The following is the text of the email sent and an edited version appeared in Business Standard on 06/11/2009.

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.

Tags: 3G, Access Deficit Charge, Airtel, Broadband, Broadband access, Business Standard, Customer Support, Department of Telecom, DoT, DTH, EDGE, India, Internet, iPhone, Mobile, mobile phones, Mobiles, Reliance, Spectrum, Tata, Telecommunications India, Telecommunications India, TRAI, Value Added Services, Vodafone, walled garden, Wifi, Wireless

I thought I would post this interesting observation by a member of the India Broadband Forum. The user tried asking for support by sending an email.

But the message was not delivered coz apparently the support email id had no space left on the MTNL servers.

He ended up getting this message:

Recipient address: triband.helpdesk@ims-ms-daemon
Original address: [email protected]
Reason: Over quota

Tags: Broadband, Customer Support, India, MTNL, MTNL Broadband, Telecommunications India

It’s been a uphill struggle to get the connection- they have delayed italmost 10 days even after the payment of the required dues. Very soon I might just venture to put out a survival guide- the ways not to suffer at it’s shoddy customer support.

I gather that Airtel is providing an excellent service in the fixed line telephony including broadband- while they may not be able to replicate the reach of BSNL(spreading their tentacles of misery so to say)- they are surely arriving at the scene- realising the gravity of the situation that mobile telephony business cannot provide them the same obscene profits that they were making a few years ago. Data services remain the bread and butter of the operators- I remain firmly of that opinion.

Meanwhile, Huawei has been in the thick with IB and RAW clamouring for details on the deals- those guys have surely been involved in espionage in Bangalore office in 2001. The details were in Times of India recently. How and why they are allowed in this country? I shall try and elaborate on the Chinese in the coming few days. Oh well, on a parting note, certain people were gloating about the new age sunrise of Chinese- the next wave of chinese goods swamping the technological market in telecom equipment- believe me, they have a lot to prove that their intentions are not at world domination by hook or crook.

That is for the reason why there is no irrational exuberance about the multinationals. This blog would try and “expose” the scum of this earth.

Tags: Airtel, Broadband, BSNL, Chinese, Customer Support, data services, GUI, India, Mobile, Opera, Telecommunications India, Times of India