Image via CrunchBase

This post was actually motivated by Tech Crunch write up my Arrington (now under AOL) about the biases in Tech Media. In a no holds barred salvo against the tech journalists, he has laid bare the dirty secrets of “journalism”. Of how the mainstream media is subservient to deep pockets.

Arguably, it holds for India too. We have our own Radia hooking up with the journalists to fix up the system. Of course, it cannot be generalized but barring a few who provide some sauce for thought content, most of them are brain dead dodos. More on that later.

Arrington lambastes:

AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher, the chief whiner about our policy, is married to a Google executive. This is disclosed by her, but I certainly don’t see it as any less of a conflict than when I invest in a startup. And yet she whines. One of her writers, Liz Gannes, is married to a Facebook consultant. She covers the company and its competitors regularly. She discloses it as well, but it isn’t clear whether or not her husband has stock in Facebook. That’s something as a reader I’d like to know. And regardless, it’s a huge conflict of interest. I think someone will think twice before slamming a company and then going to sleep next to an employee of that company. Certain adjectives, for example, might be softened in the hopes of marital harmony.

This is not all. He squarely puts it up here:

I have little hope for this industry until the last of the old guard have finally been put down. They do NOT control the news. They do NOT control opinion. They do NOT get to say who gets to write content and who doesn’t. And they do NOT get to rant about their ethics when they constantly fight against simple transparency.

The central issue is about conflict of interest and bias in reporting. We all have biases and opinions about everything. Heck, this blog is full of rants and sometimes useless opinion. However, these biases (in my opinion) are targeted towards a greater common good. Because if companies can swindle away thousands of crores in 2G scam and pay the same amount upfront for the 3G (described euphemistically as “price discovery”), the same could have been easily rolled for laying state of the art fiber to home networks. Or roll out community Wifi’s even on a pilot basis. But it hasn’t been done.

This rant by Arrington does not place him above the pedestal; rather he is little upfront about the investments he has made in the start ups and his staff covering it. Of course, it would be the next big thing whipping up a hysteria on the blogosphere or in the mainstream media. It may not be work always.

Hence, we are talking of a contentious issue that has no easy solution placating everyone, namely the bias. I have spoken out against the Indian media and anyone sane enough can easily pinpoint it’s dumbing down. The statistics are loud and clear. The print media thrives on numbers and reach. Curiously, the Government has allowed massive inflows in the cross holdings which means that a newspaper also runs television networks as well as the radio or any other vehicle to disseminate “information”. It has made them to grow into huge dinosaurs swallowing up any dissenting opinion.

The same goes for their “web properties” as well. With aggressive cookie based targeting of it’s “customers”, this media is slowly building up it’s online profiles of it’s consumers. While this may sound like a paranoid looney, fact remains that my privacy is violated.

Nevertheless, this brings me to the fall of Business Standard. It has done nothing to raise anyone’s heckles about it’s questionable policies. However, again, in my opinion, it seems to have been hijacked by “research firms” and multitude of “analysts” jumping in the fray.

The mainstream media has “cornered” the “news”. They don’t generate the news. But then how do they put a “spin” on the news? How do they “dress” it up ? The more important question: Why do they do what they do?

This (from Dave Weiner) is very apt explanation.

(The image is used without “permission”; in case of copyright claims, please contact me from the form above).

This “circle of trust” from the people who send out selective leaks tends to grow the mainstream media’s stature “organically”.

Insiders get access to execs for interviews and background info. Leaks and gossip. Vendor sports. Early versions of products. Embargoed news. Extra oomph on social networks. Favors that will be curtailed or withdrawn if you get too close to telling truths they don’t want told.

Of course, most of the conferences organized by mainstream media ends up as a jingoistic farce. With awards given for “best coverage or best advertising spin” as well. It helps to scratch their backs and gain “mileage”. Well, unlikely to be mentioned in bold letters that they have a conflict of interest.

This brings me to the last part of the article. I had been in touch with two journalists from Business Standard. I took pains to upload my RTI application, picture them and send them across. I was also told that they would keep me abreast of any developments following the write up on Broadband (I am too lazy to link to the crap). From what I could make out was that it was a juvenile write up from a person who had no fucking clue about what “domain specialization” really is. Nevertheless, most of the mails have gone unanswered; as if in a dark hole, to their email ids.

Does this signal the fall of Business Standard? Nope. Because it would still make money on it’s print circulation. It does not understand the web as a medium and has gross incompetent people to make it stay afloat. But it’s fallen in the trap of the “circle” that has been alluded to above.

A sad day for a brilliant newspaper; because I owe a lot to it.

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Image via Wikipedia

Kudos to the early adopters who got seduced by 3G. It was hailed as the coming of the jesus; as the next re-incarnation and watching “TV” on the go. There are some stupid people and then there are even more stupid people. The profound cretins can’t even distiguish chalk from cheese.

Interestingly, Business Standard has shown “rare courage” in Indian media to get on with negative coverage of the 3G experience. One of the commonest complaints is the quality of the service.

A fluctuating 3G network is a common complaint from consumers who are early adopters of the service. Users say their new 3G network keeps shifting back to 2G network, mostly in the middle when they are downloading or uploading a video. For the time period that networks shift from 3G to 2G, customers are unable to make calls as well.

Another “frustrated” customer points back to fluctuating network:

And 3G service is not living up to its most luring promise — entertainment while on the go. On the contrary, customers in Mumbai says the 3G network doesn’t work while travelling in the trains. “The advertisements say that 3G users need not miss matches and watch TV on mobile. But once we get on to the train, there are no traces of network, neither 2G nor 3G,” says yet another frustrated subscriber.

I have always advocated community Wifi for the purpose. Invest money from the municipalties. That way, the community owns the network, instead of being dictated by a couple of dickheads. However, as the nature of this banana republic is, we underestimate the indirect costs of having such pathetic companies at helm of the affairs. Wireless data is a pipe dream; a useless idea which should be abhorred.It cannot be undone but well lets see how this unfolds.

A company that cannot ensure proper coverage should be out of the business. Simple. In India, it would not happen though.

P.S. The image above shows the Metro Wifi which ought to be blanketed.

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Although I experimented with a different theme, but I stuck on the present option. It is much more “feature rich” in my opinion and generally works.

What I have done around this time is to integrate the tags and the posts in a more fundamental manner. It took some tweaking of Simple Tags plug in and Open Calais integration (via their API key), which is the first step towards “semantic web”. The idea is to have a better search (from the tag clouds AND the database) as well as be relevant for the searches. I was keen to get a RSS aggregation enabled on the site but it wasn’t possible to do it effectively. Further, it would have just polluted the pages and the different posts so I gave up the idea.

What I love about the tags (and being able to apply it automatically) is the ability for “deep search” and relevance. Although taxonomy is being deprecated in many blog posts, still it is far better than the keyword searches that search engines rely on. The obvious evolution is semantics and identification of contextual linkages for identification of content (instead of merely categorizing them) and this is first step towards that.

On the sidelines, I have emailed to Business Standard regarding the BSNL update on the RTI application and hoping that there would be some traction on that count. I also hope that they would keep me in the loop and do the needful of bringing about at least some accountability in the sector.

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We would never know the true numbers because they would be under reported. DoT would not get in the game and the right from the word go, everyone is claiming that mobile number portability is a no show. I disagree. This is one the huge game changers in the long run and once the hoopla settles down, it’s best to switch providers. I would want something like Google Voice (one number) and get rid of the crap services but I am destined to suffer at their hands.

This also means that I have the full freedom to shift over to rival networks who would provide a better seamless coverage for that occasional data access.

Business Standard has a full page story on this issue It says:

The biggest loser was Reliance Communications (both GSM and CDMA), followed by state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam and Tata Teleservices (CDMA and GSM). Reliance lost 9,837 users, while 192 chose to join its network..

So, no one likes Reliance Telecom. Anil Ambani, here’s one for you; how not to run a damned network.

Industry experts feel MNP will not be a game-changer. Even operators are not expecting the churn due to MNP to be more than one per cent, as against the current rate of four-five per cent. This is based on their experience in the Haryana circle, where MNP was launched in December. Haryana has seen a churn of about one per cent.

Where the F these experts come out from? They are either some way side idiots or “consulting firms”; would the news paper please stand up to explain who are these experts who have been quoted?

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The blurb:

There were problems in interception facilities of video calling on 3G services, which needs to be addressed before the launch. The operators have said monitoring facility of video calls was not available anywhere in the world and the operators were talking to vendors to find out a solution.

The government wants real-time interception by which the security agencies could monitor/intercept video calls as it happens.

Understandably, 3G in India has caused more issues than it has solved.

Unfortunately, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has provided a 2005 document on definition of 3G data rates (to quote):

ITU has not provided a clear definition of the data rate users can expect from 3G equipment or providers. Thus users sold 3G service may not be able to point to a standard and say that the rates it specifies are not being met. While stating in commentary that “it is expected that IMT-2000 will provide higher transmission rates: a minimum data rate of 2 Mbit/s for stationary or walking users, and 384 kbit/s in a moving vehicle,”[18] the ITU does not actually clearly specify minimum or average rates or what modes of the interfaces qualify as 3G, so various rates are sold as 3G intended to meet customers expectations of broadband data.

This causes issues in clear definition of 3G rates that would be expected of these companies to provide us with. This confusion also means that we are in the same league as broadband- no clear definition and companies can murder and get away with.

Suppose if you were to file a case against, say Airtel or Reliance for “speed issues”. They can always get away with “network congestion” argument. Further, in court of law, TRAI could be answerable for it has failed to set a clear cut idea about 3G (being the regulator) and companies claiming the excuse for TRAI’s inefficiency.

As a customer, you are bound to get a short fuse for being cheated on a gargantuan scale for “higher prices” which is now being sold as a value added service in addition to bundling with voice calls. 3G (in the media) has been hailed as the “next wave of broadband” which is clearly unfortunate case of irrational exuberance.

I have tried to contact Business Standard on fine tuning their editorial content and at least their coverage on Tech issues in India. It is the worst case scenario with rehashed press releases as “news” raising the spectre of “paid media news”. These are often attributed to “BS reporter” and is really pathetic for a newspaper of it’s standing and repute.

In the same vein, although much is made about video calling (at least by those who have front facing cameras), I wonder how would the call clarity be.

I hate this murky world, the obvious excess of advertisements and absolutely no semblance of sensibility and rationalism. This only points towards a total state of anarchy but when the customers by themselves lack any means to differentiate chaff from the grain, I have no love lost for the masses. Let them get screwed; this is testified by occasional mails in my inbox complaining about the poor quality of service and mails to Ambanis and Bhartis and what not. Assholes.

In all this mess, I fail to get the kind of service I would want- pure play wireline fiber optic cable with at least 2 Mbps unmetered and perhaps wireless for restricted mobility and occasional odd job that needs to be done of the fly. EDGE is good enough for the needs; basic emails work great on that.

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It is not hard to imagine that Baijal did everything to subvert the process of fair “process” and instead chose to suck and align himself with the corporates, public be damned. It is the lure of these post retirement positions in high places that massages their assess and prostates which makes them vulnerable to poaching. Who gives a damn to the paying public? No one. Perhaps you all idiots deserve this because you elect the same set of bastards (or perhaps don’t vote at all).

Here’s what I had written about Baijal the ex TRAI boss way back in March 2006. It is relevant even now.

Sir, I understand that you are about to retire. Well, finally, yours would be a good farewell. You might end up writing your memoirs (for which I am sure there would be enough “intellectual idiots” to wax and wane about you) or join a board of some telecom company; Reliance is a good option. It’s the calling card for most of the retired bureaucrats who network with old pals.

I have always supported the last mile access option. Why the fuck should BSNL/MTNL sit over miles and miles of old copper wire to premises? All of this is going waste!

Here’s again what I had written way back in the same post:

Sir, there is a lot you can do still. Despite the fact that BSNL Broadband connectivity being one of the most expensive means of access, you have refused to take any action against them. While in your regime, Broadband was introduced, you could have insisted to open up the last mile access.

Still, the reason to dig this Baijal up was that he has been raided in the ongoing Telecom Scam ramifications. This is what Business Standard has to report:

Baijal, who retired from Trai in 2006, is employed by another of Radia’s firms, Noesis. The former IAS officer of the 1966 batch was the disinvestment ministry’s first secretary when it was created.

Here’s a bit about Noesis (a consultancy firm floated by Radia- among the four in the scanner):

NOESIS is a professionally managed corporate & strategic business advisory firm. The key promoters come with extensive experience, understanding & knowledge of process of governance framing of public and regulatory polices in different spheres of the economy with over 300 man years of collective experience in consulting on issues at macro and micro level, with excellent networking and delivery capabilities across different geographies and levels.

One starts smelling the rat. Interestingly it does not mention anything about the people involved in their “management”.

It is no surprise that Baijal has been caught in the cross fire. Everyone knows that this is a “professional hazard” and in this stage of life, they would be able to weather the storm with no accountability. It remains to be seen as to how within power Baijal affected the public policies to benefit the chosen few, how public interest was trampled upon because this bugger chose to quote ONLY for the corporates and how you as a customer can demand accountability.

The easiest way out id to file RTI application, ask them for all the file notings under his rule and that should set the record straight. After my own prior commitments are over, I plan to do the same in the future. And write about this all here.

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Interestingly, the working model displayed by Google has a tie up with Verizon who I believe is in the process of setting up 4G networks for faster broadband access and has gone live in 38 plus cities in US. India is not far behind in the 4G race though and it is Mukesh Ambani who plans to get in the race.

Possibly, I foresee limited accounts with perhaps bundled connections. Mukesh and his cohorts would be very happy to mass produce Chinese crapware bundled with some customized version of Google OS/Jolicloud kind of a mash up. I remember some dorks advertising on Business Standard about network computing; they haven’t replied back to a long list of my queries though a subsequent letter to the editor was published. (I am too lazy to fish out the bookmarks for the time being).

Hence, 4G (LTE) or cloud computing is too esoteric concept for this nation. It is something similar to One laptop per Child project to which Indian Government mercifully rejected the contention. Instead they were keen to promote something like $20 laptop or something. Idiots.

I am not too keen to trust on the cloud computing in any form. I keep a back up of all my files and in any case, it needs polished networks without huge amount of latency built in. Otherwise, the end user experience would be pathetic. It does allow for “off line” usage but I am not too keen on such a product.

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Still, here it goes. (I have already reported this to media watchdog, The Hoot) though I am not sure whether they would put this up on the web site. If you look carefully, this is from some director of India Development Foundation.

If you look closely at the board of trustees it becomes interesting. It has often been alleged but not proven about these lobbyists for “developmental goals” for India. Unfortunately their prescriptions don’t match the reality but it is a separate issue.

I could not access their journal (and neither their table of contents) but here is something about their journal:

The purpose of this journal is to carry out informed public debates on infrastructure policy, given that in most developing countries, infrastructure is as much related to policy as it is to markets. This journal provides a platform for healthy trade and debate regarding new ideas in the infrastructure sector. The journal looks at issues and concerns regarding infrastructure in India and in other countries in the world. Infrastructure includes physical, social, economic and financial infrastructure as well as what we can loosely term market infrastructure (enabling environments like extension services in agriculture and proper commercial laws). The journal also looks at infrastructure issues specific to other countries at present but that may be relevant to India at a later date.

Does this mean that the newspaper is being used for “advertising purposes”? I can only ALLEGE but NOT prove this contention.

Business Standard has been carrying write ups from Surjit Bhalla who is from Oxus Research and it states:

Established in September 1996, Oxus Research conducts frontier level research on emerging markets, with special focus on India. Specifically oriented towards financial markets, Oxus publications include an analysis of the Indian capital market, the role of Chinese mercantilism in causing the East Asian Crisis, currency undervaluation and its relation to growth, the role of the middle class in development, and several articles on the importance of Capital Account Convertibility to growth in developing countries.

Here is the link from almighty Google about Surjit Bhallawith tone and tenor of the write ups is SIMILAR or nearly similar to their aims stated on the web site.

3Indicus Analyticus has been a regular contributor to Business Standard and the link to Google here lists their contributions are similar to those found on their web site. If you look at their sponsors it would make you sit up and notice.

Is Business Standard allowing a multitude of firms and individuals linked to “analytical” firms pushing some agenda? Interestingly, most of these firms are “privately funded” which again raises questions about their source of funding. I googled some more and found out that Surjit Bhalla is associated with some university which again is “privately funded.”

I may have a “vested interest” because I was interested to push them to accept contributions from independent sources which they refused (personal email communication). However, day in and day out, they have these “research firms” jumping in which probably points to their acceptance of some fee or understanding between the parties.

Interestingly, Surjit Bhalla has a “portfolio” dedicated to him (Almighty Google). If you read carefully, it states:

He has worked at the Rand Corporation, Brookings Institution and the World Bank as an economist; has taught at the Delhi School of Economics; and has worked as a proprietary trader/strategist/portfolio manager at the World Bank, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Oxus Investments.

It is fashionable to write about India’s ills but as I mentioned, the prescriptions don’t always mean well for the common man (depending on whose version you’d want to believe) unless the stint with multi national corporations would not leave the outlook stunted and proclaim that ‘capitalism’ is good enough medicine.

It seems like that Business Standard is being used as an advertising medium for a multitude of NGO’s and different “analytical firms” who push their questionable research through wider means and make good money. This is dangerous trend because the voice of independent bloggers or contributors is drowned out.

This also raises doubts about the write up on Shyam’s Ponappa’s write up on Business Standard that has been reviewed here. Of course, the numbers are always a suspect but then here’s interesting aspect. Almighty Google leads us to Shyam’s mention on another NGO actively canvassing for Internet. Behind the flotsam and crappy introduction, it reveals itself to be
behind ICT initiatives.

It’s hard to trust anyone, anything these days.

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Unfortunately, much of coverage on policy issues is usually ham handed and half brained with banal idiots sitting for their two minutes of fame. Interestingly this show was in contrast to other “discussion forums”; the people on the show hit the nail right on head, were well informed and barring a single participant contributed to the overall discussion with a clear level headed idea of providing wireline broadband in those areas under-served over the past few decades.

I have always argued against the usage of statistics because they are taken from a small sample size and extrapolated to the entire population. This is “unfair” but the best thing that we have (See my earlier post on Shyam’s write up on Business Standard). At the same time, these statistics can be seriously questioned but well, that’s a separate issue because hard numbers provide bread and butter to a multitude of consultancy firms. These numbers sound excellent in Government of India reports including the bunch of assholes in TRAI.

If TRAI is the next best thing after sliced bread, why are they persisting with the assinine definition of sub par and sub mbps speeds? Unfortunately, none of the panelists touched on the so called fair usage policies or even goading up TRAI to revise the definition. They could have also elaborated on an alternative peering exchange for India because the existing mechanism sucks. But that’s the best alternative that we have.

Neither did any of the panelists spoke about the thin client model. PC penetration is pathetic because it has not been given the importance it needs but thin client deployments can take care of community needs for Net access. Prices for cloud storage of data has been falling like nine pins and a cheaper deployment in this country would mean that a “universal access” regardless of distance or space can be made available. (It can be argued that data may not be “safe” but then this is one credible alternative).

I have already touched on community Wifi’s where in mass deployment across cities makes for a good and sensible option. The whole idea is to have the local municipal corporation involved and not the telecom operator; people would have the choice to choose their operator and well, even make them accountable.

I have a mail app on my Android enabled (K9 mail) and it works flawlessly to sync my IMAP accounts. Email can be deployed across platforms (Opera’s acquisition of Fastmail needs to be seen in that context) where in dumb devices can be used to communicate effectively. However, wired broadband would seriously drive the market towards knowledge based economy. (See Rajesh Jain’s post on digital economy here, here and here).

More so, we don’t need expensive PC’s but smart devices perhaps based on Android (or Ubuntu Light or even Chrome OS) and the options would multiply manifold if someone really thinks about it.

I have written earlier on why Wired Broadband should be the option rather than wireless (here,here, and here.

So nearly everything that has been discussed on the show has been articulated here on this blog. Just wondering, if TRAI actually went through each and every post, they would find echo in their present “broadband policy” that has been put forth here years ago! (Including the forums where in lot of people have pitched in their ideas).

No wonder, these brain dead dodos are formulating policies that affect us in such a fundamental manner.

The best thing in NDTV’s discussion? The moderator’s comments on why Railway stations and post offices are not being leveraged for broadband thrust in rural areas! Excellent! This is because they have a ready infrastructure and all that is needed is for someone to pull in lines for the last mile access, subsidized by Universal Service Obligation fund and community wifi’s or perhaps Internet Cafe’s with means to identify an individual. Simple isn’t it?

Why is it taking so long for these assholes to understand this?

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This is basically a “repetition of facts” since I have been crowing about the “need for broadband” and the infrastructure bottlenecks that we see. I would reiterate that is the “Congress rate of growth” since there has been no impetus to existing policy by our “respected” telecom minister. Anyway, Shyam lays an important ground for the need: (emphasis mine)

One might ask: why broadband, and not energy, water/sanitation, or roads…? While all infrastructure is essential, broadband gives the quickest, biggest bang for the buck, because of its nature vis-à-vis energy, water or transportation and our regulatory environment and functional organisation (for instance, the complexity of addressing power supply).

But then with erratic power supplies, I wonder whether this can actually be realized since the operational costs shoot up. More importantly, it should lay a stronger argument for Publicly funded Internet Cafes which we have discussed earlier.

Some numbers:

Consider these aspects of our demographics:

Nearly 460 million people are aged between 13 and 35 today.
Of these, 333 million are literate…..This indicates our productive potential. Its realisation would require education and training, efficient functioning, i.e. the matrix of enabling infrastructure, and organisation. If these needs remain unmet, the demographic opportunity can become the liability of an unproductive population, with attendant difficulties and social hazards.

India is facing a DEMOGRAPHIC NIGHTMARE and Shyam has articulated it well. At least some effort can be made to train this work force.

We have many formal and informal institutions providing training and education. We add nearly 300,000 engineering graduates every year to our pool of 2 million engineers.

Most of them unemployable as per the same statistics belted out in the newspaper and/or other forums. The way out, as Shyam says, is in vocational training for which,

National Sample Survey (2004) found that only 2 per cent of the 15-29 age group had formal vocational training and another 8 per cent had non-formal vocational training.

He goes on to quote other statistics and poor web traffic from India to MIT’s Open Courseware and other educational web sites.

I have been facing terrible latency times which makes it impossible to access the journals; courtesy the chimps in BSNL. We are actually paying a huge tax payers money to the multitude of assholes including their pensionary benefits. It’s not justified but then this is India.

In all, in this rather longish post, the need for Broadband also boils down to providing access for education. Well, this is a foregone conclusion.

But then, the big question is: Are these statistics not available to the policy makers? Well, in all probability, they are. Then? Then what? Those assholes don’t want to move their lazy butts ; this is the price we pay for getting such a government.

If anything has to be done, the initiative has to come from the highest levels and before I end this post, I quote from Shyam’s write up again,”

The central government and the Delhi administration have shown they can engage in sheer execution to save face for the Commonwealth Games. Couldn’t our governments choose to make similar efforts to improve an aspect of infrastructure that is perhaps the most powerful means for enhancing our productive capacity and quality of life: broadband?

Oh he gives the example of Shiela Dixit to emulate! Deva re Deva!!!

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Whilst it’s difficult to update it on a regular basis, you can follow up on the news. Interestingly, there has been an editorial about the same in Business Standard and this has been followed up with my letter to editor today. Basically I have recapitulated the contents of the blog mentioned yesterday which is repetition but minus any comments on RIM and it’s crapware. The letter has been reproduced here in it’s entirety.

Dear Sir,

I am surprised that there is an opposition to ban on Blackberry. The only gaffe in the entire episode and consequent drama is because this issue has been made public and received widespread publicity which is not warranted.

Agreed that privacy is important for an individual but the moment one connects to the grid, a person can easily be identifiable. The web browsers routinely collect cookies from sites which tracks user behavior and those systems which are infected with trojans or viruses reveal more incriminating details. Worse still. A brand new activated number is leaked out by telecom companies to various telemarketers for unsolicited calls despite Do Not Call lists and registration and SMS spam has assumed alarming proportions. Why the editorials can’t raise that issue as a matter of concern? Whither privacy?

Most of the countries where RIM operates has an explicit understanding that whatever data flows through Blackberries would be available for scrutiny. National security is paramount and if that is the overriding concern for “snooping on public”, so be it. Cellular calls can easily be tracked with equipment available off the shelf and indeed it was the cover story on an English weekly few weeks back. Similarly, a vital telecom infrastructure should be available for scrutiny because of immediate concerns of remote monitoring by foreign powers and the ability to remotely switch it off during national emergencies. We ought to have full control over whatever equipment is installed including the proprietary source codes. It is up to equipment manufacturer to do business with this country based on their needs. If they feel that our demands are too rigorous, they are welcome not to step in this country.

We live in supercharged times where such naiveté is rewarded by loss of life and property. Post Sept 11 attacks, US has passed Patriot Act which gives them unprecedented access to call logs and the like. I would be surprised if RIM or Blackberries are not monitored in US or even Canada where RIM is in active denial mode to the contrary.

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A much more prudent option would be to analyze the situation and fix the guilty party. TRAI, to my understanding remains out of bounds for the general public. A public body ought to formulate the policies by LISTENING to them rather than stick around in isolation. Yet, it remains open to lobbyists of all hues and the post retirement bonanza is always an option for the retiring bureaucrats.

Remember Baijal? He had done nothing revolutionary while in TRAI but the worst part was that he went on to join some kind of a rag tag consortium of the private players as a “facilitator”. The exact details elude me since I had read this in one of the weekly magazines (for which I don’t have time now). Loosely translated, it is the big boys club where they are known for their wheeling dealings and lobbying since these guys are fully aware of the levers of power.

What this means for you and me? It means that SMS would be atrociously charged even though it is FREE for the telecom companies; customer care is a farce because these are fronts for these companies as the real buggers hide behind the smokescreen and your hard earned money is being palmed off easily.

My mail in response to Sunil Jain’s write up in Business Standard was published recently (in fact quite a lot of them though). I had clearly mentioned that BSNL does not lack the expertise to roll out the networks but rather it has been ham handed by TRAI and the network expansion plans locked up in court battles which stunts it’s growth. This means that a poor coverage of the private players in rural areas continues as it is because these bastards won’t let the others grow. This also means that behind the glitzy advertisements, your over dependence on these players is being taken for granted and for a ride.

TRAI needs to be dismantled or radically overhauled. It’s time that companies like BSNL speak out against them.

I am putting up the published email in it’s entirety.

The real reason for the loss of market share is the ham handed policies
and has nothing to do with lack of an opportunity. For over many years,
BSNL’s expansion for over 40 million lines for GSM has been held up in
court cases or stuck because of the objections of various ministries. This
speaks volumes about the operational efficiency of the PSU’s.

Mr Jain’s write up clearly points the anomaly. The entry of private
telecom players is welcome because they have worked hard to improve the
teledensity. However, this has definitely come at a cost to Indian
industry. None of the telecom equipment is manufactured in India and we
are dependent on the big majors from the Western world. Broadband as a
metric for the GDP languishes. Mobile connectivity based on voice alone
would not contribute to their kitty based on low ARPU’s; most of the
mobile operators have shied away from creating custom applications for
shoring up the value added services. Finally, having a private operator
does not mean that services are automatically ensured. There are a large
number of forums where people recount their horrible experiences with the
telecom operators; no one seems to be wiser than the other.

All of this to be kept in mind before they can get a clean chit. The real
public sector needs to be shored up, given operational freedom to choose
with the best practises and ideally no interference from any quarter. This
would be a fair enough ground to test for the acquisition of customers.
Further, the PSU needs to shed their complacency in case they need to
survive instead of relying alone on the taxpayers money.

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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.

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Rising competition (13 licences for each circle), falling tariffs (lowest in the world, falling further because of per-second billing), rapidly declining average revenue per user (ARPU) because the newer subscribers are the low spenders in semi-urban and rural areas, and high taxes (about 30 per cent in all) ……….have put paid to the aspirations of not only the new entrants but also incumbents……..deleted.

Forget about fancy valuations. I have always contested the claim about the “lowest tariff in the world” because it is not in consonance with the actual “gini coefficient”; which means that we pay more than we can actually spend. It is a bitter truth but then the newspapers need a lifeline of their advertising spends, so rest assured, this truth will NEVER be out.

……Nearly 15 million more users came on board in September….. It has also brought into focus the phenomenon of dual SIMs — existing subscribers are acquiring additional connections, resulting in a seeming increase in subscribers but in fact merely leading to a bill being split between two or more service providers….Deleted.

For the first time, to my knowledge, a newspaper daily has mentioned this in black and white. Let me also repeat. The operators keep the discarded number for a period of atleast 3 months before it is “terminated”. So even though, a customer has left in the middle of month, the disconnection would not be reported for another 3 months (which, I believe is an industry practise). The same customer may acquire multiple connections or dual SIMS; so it is the growth of the SIM cards and perhaps not the customers which is reported. In any case, the simple headcount may not be feasible.

Industry executives blamed much of the ills on the government and the regulator. With falling tariffs, they need to cut costs, but their hands are tied because 35-40 per cent of their costs are taxes and other regulatory expenses. They have to pay 5 per cent of their revenue even from rural areas towards the universal service obligation fund which is meant to promote rural telephony. They said there was no need for the regulator to push for pay-per-second billing by all…… Deleted.

Now this is something that industry officials would always bleat about. Let them come out openly against the said “policies”…shadow fighting the Government wouldn’t help. For one simple reason. If these morons had any iota of service towards customers, I would have sympathized with them. But, they treat their customers like dirt; more so like crap cash cows who feeds in their kitties with little change so that likes of Mittal and his ilk can reap in obscene profits. In any case, let them prove their worth with their commitment to service, their willingness to be transparent, their approachability and customer care in the true sense of the term. People need their money’s worth but alas! My countrymen are basically lazy bastards who wish to have everything on platter without fighting for it.

…….the incumbents said they remain committed and focused on growth. “We will continue to enhance our market leadership and simultaneously open new revenue streams like m-commerce, m-entertainment, digital media and many other products……Deleted.

They have no real option but to focus on Value Added Services which is “babes, bikinis and bollywood”. Unless these people want to “focus” on phone sex services which would be a “high revenue earner” for them.

Rest of the write up seems to sum up the gloom and “brave words” just to reassure the shareholders that “we are up to it”. That we would weave our small little web of deceit, of lies and pull wool over the regulators and leave no stone unturned to defraud our customers because they are basically bunch of idiots and nincompoops. No one knows how much unaccounted for wealth flows in and out of system or whether this elaborate system allows them to launder their money in more effective way. There is no accountability to the customers because they are using a PUBLIC resource and merely by adding value to it doesn’t entitle them to the ownership of it.

Sadly, this isn’t mentioned anywhere. This of course, would be mentioned at all.

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It isnt a bad deal for Idea. For the intellectually inclined, here is a spiel from Business Standard (although the link is guranteed to go dead soon):

At Rs 77 per share that Idea is shelling out for the loss-making Spice, the latter is valued at nearly 20 times forward enterprise value /ebitda (EV/ebitda) while at Rs 157, TMIL is valuing Idea around 15 times FY09 EV/ebitda. That’s possibly because at the end of the day Idea is a gainer from the buyout; it will be left with cash, which for a telco that’s planning to become a pan-Indian player and is now present in 13 out of 22 circles, can come in handy. So while Idea will pay Rs 2,700 crore for the stake in Spice, it will get Rs 7,200 crore from Telekom Malaysia, leaving it with a net Rs 4,500 crore.

I am jittery about the Telekom Malaysia investing here in India because they are known to be thugs in the big league. Remember the Salim Group which cosied up with the Left Government in Bengal? They paid a pittiance and got prime land at throwaway prices in order to set up “housing colonies” and malls.

This marks the formation of oligopolies although I am surprised that no other company offered better money for Spice considering the fact that mobile portability is not feasible in present times; most of the original subscribers are loyal to Spice irrespective of their services. It would have been a ready pool of subscribers with an efficient spectrum. There is something fishy on for sure.

Did anyone make any noise about the regulatory approval? Would we ever see anti competitive clauses?

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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….

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Apart from maximising the revenues, GSM would help them to acquire more customers. I am sure that they would want to leverage the power of GSM and CDMA networks and introduce consolidated billing. For example, they could offer wireless internet on CDMA and voice calls on GSM; some kind of a switching mechanism could be developed.

Unless Anil Ambani wants to call it quits and screw up. Who knows?

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A quick low down of the ensuing events. According to the norms, the spectrum would be issued to the companies who garner the maximum share of the subscribers. This means that apart from the bloated number of subscribers, the whole mobile user base is a BIG suspect. The specturm wars broke out in the public because Raja wanted to ration the scarce resource and act God. There are often shispers of BIG money floating around but then that isn’t the focus of this write up here. At first, the government decided to relax the norms for spectrum allocation. In the meantime, it allocated 10 Mhz of “free” spectrum to the two upgly sisters, BSNL/MTNL. This was challanged by COAI, the motley coalition of the private telecom operators in TDSAT, which is tribunal body to decide the disputes. To add to the confusion in the midst was the huge number of applications that waited to get their turn for spectrum allocation. DoT decided to issue letters of intent to the new players.

In the meantime, the media jumped in the fray and raised the issue of 3G licences and there were various interpretations of the original licencing norms. Government of India thrives in controversy and no wonder that it was very happy to roll in the mud. The motley association was split right through the middle and they could not get their act quite right. After a couple of days, COAI made quiet noises about “settling” the 3G row.

Now comes the icing on the cake. Reliance got an entry in the GSM club by paying a paltry sum of 1600+crores and got their CDMA licence converted to some kind of a “universal access” crap. Whatever that means. Reliance’s entry in the cosy club and hence the scarce spectrum being gifted on the platter was too much for the association to digest. Anil Ambani and the rest exchanged verbal duels clothed in their gobbledegook. In other words, both the parties were fingering each other. When the war of words went out of hand, the DoT wanted to play Godfather and summoned the chiefs of all the telecom companies to “thrash out a solution”.

Raja realised that the game was clearly up and set up a shadow boxing competition. In effect, to announce as to who is the boss. Since there was no consensus on the telecom chief’s meet, he decided to get the PMO involved and had a smiling manmoron to back up his decision.

Thus ended the saga of the “spectrum wars”; the last word isn’t written as yet. I would wait for further news to unfold in the near future. Nevertheless, the mess persists and the ultimate looser is the public exchequer. Without going in detail about the merits of the case, I believe that this telecom mess would tangle itself like a hydra headed monster. No respite!

As usual, the watchdogs were quiet and it was only Business Standard who spoke out at length about the mess around here.

Phew!

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Another entry in the Slimes of India where they have highlighted the broadband woes.

Is it a proof that the mainstream press has woken up to the menace of the ISP’s? Would we see more and more coverage in the mainstream press regarding the pathetic state of affairs? My crystal glass is hazy. These morons would buckle under the lure of advertising money from the associated companies and/or the industry association. They have big bucks and treat the media like a discarded whore. Sadly, media is happy about being in that state.

3 notable exceptions: Business World that still retains the old world charm of thoroughness; absolute delight to read some of their write ups and mercifully have not sold their soul to the devil as yet. Business Standard is another publication that is recommended. For the main political news look no further than The Pioneer.

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