Here is the news reporting from different sources.

Hindu Business Line says that BSNL is “studying the impact” of One India calling number. This means that the whole country is going to be treated as a single entity to place calls. There goes the discussion on Carrier Access Codes- something that BSNL doesnt want at all. Mr Maran, why don’t you act proactively for a change now? Who is the real boss in the Indian Telecom scene? The cartel or the “Regulator” or Department of Telecom? In any case, if they are thinking on those lines, it’s worth the effort anyway. Reliance has shown the way- death of distance accordoing to them. What prevents others to emulate them?

Financial Express reports that BSNL may provide cell phones on demand. Numbers look preetty only in account books or perhaps newspaper reports. Mr Sinha- have you really bothered to check the quality of mobile phone services? Millions would make sense then. As the private operators decide to expand in the hinterland( where BSNL has been making hay)- it would face increased competition.

Sify.com reports that BSNL is eyeing the Content market worth 500 crores. Again the “magic figures”. Fair enough. I believe that content is the future driver of the growth models. Reliance realised it at the launch of their own services. Kudos Reliance. Frankly you seem to have screwed up in the wrong places and got it straight in the right places. There is no other way to describe it. Others are slowly catching up with their “portals”. Offering Internet through GPRS(sucks frankly) for usurious rates.

Finally, Business Standard reports that there is no plan to merge MTNL and BSNL.

Oh well, the neocons in the government ae going to slowly disvest it. Our FM needs money- through taxation policies in era of falling interest rates to selling off the family silver to fund “Bharat Nirman” something that everyone knows that its not going to happen. There are enough candidates to proclaim the same plan.
For example, this lackey who writes on Financial Express about bridging the digital divide. He insists that 74% of FDI is needed to fund the same idea. Oh well, FM, you have strong contacts in media too. These are the traitors, I believe in that very strongly, who routinely dish out prescriptions without realising the import of their words.

Where is the censorship?

Watch this space.

BSNL may finally be able to pat itself on it’s back. People are praising it-it’s got an average user rating and it’s slowly catching up in the absence of any viable alternatives. Airtel, the perennial looser has decided to stay shut and still offer it’s measly 128K line as Broadband- however, user reviews have been excellent for nil downtime of services.

There is a disclaimer here. This is based on the forum posts and accounts of people I recieved via email. I am not lucky so far to get the “Indian Broadband”( 256K which drags).

What BSNL hopes to achieve by it’s plain vanilla offering? It seems that there has been a threat from the communications ministry that they would divest the last mile to private players. Oh, well I really wonder that Maran wants to shut down his office without any portfolio? The idiots that rule us are still smart enough not to let go of their free perks and would rather suck on them slowly like leeches.

So, it appears that BSNL is scrambling to put up “value added services” to it’s BB offering.

Financial Express has the details
I am surprised at their assertion because at the back of this is the imminent threat of Reliance waking up to roll out their own BB service. It would be hard to pen down any firm date. I personally believe that Anil Ambani has very limited options as of now. They would try and promote their Fixed Wireless phones in a big way. However, with TRAI playing spoil sport, you can expect them to turn on the heat on Broadband roll out.

BSNL needs to worry. Frankly because it’s current roll out is ADSL and not ADSL2 as promised. Which means that they seriously need to upgrade their exchanges. I feel that they might be more selective in the “competitive markets” rather than small towns and cities because thats where the real revenues lie. Oh well, they might just have enough sense to get the first mover advantage.

In the final analysis, it is too difficult to read the tea leaves and predict anything. Indian Telecom is like Cricket- full of glorious uncertainities. With idiots umpiring the whole show- just like the Pakistani umpires!

DISCLAIMER:I NEVER LIKED CRICKET AND PAKISTANIS. BUT WORTH THE ANALOGY

In another body blow to VSNL’s monopoly-BSNL has decided to shift it’s ILD business to Bharti.

Fair enough. While this bodes ill for Tata’s whose Indicom plans are frsutrated with lack of ideas and subscribers, VSNL seems to be a sinking ship. It’s ISP business has taken a hit- despite it’s hoopla about BB business. It’s front end staff and retailers are angry lot. Talk to anyone and they would testify to the government mindset of taking the things casually. I have even read accounts of customers chasing the sales team to sell them a connection!

In the cut throat market, this is clearly on a loose wicket and wouldnt justify for all the crap.

However, there is a BIG IF. How do these companies manage to quote low rates for tenders without passing on the benfefit to individual retail customers?

Food for thought? Another scam in the offing?

The mandarins in the plush offices don’t give a damn anyway.