TelecomLive April-2020

Covid-19 www.telecomlive.com 22 Telecom LIVE April 2020 menu of options that can help users in getting answers to their queries on coronavirus. The WHO Health Alert has been developed in collaboration with Praekelt.org, using Turn (www.Turn.io) machine learning technology. DoT initiatives Earlier, DoT had instructed the telecom operators that instead of ring back tone, play audio clip on awareness on coronavirus. All the telcos are following it. Also, government launched a special chatbot on application like WhatsApp. This WhatsApp Chatbot is named MyGov Corona Helpdesk at 9013151515. On the other hand, DoT has written to chief secretaries of all the states, urging them to allow movement of field staff of telecom companies and infrastructure providers, and give other permis- sions to ensure uninterrupted operation of critical communica- tions networks. DoT has also said that move- ment of vehicles carrying diesel for the generators at critical telecom infrastructure should be allowed and that sufficient diesel availability should be ensured. It has also sought states' cooperation for ensuring availability of power supply to critical telecom infra- structure. Aarogya Setu by MeitY The government has also launched its official Covid-19 tracking app called Aarogya Setu. The app has been developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) through Public-Private- Partnership (PPP) under guidance of National Informatics Centre (NIC). You can download the app from any source for free. At the time of download, it will ask you a few question about your name, gender, age, mobile number, and your profession. Once installed, the app detects other devices with Aarogya Setu installed that come in the proximity of that phone. The app will share user data with the government in case anyone knowingly or accidentally you came in contact with tested positive for coronavirus. For this, you have to set your smartphone always ON for location sharing and Bluetooth. According to government, personal data collected by the App is encrypted using state-of-the-art technology and stays secure on the phone till it is needed for facilitat- ing medical intervention. The app's privacy policy makes it clear that user data will not be shared with third-parties. It clearly specifies that “Your data will be shared only with the government of India. The app does not allow your name and mobile number to be disclosed to the public at large at any time.” The app is available for free on iOS and Android in 11 languages. As on April 3, the app saw over a million downloads on Google Playstore. Hackathon for ideas - MeitY Ministry of Electronics and IT, MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), FICCI FLO Pune, APJ Abdul Kalam Centre, Science and Technology Park, Pune (Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt of India initiative), Garage48, Accelerate Estonia, Robotex International (India Initiative) have got together to take a lead in India on the movement, that has got global in less than couple of days - #hackthecrisis #hackthecrisisindia The intent of this hackathon is to develop ideas that are prototypeable in 48-hours which could help solve the crisis and give India an edge in the post-crisis world. The MeitY web site states, “Think of all the problems that arise from the Covid-19 crisis. Which one do you want to help solve? What would be a good solution for that specific problem, and how do you plan to solve it during the hackathon? Do not stop at anything. Think of the crazy approaches. Think of stuff requesting them that the custom- ers be allowed to access all critical websites offering government services, ecommerce and digital payments such as the Bhim app, without being charged for data during the lockdown period. Also, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio said that they have curtailed their voice- based customer care services and urged users to avail all services on their mobile apps. They said their customer helplines are still operational but have informed the users about shortage of agents. Leading companies such as Lenovo, Motorola, Asus, Haier etc have come forward and extended the warranty of their products which were to be expired in the lockdown period. Lenovo and Motorola are offering a free global warranty extension for up to 75 days through May 31, 2020 for all Lenovo/Motorola smartphones and accessories with warranties that are coming to an end between March 15 through April 30, 2020. Haier India said that it has extended warranty on all its products expiring in March and April 2020 to two months after the lockdown is lifted. ASUS India has also extended warranty for all Smartphones, Laptops, Desktops, All in ones and Tablets whose warranty has expired during the lockdown period between March 25, 2020 and April 14, 2020 for a period of 30 days. On the other hand, World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with WhatsApp and Facebook to disseminate Covid-19 related facts to masses. WhatsApp with its user base of 2 billion people will allow WHO to send information directly to the people who require it the most. WHO said the service can be accessed through a link (https://bit.ly/who-covid19- whatsapp), which will open a conversation on WhatsApp. To make the service easily accessible and user-friendly, one can simply send a “hi” text to activate the service which will then provide a