Dear Sir,

This refers to Shyam Ponnapa’s write up on BS dated 05/110/2009 (Managing Spectrum Efficiently).

The big question. Why do we need 3G? Why not focus on the land line business alone for broadband access? Or better still. Community Wifi?

The arguments for doing away with this are many. Community Wifi is deemed to be a security risk but then countries like Singapore have implemented this on a large scale nationwide. The mobile phones required to access 3G invariably have Wifi access too. Unless, the telecom companies are expecting surefire hits like Apple iPhones or flood of other smart phones to access the Internet, it is not happening.

We don’t have accurate numbers about the likes of Reliance and Tata who are offering their 3G access. If initial reports are to be believed, they are plagued by “line of sight” hassles, ‘network congestion’ and lackluster customer support. To top it all, it has the access limitations which means that broadband access, even on the 3G spectrum would be capped for very obvious reasons.

We have enough bandwidth in the country but as anyone would testify, we have problems in implementing the “last mile access”; having a contentious set of issues like 3G is not going to solve the persistent problem of “last mile access” because no one is interested in sinking money for a long term.

We can have a fair idea from the existing companies like Airtel or Vodafone who charge exorbitant rates under the present implementation of “mobile internet”. What is the guarantee that they would lower down the prices once they pay fancy sticker prices in 3G auction?

3G, would most likely be used for carrying more voice traffic because none of the players harbours any disillusionment about the “mobile broadband” across the length and breadth of the country.
The market for value added services is locked up within the “walled garden” of the existing players; it is unlikely that 3G access would “revolutionize” the content.

This pretty much sums up what I have always alluded here and my opposition to 3G remains.

No wonder, I was surprised to read about INQ phones to be launched by Hutchinson in the Indian subcontinent as the next “iPhone killer”. Businessweek has a habit of spawning up controversies or issues when none exist. These planted stories in the media usually have a smiling face of an overpriced CEO alongside with “emphasis” on his “far reaching vision”.

I have nothing against these phones but with cheap Chinese crap flooding the Indian market, they are a real terror threat. For starters, none of them have IMEI number which helps them to be tracked. Further, there is no confirmation about the degree of radiation they give off; since they dont conform to the established standards.

The Chinese are bunch of slitty eyed idiots; they need to be kept at an arms distance from India. Specially, when it concerns our national security.

I doubt whether the operators would be keen to open up their “walled gardens”. The WAP was such a lousy experience that I swore off the other methods of access except the wireline. With the 3G hoopla, I remain circumspect to the newer developments. Businessweek needs to better define their priorties in black and white though.

The size of the deal is pegged at $1.5 billion (about Rs 6,700 crore), translating into a $6-billion (Rs 26,000 crore) valuation for the company that runs networks across the country and is planning to expand into GSM mobile services in the near future. Tata Teleservices is a loss-making company. Between 2005 and 2007, its cumulative losses stood at Rs 5,604 crore

This India story has been done to death many a times. There is no real addition of the 8-9 million customers per month. It is simply not possible. Most of the metros have choked and jammed. It is saturated. In order to expand into tier B and tier C cities, telcos need funds and assured returns. For all practical purposes, I dont forsee the market “hot and happening”; although the 3G services would assure monetised returns and would ride on the value added services.

It is no secret that Tatas claim their superiority of services based on some abstract benchmarks. There are people who would swear to God not to ever think of Tatas as their service provider. Frankly, TRAI has been unable to implement its own customer friendly norms; trying to get anything out of the useless idiots manning the customer service is a herculean task in itself.

Tata is a weathered story. They have lost it and the writing on the wall is as clear as the sunlight illuminating the dark dungeons of their minds. Telecom is a failed venture and they ought to accept defeat and ship out of business.

Meanwhile, a lot has changed over the personal front too. I am engaged and looking forward to get married soon. This blog has been a constant companion over the past few years and given me a platform to vent out my ideas. I hope to nurture it; a challange to remain and stay focussed on shifts instead of reporting teeny weeny incident. Ultimately, it’s about you and me as the customer which matters the most. And we are on the recieving end. For all practical purposes.

It’s only going to benefit the dodos flashing their new gen Apple iPhones. Who needs a frigging wireless Internet which can work only in isolated pockets of the four metros? There are enough idiots rooting for the cause and I have a nagging feeling that the existing technologies have not been upgraded to benefit consumers instead. A big sloth, this industry relies on its own lethargy.

The auction is expected to fetch the existing Government crores of rupees which would be funneled in wasteful expenditure and of course line their own Swiss Bank accounts.

Rediff reports about TRAI recommendations. They may portend the future of the things to come.

Here is the published story from Business Standard with all legal flotsam. Of note here is the following:

1) Sunil Mittal, the founder of Bharti Airtel, plans to set up a separate company in partnership with Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) that will be the vehicle for acquisition of the South Africa-based MTN Group.

2)The SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) may be registered in a tax-haven country, like Mauritius or Bahamas, the sources said.

3)When contacted, a Bharti Airtel spokesperson said: “We have already issued a statement and have nothing further to add to our last statement. “At this stage, MTN is not commenting further than the cautionary announcement released on May 5, 2008,” an MTN spokesperson said.

4)As equipment and software purchases are huge for telecom companies, the merger would give joint bargaining power to Bharti.

5)”The SPV would also look at listing on the New York Stock Exchange, where valuations of telecom companies are relatively higher,” said a source. The SPV would also be the vehicle for the Bharti Airtel-MTN combine’s future acquisition plans in the US and Europe.

I stand vindicated regarding my future predictions and the fact that Bharti is looking forward to leverage it’s position in purchase agreements. This is in addition to create monopolistic telephone operators which would limit the choice to the consumers.

Pity that these morons can’t extend something to Broadband initiatives. All this is being done prior to the auctioning of 3G licences. Bharti wants to have an exciting piece of this cake. Let’s see who spoils their party….

iPhone is seriously making a dent in Blackberry’s business model; although as a general user, it doesn’t impress me. Job’s reality distortion field has had it’s effects.

If it is priced beyond 20k, it would be of no use unless one really wants to blow up serious money. It means either you are a bank robber or have amassed hue amounts of money and don’t want Government of India to know about it. A much better option would be to get a smuggled handset from one of these “chor bazaars”, haggle over the price (minus any gurantees) and pray that it doesnt go kaput. Useless option. Vodafone India is being managed by a set of nuts who can at best scratch them without applying their minds to it.

People from all walks of life are now complaining of a tactile “feedback” and that these touch phones may not be the answer to one and all. Who knows? It only depends on which side the advertising dollars have been stuffed up one’s puckered (or gaping) hole. And that you mumble about the next BIG thing coming- like the resurrection or the BIG “O”.

To make matters easier for you to follow here, I am referring to the newly launched Samsung Instinct. It claims to have got it’s bearing’s right. It runs on EVDO networks, has better memory storage but lacks iPhone’s acceleratometers. It does everything whatever an iPhone does…well almost. It doesnt give you a blow j*b as yet. Neither does an iPhone.

I wouldn’t see these phones here in India unless Samsung is smart enough to launch them across the world where 3 G services are available. A much better idea would be to provide a soft launch and make it run on the lousy EDGE networks that we have here in India. Then slowly exert pressure on the operators to upgrade their networks to 3G. It works both ways and I am sure there would be a lot of interest in the blogosphere who would want the next mannah from the heaven to be rolled out.

Hmm. But what are you going to use it for? What makes the phone better than a costly brick? So far, I have had no special luck with my broadband because I dont have a “sticky” content. 2 Mbps or more to check emails? You must be f***ing crazy to waste loads of bandwidth. How much p0rn can a man consume in a day? Games? The latency of online networks would kill you before you can blink an eye. Then what?

I am not inclined to comment on the legality of downloading movies and watching them. The debate over torrents is acrimonious. Again it depends on which side of the big moolah you are on.

Hence, all these touch phones and EVDO thingy remains on the fringes of lunacy. Most of the companies here in India cannot ensure decent connectivity even in the best of the times. Even there in US of A (God Bless America!) Sprint has had to cut back on jobs to save their rat infested ship from sinking.

We haven’t heard of the dire straits of Indian companies for all practical purposes. After all, there would be a ceiling to a growth unless they design something like a blow up that also doubles up as your mobile phone. Or a diamond studded vibrator that could truly be a girl’s friend with a mobile phone built in. (Or something like this)