There is a huge variance in the numbers being reported by different news papers. One of the major fall out of mobile number portability is that you can spite your existing telecom operators face; if you are a high value post paid customer, it would be worth it.

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?

Is it any surprise that Broadband is not really taking off in this country? Fact of the matter is deep rooted corruption. Here is a break up analysis of how things are rotten in Karnataka (as an example) and assuming that similar “rates” apply at central government. There is no doubt that being in politics is pure money making enterprise. Here are the low down statistics.

While the Tata-Corus deal was over Rs 36,000 crore, they could have acquired the Government of Karnataka for just Rs 2,825 crore by buying 113 MLAs. Another Rs 1,000 crore might have had to be doled out to mid-term dissidents and other contingency expenses. For such investment, the returns from bribes are fabulous. Even Warren Buffet cannot match it.

This is mere change for a major group like Tata’s. Imagine the clout that these companies have at the national level, their ability to influence major policy decisions and ride roughshod over the customer’s interests.

For example, here is a news from the past when Tatas took over VSNL in 2002 during the time when BJP was in power and it was on a disinvestment spree.

The Tatas today took charge of the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) after signing shareholders’ agreement with the Union Government for acquisition of 25 per cent stake in the telecom major for Rs. 1,439 crores.

Adjusting for inflation, it would be much more than the figures suggest but I wonder how much “speed money” was given and whether it was the right thing to do. It had acquired it’s long distance telephony which at that time was very lucrative.

The total valuation of Tata Indicom as a brand is expected to be in “billions”. This is not counting it’s lucrative tower business.

The company’s GSM services were launched after NTT DoCoMo picked up 26% in the company. The Japanese telecom major, which prides itself in its third generation (3G) offerings, spent $2.7 billion on its first investment in Tata Teleservices, valuing it at just under $11 billion.

One could argue against such fancy valuations but there is no “benchmark” for such a valuation. Rajesh Jain has interesting take on corruption (1,2,3,4,5).

It’s not that the powers that be are not aware of the prevailing situation on ground. It’s easier to keep it this way because a populace kept “busy with basic issues of life like a proper dwelling, electricity, food and infrastructure” would hardly have any time to think about issues like ‘broadband’. Ask the person on street and the familiar reaction would perhaps be,”WTF”.

Hence many times I think that our pretensions about “knowledge based economy” may all be crap and flotsam. The basic issues lie much deeper and as Atanu Dey rightly points out that the basic impediment to our progress may well be the Indian Government itself. It doesn’t matter to anyone though because as we fucking multiply to billion plus, there is always someone laughing behind our backs making a killing of millions.

To round it up, it is pure money power that allows these companies to roughshod it over us. They know that regulations cannot be enforced, the justice system inordinately slow and right to information act does not apply to private organizations (though I can argue against it). At the same time, not being transparent is the biggest asset available to them.

Ha! This was totally unexpected. BSNL has alleged that TRAI’s faulty policies are hampering it’s growth across various circles. It was big news but then allegations are difficult to prove otherwise.

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.