Monthly Archives: December 2005

A small update

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Somehow, the emerging VoIP skipped out of my mind.

The next year is definitely going to be big for the same. Particularly ever since it’s moving in the mainstream. Expect BSNL to lock you out or persist with assinine limits.

Before I end, I came across a site dedicated to Mobile news and happenings (Mobile Pundit). Sadly, it again remains a “news aggregator”, much like the simple folks in Content Sutra.

What we need here is some objective commentary on the emerging telecom scenario. For that matter, I would rate the mainstream media’s efforts are substandard to highlight the mess in telecom.

If you care for any intellectual stimulation, I would direct you to this post by Atanu Dey on the way Mobile Phones would bring about a change in the way we access information. It’s not a blanket endorsement; yet you would get a reasonable idea as to how mobile phones can add more meaning to our lives.

Recall 2005 Part 3

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Miscellaneous:

Finally, a ring side view of the Telecom circus. Aptly proved by concerned people in Department of Telecom indulging in a tug of war with TRAI. There have been legal representations and intepretations about the TRAI’s mandated role; companies keeping their lawyers busy for filing in Supreme Court against TDSAT or TRAI or Government of India; even against each other.

Reliance’s break up was another major happening; I am loath to accept the fact that “youth icon” Anil Ambani hasn’t been able to deliver the goods. So far. They too have become “also rans” in the mobile sweep stakes. There was a lot of press devoted to Reliance; it’s complicated share holding pattern and behind the scenes players. It was as if the national soap opera unfolding; over shadowing even another spectacle of the Birla vs Lodha.

The only point of concern is the ubridled entry of the foreign players in Indian Telecom market. Airtel hived off it’s stake to Vodafone; difficult to make a guess as to how much Bharti’s actually own the Airtel brand. I remember a full page coverage to Bharti “who gave away his network”; in effect outsourced the same. There has been no follow up post so I wouldn’t know as to how the experiment has fared.

The oligopolies have set in; long distance telephony has been opened up; there is talk about number portabilty; much vaunted “One India” plan to have a flat rate for long distance calling. The usual denials, objections et al. Media slugfest between the different Operator groups; Wifi and Wimax talk; Sivaskaran investing in AirCell and selling of his stakes etc etc.

For this year, this blog has decided to award “ass**** of the year” title to “ole geezer” in goverment service who claimed that broadband can run ONLY on Pentium 4 PC’s. Rejoice! Such “simple folks” make my blog worth it to rant against them.

On a personal front, I would like to thank you all to come here; contribute your ideas and give me enough reason to keep blogging about Telecom. It has been a year of personal milestones for Vinu Thomas.com which saw recored 20,000 posts recently. I was proudly associated with the same as a “moderator”; something that no one relishes. Way to go Guys! The forums have become a single point source for everything related to BSNL broadband and the present moderators are doing absolutely a fantastic job. Admittedly, ISP shoutbox over there was my baby; sadly no one uses it effectively to abuse their ISP’s. Still glad that it’s hanging in there because of the novelty of the idea! Keep up the good work guys!

Finally, I feel happy to be independently blogging about the telecom shifts and shakes in India. The traffic stats have picked up and despite the obvious allurements, this blog is free of advertising. It costs us money to pay for the bandwidth as well as the backups et al. For the time being, we have been subsiding this via other websites to keep this ad free. A request to you all to click on the ads on the main Techwhack channel to keep the status quo.

Despite all this, we move on. Even in our own private spheres, the life shouldn’t stand still. Personally speaking, humans are resistant to change. We feel afraid of the changes and rather leave the life stale. We don’t realise the potential that newer techologies can have to solve the problem of old with new. Let’s change this mindset.

A Happy New Year to you all.

Recall 2005 Part 2

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Broadband

Singularly, we can call 2005 as the “year of broadband”. Far from a crappy dial up we have jumped to somewhat tolerable Internet access. Even if it is kbps.

BSNL has the lion’s share. Of course, it’s charging the customers a “monopoly tax”. With almost next to nil customer service to boot and “glorified son in laws” at the helm of affairs, there isn’t much of choice. The exisiting players are content to call whatever access speeds as “broadband”.

This year saw the high profile exit of Satyam from Sify. It was clear from the outset that they had been “misguided” to the latent demand of access. Indeed, demand had been there but it can be best described as a “F***ed up exprience” for both customers and Satyam. Satyam is a NASDAQ listed company, I had no idea as to why were they persisting with the huge amount of negative press. In a way it’s good for them because it was clearly a lost case.

MTNL and Airtel too decided to go hog the DSL space. I believe that the jury is all out for Airtel. I am excited about the “unlimited” plans. Without any hassle of usage stats or counting your upload/ download limits. However, they could have easily taken the initiative and set the tone and pace for the other companies to follow. It wouldn’t have cost them much to offer higher access speeds thus raising the stake for BSNL and MTNL. The main advertising campaign was for the “low monthly rentals” which sent the media “anal-ysts” (pun intended) in raptures. Oh my God! Broadband at never seen before rates! Without realising the fact that your total cost of ownership is far more than what is advertised.

The regulator slept over. Advertising Council slept over. Consumer organisations slept over. In this business of “sleeping together”, the end consumer is at a loss. Kbps level speeds means that promised goodies like IPTV and Video on Demand would take almost forever. Perhaps by end of next year. As BSNL cries hoarse about signing up “millions of consumers” for “broadband”, it’s the crappy Chinese modems that’s runing the day for the consumers.

What holds the key for next year? One word. Reliance. If the promised venture comes through, we might see Microsoft’s set top boxes on our TV’s. Of course, Reliance is screwing up on the same. In a way, it could have developed a set top box itself, loaded up Linux and “Freevo” on that and made money. Further, it could have dictated the prices for the set top boxes; while others would have slugged on proprietary formats. Another instance of wrong planning and implementation. Well, it is rumoured that Microsoft might seed it’s virus in India soon via TV’s. Let’s see how things work out.

BSNL might improve it’s access or play a long term game by providing fibre optic connectivity. It already has a head start and in the broadband slugfest, it’s surely going to win the game. Atleast in the near future. Others are just hanging on waiting for the big elusive “O”. Broadband nirvana maynot happen soon. Not in the year 2006 for sure.