I have been missing out on real incisive comments on the forums elsewhere.

I am posting across an excellent insight by one of the members of Broadband Forums. Original link here. This has been cross posted on the main Techwhack channel.

I guess some of us need to be clear about what broadband internet really means. So, please tell me why I should get rid of my dial up line and take broadband instead….this is what I think…; I need huge data over my internet line, that’s why…there is no other reason whatsoever for taking broadband, like showing off to my friends etc.. I need to do video chat, I need to watch online movies, play online games, share the photos and videos that I shot with my family/friend, check out the latest linux distros…. the list is endless…and all these need huge bandwidth… and for that I want broadband. If all that I needed is sending emails or making railway reservations, I didn’t have to opt for broadband, the dialup would have been suffice.

Ok, now why should I take 24/7 always-on 256 kbps broadband??? Because (1) I need that much bandwidth all the time and (2) I need it 24 hours a day, everyday. Otherwise, the plan would have been like 100 hours Dataone or 50 Hours Dataone package (like the dialup plans). Now, BSNL is giving ‘24 hours always-on’ 256kbps line’ but only 1 GB per month, which, by the way, is equivalent to 10 hours of dataone experience (@ 100 MB per hour). So, either we are expected to use Dataone for 10 hours in a month (at full bandwidth for 256 kbps) or, 720 hours in a month (i.e., 24/7) @ 414 bps speed (!!!), otherwise u have to pay @ Re.1.20 per MB extra. So, are they giving u the promised speed??? or is it just your illusion???

What BSNL is doing is giving you 10 hours of 256 kbps line or a 414 bps 24/7 line (or someting in between). You said dataone is affordable. Is it really?? You don’t have to compare Dataone with broadband in countries line England or Taiwan, at Re.1.20 per MB, Dataone is more expensive than dialup line in India.

People are forced to use BSNL because there is no real competition and people have less (or no) awareness about their rights.

Broadband means unlimited broadband, but we the Indians invented a new definition of broadband (like every other thing) which is unique in India, you can log on, stay connected with a high speed line all day long, but cannot use the internet….simply because it will consume data, and ur limit is only 1024 KB per month… ( then what good is ur broadband after all???) funny isn’t it??? No, its not funny, its a farce, a fraud, cheating with the people…. but the sad thing is some of us is jumping in joy saying ‘HAIL BSNL…’ without understanding anything.

( So, after the ‘very affordable’ broadband offer, ie, 400 MB p.m. @ Rs.250/-, if BSNL comes up with a more ‘extremely affordable’ offer like Rs.100/- p.m. with 100 MB data cap, I wonder what people will say then??!!!!!!)

First, this post blows hole in the incessant argument for BSNL being affordable. There is nothing worse than our intelligence being taken for granted.

Secondly, it makes the case for sticking on to dial up more plausible. Broadband is far more expensive than dial up. Is this fact unknown to the boffins sitting high up?

Thirdly and more importantly. It’s a Public Sector Undertaking that’s making false, libellious claims. They haven’t been hauled up for making wrong representations. Now, how can I call the ones in media writing about “Broadband India” as being “intelligent”?

Not by any figment of imagination.

A minor update:

A reader Mr David has keenly pointed out the actual cost of running BSNL Broadband for 24 hours/7 days a week.

100Mb an hour x 24 hours x 30 days = 72GB a month; 72000 MB x Rs 1.2 per MB = Rs 86000+

Thats more than $1500!

So much for affordability. In any case, I would consumer roughly 500-600 MB through the night in case I wish to download a Linux Distro; around 30-35 MB per hour in case I am on streaming radio and perhaps a lot more while gaming online.

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Tags: Broadband, Broadband India, BSNL, BSNL Broadband, DTH, fraud, Funny, India, Indians, Internet, Linux, Media