- Jio Surpasses China Mobile to Lead Global Telco Industry in Data Traffic –
- Reliance Jio, the telecom leader in India, has outpaced China Mobile to become the world’s largest mobile operator by data traffic consumption. With a subscriber base of 481.8 million, including 108 million on its True5G Standalone network, Jio’s dominance underscores its position in the global telecom market.
- In its quarterly results announced on Monday, Jio revealed remarkable achievements, including reaching a total data traffic of 40.9 Exabytes in the January-March quarter, representing a 35.2% year-on-year increase. A significant portion of this traffic, 28%, originates from its 5G subscribers, indicating a swift adoption of next-generation connectivity.
- Jio’s subscriber base stands at 481.8 million, a figure that reinforces its stronghold in the Indian telecom landscape. Notably, the company boasts the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base, with 108 million users on its network. This substantial 5G penetration underscores Jio’s preparedness for the future of telecommunications.
- Israel Uses GPS Spoofing to Counter Iranian Missile Threats –
- Recent reports indicate that Israel has employed Global Positioning System (GPS) spoofing techniques to defend against Iranian missile attacks, a strategy reminiscent of past instances such as the United States’ actions during the Kargil war in India.
- GPS spoofing is a method used to alter GPS signals to mislead receivers, causing them to believe they are in a different location than they actually are.
- This technique can broadcast false GPS signals or modify authentic ones, leading to inaccurate information about positioning.
Spoofing can serve various objectives, such as:
- Tricking enemy navigation systems
- Guarding against unauthorized tracking
- Generating false location data for malicious purposes
- Around 25 years ago, Pakistani soldiers infiltrated India and occupied positions in Kargil in 1999. Despite the Indian military’s request for GPS data for the area, the US declined to provide it.
- The US initially used a technology known as “selective availability” to deliberately introduce inaccuracies into civilian GPS receivers, preserving the highest accuracy for military purposes.
- This method was employed to “degrade” GPS accuracy for the Indian military during the Kargil conflict, impeding their operations.
- India launched NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), formerly named the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- NavIC offers precise and secure positioning, navigation, and timing services within India and up to 1500 kilometers beyond its territorial boundary.
- Recently, two different incidents of naxalites attack were reported from Chhattisgarh and Assam –
- 29 Naxalites were killed in the Kanker area of Chattisgarhin one of the largest operations by security forces in Chhattisgarh.
- In another incident, three vehicles of the paramilitary Assam Rifles were ambushed in eastern Assam’s Tinsukia district.
- The term Naxalism derives its name from the village Naxalbari of West Bengal. It originated as rebellion against local landlords who bashed a peasant over a land dispute.
- The movement soon spread across Eastern India in less developed areas of states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Left-wing extremists (LWE) are popularly known as Maoists worldwide and as Naxalites in India.
- They advocate for the overthrow of the Indian government through armed revolution and the establishment of a communist state based on Maoist principles.
- The year 2022 witnessed the lowest number of incidents of violence and deaths in Naxal-hit areas in the last four decades.
- Violent incidents in Naxalism-affected States have come down by 77% in 2022 compared to the high of 2010.
- The number of districts affected dropped from 90 to 45.
- The number of deaths of security forces and civilians in LWE violence has also reduced by 90% in 2022 compared to the high of 2010 (98 in 2022 from 1005 in 2010).
- The States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala are considered LWE affected.
The Red Corridor is the region in the central, eastern and southern parts of India that experience severe Naxalism–Maoist insurgency.