Monthly Archive for December, 2009

Mobile number portability and TRAI: Suckers

Published on 29th Dec 2009 in Airtel, Digital Divide, General Thoughts, Indian Telecom and Mobiles. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

As per the media reports, the mobile number portability is delayed because BSNL and MTNL were not ready for it.

In any case, I am toying with the idea of filing a second RTI application but my attention is fixated on academics and it would be impossible to keep a track of the same. In case anyone among the readers feels motivated enough, please let me know through feedback on drapuri (at) gmail (dot) com and I would happily guide the way out including help with drafting of the application.

Trust me, you’d feel very happy with the process to move the sarkari machinery in motion to respond to you. The idea is to inundate these idiots with RTI applications and make them realize that their own regulations are being flouted.

The context of the RTI application should include pointed questions towards mobile number portability, relevant orders to the same, procedure outlined, whether the telecom operators are filing compliance reports, copies of those reports, penalties to be imposed on operators who delay, cause of delays and what action has TRAI taken to ensure compliance with the erring operators.

This is important because TRAI’s own rules are being flouted, mobile number portability would have benefited the incumbent operators and the biggest losers would have been the Government Operators. With delays in capacity expansion, BSNL is already loosing market share. But then, who cares?

The entry of private operators hasn’t really shaken up the market. With perhaps per second billing as the highlight of the year, there is nothing else to speak of. In any case, it would not result in “drastic savings” because of the complex interconnect and termination charges. We don’t really know how we are being scammed.

A further highlight of the proposed RTI application can be the break up of the call rates and the scope for reduction of the same. The operators are dependent on voice revenues to a large extent; data and VAS accounts for a growing percentage of revenues, but as per media reports, not good enough to impact the bottomline in any significant manner. Therefore, the scramble is on to protect the cash cow; at any cost because the customers can be MILKED.

The big question really is: How much profit is really profitable?

TRAI: Second appeal filed with CIC

Published on 23rd Dec 2009 in Digital Divide, General Thoughts, Indian Telecom, Right to Information Act and TRAI. 2 Comments

After receiving no reply from the morons, I have filed a second appeal with CIC, New Delhi. The best part is that it’s free, it’s as easy as it can get by typing in the required information in the drop down boxes and all you have to upload is the copy of the letters sent to the earlier PIO.

This is my first experience with Right to Information Act and has been a learning one too. The excitement is palpable because I can feel that there is some delivery of justice at the ground level. If required, I would be going down personally for the hearing, press upon them the need for a better broadband, force TRAI to eat crow and for once listen to the consumers to act proactively.

For long, huge amount of public funds have been spent on supporting these morons in office. Where is the bloody accountability?

I am awaiting response from CIC regarding the pendancy of my application and it’s status. Once it is accepted, subject to the approval, I guess the next step would be to screw the PIO and his boss regarding the denial of information. Let’s see what happens!

I shall duly update the whole thing here.

Airtel & Vodafone India: Royally screwed!

Published on 12th Dec 2009 in Indian Telecom. 2 Comments

The incumbents had a cosy oligopoly. Their talk plans were similar with no real service differentiator. The new players have changed the equation with “per second plans”. The best part is, according to media reports, is that the monopoly of the COAI (the rag tag motley group of lame assholes) has been called into question.

Calling the COAI as “assholes” is only a reflection of the personal opinion brought about by frustration because of their intense lobbying to delay any customer friendly initiative. After the broadband thingy is sorted out, I would be pressing TRAI for any information to make the telecom companies more responsive. Plus, to find out as to why they permitted the minute plans as existed before and ask them for any compensation if not in monetary terms but force the companies for any excess talk time etc etc.

This maybe a loud thinking but then we should get our money’s worth. It took a lot of time to get Vodafone to work and improve upon their services.

Wait and watch. I feel that the best is about to begin as yet. Let’s wait for the mobile number portability and the magic. The ‘revolution’ my dear friends has come NOW.

TRAI: No response to appeal

Published on 12th Dec 2009 in Broadband in India and General Thoughts. 3 Comments

So far, I haven”t received a response. I am aware that the blog is unable to reach a majority of the Internet users; most of the potential customers also fail to check out the reviews for various ISP’s but then we are sorely limited by choice.

To me, it appears like a simple game. The “base” access is 256 kbps; anything over and above that is a “value added service”. I have no clue as to how the whole thing is priced but logic dictates that it is incremental profit for the telecom companies. The costs are fixed for “digging” up the roads, fixing up the telephone connections and if they are able to give an “error” free connection, people are loath to change their service providers in a jiffy. In any case, landlines are more reliable than a mobile connection because they are not prone for “congestion” or call drops as the case with the airwaves is.

TRAI has not addressed the customer claims so far. I remember the time when I had to struggle upfront against BSNL to start with “unlimited” connection. It was a long fight and after emailing them incessantly, I managed to get “true freedom”.

Right to Information Act has changed the game plan by giving the customer real power in terms of information. I have earlier mentioned that it is one of the most progressive legislation in the history ii independent India because the grass roots policy can be questioned to bring about a change. The appellate authority has 45 days to respond to the appeal failing which I would be escalating the matter to CIC, New Delhi and press for charges against the respective Information Officers.

I would have been happy had this case got the media scrutiny and then bring TRAI on the mat and screw them LITERALLY. For long, we have suffered enough lobbies because it doesn’t suit them. Trust me, we have enough bandwidth to support millions of ‘unlimited connections’ but are at the mercy of the likes of ISP’s like Sify and Airtel. Those associations have money, legal power and reach in the media. We as individual customers, don’t.

I find the idea to “petition” totally useless. If anything has to happen in democracy, one has to reach out to do something. Clicking on the petition is a SURE SHOT sign that you are a f***ing impotent asshole. This “clickitivism” does nothing because these petitions are as good as useless. If you are so overtly concerned about your rights, it’s a better option to hurl some stones outside their corporate offices after ganging up. Or protest outside naked with a group of people. That would generate more news rather than sitting on your sorry ass for want of doing ’something’.

I appreciate all of your concerns and do stay glued here for any news. I shall update it as soon as I get any information.