Airtel’s low rental GPRS plan

Airtel has launched a GPRS plan with a monthly rental of INR 98 with 2GB transfer limit. This is pretty cool as something which was available only to large corporate connections before is now available to everyone.

Here are the details:

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Double your Airtel broadband speed with 100 rupees top up

If you are an Airtel broadband user, you can double your speed by adding a top up of INR 100 per month. Your speed will be doubled and you will also get an extra INR 100 calling value from your landline. Here are the plans on which the top up is available:

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BSNL launches 24Mbps broadband plan in India

Looks like folks at BSNL have finally started watching online porn over their 2 Mbps connections. And frustrated with the buffering time, they have decided to launch 24 Mbps broadband plans in India.

Here are the details of the plan (BBG Super Speed Combo 9999):

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Mobile phones with fake or invalid IMEI numbers blocked in India

In the interest of national security, the Government of India had asked all the cellular operators to block mobile phones with fake or invalid IMEI numbers from their networks.

The rule has been implemented starting Dec 01 2009. This means that people having unbranded (or Chinese) mobile phones without a valid IMEI number will not be able to use them on any of the GSM networks in India.

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Mobile numbers in India are now also starting with “8”

OK. I have been wanting to write about this since the last few days, so I am gonna spill it out directly. Mobile numbers in India are now (also) starting with the digit “8”. Apparently, all the “9” ones are used up, so, the Department of Telecommunications has allotted 100 million more number starting with “8” to the operators (There goes Idea’s “nine eight…” theme song).

According to TelecomTalk:

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Broadband connection guide for Indian customers

With a plethora of ISPs now offering broadband services in India, it has become increasingly difficult for consumers to decide which one to go for. This guide takes into consideration the features offered by nationwide ISPs and their pros and cons to help you decide which one is right for you.

It will be easy if we get to know a few jargons first:

Broadband

As per TRAI regulations, broadband is an always on dedicated internet connection with connection speed greater than or equal to 256 kbps. Anything lower is not to be classified as a broadband connection.

Speed

This is the speed at which you will be able to transfer data to/from your computer. This means that more the speed, faster the downloads and uploads.

kbps

kilo bits per second is a unit for measuring data transfer over a broadband connection. Note that kbps is different from KBPS (notice the caps). 8 kbps = 1 KBPS. So, if you go for a 256 kbps connection, you will get effective download speeds of 256/8 = 32 KBPS (Kilo bytes per second).

mbps

mega bits per second is also a unit for measuring data transfer. 1 mbps = 1024 kbps = 128 KBPS.

Always on (PPPOE)

Point To Point Over Ethernet is a protocol to establish point to point connection over an ethernet. Most DSL modems and wifi routers support this protocol allowing an always on broadband connection which is established within seconds after switching on the device. This is the recommended type of connection as it works well with most wifi routers and devices like Xbox, PS3, cellphones with wifi etc.

Browser based login

An alternate method of authentication where you have to login to the ISP’s website before you can start surfing the internet or download any files. This is not supported by DSL modems or wifi routers. This is not recommended as it is cumbersome to use it with wifi routers. Additionally, there are issues if you use devices like Xbox, PS3 and cellphones with wifi.

Uptime

The %age of time the broadband service is up without any disruptions. Most ISPs claim 99% uptime but are usually not able to deliver that.

The different nationwide broadband ISPs:

One of the oldest and arguably the best broadband service provider in India. Almost pan India reach. Offers unlimited data transfer plans upto 1 mbps. Limited data transfer plans upto 8 mbps.

State owned broadband services provider. Pan India reach. Offers unlimited data transfer plans upto 512 kbps. Limited data transfer plans upto 8 mbps.

The telecom arm of the ADAG. Trying to become a pan India provider. Offers unlimited data transfer plans upto 1 mbps. Limited data transfer plans upto 10 mbps.

Telecom arm of the Tata group. Trying to become a pan India provider, although has wider reach than Reliance. Offers unlimited data transfer plans upto 1 mbps. Limited data transfer plans upto 2 mbps.

Here are the features provided by each of these:

In addition to wired DSL connections, Reliance and Tata Indicom provide wimax based broadband services in many places. Wimax is a wifi like technology with range of a few kilometers compared to a few meters for wifi. In this setup, the ISP installs an antenna/dish equipment at your premises. This setup is fine as long as you get good signals.

Lets look at the pros and cons of each of the ISPs:

As per the above two tables it is clear that Airtel is the best broadband service provider in India with awesome speed and excellent customer service. The only drawback we could find with it is that it is not available at a few locations even in big cities like Delhi & NCR. BSNL comes next and scores with excellent speeds. Don’t expect anything from the customer support though. Tata Indicom comes 3rd offering great uptime and average speed and customer service. Their main drawback is that it’s not reliable in terms of speed and customer support. They will move up if they are a bit more consistent.

Clearly, Reliance sucks big time. With pathetic data transfer speeds coupled with old school browser based login, it is clearly the worst broadband service available. Many users have complained that most of the time Reliance’s servers are overloaded and unable to authenticate. Stay away from it.

Which one should I go for?

Airtel. They have plans for all types of usage scenarios from casual surfers to heavy downloaders. You will have complete peace of mind once you get it installed.

Go for BSNL only if Airtel is not available in your area.

Tata Indicom should be chosen only when its not feasible to get Airtel or BSNL.

Many past Reliance users do not recommend it. They rather suggest getting a dial up/GPRS connection or no connection at all! We do not recommend Reliance either. However, if you do not have any of the other 3 options, you can go for it at your own risk.

Tata Sky+ Next Gen DTH services in India

The TATA Group in a joint venture with STAR launched the Tata Sky DTH services in India on 8th August, 2006. Taking a majority of market share from DishTV, they have more of less monopolized the market until a few days back. With the launch of Reliance’s Big TV and Airtel’s Digital TV (and all the hype created with the ad campaign wars), Tata Sky might loose a chunk of its market share to these guys.

In an effort to stay ahead in the race, the Tata’s are gonna launch the Tata Sky+ DTH service in India soon. This will be a DVR based service offering MPEG4 compression wherein the user can record, pause and rewind live TV.

How does Tata Sky+ work?

1. Tata Sky uplinks all channels from broadcasters to its satellite (INSAT 4A).
2. The satellite sends these channels in digital format to the minidish fixed outside your home.
3. The minidish relays the channels to the digicomp which decodes the channels and sends them to your television, giving you an unparalleled television viewing experience with DVD quality picture and CD quality sound. What’s more Tata Sky+ gives you the power to plan and control your TV viewing with features such as record live TV, play back a recorded programme and pause & rewind live TV.

How is Tata Sky+ service different from Tata Sky service?

Tata Sky+ has MPEG4 technology, and an in-built personal video recorder that enables you to record live TV, play back a recorded programme and pause & rewind live TV. These features are not available on Tata Sky service.

Tata Sky+ Features:

1. record your favorite programme/movie
2. watch one programme while you record another
3. set your favorite daily soap for recording only once and it will get recorded automatically everyday
4. pause live TV
5. rewind live TV
6. all the current Tata Sky packages will be available on Tata Sky+ as well.

Recording Functionality:

You can record up to 45 hours of live TV with Tata Sky+. At the press of a button, you have the flexibility to:

1. record one channel while you watch another channel
2. record two channels simultaneously while you watch one of the channels being recorded
3. record two channels simultaneously while you watch a previously recorded programme
4. record a TV series automatically

You can playback the recorded programme at any time convenient to you.

If you want to record all episodes of a programme back-to-back, you don’t need to set individual recordings for each episode. Just set a ‘series link’ for the programme after you set the programme for recording. This will ensure that all episodes of the programme get automatically recorded. You can now play back all the episodes at a time to convenient to you.

The hard disk capacity is 160 GB. There are 3 modes to manage the disk space – Automatic, Warning and Manual.

Price:

The price of the digicomp (hardware) is INR 8999. Installation charges INR 1000 are extra. In addition to the standard package mothly fee for the standard Tata Sky service, one has to pay a monthly charge of INR 50 for the Tata Sky+ service. However, the launch offer will include lifetime waiver of this fee.

This is very good news for Indian customers. With major players getting into a war on this front, we can expect better services and hope that some day, we will get HD broadcasts and other services similar to TiVO etc. in the US. The price might be a little high right now, but with the competition pumping up and players like Reliance and Airtel in the field, it is bound to go down.

3G Mobile Service : The Next Chapter in India’s “Telecom Growth Story” ?

“Network not available”: anyone who has tried to make a call over a mobile phone in Metros (Mumbai, Delhi, or Bangalore) dreads those chilling words. As India’s mobile market has exploded in recent years to more than 170 million users, and as seven mobile operators compete for that growing customer base, spectrum space has gotten tighter and quality of service has diminished.

As a possible solution, last year the TRAI began looking into Third Generation, or “3G”, mobile services in India.

What is 3G ?

3G, or ‘Third Generation’ is the generic term used for the next generation of mobile communications systems. The new systems will enhance the services available today and offer multimedia and internet access and ability to view video footage. 3G technologies enable network operators to offer user a wide range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency.

Who is TRAI?

The Acronym TRAI stands for Telecom Regulator Authority of India. It was formed in 1997. The independent regulator established by Government of India, to regulate the telecommunications business in India.

Mission of TRAI:

• To ensure that the interests of consumers are protected.
• To nurture conditions for growth of Telecommunications, Broadcasting and Cable Services.

Some of its Key Responsibilities:

Make recommendations on the following matters -

• Need and timing of introduction of new Service Provider.
• Terms and conditions of license to Service Provider.
• Technological improvements in the services by Service Provider
• Efficient management of available spectrum.

With a 3G enabled phone and access to the 3G network, one can

• Send and receive video calls
• Watch live TV
• Access the internet
• Receive e-mails
• Download music tracks
• Have basic features of voice calls and messaging services
• Music and streaming video

Numerous applications in various domains like entertainment, work, media, shopping, education, health etc will be possible, giving customers a whole new world of experience.

Well, this is little dicey to answer.

The data speed of 3G is determined based on a combination of various factors including :

• Chip rate
• Channel structure
• Power control
• Number of users in a cell
• Distance of user from cell
• User is moving or stationary
• Synchronization

There is no clear definition of the speeds users can expect from 3G equipment or providers. Thus  customer using the 3G service may not be able to point to a standard and say that the speed it specifies are not being met.

However, It is expected that it provides min speed of 2 Mbits/sec* for stationary or walking users and 348 Kbits/sec* for moving vehicle.

Will 3G in India be as fast as other countries or will it suck like the so-called broadband we have?

3G services are delayed because of the spectrum issues, licensing issues and auction process. There is still not enough clarity on the policy front and there are lot of questions. Once the answers are available, then only we can ensure smooth roll out of services.

We can expect 3G services in India from Private operators by April 2009, all depends on the completion of auction process. State owned operators may roll out by December 2008.

What is the difference between WiMAX and 3G?

3G scores for voice; WiMax may lead to increased broadband penetration. WiMax or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a technology that enables wireless transmission of data over long distances. It offers 10-30 times faster data download speed than 3G.

How much does the 3G & WiMAX license cost?

3G: Up to 10 players, including foreign companies, will be allowed to operate in service area. A base price of Rs 2,020 crore for each bid for a pan-India license has been set. Initially there will be 3-5 operators, including MTNL & BSNL, to sell 3G services.

WiMAX: The spectrum reserve price shall be 25% of the of the 3G reserve price. Reserve price for pan-India broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, popularly known as WiMAX.

The 3G services are expected to cost 20 to 30 per cent more than the costs of prevailing GPRS or EDGE services that provide 144 kbps wireless connectivity.

* – Kbps (kilobits per second) & Mbps (Megabits per second) are the units of data transfer, and are network dependent. 1 Megabit = 1024 Kilobits.

**[Source: Business Standard]