The fierce battle for India's hundreds of millions of mobile users has claimed another casualty.

Aircel, the country's fifth-largest wireless operator with around 85 million subscribers, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, the latest company in an increasingly cutthroat industry to throw in the towel.

The firm, owned by Malaysian communications group Maxis, said it was folding in the face of "troubled times in a highly financially stressed industry." Those troubles include "legal and regulatory challenges, high level of unsustainable debt and increased losses," it said in a statement.

It also blamed "intense competition following the disruptive entry of a new player."

Related: India is poised for a smartphone revolution

That disruptive new entrant is Reliance Jio, the $20 billion network founded by India's wealthiest man, Mukesh Ambani. Soon after launching in September 2016, Jio offered its customers free 4G for the first six months. The network raced to 160 million subscribers by the end of 2017.

Ambani's big splash left major competitors scrambling to compete, and slashing their prices in the process. It forced some players to merge: The Indian arm of Vodafone (VOD) hooked up with local competitor Idea Cellular, while market leader Bharti Airtel joined forces with Norway's Telenor (TELNF).

Others threw in the towel and quit the industry altogether, including Reliance Communications -- the company owned by Ambani's younger brother, Anil.

He sold Reliance Communications' mobile business to Reliance Jio in December.

Related: India's richest man buys brother's mobile business after pricing him out

Aircel had tried combining its operations with the younger Ambani's firm in September 2016 but called off the merger a year later over what it described on Wednesday as "various issues and hurdles."

Now, both firms can only sit and watch as the survivors fight for a slice of India's red-hot mobile market.</s>Australian communications equipment company NetComm Wireless has announced the launch of a 4G Cat 6 industrial Internet of Things (IoT) router, the NTC-400.

The router comes with dual-band Wi-Fi in addition to its 300Mbps LTE speeds with support for multiple spectrum bands, as well as a cloud-based remote device manager (RDM) platform that allows for real-time analytics, monitoring, profile updates, inventory reports, and reporting on failed tasks and connections.

According to NetComm, the router is "specially engineered to connect and manage some of the most bandwidth-intensive industrial and in-vehicle IIoT applications", including 4K displays, fleet management, and surveillance.

"The NTC-400 series is engineered to increase operational efficiencies and reduce some of the costly environmental and downtime risks that industrial IoT sectors deal with," NetComm Wireless COO Timo Brouwer said.

"And our cloud-based remote device management platform adds another level of efficiency, with live visibility and smart network management."

The router also contains gigabit Ethernet ports, a serial port, and a USB port.

"I/O ports allow users to read sensors or remotely control equipment such as lights, meters, or pumps; and its ignition sense capability and wide input voltage range makes it ideal for vehicular applications," NetComm Wireless added.

NetComm has been focused on launching new products of late, last month announcing its 1Gbps-capable intelligent 4G fixed-wireless outdoor device, which it said provides the "world's fastest LTE fixed-wireless broadband speeds".

The Intelligent Fixed Wireless Access unit (IFWA-600) is third-generation technology from NetComm, and is set to be used on the National Broadband Network (NBN) fixed-wireless network later in 2018.

A network-grade LTE CAT 16 device, the IFWA-600 provides support for global frequency-division duplex (FDD) and time-division duplex (TDD) 4G bands, including the 3.5GHz band for shared wireless broadband in the US.

This followed NetComm in December unveiling the world's first fibre-to-the-curb/distribution point (FttC/DP) network connection device (NCD), which incorporates a G.fast and VDSL modem and is able to monitor and report diagnostics on the performance of the line going into a premises. It is used in conjunction with NetComm's FttC distribution point unit (DPU), and includes a reverse-power feed allowing the DPU to be powered via the customer's premises.

NetComm last month reported record financial results for the first half of FY18, announcing AU$88.6 million in revenue, up 89 percent, and a jump in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) from AU$681,000 to AU$9.2 million, citing its contracts with NBN.

The company's M2M business more than doubled in revenue, from AU$36.6 million to AU$75 million, while EBITDA in its broadband business jumped from AU$139,000 to AU$1 million.

NetComm Wireless posts record revenue and earnings for first half

Company revenue for the first half of 2018 fiscal year was up by 89 percent, while EBITDA has increased thirteen-fold.

NetComm to provide 4G-like service to remote areas with new fixed-wireless device

NetComm Wireless has announced the 'world's fastest' fixed-wireless outdoor device, which will allow speeds of up to 1Gbps and will be used for NBN customers later this year.

An initial volume order will see NetComm Wireless clock AU$66 million in revenue by providing its intelligent, reverse-powered FttC network connection devices with inbuilt VDSL and G.fast modem to NBN.

NetComm Wireless has announced the 'world's fastest' fixed-wireless outdoor device, which will allow speeds of up to 1Gbps and will be used for NBN customers later this year.

NetComm Wireless and BT's Openreach division have announced achieving speeds exceeding 1Gbps using an FttDP G.fast distribution point unit.

NetComm Wireless and AT&T are focused on bringing broadband connectivity to rural areas across 18 US states using fixed-wireless, while AT&T also rolls out its '5G Evolution' network to 20 metropolitan areas.

Mobile devices offer convenience and flexibility for the modern workforce-but they also bring associated risks and support issues. This policy establishes guidelines to help ensure safe and productive mobility.</s>Wireless headsets help you stay connected without having to use your hands. They’re especially convenient for conversing on the go. If you’re looking to try one out, Amazon is offering the WSCR Bluetooth wireless headset for just $14.28, which is more than 30 percent off its average price.

This headset, which connects to most Bluetooth-enabled devices, offers a built-in microphone and noise-cancelling technology. It features a hook-shaped design and rotating angles to enable comfort and an adjustable fit. It also claims to have a battery life of 5 hours of continuous use or up to 150 hours of standby on one charge.

Although we haven’t tried this headset ourselves, it has a 4.2 out of 5 user rating on Amazon over 640 reviews, with many users describing great audio quality and ease of use. If you want to try a wireless headset, this is a cheap option to take for a spin. For more wireless sound options, check out Macworld’s list of the best wireless earbuds.

This story, "This Bluetooth wireless headset deal lets you free your hands for 30% off" was originally published by Macworld .</s>MUMBAI: Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson has moved Delhi High Court against Aircel and its units for recovery of arrears worth Rs 251.40 crore, becoming the third company to demand payment for services from the bankrupt operator."We have been given to understand that an order passed in the National Company Law Tribunal ( NCLT ) accepting bankruptcy was only for Aircel Ltd and does not include its units Aircel Cellular and Dishnet Wireless. Since Ericsson was providing services to all three companies, the petition for recovery of dues is from all three firms," Ericsson’s counsel Anil Kher said.Aircel didn’t respond until press time Monday to ET's queries sent late on Sunday night.NCLT's Mumbai bench had accepted Aircel's bankruptcy petition 12 days ago, when the Chennai-based operator, along with Dishnet Wireless and Aircel Cellular, filed for bankruptcy after over four months of attempts to settle the matter with lenders. Banks had accepted the company’s request to undertake strategic debt restructuring. But the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to scrap loan recast schemes left Aircel with no option but to file for bankruptcy under the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code.The company, owned by Malaysia’s Maxis , and its units have debt of Rs 50,000 crore which includes Rs 19,889 crore owed to operational lenders, such as Ericsson.Tower firms GTL and American Tower Corp had earlier moved the Delhi High Court to recover Rs 912 crore and Rs 224 crore, respectively, from Aircel. Idea Cellular and Vodafone India have stopped accepting calls to their subscribers from the Aircel network due to non-payment of interconnection fees. Aircel owes some Rs 60 crore to Idea. It unclear how much it has to pay to Vodafone.This will be the second major legal battle that Ericsson is waging to recover its dues. It has previously succeeded in getting an arbitration tribunal to temporarily halt the sale of most of Reliance Communications' wireless assets to Reliance Jio Infocomm. Ericsson is trying to recover over Rs1,000 crore from RCom.</s>Streakwave Wireless, Inc. has joined KP's growing network of authorized resellers, expanding the company's sales channels in North America, while also providing new value-added services for customers in the WISP market. As an official reseller of KP products, Streakwave Wireless will now be one of only a handful of authorized companies able to offer KP's extensive selection of WISP antennas and accessories to their broad and diverse customer base throughout North America.

"Streakwave Wireless is an industry leader in wireless networking, and partnering with them is a very exciting development for our growing business," explains Shane MacDonald, Senior Accounts Manager at KP Performance Antennas. "This new partnership allows the KP brand to broaden its reach to new customers while also benefiting from Streakwave's technical expertise and first-tier customer and technical support."

For inquiries about KP Performance Antenna, please visit http://www.kpperformance.com.

For more information about this release, please contact:

With decades of in-the-field expertise as former WISP operators and Ph.D. antenna engineers, KP Performance Antennas helps wireless internet service providers maximize ROI with products engineered to exceed industry expectations by delivering superior throughput, greater service coverage, dependable performance and reduced maintenance costs, while also providing responsive service, expert technical support and same-day shipping. KP Performance Antennas is an Infinite Electronics company.

Streakwave Wireless, Inc. is a global, value-added distributor with sales and distribution facilities around the globe. Streakwave offers complete lines of wireless broadband networking equipment, telecommunications solutions, IP surveillance/security and green technologies from top-tier manufacturers. Streakwave prides itself on technical expertise along with offering first-tier technical support for most products.</s>Stylish and lightweight, the Jays a-Six Wireless Bluetooth earphones have plenty going for them. If you're a fan of bass-forward audio, the drivers inside the tiny aluminum earpieces here won't disappoint. Those who want a nice crisp high-mid presence might find the a-Six Wireless slightly lacking in that department, but things never sound muddy or dull. For $79, there's little to complain about—these are secure-fitting, stylish in-ears that deliver solid audio for the price. If there's any real complaint, it's that they do little to separate themselves from a crowded field of similar options, many of which are weatherproof.

Available in black-and-gold, gray-and-silver, or white-and-silver, the a-Six Wireless earphones have a simple, refined look. The earpieces are among the tiniest we've seen. The housings are aluminum, and this, along with their size, ensures a lightweight, secure in-ear fit. The earpieces have tiny stainless steel grille caps on their outer panels with small laser-cut holes—a nice visual touch that also serves as a bass port, allowing air to flow more freely and the 6mm drivers to function more efficiently.

The flat, linguini-esque cable houses an inline remote control near the right earpiece. Its central button controls playback, call management, and track forward (though, curiously, not track backward), and when held down for three seconds, operates power/pairing. The outer buttons control volume, or when held for two seconds, one summons your phone's voice assistant and the other tells you battery life. A weighted compartment in the middle of the cable is emblazoned with the Jays logo.

The mic offers average intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we could understand every word we recorded, but there was plenty of fuzziness in the recording to contend with. This is par for the course with Bluetooth earphone mics, but at least it sounds fairly close to the speaker, and the volume is solid.

The earphones ship with five total pairs of silicone eartips in various sizes, and what has to be one of the shortest charging cables we've seen in recent memory. The micro USB cable connects to a covered port on the inline remote control's side panel. Jays estimates battery life to be roughly 12 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the earphones deliver a powerful bass response, and at high, unwise listening levels, the bass doesn't distort. At more moderate levels, the lows are still quite strong in the mix, but seem fairly well balanced out by the high-mids and highs.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the overall sound signature. The drums on this track get some added bass-boosting, making them sound heavier and rounder than they typically do, but things aren't pushed into unnaturally thunderous territory. The same can be said for Callahan's baritone vocals—they get some added low-mid richness that they probably don't need, but they also receive enough high-mid presence to keep things more or less defined. The guitar strums and higher register percussive attacks sound a tad less bright than they normally do. This isn't a dulled sound signature, but it is definitely a bass-forward one that favors lows over crispness or brightness.

See How We Test Headphones

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop's attack gets enough high-mid presence to retain its treble edge and cut through the layers of the mix, but it's not as punchy as it often sounds. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with some serious power—we've heard overly bass-boosted earphones push the sub-bass on this track too far, and that doesn't happen here, but some extra thunder is definitely added to the proceedings. The vocals on this track are delivered with solid-enough clarity, but they seem to have some added sibilance despite not having as much high-mid presence and crispness as they could.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get some added bass boosting that won't appeal to purists. The lower register instrumentation is pushed forward, out of its supporting role, but doesn't quite overtake the higher register instruments in the mix. The brass, strings, and vocals that always sound crisp retain their high-mid presence here, and the bass boosting doesn't go overboard—things sound sculpted but balanced.

One annoyance: Using an iPhone 6s, we often heard a slight signal interference related to the Bluetooth playback in the right earpiece, mostly. It's not loud, but you can hear it over quiet music, and it's an issue we typically hear only in very inexpensive Bluetooth earphones. It shouldn't be considered a deal breaker, but if this type of thing really annoys you, you've been warned.

The a-Six Wireless earphones deliver a bass-forward, relatively balanced mix that will appeal to bass lovers, but not as much to those who want their lows paired with crisp, bright highs. However, the sound is solid overall, particularly for stylish $80 wireless in-ears. Most of the options we test in this range are more sports-oriented—we're fans of the JBL Reflect Fit, RHA MA650 Wireless, the pricier Jaybird X3, and the less expensive Jam Comfort Buds. There's plenty to like about Jay's earphones, but they're in a crowded field of compelling options.</s>New research has found that nearly a fifth of Scottish households have never switched energy provider, despite average savings of up to £250 a year being available.

Ironically, 86 per cent of households said that they would change provider if they could save up to £150 a year - at least £100 less than the average saving available by switching.

The study, conducted by price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, also found that common energy myths, such as being left without gas or electricity during a switch, still prevail.

In Britain overall, almost a fifth of people surveyed (17%) have never switched and a third (33%) are under the impression their current deal is good value for money, meaning millions of households are still unwittingly overpaying on their energy bills.

The study looked at the barriers to switching energy, despite an average saving of £250 a year available for the millions of customers languishing on expensive standard variable tariffs.

Yet what would happen if a household’s energy bill went up, as is widely expected from the Big Six suppliers in the coming weeks? A similar proportion of people (20%) would switch provider if their bill rose by up to £75 a year - half of what it would take for Scots to switch.

Aside from savings and costs, the findings show that two in five Scots believe that the switching process is too much hassle, preventing them from taking a few simple steps to see if a new provider could save money for the whole household.

Signalling a more worrying trend, 17% don’t believe the advertised savings, suggesting that they are not going to gain what they’ve been promised when their new bill arrives.

And one in 10 Scots avoid switching due to concerns about where their personal information will end up.

Interestingly, while only 9% of Scots overall see changing to a renewable or greener energy provider as a positive motivator for switching, this rises to a fifth amongst those aged 18 to 24. The younger generation think of green energy as a stronger stimulus, with 21% claiming that it would be a factor in convincing them to switch provider.

Stephen Murray, energy expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “What’s interesting about the research is that people claim their tipping point to switch ranges from savings of £75 to £150 - yet they could actually save a much higher £250 on average by switching to a fixed rate tariff on a price comparison site today.

“The research also shows that many consumers perceive switching as a hassle. In reality, switching provider only takes five minutes and the cost of not switching from an expensive standard variable tariff far outweighs such as small investment of time.

“While it’s interesting to dig down into the reasons why many Brits aren’t making the switch, it’s also reassuring to see the younger generation is much more motivated by switching to a more environmentally friendly energy supplier - hopefully the future of British energy will be green!”

Households can take control of their energy bills and demystify the process of switching by visiting MoneySuperMarket’s “Why Aren’t More People Switching Energy Provider?” page.</s>OTTAWA — The governments of Canada, Ontario and Quebec are partnering with some of the world's digital heavyweights to usher in the next generation of wireless technology.

A $400-million, public-private investment will create a 5G wireless corridor through Canada's two largest provinces, which will support the growing network of physical devices, vehicles and other objects that are increasingly communicating directly with each other.

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains says the upgrade in wireless telecommunication will help businesses come out on top in what he describes as a global innovation race.

The two provinces and the federal government are each investing about $67 million and the remaining $200 million will be covered by the five private-sector partners.
Aircel, India's fifth-largest wireless provider, declares bankruptcy.