I am not a fan of wireless access because it cannot support faster speeds for a wide user base. Not yet. 3G is a big disappointment wherever it has been implemented and is still facing teething issues.

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.

Tags: 3G, CEO, Chinese, Hutch, Hutchinson, Idiots, India, INQ, iPhone, Media, Opera, Telecommunications India, walled garden, Wireless, Wirless broadband

Department of Telecom (may your tribe decrease!) has recently awarded the spectrum to new players. They did that with aplomb and a lot of hoopla. Mishra ji, of TRAI fame, was needlessly fingered, perhaps by COAI (after being induced by post retirement lollies) that the whole process of awarding spectrum was unfair. So far, there has been no clearity about the methodology to award the spectrum to new players. However, entry of new players is surely going to worry the existing players.

In any case, it would make perfect business sense to cartelise because any fall in the prices would affect all the players together. The new players lack the required experience in rolling out services barring a few established players. Who would pay for the cost of advertisements, getting clearances from local authorites, setting up towers, ordering telecom equipment and the works. I believe that it would be introduction with bundled handsets and in order to survive in the metros, the new companies would play their “better network” card. The value added services are a passe’. Anyone with enough balls and brains would pimp for wireless internet and invest wisely in walled portals; imagine the convenience to shop from your handset and pay via SMS. It would require a generational shift in the way we live and work; nevertheless demand can be created and sustained.

Another wave of cheaper handsets would hit Indian shores. The much hyped Google’s initiative called as Android would pave way for better internet experience and with falling prices of smart phones, it would be an excellent platform for new handsets and better net applications.

I was surprised to see Reliance advertising for mobile blog applications. This is surely a brave thing to do; though their portal sucks. They can’t even get their web pages coded properly to conform to the standards. However, with steep prices per SMS, I wonder how many suckers would like to air their thoughts. I am sure that it would loose it’s steam soon. Or unless, Mr Money bags really wants to burn up huge pile of cash anyway advertising.

One burning question. Would the entry of new players really lower the prices? TRAI has mandated the phasing out the Access Deficit Charge payable to BSNL. In effect, that would make the calls cheaper if the existing players decide to pass on the benefits to the subscribers. I have my doubts about that because BSNL would go down fighting as the access deficit charge reflects in it’s annual profits; some MBAs (see I told you, I dont like them) conceal it as “earnings”. The new players would want to recoup their expenses and play the volume game. I doubt, really really doubt that the claimed 25paise for the local call would ever materialise. It’s like pulling out the rabbits from the hat and then claiming it’s magic.

Lets wait and watch.

Tags: Access Deficit Charge, Advertisement, Advertising, android, author, BSNL, COAI, Department of Telecom, Google, handsets, I hate MBA's, India, Internet, Mobile, Reliance, SMS, Spectrum, Telecommunications India, TRAI, Value Added Services, walled garden, Wireless

I am not happy with the current crop of handsets. They remain underpowered with awful memory storage (by default) and they suffer from lack of “intuitiveness”.

Linux is being modified for use in Mobile handsets by major players like Motorola However, these initiatives are not yet happening on a mass scale elsewhere. I would never endorse a Motorola solely based on it’s “linux heart”; I believe that they really need to open up the software so that anyone can modify for his/her own personal use.

Imagine a day when the chips become powerful enough and less battery intensive to be able to support the next generation of applications. The telecom companies are building up ecosystems (or famed walled gardens) of their content and hope to charge a premium. However, as I have been arguing in these forums, such tiny mobile screens would not be able to excite an average Joe to part with his money. This is indeed true as the operators struggle to monetise their 3G services roll out.

Linux based handsets would perhaps change that. I believe that ability to interact with the vitals of your cell phone would enhance user interaction with the device. Imagine being able to download and install via Synaptic. Or being able to run applications on the fly.

Further, Linux is resilient to mobile viruses something that has been the bane of other operating systems like Symbian They need an “extra dosage” of scanners et al to make the phones relevant and “fit for use”. Linux currently suffers no such thing. And I am not happy with proprietary systems. This also means that the cost of the development and licensing also get factored in while purchasing a handset.

Enter Ubuntu Mobile. (Another story at Slashdot). BBC reports:

Its development was prompted by the growth of power hungry portable devices that place new demands on software.

“It is clear that new types of device – small, handheld, graphical tablets which are Internet-enabled – are going to change the way we communicate and collaborate,” said Ubuntu CTO Matt Zimmerman.

(You can track the news here) It’s partnership with Intel would ensure the continuity of the programme; specially when Intel is very keen on dominating the mobile handset market.

What are the practical implications for India? I believe that it should reduce the costs of the high end phones running Linux. With energy savings (in form of longer battery life) and less power hungry mobile applications, it would drive up your interaction with the phone in a more fruitful manner. This would open up the market for interactive services and encourage people to try out new applications.

Open Source stands vindicated. It would affect the bottom line of the companies too (if they really want to do it) and offer much better choice of products running both Ubuntu Linux and/or any other operating system. There is no final word on it as yet; but clearly the rules of the game have been re-written by entry of Ubuntu Linux (or more specifically Linux on mobile phones) and being marketed by the likes of Intel.

P.S. This is no way endorsement of Intel in any manner whatsoever. I use AMD and have been on it for the past 5 years.

Tags: 3G, DoT, GUI, handsets, India, Intel., Internet, Linux, Mobile, mobile phones, Mobiles, Open Source, Opera, operating system, Telecommunications India, viruses, walled garden