Monthly Archive for September, 2005

Fresh look at Telemedicine- scope

Published on 24th Sep 2005 in General Thoughts. 3 Comments Tags: Linux, TRAI, Value Added Services.

Telemedicine has made a lot of news for the wrong reasons. Partly because there has been a little understanding about the same.

I remember that in the earliest articles I had laid a case for nationwide roll out of Telemedicine. However, it has become increasingly clear to me that beyond its novelty value, there isnt much to recommend it.

At the most, people might use it for “second opinion”; this itself is dicey. In their own enthusiasm, people might be willing to ignore their own best interests. I remember a particular case who had cancer of the food pipe. Of course, the poor lady had no hope for survival; yet surgery would have given her syptomatic relief. There was of course, a difference of opinion between two consultants. It is an isolated case, but there might be many ways to approach a problem.

I am not suggesting that one ought to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I have already mentioned, the utility and a viable business model of Teleradiology. What else can it do?

It maybe possible in say screening for diseases in the periphery or for reporting the extent of the diseases. Very often, the reporting is delayed and relies on the good old postal system. It maybe possible in the future to alert the authorites to take corrective action in case there is any isolated outbreak of a disease.

It can also be used for training of the health workers in the periphery. The same equipment can be used for streaming videos or perhaps as a part of the literacy campaign- the digital projector and the computer in one unit. Of course, it would work in Linux!

How often I have wished that there were adequate facilities in the periphery. One may argue that this is possible via television- which has arguably more reach than telecom companies can hope to reach. However, these are value added services. It is possible to generate localised content and offer it as means of health education in people’s own language. Prevention is better than cure anyday. With increasing health care costs, it makes sense to educate people about the means of prevention; rather than treat them for complications.

As I mentioned about the teleradiology model, I believe that it maybe useful to access the services for radiology in the peripheral areas; digitised XRays are available. Offline loading on to a computer and hooking it up to the central database. This would facilitate diagnosis of the people suffering from various ailments. Of course, they would prove themselves to be great teaching slides.

There are various ways and means in case we wish to utilise the existing infrastructure to solve our present problems. It needs clear articulate thinking and application of mind. Not go gaga over it.

Comments are invited.

Back to Telecom! Is Bharti planning DTH foray?

Published on 24th Sep 2005 in Airtel Broadband, Broadband in India, General Thoughts and India Broadband News. 41 Comments Tags: 3G, Airtel, Broadband, Internet, Landline, Opera, Spectrum.

Is Bharti Televentures planning to enter the DTH market?

The pointers are all there despite their denials. As a consolidated operator- i.e. mobile telephony business, broadband through DSL and their own manufacturing set up for equipments, this is distinct possibility. They might hook up content via tie ups with the private operators, make a hullaballo about it and earn handsome profits.

They have started manufacturing their own set top boxes; initially they might be sold to upcoming operators and later they might just decide to branch out on their own.

By current estimates, there are roughly 80+ million subscribers to the Cable TV- given the fact that Entertainment sells. In a way, this is a huge captive market. The operators are going all out to tie up with various PC vendors to be able to make a dent in their flat sales graphs. Yet it is clear that there is clear lack of “killer application”. Bharti, is anyway, at the forefront to demand spectrum for 3G services, based on the premise that there would large number of post paid customers to sign up for the same. Streaming Internet would sound fanciful anyway.

Then Mr Sunil Bharti is rich and awash with cash. He decided, initially to bid for Airport modernisation- he burnt his fingers in the labyrithine files that are so beloved of the bosses up. Given their penchant to talk through media- it was clear that the government wasn’t really upfront about it all.

Direct to Home platform would assure these operators of a steady stream of revenue in the future- they may even be able to co-brand their services. For example, with a DTH, an Airtel landline free! Well, perhaps it would take someone like Sachin to convince us about the merits for signing up with Airtel.

Personal Blogging?

Published on 24th Sep 2005 in General Thoughts. 0 Comments Tags: Advertising, Broadband, India.

Is personal blogging the in thing? There are people who make money by blogging- I have no hassles to that. However, I have always felt that it is too difficult to rely on a single person’s perspective about an industry.

People who report from the sidelines as journalists, howsoever the “reputed” medium it maybe, there is always a risk that they are echoing the industry as a whole. Hence, ever since I realised this, I changed from merely reporting events to adding my own comments as to how it would affect you as ordinary consumers ( that includes me! )

Infact, this blog wouldnt have been up there if Sify Broadband weren’t there. We wanted to get together those people who suffered at the hands of the organised mafia out to loot our hard earned money.

There has been enough talk about Search Engine Optimisation; there are people who link extensively to their own write ups and those from other blogs. This results in higher rankings in the search engines. Once the popularity is ensured, the industry queues up to advertise- those banner ads appear and well, one ends being just another industry mouth piece.

Of course, there are exclusive reviews; a subtle means of advertising. One would naturally try out something that has been recommended by “reputed” people- a kind of a brand image exercise.

How far is the personal blogging relevant then? Frankly, I go by the gut feel myself. There are few blogs that I never miss- partly because they talk sense. Partly because its worth it to have their viewpoint and expand your own horizon.

However, most of the Indian bloggers in the blogopshere ramble on and on without any counter point being entertained. There are numerous examples-I dont want to elaborate.

Of course, this is my own viewpoint. I have always gone with the disclaimer- reading the contents of this blog may be injurious to your brains!

General musings

Published on 24th Sep 2005 in General Thoughts and Other Frustrated Customers. 0 Comments Tags: Broadband, BSNL.

Over the period of time, I have realised the effect of a robust infrastructure- which has the potential to change the fortunes of a nation. Very much possible that the shitheads sitting up and lording over us have given up this thought totally- not looking beyond their own vested interests.

I have been reading about concerned people who wish to bring about a change through various media. Beyond a flickering headlines, most of them wither out of the public memory sooner or later. Perhaps the media is to be blamed mostly for that. Yet, the ones reporting are derived from the same society as we are. Are we in a fact to be blamed?

The rot goes in much deeper- the malaise is deep set. There have been few lucky people to be able to manipulate the system to their advantage. The education system is in a mess- tinkering with it and ideological brainwashing hasn’t really helped us much. Its a tragedy of monumentous proportions that we are ruled by those people who have no absolute majority in Parliament. What kind of a democracy is this?

Coming back to the infrastructure. Telecom has the potential to bring about disparate groups, spread by either geographical distance or language barriers to come closer on a common platform. The role of telecom in improving the GDP has been explored and enough commentaries made on the same. Yet, vested interests have made sure that we stay aloof in the time warp.

For example, a fundamental shift in the policy to open up the last mile to private players would revolutionise the broadband reach- given the fact that incumbent BSNL is sitting on miles and miles of unused copper. Of course, the policy planners would want to have duplication of the infrastructure- funds that can be utilised elsewhere would invariably line their pockets. This doesnt get proved given the notorious judicial system that is known for inordinate delays.

I dont have the wherewithal to fight the system; stangely, the people who are supposed to be “public servants” are our lords. The same mindset pervades that they be addressed as “Your Lordship”-and hope that you would be attended to.

In this gloom and doom, there is hope- possibly we as a people and ordinary consumers would not be treated unfairly and certainly not at their terms. Yet, this “fight” isnt over yet. I aim to speak out against the whole system on this blog.

Incidentally, I take this oppurtunity to invite among you to contribute. Of course, this would be subjected to “editorial control” so that it conforms to the whole tenor of this blog. Any editorial modification would be notfied and after mutual consent this would be put up on the main website ( Sifybroadband.techwhack.net). I would appreciate a fresh perspective anyday.

Somethings never change- 2

Published on 22nd Sep 2005 in India Broadband News, Indian Telecom and Telecom News. 0 Comments Tags: 3G, Airtel, BSNL, GSM, India, Indian Telecom, Opera, Reliance, Spectrum, TRAI, VSNL, Wireless.

TRAI has stressed on the need to focus on the rural areas. This has been its same “focus” ever since it came into existence. I fail to understand that why doesnt the Government make it mandatory for the operators to provide services in rural areas specially when it was mansated in their licences? This is open flouting of the rules. Inevitably these areas would have to be served- yet they have been out of the loop for a good number of years.

Airtel is crowing about the spectrum- of course they need such fora to air there own thoughts-I quote:

“Jagbir Singh, Group CTO of Airtel Enterprise Services, said, “To provide quality service, adequate spectrum should be allocated. QoS and number of subscribers is usually being talked about, but what kind of spectrum is available should also be looked at to provide good quality service.”
Sir, I believe that your current standards of GSM utilises the existing spectrum inefficiently. What would you do with extra spectrum?

BSNL takes the cake. It’s finance head claims:

“BSNL director (finance) Dr. SD Saxena said that there is a tremendous problem of congestion in the network and spectrum is urgently needed. BSNL is proactively trying to push the 3G technology into the villages, but the spectrum to connect is not there.”

For the 3G services in villages- perhaps the rural customers would pay more than Rs 20000 for each handset Mr Saxena? I d agree about the congestion though.

Private Telcos have moved the Surpeme Court on the fixed wireless phone issue. this controversy refuses to die. Business Standard too has a report.

China Mobile envinces interest in Reliance’s GSM arm in the North East. However, there is a subsequent denial.

Finally, VSNL has been raking a ruckus about reducing the prices for its leased lines, thus eascalating the costs downhill. This one would surely drag on in the courts.

Indian Telecom and it’s various shades.

Some things never change

Published on 22nd Sep 2005 in India Broadband News, Indian Telecom and Other Frustrated Customers. 0 Comments Tags: Access Deficit Charge, BSNL, Department of Telecom, DoT, India, Indian Telecom, Opera, Reliance, TRAI.

Its been over a year now and somethings never change in Indian Telecom.

TRAI has been trying at best to assert itself. Economic Times reports that TRAI has issued directions that Communications ministry shouldn’t bypass it on tariffs. TRAI is the regulator- Department of Telecom treats its like its own fiefdom. No one knows how to keep both the parties happy. No change in this tug of war being played out for the past so many years. Plus of course it shows how opaque the operators are in terms of pricing the calls.

Reliance pays out money to BSNL-Rs 130 crore to be precise. This was because Reliance was caught “stealing” by showing inbound calls as local calls and thereby avoiding to pay Access Deficit Charge- a political hot potato. This marks the final payment to the PSU BSNL- though by no means the end of the story. If TRAI has its way, it wants to end ADC by the year 2009, depsite pressure from the DoT. I believe that the next round of legal wranglings may start off in the near future- BSNL wouldnt want to let go its cash cow just because TRAI says so. I quote:

“As part of a three-stage process, the ADC kitty will be reduced to Rs 5,600 crore in 2006-07, Rs 2,007 crore in 07-08, and then done away it.
ADC had already been withdrawn in most countries as it was found to be inefficient and anti-competitive”. Hopefully we shall soon realise it. This probably marks the deduction in the ADC component in a step wise manner.

TRAI moots the idea of a certifying body to vet billing. About time since billing is very chaotic and there is no degree of transparency at all.

However, as all the grand ideas fail, TRAI is asking the operators themselves to set up an audit committee! Meaning thereby, someone to look over the operators as they go about looting people!
I quote:
“Mr Baijal, however, felt it would be ideal for the industry association to establish the certification agency. Further, on the billing audit, he said that the regulator is keen that the industry should set up an ombudsman, who will settle disputes including billing between the operator and the user.

Of course, we shall see the implementation soon Mr Baijal!

Some things never change.

E Medicine and Reliance

Published on 22nd Sep 2005 in General Thoughts. 0 Comments Tags: India, Reliance.

Reliance has tied up with Appolo group to offer telemedicine.

I have been following the trend of E medicine for over a couple of months now. Till to date I haven’t been able to find a reasonale application for the same. Reliance hopes to encash the “brand value” of Apollo hospitals; remeber they were the ones who misdiagnosed ex minister’s blood cancer couple of years back. As a result of delay, P. Kumaramanaglam breathed his last. That was somewhere in ‘98 or 1999.

How are they going to firm up with a docotr sitting across at the other end of the country? Well, it may suit those people who would kick in for novelty. The asking price is very steep- roughly Rs 1000/- which limits the whole exercise to a chosen few.

I have argued that only working model is tele radiology which has found a viable business model. Rest is crap- unless something compelling comes up.