramas of the stitched images. And the user can explore world landmarks, discover natural wonders and steps inside locations such as museums, parks and transport hubs at just a click.

Since its launch, Google has announced that it has 20 petabytes of data for Street View covering 83 countries. And about 10 million miles of Street View imagery and 36 million square miles of Google Earth imagery is a part of Google Street View program.

That means Google has mapped and photographed 98% of the inhabited Earth leaving only a few areas of the planet unaccessible on Google Earth. Starting from Nepal with Mount Everest to Pyramids of Giza, Google documented some of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures.

google maps street view expansion
Image Credit: Google

The Hub for Rio Olympics:

Recently it mapped the streets and sights of Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium before the commencement of the Rio 2016 games.

“India is among the top five nations using offline Google Maps. In the case of Google Maps Street View, most photography is done by Steet View cars. But some are done by the trekker where cars can’t go. Technically, we just need cameras and cars.

With more than 5,000 cities and six lakh villages mapped in India, the company aims to develop more country-relevant features.” said Mr Sanket Gupta.

Google Maps Street View Sparks Privacy Concerns:

google street view

This 360-degree virtual reality technology is being deployed in India’s immediate neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and the other nations including Japan. However, the search giant is facing strict rejection in India due to security concerns.

Despite the fact that Google automatically blurs faces, licence plates and other sensitive information, India’s security agencies reportedly objected to granting permission.

This comes in the wake of terrorist attacks in Mumbai and more recently in Pathankot Military Airbase. The Defence Ministry is of the opinion that it is not possible to monitor the service once it is launched. Thus it feels, the service would be detrimental to national security.

This is to remind you that the Google-sponsored Stanford University research project has led to privacy concerns. And faced a similar backlash in countries around the world.

It has limited or no coverage and banned in some countries including Austria, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand etc.

Is Freedom Ever Justified?

google street view temple

Personally, I appreciate Google’s mission to organize the world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful. But when I compare Street View and Maps, the former adds little to the value and functionality of Google Maps.

Then why should Google devote its vast resources and invite litigation and privacy complaints from around the world?

Right now, India is vulnerable to terrorists and more so than other developing or developed countries thanks to our neighbours across the Northwest border.

Latest Update:

Finally, the Indian Government has rejected the Google Street View proposal. The Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Hansraj Gangaram Ahir replied to a question in Lok Sabha that the state would not accept such proposal.

For the unaware, the search engine giant rolled out its Street View imagery in Bangalore on an experimental basis in the year 2011. As it received objections from the local authorities, it stopped the project.

Later on, Google relaunched street view for about 31 tourist sites such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Varanasi river bank, Nalanda University, Mysore Palace, Thanjavur temple and Chinnaswamy stadium. This was done in partnership with the Archaeological Society of India.

Starting in 2015, Google has been in talks with the Government of India for expansion of its 360-degree panoramic and street-level imagery. However, it couldn’t succeed.

Nevertheless, blocking progress in the name of anti-national does not seem right. Is it justifiable?

Google Maps Street View Funny and Strange Photos

Here are some of the weird snaps that got spotted on Google Maps Street View worldwide. One thing is clear, Google Maps sees everything. You can’t escape!

horse boy google street view funny
horse boy in the Hardgate area of Aberdeen

horse boy banana weird google street view
Horse Boy enjoying a banana in Victoria, British Columbia

man horse head woman weird google street view
Horse boy again spotted with a woman at Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

horse boy google street view funny
Horse Boy

rainbow plane
Rainbow Plane in New Jersey

prank on the way?
Just a prank Bro! Don’t worry!

accident recorded by Google camera
Biker performing a deadly stunt or flying the chair @ Ureterpvallaat

weird snap by street view
A snowmobile with legs @ Utqiaġvik (Barrow) in Northern Alaska

legs out
lady legs out

triplets funny pic
Triplets walking down the street?

crime caught by google maps
Thief Exposed: Caught in the act

nature call weird google street view
A man peeing on a dumpster at Canary Islands beach three identical men walking down the street

handjob blonde google maps street view funny
Randy couple caught along Temperance Street, Manchester

car sex google earth street view
Couple caught on Google Earth Street View near Keith, South Australia

Patna Tops Free Wi-Fi Usage at Railway Stations, Mostly for Porn

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Google free WiFi railway station delivers the internet to 6000 different India railway stations.

If free Wi-Fi was a religion, then it would be the most followed one on our planet. In an attempt to provide “fast Wi-Fi for everyone”, Google Station started offering free Wi-Fi facility at railway stations across India.

Unfortunately, this Google free WiFi railway station is one hell of a gift to be so utterly misused by own instincts. A recent report published by RailTel is a shocking revelation of it.

Free Wi-Fi Usage at Railway Stations – Shocking Facts:

Patna Junction Railway Station that falls under Danapur Division of East Central Railway zone topped the charts with highest data usage on the free Wi-Fi service.

Would you guess what would be the most searched thing on this free Wi-Fi network? It is nothing but search for PORN sites.

As per the data revealed by records of the use of data by users, porn dominates the search. This is followed by Apps download, and Bollywood and Hollywood films, of course.

google free wifi railway station

Interestingly, Patna Railway Station is one of the most crowded ones with more than 200 trains passing through it daily. This is mainly due to its presence between New Delhi and Kolkata metros. Undoubtedly, this is one of the busiest rail routes in India.

It won’t be a big surprise if a lot of passengers miss their train from Patna Railway Station. 🙄

Records of RailTel, a mini-Ratna enterprise of Government of India, undertaking once again proved that porn is the synonym of Wi-Fi for most men. Post porn search, people use free Wi-Fi for accessing YouTube videos, and Wikipedia.

After Patna, Jaipur Railway Station followed by Bengaluru and New Delhi Railway Station use the most of the free Wi-Fi facility.

Google Station Free Wi-Fi Project:

google station

The Google Station is a free Wi-Fi hotspot service at major railway stations. This program is being provided under “Railwire”. To the unaware, Railwire is the retail broadband distribution model of Railtel Corporation (Ministry of Railways).

This innovative project is commissioned by Indian Railways in collaboration with Google India. The main aim of the project is to provide high-speed internet access to rail commuters.

The project was planned so that people waiting for the train can check important emails, chat with their near and dear ones.

With the stupendous success of Google Station program in India, the search giant has rolled it out in other countries as well. Currently, this Google Free WiFi project is expanded to Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Brazil, and South Africa.

Statistically, India has the second-largest population (451 million monthly active) internet users in the world after China. But still, there are almost a billion Indians who aren’t online. The overall Internet penetration in India is still only 36%.

Digital India with Google Free WiFi Railway Station Project:

google free wifi railway station by Railtel

PM’s Digitial India initiative is a significant step towards connecting rural India with high-speed internet network. As a part of it, India’s first high-speed public Wi-Fi service was rolled out at Mumbai Central railway station in January 2016.

And the next three stations to have free Wi-Fi facility were Patna in Bihar, Ranchi in Jharkhand and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. To date, this service has been extended to 5500 railway stations across the country.

wifi 5500+ Google free wifi railway stations

On December 06, 2019, Jharkhand’s Mahua Milan station (under East Central Railway zone) became the 5,500th station in the country to have Google free Wi-Fi facility.

Incidentally, Ellenabad railway station (under Bikaner Division of North Western Railway) became the 3000th railway station to get free public Wi-Fi facility on August 19, 2019.

If the reports are to be believed, the Government plans to introduce this free Wi-Fi usage service in 6000 railway stations by this year-end. If the reports are to be believed, there is a target of upgrading infrastructure at 8500 stations in the next two years.

Undoubtedly, this will create the largest public Wi-Fi system in the world.

RailTel Bridging the Urban-Rural Digital Divide:

Recently, the RailTel has also tied up with Tata Trusts and PGCIL for providing free Wi-Fi facility at 4,791 B, C, D and E category railway stations. As per the reports, these are very small railway stations in low-density areas catering to the rural population.

With this, one can expect a digital bridge between rural and urban India. Currently, RailTel is offering 1Gbps Wi-Fi but planning to upgrade it to 10Gbps.

Due to the high demand for enjoying free internet, the passengers are experiencing the slow speed of the internet. In order to address this speed issue, the RailTel is upgrading its infrastructure.

As per the historical records, Google CEO Mr Sundar Pichai said, 2 million people are logging on to free Wi-Fi deployed by Google and RailTel at major railway stations across India in the month of July 2016.

Surprisingly, October 2019 recorded a total of 15 million user logins in RailWire Wi-Fi services across all stations consuming 10242 TB of data.

Google Free WiFi Railway Station – Empowerment or Spoiling the Society?
Wi-Fi Usage at Railway Station Mumbai Central

Interestingly, the railway officials accept that most of these people use Free Wi-Fi facility for downloading movies, watching YouTube and even adult content.

The user avails this facility by sitting at the railway station premises (along foot over bridges, ticket counters or platforms).

Unfortunately, this internet crazy generation is misemploying the digital initiative and will definitely miss their train if this porn search continues.

train missing scene movie
Image Credit: Shutterstock

Idea Migrates All Prepaid Users to Per Second Billing Plan

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Idea per second billing plan, Not the first to introduce in India.

India’s third-largest telecom operator, Idea Cellular migrated all its prepaid users to per-second billing. As per the company, it has about 157 million prepaid users out of the total 166 million customer base.

It has been reported that only 1.5 million Idea prepaid customers are on per-minute billing and thus this migration plan will be done in a phased manner in the next 30 days.

This move is nothing new, but simply a me-too approach after Airtel decided to migrate its prepaid users who are currently on per-minute billing to per-second billing plan.

Idea per Second Billing Plan

As per TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), telecom companies are now forced to compensate mobile users for call drops and poor quality of the services.

Indeed, this migration to per-second billing plan is a big relief as this will address both subscribers and the telecom operators.

In the event of a call drop, you don’t need to pay for a minute even if you spoke for a few seconds in this idea per second billing plan.

Ironically, Idea Cellular is still giving the option to choose a per-minute billing plan by purchasing special tariff packs. Isn’t it pinching the common again?

Don’t you think it reminds the old saying “Beating the giant snake off with a stick?” ~ What an Idea Sir Ji!!

Idea Per Second Billing Plan – Network Congestion – What an Idea Sirji!

Instead of focusing on call drop menace, the telecom operators are floating alternative routes to get more revenue. It’s really shocking to note that telecom companies are investing a mere 13 per cent of their profits into infrastructure leaving spectrum overhead expenses.

To resolve the problems, the telecom companies should reach out directly to the customer. As per analysts, uniform national policy for towers could address network congestion and call drops issue.

Hope all the telecom operators listen to their stakeholder’s comments and provide high-quality cellular reception.

Truly, an idea can change your life!!

Telecom Update: Data War Churns Consolidation

launch of Reliance Jio

The entry of Reliance Jio altered the face of telecom industry like never before. In fact, one can say that the new entrant successfully disrupted the Indian telecom market.

Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Jio changed how an average Indian consumes data. Thus, it forced the incumbent telecom operators to revise their pricing and market strategy.

Gone are the days of pricing per minute or per second. Interestingly, more than 75% of the revenue came from voice calls. Now data has become the focal point of competition. And the voice calls are offered for free and truly unlimited.

Oil being a finite resource, it was considered to be the most valuable physical assets. Now, everyone hails data as “the new oil”. Though the oil analogy is flawed, it fits when we talk about artificial intelligence and automation.

If we happen to look at the ‘fearsome five’ top most valuable brands of the Tech world – Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, then we will be surprised to know that these companies are collecting vast amounts of data from tens of millions of users every single day.

Reliance Jio can Change Your Life:

jio airtel vodafone

Keeping the cons aside, data has become the most valuable resource on the planet. Realizing the potential benefits, Reliance Jio has started using Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) technology to offer free voice calls for the first time in India.

With this, profits crashed and the telecom industry eventually moved on for consolidation. Finally, this gave rise to the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.

No doubt, the launch of Reliance Jio has led to the rise in internet penetration, it also led the technological revolution from the front. Henceforth, there’s nothing wrong in concluding that the next wave of growth will be driven by data.