Which broadband gives reliable and efficient service.

Tata Indicom WiMAX in Chandigarh!

After WiFi failed to live up to it’s expectations it’s time Chandigarh gets a slice of the WiMAX party. Tata Indicom is the first company to launch WiMAX broadband internet access in the city. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard which is also popularly known as WirelessMAN. WiMAX can prove to be a great alternative to cable and DSL.

how wimax works

Currently Tata Indicom is charging a little over Rs. 2000 for security and installation which might be a bit too high. It’s not sure if the installation includes the price of a WiMAX adapter card. The installation and security can be waived off provided you pay up an advance rental of four months. The tariff plans are similar to the ones currently being offered by other broadband service providers in the city. A 256kbps unlimited broadband connection has been priced at around Rs. 750 and 384kbps for Rs. 1000.

Wi-Max chip unit may come up in Mohali

Mohali may soon be on the world map for Wi-Max chips, as San Diego (US)-based Next Wave Wireless is carrying out a feasibility study to set up a software development unit for the chips.

The company, listed on the Nasdaq, has shortlisted Mohali and looking for space in the area.

Speaking to Business Standard, Next Wave Wireless Director (Software) (Next Wave Mobile Products-Semiconductor Unit) Prashant Jain said, "We are looking for space in Mohali to set up our software development unit. As far area and investment are concerned, they are yet to be worked out. Initially we will start with a few people and in future we will ramp up the capacity. The chips will be imported and the software part will be taken care of."

Recently, Amsterdam-based GyPSii, a geo-location and mobile social-networking provider, has zeroed in on Mohali to set up its next development centre.

“We supply the world's leading wireless service providers, consumer electronics product companies, and wireless handset and infrastructure manufacturers with the products, technologies, and network solutions they need to deliver next-generation wireless broadband products and services," he said. The company manufactures Wi-Max Chips called ‘No Compromise’ Chips.

Commenting upon Indian operations, especially in Mohali, he said, "The chip will be imported and the software part of the chip is going to be developed in Mohali. Our product called ‘No Compromise’ Wi-Max Chips consumes less power. Secondly, there is an option of hand-off or hand over, and it also provides mobility. So even if a person moves out and even while roaming, he can stay connected. At the moment, only Reliance is offering this service in Banglore.”

The company is contemplaing to export these chips from Mohali to other parts of the World. On India market, he added, "Initially the technology takes times to establish, however the Indian telecom operators are looking aggressively to offer these services to their subscribers. So in the near future India would be an emerging market for us."

It is worth noting that with over 1,100 professionals in 14 countries, Next Wave Wireless is listed on the Nasdaq and provides many of the largest network operators and mobile device manufactures in the world with cutting-edge products and technologies that enable the rapidly evolving mobile-media ecosystem.

It provides device-embedded multimedia software, media content management platforms, and content delivery services delivered through its PocketVideo subsidiary. It also provides high-performance WiMAX and LTE baseband chipsets and multi-band RFICs.

Growth of Broadband in India

Broadband in India has increased many folds, and its growing roughly with speed of 100% every year. The rates have dropped with same rate every year as Big players like BSNL Broadband, Airtel Broadband etc have slashed their rates and have provided way better last mile service.

But still India has to go a long way as the Internet penetration in India is still meager 5% as compared to 25% in China and almost 90% in South Korea. But the signs are good and the country is certainly heading towards right direction as far as high speed internet is concerned.

BSNL to conduct WiMax trials in Vizag

BSNL will conduct WiMAX trials in Vizag apart from Pune and Ahmedabad due to growth of broadband connections in the city.

The Deputy General Manager of the city, G.V. Ramakrishna said that the subscriber base in the city has already reached 16,000 and the company was unable to provide more connections in wake of full utilisation of the telecom exchange.

The company has identified 14 locations to provide WiMAX-based services in the city.

Tata Indicom Broadband - night unlimited plan

The Night Unlimited plan allows you to use your Tata Indicom Broadband connection for free between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. - you will not be charged for any time that you spend on the internet in this period. For a nominal charge of Rs. 299 per month, you can experience unlimited internet at speeds of up to 2Mbps*.

So what are you waiting for – renew with a time based plan and activate your Night Unlimited plan now.

You can activate in any of the following ways –

  1. Login to the ‘My Tariff Plan’ section in ‘My Account’ and activate the Night Unlimited Plan
  2. Call the call centre..
  3. Write to customerservice@tatacommunications.com
  4. Submit your request at any of our walk-in counters

For more details on the night unlimited plan, please click here

Unlimited Broadband: BSNL / Kolkata Telephones Reduces Price

BSNL / Kolkata Telephones reduced the pricing of unlimited broadband plans across the board and introduced several new plans for home users and business.

The 256 Kbps unlimited broadband plan is now priced at Rs. 750 instead of Rs. 900 previously. It comes in two flavors - unlimited and unlimited plus. In unlimited plus your phone call rate is reduced to Rs. 1 per unit.

They also introduced 512 Kbps unlimited (and unlimited plus) plans priced at Rs. 1350 per month. The phone rate in plus plan is reduced to 80 paisa per minute.

The introduced two unlimited business plans (with plus variants for each) providing 256 Kbps and 512 Kbps and priced at Rs 3300 and Rs. 6000 respectively. The plus plans provide regular phone calls at the rate of 90 paisa per minute.

BSNL Dataone type 4 Router WA3002G4 configure to airtel broadband

Airtel uses a single VPI/VCI for the whole of India, that being 1/32 respectively.

Just make sure one of the 7 it has is this.

BSNL: 0/35
BSNL (some areas) 0/86
Airtel 1/32 (net) and 1/35 (iptv)
MTNL: 0/32
TATA: (as far as i know) 1/100

PVC VPI/VCI
PVC0 0 / 35
PVC1 8 / 35
PVC2 0 / 100
PVC3 0 / 32
PVC4 8 / 81
PVC5 8 / 32
PVC6 14 / 24

Only 1 of these is used... So you could have values setup for all 7 to connect different ones... (maybe?).. I have been told that the number you connect to needs to be the first one, but that does not seem to be the case...(maybe?)...


EG....
BSNL: 0/35
BSNL (some areas) 0/86
Airtel 1/32 (net) and 1/35 (iptv)
MTNL: 0/32
TATA: 0/100 or
TATA: 1/100

Setting up Linksys WiFi router with Airtel Broadband

I bought a Linksys WiFi router last weekend. I had a small bit of trouble configuring it, although the problem was trivial, it took me some time to figure it out. I’m jotting down some notes here about what I did to resolve the problem.

The Problem
The beetel DSL modem installed by Airtel has the IP address set to 192.168.1.1. The Linksys router (and probably other routers as well) use the same IP address (192.168.1.1) as their default IP address for accessing their configuration page. This causes an IP address conflict and hence the router wouldn’t be able to forward IP packets to the modem.

The Solution
1) Insert the installation CD/DVD provided with the wifi router and follow the instruction for installing the router. During the installation (Probably at the final step) the router will fail to detect Internet connectivity. That’s fine, as this is the problem we are resolving. Leave the setup window open and proceed to next step.
2) Open your favourite web-browser and enter the following address in the URL bar : 192.168.1.1
3) The above step should open the Linksys configuration page. If you are prompted for a username and password, enter admin for both the fields. If you had set a router password in step 1 enter username as admin and the password you had set in step 1. Before the username and password is asked you might be displayed a page with 3~4 icons, labeled WAN, LAN etc. select the WAN Icon, enter the username and password as described above, if prompted for.
4) On the page displayed select Setup tab (most likely the first tab) and under that select Basic setup (The exact name/text might vary but would most probably be something similar). Scroll down and locate the field Local IP address. The default value for this field would be 192.168.1.1, change it to 192.168.0.1.
5) Scroll further down the page and click on Save Settings. Reset your router and DSL modem (Power them OFF, wait for 10~15 seconds and power back ON). Wait for around 1~2 minutes (So that the Router and DSL modem have properly rebooted).
6) Complete Installation of the router (Click ‘Try Again/Re-try’ in the setup window we left open in step 1)

You should now be able to browser Internet properly on the wired (directly connected) computer. Setup your Laptop and Desktops with WiFi Ethernet card/adaptors to connect to the WiFi router. After that you should be able to access Internet through them.

Use SMS to send email minus Net

BANGALORE: MyDuniya Networks on Tuesday announced the launch of an service which will allow mobile users to send emails, save and retrieve personal information and share contact details just by sending an SMS and without having to access the Internet.

Currently available for Airtel subscribers in Karnataka, the service will be expanded nationally and to other telecom operators soon, the Bangalore-based startup founder and chairman Jagdish Kini said.

The SMS-based application also supports interactive group messaging and allows files to be sent to e-mail addresses. Commonly-used files such as brochures can be stored on the company’s server and data up to one megabyte can be sent to e-mail addresses using the SMS shortcode 53695. “There is a digital divide between mobile users and web users. This service is a way to bridge this divide,” Mr Kini said.

MyDuniya also has a platform for enterprises and web portals to allow access to customers through the mobile phone. The company says the platform supports two-way interactions and can be leveraged to provide personalised information.

“The goal of the service is consumer convenience and the mobile market is our biggest market. We have launched our initial service on the SMS platform considering that SMS is the most widely used non-voice service” CEO Ganapathy Subramanian said.

With 260 million subscribers, India has the world’s second biggest mobile user base. The country has some 3.9 million broadband connections and about 32 million active Internet users.

BSNL to add 100 million landlines with 25 million in Karnataka circle by 2010

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) announced to increase the capacity of landlines by 100 million across the country by 2010, including 25 million alone in Karnataka, which is the maiden circle to have attained ISO 9001 : 2000 certification.


BSNL chief managing director CMD Kuldeep Goyal said that the company is in the process of inviting tenders for 93 million new lines. “We have decided to push the capacity building program and will plan to set up five million new lines for South India in the next six months”, he added.


Further the company is planning to add three million broadband users in the current year to take its market share from 42 percent to 50 percent, aiming to have 10 million broadband subscriber base.


BSNL also aims to hike its value added services revenue from Rs 700 crore during 2007-08 to Rs 2,000-crore by 2010, for which it is planning to introduce managed network services targeting the enterprise sector.

Reliance Leading the WiMAX Charge in India

The Indian Broadband market is expected to expand almost exponentially over the next five to six years according to a report published recently and it would appear that the use of WiMAX (short for World Interoperability for Microwave Access) is leading the charge with usage expecting to rise to over 21 million users by 2014. WiMAX where installed correctly is designed to provide greater efficiency, development and utilisation of broadband services.

This echoes further additional reports that confirm that the Indian economy is flourishing and the demand for telecommunications networks and services has finally outpaced the availability provided for by what are euphemistically described as conventional legacy wired telecommunications.

It would appear that within the Indian marketplace that vendors, operators and system integrators are all coming together to engineer a bandwidth revolution, the like of which has never been seen before.

Leading the charge in this particular telecommunications sub sector would appear to be Reliance Technology Ventures; the VC (Venture Capital) subsidiary of Mumbai based Reliance AD Group.

One of reliance technology ventures sister companies reliance communications is at present one of India's largest CDMA (code division multiple access) suppliers and is now serving its intention to move into the GSM marketplace.

It has achieved this by its recent funding of a large undisclosed investment in E-Band, a San Diego based manufacturer and designer of multigigabit wireless communications systems.

Given the current rate of growth within the Indian marketplace industry experts are predicting with current levels of investment and expansion we may be at the beginning of what could possibly be one of the world's top three WiMAX marketplaces.

At the forefront of this expansion have been major carriers such as Reliance Technologies who are already running commercial WiMAX services in Bangalore. Should these initial tests prove to be successful and if you want to go on initial criteria and that would certainly be the case, they are predicting that by 2014 the accumulated WiMAX subscriber base in India alone will reach 21 million.

Partly because of its rapid expansion equipment costs the general market costs are dropping whilst revenues are rising. Costs in India are being driven down faster than in any of the major worldwide marketplace.

At present industry analysts state the penetration of broadband throughout India at present lies at an extremely low figure of .2%. With the new technologies and investment rapidly being made available for the industry, experts are predicting the market to double within the next couple of years.

It cannot be denied that globally, investment in emerging wireless technology services such as WiMAX is growing certainly more than any other similar mobile technology.

It is one of those things that you can get a rough estimation of how mature technology marketplace is when you sit back and analyze the number of hardware equipment manufacturers who are prepared to "jump in with both feet," desperate to claim vital market share.

Elsewhere in Asia, WiMAX is expanding and it would appear that from other marketplaces, certain Asian telephone companies are planning to run controlled tests of these services based on WiMAX technology in the United Kingdom next year.

Certainly it would appear that the initial WiMAX tests run by Reliance WiMAX in Bangalore are going well and that the costs of the Reliance Data Card are expected to drop accordingly.

Stephen Morgan writes on many technical issues and more on the above can be found at Reliance WiMAX and http://www.broadbandforum.co.in

49 Million Indians Log on to Internet in 2008

NEW DELHI: Internet users in India have risen to over 49 million this year. Urban users account for a bulk of it, 40 million, with rural net users numbering 9 million. Regular net users, defined as anyone accessing the net at least once a month, number around 35 million (30-million urban and 5-million rural), says online research & advisory firm JuxtConsult’s ‘India Online 2008’ - an offline survey of over 12,500 households across 40 cities and 160 villages countrywide to gauge the online behavior of Indians.
The data indicate that every one in 10 urban Indians (12 percent) is now net connected. And interestingly, over 70 percent Internet users prefer to access the net in Indian languages, with English users dwindled down to 28 percent from 41 percent in 2007.
Internet penetration (as percent of population) has crossed double-digit mark in urban India at 12 percent, up 3 percent from 9 percent last year, and rural penetration stands at 4.5 percent, India’s net user demographics cuts evenly across socio-economic class (SEC) A, B and C, and extends beyond metros (which account for under a third, 30 percent, of all users now, down 6 percent from 2007’s 36 percent). A majority, over three-fourths of users (77 percent), are between 19 to 35 years of age, up 10 percent from 2007.
Surprisingly women account for less than a fifth, just 17.6 percent, of the 49 million odd Indian netizens. The females’ net representation is just marginally higher for urban India at 18.2 percent.
The survey says that over half of all net users (51 percent) in the country are salaried employees in the corporate world. The number of urban netizens has increased by 33 percent in the last one year, from 30 million to 40 million. Of the total number of urban users, 75 percent (30 million) are regular urban users while rest, 25 percent (10-million), are occasional users.

India to issue WiMAX and 3G guidelines in June

Speaking at a recent industry conference in Delhi, Raja said the licence conditions would allow for foreign participation. Under Indian law, up to 74 per cent of an Indian company can be held by a foreign company.

The Indian government expects the rollout of WiMAX and 3G networks to start by January 2009; it has also set a target of 20 million broadband subscribers by 2010. The country currently only has around 4 million broadband subscribers.

The initial WiMAX plans laid out by the Indian government include the auction of three 2.5GHz WiMAX licenses with a 10MHz allocation each for the winners. State-owned BSNL has already been handed 20MHz of spectrum in the 2.5GHz band for mobile WiMAX rollout.

It is still not clear whether the 2.5GHz licence winners will be able to offer mobile services or not. However, the new guidelines should clarify this issue.

Despite all the WiMAX optimism displayed by the Indian government, Gartner is downbeat on the technology's prospects in the country. In a recent report entitled "Beware of WiMAX Hype in India", Gartner forecast there would only be 6.9 million mobile and fixed WiMAX connections in use in India by the end of 2011. Of that number, Gartner estimates the overwhelming majority will be for fixed and nomadic applications

MP urges BSNL to improve broadband service in Nagercoil district

BSNL authorities have been asked to improve the broadband services offered in Nagercoil district by MP, A.V.Bellarmine. According to the MP, the two divisions of Nagercoil district, Kuzuthurai and Nagercoil are unable to offer customers the best service.


Bellarmine pointed out that there is huge backlog of waiting list in Nagercoil Secondary Switching Area. Around 400 people who have applied long time back have still not received the connection so far.

Bellarmine wanted BSNL to reduce the landline phone tariff and keep a flat rate through out the Nagercoil SSA.

BSNL To Provide Broadband Access To 23,000 District Headqrs. In 2008-09

With roll out of 3G guidelines in June 2008 as committed by Union Communication & IT Minister, on Friday, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has geared up for next generation network to connect rural India with wireless communication linkages to provide broadband access initially to 23,000 district headquarters, panchayats etc. in 2008-09, its CMD, Mr. Kuldeep Goyal announced here today.

Speaking on the 2nd day ASSOCHAM organized Global Telecom Summit, Mr. Goyal said that BSNL would provide broadband linkages by going for next generation network from moving on equipment driven technology to software driven technology.

The next generation network would first be laid to all district headquarters, panchayats and thereafter to district boards and zila parishads and over 6 lakh villages across the country, he informed.

The BSNL would also provide broadband facilities through fiber lines and also complete voice over internet protocol (VoIP) by 2015 and quickly adopt 3G networks to provide telecommunication linkages to entire country.

Mr. Goyal also said that Nigam would also adopt WiMax facilities with the introduction of 3G services. The Chairman BSNL also promised that his Nigam swould be able to meet all its commitments for 2010 target laid out for it by the Deptt. of Telecom under Ministry of Communication & IT.

According to him, the next challenge for the Nigam would be to further reduce the telecom cost by extending telecom linkages at war footing for which the intensive efforts are being made within the organization in consultation with other relevant departments as per the commitment given to people by UPA government.

H.P. to spread broadband services

Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh Telecommunication Circle plans to make provision of broadband services to the remote and tribal areas of the hill State its priority for the year ahead.

Addressing a press conference here on the eve of World Telecommunication and Information Day, BSNL general manager Anil Kaushal said the department was planning to provide low-cost computers in collaboration with HCL to the maximum possible number of people in the State. It was also planned to provide broadband services in every nook and corner of the State. 

Mr. Kaushal claimed that the State had a huge network of village telecom services with 16,297 out of a total of 16,425 villages covered.

BSNL is providing broadband services in more than 160 small and big towns of Himachal Pradesh nd has data connectivity at 167 locations, wireless connectivity at 709 locations and 1,067 telephone exchanges.

MTNL all set to provide 3G services

New Delhi: MTNL Chairman and Managing Director R S P Sinha announced that the public sector telecom operator is all set to provide third generation (3G) mobile services and will soon launch Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) without broadband.

"We are always into providing latest technology to our customers.

Against other operators, we are providing broadband services at the cheapest possible rate. Soon, we expect to launch an IPTV without broadband," Sinha told reporters here.

"The company is all set to provide 3G services. We are awaiting the spectrum allocation after which we will start providing these services," he said.

After the launch of 3G services, subscribers will be able to make video calls on their mobile handsets and avail a host of other video and data services due to high data throughput even up to 3.6 Mbps possible in 3G technology, Sinha said.

Highly placed sources said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will soon allow MTNL to render landline, broadband and IPTV services in the National Capital Region (NCR). These inlcude areas like Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, as also the adjoining areas of Mumbai.

The sources said MTNL has applied to DoT for a unified access service licence (UASL). The company now has a basic service licence for landline services and a cellular mobile licence for mobile services.


The cellular licence takes the NCR or the adjoining areas of Mumbai as one circle, so that MTNL can give mobile services in these areas. However, the basic service licence separates the circles.

Britain-India undersea cable system to be launched in 2010

London, May 10 (IANS) Bharti Airtel and 15 other leaders of the global telecommunications industry have signed a deal to build the first direct, high-bandwidth optical-fibre undersea cable system from Britain to India.

The 700 million-pound Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable system is expected to "significantly enhance capacity and diversity" between the countries of three continents, the EIG consortium said.

Sixteen telecommunications companies are investing in the project: AT&T, Bharti Airtel, BT, Cable & Wireless, Djibouti Telecom, Du, Gibtelecom, IAM, Libyan Post, Telecom and Information Technology Company, MTN Group Ltd, Omantel, PT Comunicacoes S.A., Saudi Telecom Company, Telecom Egypt, Telkom SA Ltd and Verizon Business.

The 15,000-km cable system, targeted to be operational in the second quarter of 2010, will connect Asia, Africa and Europe.

Thirteen landings are planned along the cable's route: Britain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Morocco, Monaco, France, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman, United Arab Emirates and India.

In addition to serving these countries, the EIG cable system will also provide seamless interconnection with other major cable systems connecting Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

The system will utilise state-of-the-art next-generation technology designed to provide up to 3.84 terabits per second (Tbps) upgradeable transmission facilities that will support Internet, e-commerce, video, data and voice services.

In addition to complementing existing high-bandwidth cable systems in the region, the EIG cable will provide much-needed diversity for broadband traffic currently relying largely on traditional routes from Europe to India.

"This is important, considering the threat of earthquakes in this region," the consortium said after the signing of a construction and maintenance agreement Tuesday.

The EIG cable system, with its large bandwidth and high-quality transmission technology, will also help meet the present and future growth in telecommunications traffic between the targeted regions.

Bsnl New Plan Flexi-350 in Andhra

BSNL Krishna telecom district has announced introduction of Flexi-350 Home Plan in broadband service from Ugadi on Monday. The minimum monthly charge is Rs.350, for which 256 kbps bandwidth would be made available with a provision to download or upload 2 GB. Additional usage beyond free download will be charged 85 paise per MB, and only Rs.750 of maximum usage will be allowed per month.

Source: The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : New plan from BSNL

BSNL targets 1.26 cr GSM connections in FY09

1,26,00,000 connection of cellular mobile (GSM) in its area of operation during 2008-09''' Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Jyotiraditya Scindia said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today.


Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) plans to add a switching capacity of 10 lakh and total net connection of 9.5 lakh all types (PSTN, GSM and WLL) in 2008-09, he added.


BSNL had 3,62,11,786 mobile phone users in its area of operation as on March 31, 2008w while the number of mobile phone connections with MTNL stood at 32,41,851

Share BSNL Broadband internet connection

Hi,

even you can share the internet without proxy software..

Install two NIC in single PC

connect internet to that PC, U 'll get Internet connection sharing Option at TCP/IP properties......... this NIC will get automatic IP address. Provide IP addr in the same range to all other PCs in network.

U'll get internet on all PCs......... go get it.

Trully Yours

manoj 

Pune.

All Gujarat villages to get broadband connectivity

After getting hooked to television through the Jyotigram Yojana, villagers in Gujarat will soon become Net-savvy. In a couple of months, an ordinary farmer in Gujarat might well be seen checking up commodity rates and weather reports on the internet, thanks to the state's initiative to provide 13,693 villages with broadband connectivity.

Observing May 1, 2008 as ‘Gujarat Day', Chief Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the state government's ambitious ‘e-gram' project for all the 590 gram panchayats of Amreli district. Kickstarting the initiative, Modi claimed this was the largest and first-ever project of its kind under the e-governance initiative by any state across Asia.

Recently, the government successfully completed the project of providing three-phase 24x7 electricity supply to all the villages in Gujarat. Now, it has taken up this ambitious project of providing e-connectivity. Through the project, each village panchayat will get broadband internet connectivity, video conferencing facility and multicasting broadcast services.

The panchayats will also have access to information on agriculture, health, employment and education. Farmers will also be able to collect land documents from their respective village panchayats.

The state has roped in Bharti Airtel to set up VSATs in 13,693 villages with speed as high as 256 kbps. Moreover, three private operators — CMS, Reliance Communications and 3i Infotech — have been chosen to set up common facility centres in as many as 6,020 villages.

While Bharti Airtel will provide what is called government-to-community (G2C) services, like revenue records, ration cards and agro-commodity rates, the other three players will provide business-to-community (B2C) services, like air bookings, rail bookings and payment of telephone and electricity bills.

For broadband connectivity, the state is going to provide Q-band dish antenna and DDRS sets to 7,400 gram panchayats at an investment of Rs 60 crore.

According to Bharti Airtel chief operating officer Sharlin Thayil, the telecom operator had sourced around 13,000 SkyEdge IP VSATs from Israel-based Gilat Network Systems to provide last-mile connectivity to these villages under the project.

Bharti Airtel will provide the internet facility for Rs 76.47 crore for five years, while the other operators will together offer Rs 14.12 crore per year to the government for providing B2C services.

Reliance Communication acquires WiMAX operator eWave World

Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Communications acquired a controlling stake in UK-based eWave World, a telco focused on the rapidly developing market for wireless telephony services using the WiMAX technology standard.

The acquisition was done through Reliance Infocom BV, a division of Reliance Globalcom and wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications.

Over, the next 2-3 years, Reliance Globalcom, through the acquired company eWave World, would invest around USD 500 million (Rs 20 billion) to build and acquire WiMAX networks in emerging markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa.

Recently, eWave World had entered into a joint venture in China to invest in nationwide broadband operations. The company holds WiMAX licenses and has received spectrum to commence WiMAX services in several countries.

``The 4G WiMAX network in 50 countries would enable us to offer the most diverse and unmatched suite of services to over 75% of global population in combination with Reliance Globalcom`s 115,000 km fully IP enabled optic network spread across 6 continents``, said Punit Garg, CEO, Reliance Globalcom.

Last Year, Reliance Globalcom had acquired US-based ethernet service provider Yipes Holdings for USD 300 million (Rs 12 billion).

Reliance Globalcom is investing USD 200 million (Rs 8 billion) to more than double the metro coverage in the U.S. to over 35 top metros.

Airtel adopts SuppotSoft’s ServiceGateway for automated broadband support system

SupportSoft announced that Bharti Airtel has joined hands with SupportSoft, Inc to use its ServiceGateway(TM) solution. SupportSoft claims that the adoption will enable Airtel to provide India’s first ever automated broadband self-care technology including automated installation and enhanced customer care to its approximately two million broadband subscribers across India.


According to the tie-up, with ServiceGateway dubbed NetXpert Installer, Airtel users will be able to quickly and easily self-install their broadband Internet service which will reduce time-consuming, costly household installation visits by Bharti service technicians or lengthy subscriber calls to customer service executives for help.


The service Gateway will enable the customer service executives to remotely troubleshoot customer premise equipment (CPE) problems which include modem rebooting, change in Wi-Fi settings, reinstalling of modem, or firmware upgrade.


Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Srinivas Rao, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Telemedia Services said “The intent is to provide our customers with a sense of reliability and care in every stage of their association with us right from the on boarding stage onwards. Such Automated support systems will simplify user experience of broadband technologies and improve the quality and consistency of service support that will bring a positive sense of expectation and perception of our services.”

What is IPTV service?

What is IPTV service?

TV service which is delivered using IP (Internet Protocol) technology - this is the same technology which is used in Internet Services . In this service the TV channels are encoded in IP format and delivered to TV through a Set Top Box. The IP TV Service also includes Video on Demand Service which is similar to watching Video CDs / DVDs using a VCD/DVD player. Movies, Instructional Videos and other content shall be available to customers in the IP TV Services.

How this service functions:

The three main components in delivering this service are:
TV and Content Head End - where the TV channels are received and encoded. Also other content (Video's) are stored at Head End. MTNL has signed agreement for this with M/s IOL.
Delivery network - which is MTNL's Broadband network and MTNL's telephone line. (Landline).
Set Top Box - The Set Top Box is required at the customer location for converting the IP signal back to TV signal. The STB shall be connected between MTNL Broadband Modem and customer's TV.

Who shall be providing the Set Top Box:
The STB shall be provided by M/s IOL.

What are the tariffs for the service:
Tariffs shall be announced shortly.

Any pre-requisites for IPTV Service:
MTNL Landline telephone with Broadband connectivity is required for these services.

What services shall be available:
Bouquet of TV channels and Video on Demand services shall be available initially during trials. Other services / content shall be introduced progressively.

Whether customer shall be able to use normal telephone and internet service along with IP TV Service:
Yes, all the three services can work together:
- Normal Telephone service
- Broadband Internet service
- IPTV service

Airtel + BSNL broadband begin the tariff war

A year after then IT Minister, Mr. Maran declared 2007 as the year of broadband, BSNL DataOne and Bharti Airtel have quietly launched a tariff war and are ready to serve customers’ higher bandwidth needs.

It was BSNL DataOne which announced the launch of 512Kbps unlimited data transfer plan at a discount to Airtel’s Home 1499 plan [512 Kbps]. Bharti Airtel under ARPU pressure in the mobile segment badly wants to maintain the revenue by upgrading its customers and hence launched the 1 Mpbs Unlimited plan. [ Airtel offers 8 Mbps broadband in select cites and areas, however no unlimited data transfer plan exists] For anybody who is planning to go Broadband, the entry cost is now just Rs 750 / month.

For the time being, Tata Indicom and Reliance WiMax broadband have been a failure on all fronts - Connectivity to Customer Care. E-mails sent to look into the issues to Tata Communications evoked no response, while Reliance ADAG’s office in a follow-up call assured they will look into the issue but so far no action seems to be taken. Hopefully BSNL and Airtel will continue to woo customers with higher bandwidth and lower tariffs

Sify Broadband



I have been using Sify Broadband from 2002 till last month i.e March 2008. Almost 6 years. My experience with sify broadband is quite varying with timeline & frustration at the end & decision to change to some other ISP

Look at the graph above

My Happiness Graph With Sify Broadband

As you can see, happiness is decline with time period. Before sify broadband I had Dialup net connection that too using stolen dialup password but telephone bill used to drive me crazy. It was my dad’s suggestion to get some broadband connection after reading some advertisement about sify broadband.

This is how I got sify broadband as my 1st ISP .I had started with unlimited 32 kbps net connection, even with 32 kbps I was lot happy since those days not many people use to have broadband connection and this was lan sharing one so net speed was awesome those days.

Plus guys who had started Sify Broadband in my city had very less customer, so attention to customer problem was very high. But as time passed things started getting worst with at the end it was horrible to keep sify broadband.

 




DoT plans 3G spectrum for broadband

NEW DELHI: Apart from 3G spectrum auction guidelines, the DoT (department of telecom) is simultaneously preparing to auction spectrum for broadband wireless access (BWA) services in the 2.5 GHz and 2.3 GHz bands.

BWA enables high-speed data communication over wireless links. It offers significant advantages over wireless and broadband systems based on cable networks or DSL, like better coverage, speedy deployment, high scale ability, low maintenance and costs.

Broadband growth in India has been abysmal. By 2006-end there were 1.8 million broadband subscribers, with a target of 7 million by 2010. The government has upgraded its target to 20 million in the next two years, which is forcing a complete rethink on its current policy.

The DoT has decided that all existing unified, mobile, basic and internet licensees can bid for BWA spectrum. New prospective service providers can also bid but they will have to obtain either a unified or ISP licence once they succeed in the bidding for BWA spectrum.

Each operator of BWA spectrum can place bids for spectrum upto 20 MHz in blocks of 5 MHz each. Bidders will be allowed to use any ITU approved technology. Total spectrum available in the 2.5 and 2.3 GHz bands is about 80 MHz.

The auction will be conducted for initial, one time spectrum charge via a controlled, simultaneous, ascending e-auction along the lines that have been suggested for 3G spectrum.

The bidding will be circle-wise. If an operator wants to bid for two blocks of 5 MHz he will need to indicate this at the beginning. Every bidder will need to deposit an earnest money guarantee of 25% of reserve price of per block of spectrum. Winners will have to deposit 25% of the successful bid at close of auction and the rest within seven days. No bidder can either withdraw or reduce the bid in subsequent rounds.

Reliance to ring in Kashmir soon

Srinagar: Eying the lucrative market that Kashmir provides to the telcoms, the Reliance Communication Limited is all set to start its operations in the state this year.
According to the sources the company which is India’s leading telecommunication company has completed major part of its work including the installation of towers and laying of optical cables in the state.
Sources revealed that the company has completed four phases of work here under which 1200 towers have been installed. “We have completed the setting of towers in almost the entire state including in the far flung areas of Ladakh and Kargil with a special preference to the tourist and religious areas,” insiders said on Tuesday, adding that the company has entered into the fifth phase of work under which 300 more towers would be installed.
The company has laid optical cables in the major cities of the state. They said, “We have laid optical cables in the entire city of Srinagar and most parts of other districts”. The installation of towers is currently in progress to cover other areas of the state, they said.
The Srinagar-Jammu highway is also under the agenda of the company. “The company was planning to lay optical cable along the highway to connect Kashmir with other Indian states,” they said.
They said that the main focus of the company would be to provide smooth and flawless Internet service.
According to the sources the company aims at provide internet services to the business houses in the state through broadband, wi-fi and other means that are already working in other states of India.
About the landline services, sources said the company shall be providing landline services in the future but the main focus right now is on internet and mobile services.
They said that the company has a healthy competition in the market here however, it would try to come up with new schemes.

Sources said many new companies were waiting on the wings to enter into the state.

BSNL UL750 and UL1350



Kindly refer to this office letter of even no. dated 1st May, 2006 circulating the
tariff of Unlimited Broadband Home Plan offering speed of 256Kbps at monthly charges
of Rs.900 viz, Home Plan UL900 and 900 Plus.

2. In continuation of the same, the competent authority has now decided to reduce
the monthly charges to Rs.750 and rename the Plans as Home Plan UL750 and 750 Plus
at the existing terms and conditions. The details are reproduced below for ready
reference.

3. In addition to above, the competent authority has also decided to introduce new
Unlimited Broadband Home Plan UL1350 & 1350Plus at speed of 512 Kbps and monthly
charges of Rs.1350 as per details given above.

4. The above rates are exclusive of Service Tax, which will be charged as per
prevailing rates.

5. The above tariff will be effective from 1st April, 2008.

6. All other terms and conditions will remain same as envisaged in this office
circular no. 115-29/2004-Comml dated. 22-12-06.





What is triband in mobile phones?

Tri band phones (also known as tri-band or triband) are mobile phones that support three frequency bands. Having more than one frequency in one device is useful to enable roaming between different countries that peg the allowed transmission frequency at different values or to allow a better coverage in the same country.
Various countries use different frequency bands for their mobile networks, and a triband phone can be used on three of these bands, generally speaking, chosen to favour two of the home country's bands, and one for roaming in other countries.

In summary GSM frequency bands used around the world are:

* 850 MHz (In America)
* 900 MHz (In Europe and many parts of Asia)
* 1800 MHz (In Europe and Asia)
* 1900 MHz (In America)

2G Triband phones are mobile phones that support the GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz bands (commonly sold in Europe, Asia, and Africa), or alternatively the 850/1800/1900 bands (commonly sold in the Americas). The Motorola V300 formerly carried by Rogers Wireless used a rare combination of 850/900/1900.

A 2G Quad band (850/900/1800/1900) offers more coverage and is now quite common.

Further information: UMTS frequency bands

UMTS / HSDPA devices operate in UMTS frequency bands 850/1900/2100 or 850/1700/2100 MHz:

* 2100 (downlink) / 1900 (uplink) for Europe and Asia (usually referred simply as W-CDMA 2100)
* 1900 / 850 (independently, for both the uplink and downlink) for America (e.g. Cingular Wireless)
* 2100 (downlink) / 1700 (uplink) for America (e.g. T-Mobile)

UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA is a further evolution.

Note that being UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA tri band doesn't mean that phone is a GSM / GPRS / EDGE tri band. An HSUPA tri band might not be a GSM at all. However nearly all HSDPA or HSUPA tri band are EDGE quad band too.

A 3G Quad band offers more coverage.

Devices

Some UMTS / HSDPA 850/1900/2100 tri band are already available:

* ASUS - P750
* BandRich - BandLuxe C100
* HTC – HTC TyTN, HTC P3600, HTC Advantage X7500, HTC Shift (Ultra-Mobile PC), HTC S420, HTC S630, HTC P4550, HTC P6500, HTC Touch Cruise
* Huawei – E800 Data Card (ExpressCard)
* i-mate – JASJAM, Ultimate series 5150 6150 7150 8150 9150 (all five available alternatively in 850/1700/2100 bands)
* Palm - Treo 750 (UMTS only)
* Sony Ericsson – PC300, Z750, K850i, MD300
* UBiQUiO - 503G

Some UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA 850/1900/2100 tri band are already available:

* HTC - HTC Omni
* Huawei – E270 Wireless modem (USB)
* Novatel Wireless – Merlin X950D ExpressCard
* Option – GlobeTrotter Express HSUPA, GlobeTrotter GT MAX HSUPA, GlobeSurfer iCON HSUPA, GTM380
* Sierra Wireless – AirCard 880 and the AirCard 881 (PC Card), AirCard 880E and the AirCard 881E (ExpressCard) and MC8780 and the MC8781 (PCI Express

MTNL triband

MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) is an Indian Government owned telephone service provider in the cities of Mumbai, Thane, New Delhi and Navi Mumbai in India. The company provides broadband services under the brand name 'Triband'.

'MTNL Landline Connection' - Having an MTNL landline connection is a must, before applying for MTNL Triband. In case you don't have a landline connection, then apply for it first.

* A PC, with following minimum recommended hardware - 128 MB RAM, 500 MB free space on Hard Disk, USB port or ADSL Modem/Router or LAN card for ADSL Router and CD ROM drive.

* ADSL Modem/Router, which can either be rented from MTNL,or can be bought from the market.Compatible CPEs may be ascertained from MTNL Call Centre - 1500.

* List of ADSL2+ CPE Compatible Vendors

1. D Link 502 T
2. Comtrend CT-564
3. Westell A -90-630199-07
4. Zyxel Prestige 660 H -61
5. Erricsson HM410
6. Xavi(7722+)
7. Surecom EP-4704SX
8. A-LINK

MTNL shall not be responsible for any complications arising from non compatibility of the CPE Software & Hardware procured from market. Any parallel wiring other than one telephone in the Broadband/ADSL line would lead to reduced download speed & frequent disconnection.

Introduction

MTNL has launch broadband services under Brand name Tri Band. The services shall be provided on the existing copper infrastructure, initially Broadband Internet Service, other services such as VPN, multicasting, video conferencing, video-on-demand and broadcast application shall also be added in future.
Broadband service will be provided through the deployment of ADSL 2+ technology, a type of digital subscriber line(DSL).All Payments / Billing for the service will be included in the regular MTNL Telephone Bill.

Subscription Type: Customer can select either Subscription Type Monthly or Annual. In case of Annual Subscription option the annual charges will be billed in the next Telephone bill after activation of Service. Annual charges will be billed thereafter every year in the Telephone bill of select month. However additional Usage Charges beyond Monthly free Data Download will be billed in monthly/Bi-monthly telephone bill on regular basis.

Information for Existing ADSL Customers: For existing ADSL Internet Service Customers, who wish to switchover to new Broadband Internet Service Tariff Plans, the migration to New Broadband Plan is permitted w.e.f. 15th Feb. 2005. For migration please apply on plain paper and post to CO(ADSL), 4th Fl Internet Unit Kidwai Bhawan or send on FAX No. 23359173.

Definition:

Broadband Internet Service - An ‘always-on’ data connection that is able to support interactive services including Internet access and has the capability of the minimum download speed of 256 kilo bits per second (kbps) to an individual subscriber from the Point of Presence (POP) of the service provider intending to provide Broadband Internet service where multiple such individual Broadband connections are aggregated and the subscriber is able to access these interactive services including the Internet through this POP. The interactive services will exclude any services for which a separate licence is specifically required, for example, real-time voice transmission, except to the extent that it is presently permitted under ISP licence with Internet Telephony.”

Main Features of the Broadband/ ADSL Service

* High speed data download for Broadband Internet data speed starts from 256 kbps to 2 Mbps
* Simultaneous availability of Phone and Internet on the existing Telephone line ”Always on Internet”.
* No call charges for Internet access.
* ‘High on Value Low on Cost’ Service
* 24 Hours Help line and Technical support on phone.
* Easy registration on phone and web.
* Telephone will continue to work even in case of power failure at subscribers end.
* ‘Use now and pay later’ in telephone bill. It provides a means to bill based on Volume of data downloaded.
* It will provide Multicast Video Services, Video-on-demand etc in future
* Can share Broadband connection to create own LAN network i.e. more than one PC can be connected.

How to get Connection and Information

* Call to MTNL call center “1500/22221500”. You will have to indicate the MTNL land line Telephone No on which Broadband Service is required and also have to indicate the CA No.
* Send a request through MTNL website at URL
http://delhi.mtnl.net.in/broadband.htm
or e-mail to
helpdesk.delhi@bol.net.in
* Alternatively can also visit MTNL designate Area Customer Service Centers/ Sanchar Haat of the concerned area and fill the Broadband/ADSL Connection Subscription Form.
* To apply for the services, no payments to be made at the time of booking.
* Based on your request an MTNL official/ MTNL DSA will come to your premises, get the form filled and signed. The form can also be downloaded from MTNL website URL http://delhi.mtnl.net.in/broadband.htm or can be collected from designated Customer Service Centers/ Sanchar Haat.
* MTNL will provide the Broadband services within 15 days of apply of broadband connection based on the technical feasibility. In case of non-availability of service in the particular area/ wire Centre/Telephone Exchange, waiting list will be maintained.
* The ADSL Modem/Router (CPE) will be installed by MTNL and the account will be opened.

Why BROADBAND/ ADSL from MTNL

* Faster Connection: Dedicated Bandwidth
* Easy Communication: Talk and Surf at the same time.
* Sharing: Can share connection to create your own network.
* Inexpensive: Affordable Tariff Plans
* Security: Secure Communication
* Always On Internet.

MTNL Broadband Tariff

BSNL signs deal with Nokia Siemens

Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has signed an agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to expand its broadband coverage to 25,000 villages.

BSNL will deploy NSN’s multi-play solutions to offer high-speed Internet, virtual private networks (VPNs) and connectivity to community service centres (CSCs).

Kuldeep Goyal, chairman and managing director, BSNL, said: "BSNL is a pioneer in providing affordable, high-quality communications services to its customers, and this mega broadband expansion initiative is another step in that direction. Partnering with NSN would give BSNL an edge over other broadband services providers as it would be the first to cover rural areas on such a wide scale."

25,000 villages to be covered by BSNL broadband by July news

I have been looking at the growth and the hype of the telecom sector over the past few years. This was partly out of interest and partly to kill my spare time. Shifting from a small city in Punjab to what is arguably the â€Å“happening city” of North India, Mohali, there is a sea change in the past 5 years.

The state owned Telecom Company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been much reviled and abused for its lack of customer focus. However, at last faced with shrinking customer base and revenues, there has been a virtual end to it̢۪s monopoly with the nimble footed players stepping on the giant dinosaur. However, far from becoming extinct it is fighting back. Albeit in measured terms.

BSNL launched its broadband services recently in Chandigarh, the first city to get the broadband in Punjab. Fact is that BSNL has been able to retain it̢۪s customers after facing disconnections on a large scale. Yet, it remains the cheapest mode of communication at present. It is able to leverage its vast network for doing so; there is added Government security blanket for budgetary dole out in case it gets in the red.

However, the reality on the ground is far away from the hype. Mobile penetration remains dismal at 3% in North India, marginally better than South counterparts. While this may reflect huge potential, yet the lack of clear regulatory regime is detrimental to the growth of this crucial sector.

Majority of Indians are techno phobic. It would be asinine to assume that Indians are embracing the broadband connectivity with open arms. This may be blamed on the poor PC penetration; the fact remains that in future, content would determine the spread of broadband. Reliance has realized this early on and went all out to ensure the same. One gets to see their Web Worlds, which serve as coffee retail outlets, gaming zones and possibly in the near future even Wireless Internet. This is the kind of focus that needs to be there to ensure customer loyalty.

There is only one way out. Advertisements. The demand for the same has to be created which would ride on the boom in the sales of electronics. For majority of Indians, buying a computer is a big family decision. This is reflected in the advertisements that Intel so beautifully exploits; it shows a young girl becoming a doctor by working on an Intel platform! I really wish that long hours in front of my AMD could make me a specialist! Well, if we really believe the ads to be true, miracle could happen soon.

The only other way out is to mate the telephone line with the idiot box. Now that one thing is in sufficient numbers. Hence, the thrust of Reliance to make this happen with the planned TiVO like technology in India. I am sure they are going to make a huge outcry about the same, once the current fiasco between the brothers ends.

It is extremely difficult to rely on statistics in India; much of the â€Å“credible” information is gleaned from outside agencies. For example, the customer base in â€Å“millions” with â€Å“millions” more presumed to be waiting in the wings to join the networks. The fact is that once the handset prices come to more realistic levels and the interconnect charges are reduced, that would herald the growth in mobile telephony to more realistic levels. This would spur on the need for data as the mobile phones become and integral part of our lives. Internet does have the potential to revolutionize our lives; this would only happen if the last mile access were taken care of. BSNL is a sleeping giant; once roused it would be difficult to put down. Wait and watch.

BSNL Selects Nortel for GSM Expansion Deal to Meet India's Demand for Wireless Services

Nortel has won an agreement with India's BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.), valued at over US$100 million, to put mobile connectivity in the hands of millions of new subscribers in the southern area of the country.

BSNL, India's largest telecoms service provider, with over 20 million cellular subscribers, is actively growing its network reach and capacity to meet increased demand for mobile telephony services across the country. The company chose Nortel to support this southern GSM network expansion with an aggressive roll-out schedule, based on Nortel's previous track record in helping BSNL establish the widest reach of any wireless network provider in India. With this selection, BSNL can build on, and maximize its existing network investment and rapidly extend mobile services to new subscribers.

"Since 2004, Nortel has worked closely with BSNL in rolling out mobile service to some seven million customers in the southern and eastern parts of India while ensuring the network is cost-effective and implemented according to BSNL's aggressive timelines," said Hitesh Lokhandwala, managing director, Nortel India. "This new contract award reflects BSNL's confidence in Nortel to achieve these targets, and is further proof that in one of the most competitive, dynamic and fastest-growing markets in the world, Nortel's solutions meet our customers' requirements."

"India represents an enormous opportunity for Nortel in the carrier space, with its consistently high growth rates and increasingly mobile population," said Richard Lowe, president, Carrier Networks, Nortel. "We have redesigned our GSM portfolio with this kind of opportunity in mind, making our solution much more cost competitive, without compromising the performance, capacity and coverage for which Nortel is renowned. Nortel offers an immediate solution for today's high-growth markets, and a clear migration path to 4G as operators across India eye the evolution of their networks to offer higher-bandwidth services in the near future."

Nortel's deployment of the BSNL network expansion is already underway and is expected to be completed towards the end of 2008.

As India's increasingly mobile population reaps the benefits of enhanced connectivity, the country's needs for broadband wireless access to address the challenges of the hyperconnected world - where anything that can be connected to the network will be - are also developing rapidly. Nortel is actively involved in trials and deployments in India of various next generation technologies. Nortel is working with operators in India and around the world to simplify networking requirements that turn the challenges of Hyperconnectivity into opportunities.

Airline ticket booking through Mobile

Jet Airways has introduced airline ticket booking through mobile phone. If you have a GSM/GPRS (Java enabled/smart) phones, then airline tickets booking is very easy.
First you need to go to Jetairways website and download Jetwallet application into your mobile and register for the services. Then you can book your tickets and pay the airfare using your credit card. Using the JetWallet you can check the airfare, book tickets, change itinerary, cancel and refund your eTickets.
After your ticket booking, the e-ticket will be emailed to you. You should take the printout of eticket for checking in the airport. If you are still doubtful, see the demo here.
If you are a JetPrivilege member, you will earn 500 bonus JPMiles each time you book your Ticket on JetWallet. When you checkin-in for your flights, using JetWallet, you will earn an additional 250 JPMiles per sector.

Airtel launches web portal airtellive.com

NEW DELHI: Airtel Telemedia Services, India’s largest private broadband and telephone service provider on Sunday announced the launch of 'airtellive.com', its new all-in-one internet portal for the customers.

The portal 'airtellive.com' would be the first portal launched by a telecom company in India, the company said in a statement.

"airtellive.com is a milestone in Airtels broadband strategy and it builds upon the current broadband ecosystem infrastructure to establish an internet destination for web applications," Airtel Telemedia Services President Atul Bindal said.

On airtellive.com, the customers will receive free access to the popular Google Applications messaging and collaboration suite, which includes email services, Google documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Airtel said.

The services will be co-branded and powered by Google and Airtel broadband. Airtel has also partnered with popular content leaders like shaadi.com, 24x7guru, naukri.com amongst others to offer exclusive deals and discounts on the portal, the company added.

The collaboration would give customers easy access to Google's simple and powerful web applications over Airtels fast, secure and reliable broadband network.

Bharti Airtel Limited, a company of Bharti Enterprises group, is India's leading integrated telecom services provider with an aggregate of 61.91 million customers.

What is ADSL?

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL for short) is a high-speed Internet access service that utilizes existing copper telephones lines to send and receive data at speeds that far exceed conventional dial-up modems.

The fastest dial-up modems are rated at 57 kilobits per second (Kbps), and usually operate at about 53 Kbps under good conditions. By comparison, ADSL allows datastream speeds from 1.5 to 8 megabits per second (Mbps), depending on the grade of ADSL service purchased.

ADSL uses standard telephone lines to transmit upstream and downstream data on a digital frequency, which sets these datastreams apart from the analog signals telephones and fax machines use. Because the ADSL signal is operating on a different frequency, the telephone can be used normally, even when surfing the Web with ADSL service. The only requirement will probably be inexpensive DSL filters on each phone or fax line, to remove any "white noise" on the line that might be generated from ADSL service.

The "asymmetric" in ADSL refers to the fact that the downstream data rate, or the data coming to your computer from the Internet, is traveling faster than upstream data, or the data traveling from your computer to the Internet. Upstream data rates are slower because Web page requests are fairly miniscule data strings that do not require much bandwidth to handle efficiently.

Some businesses, however, may require matching upstream rates for uploading large files. SDSL, or Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line is an option. "Symmetric" indicates that both datastreams are operating at the same speed of 1.5 to 7 Mbps, depending on the grade purchased. SDSL service requires a dedicated telephone line because, unlike ADSL, telephone and fax services cannot share a line with SDSL service.

ADSL service requires an Internet service provider (ISP), and ADSL modem. The modem is often provided free of charge, and most ISPs that offer ADSL service require subscriber contracts of one year. ADSL is also more expensive than economical dial-up service, which can cost less than US$10 per month.

ADSL is an "always on" service, meaning that as long as your computer is powered on, it will automatically stay connected to the Internet unless you manually disconnect via software or hardware. ADSL is especially suited for gamers, CAD use, streaming multimedia and downloading large files. Family members can share ADSL accounts, with a basic monthly fee covering several mailboxes. Unlike dial-up service, which stipulates only one session be instigated at a time, multiple members can be using ADSL service simultaneously on various computers in the house without violating policy.

ADSL is not available to everyone. DSL providers, or even your local phone company, can tell you if service is available in your locale. Speeds will vary depending upon your physical distance from local hubs. Some customers with close proximity may be able to take advantage of newer varieties of ADSL, called ADSL2 and ADSL2+, which have even greater throughput rates, from 12 to 24 Mbps downstream and 1 to 3.5 Mbps upstream.

What is Bandwidth on Demand feature for TATA indiacom?

Bandwidth on Demand is a unique feature from Tata Indicom Broadband, which allows you to choose the speed that you require depending on the task at hand. You can choose from a variety of speed options ranging from 64 Kbps to 512 Kbps, to suit your needs.
However, please note that you cannot choose beyond the speed limit specified by your tariff plan .For e.g. if your plan allows only for 256 kbps then you can choose speeds of 256 kbps & below only.

What is Bandwidth on Demand feature for TATA indiacom?

Bandwidth on Demand is a unique feature from Tata Indicom Broadband, which allows you to choose the speed that you require depending on the task at hand. You can choose from a variety of speed options ranging from 64 Kbps to 512 Kbps, to suit your needs.
However, please note that you cannot choose beyond the speed limit specified by your tariff plan .For e.g. if your plan allows only for 256 kbps then you can choose speeds of 256 kbps & below only.

Error 633

"Error 633 - The modem is not installed or configured for Dial-Up Networking"
This relates to a device driver problem, or unavailability of a dial up adapter installed in the system

Error 691

" Error 691"Access Denied" This is due to an invalid username and/or password being used to connect to the service. Retype the username and password and try again. Remember - the password is case-sensitive

Error 650

"Error 650 - Server is not Responding" or "The Computer You Are Dialing in to Cannot Establish a Dial-Up Networking Connection"
Runtime error 650 is a generic connection error meaning that the computer could not establish a connection with the VSNL network. The most common cause could be related to cabling or VSNL's equipment

What is a Ping test?

A ping is a test to see if a system on the Internet is working. "Pinging" a server tests and records the response time of the server. Pinging multiple computers can be helpful in finding Internet bottlenecks, so that data transfer paths can be rerouted a more efficient way.

Note that we have blocked " Ping tests" to protect your connection from generation of spurious traffic resulting in spamming and for security reasons. If you wish to unblock the same, please contact our Customer care for further assistance.

TATA broadband Error Messages (prepaid connections)

1.Server not responding: This message will come if your computer is not able to logon to the Internet. Please check if your Ethernet wire is connected properly

2.Authentication Failed: Please check if the Username and Password entered is correct or check if you have balance in your account

3.Cannot find Tata Indicom Broadband Adaptor: - This error will come when the Tata Indicom broadband adaptor has been un-installed or deleted. To correct the problem, please follow the steps below:

If you have Windows XP, then please follow the following steps:
Click on Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Network Connection
Under Network Connection, click on Create a New Connection
New connection Wizard will open, click on Next
Select 'Connect to Internet' click on Next
Select 'Set up my connection manually' and click on next
Select 'Connect using a broadband connection that requires a User Name and Password' and click Next
Enter the ISP name as Tata Indicom Broadband and click on continue
Enter user name and password as register@mail.vsnl.com and register respectively
Click on finish to create the connection

If you are not able to follow the above process, please call the customer care to have Tata Indicom Broadband Manager reinstalled on your system
Other problems

How does MetroE work?

Metro Ethernet technology is an IP ( Internet Protocol) based technology that uses a secure authentication software at the customer end to provide a high speed, always ON Broadband via Coaxial & Optic Fibre cables. The technology is ideally suited for all future triple play applications.

What is the advantage of high speed Internet and what are the possible applications?

When you access the internet on a high speed connection, the time taken to check email, download files, use applications is a lot less than a low speed connection. Also, you can use applications like Net Telephony with greater clarity and lower call drops Also you can see the person you are talking through video phone and video conferencing. High speeds also allow you to listen to audio and see videos live on the internet without any jarring and delay.

How does DSL work?

DSL works by splitting the copper lines into two frequency ranges. The frequencies below 4 kHz are reserved for voice, and the range above that is used for data. This makes it possible to use the line for phone calls and data network access at the same time.

Type of Reliance Netconnect Wireless USB Modems Cards

Reliance Netconnect internet broadband services specially available for wireless users who need internet connection for their laptops. The service is available with different types of modems :

Reliance Net connect MG880 USB Modem Reliance Net connect USB Modem Reliance Net connect Card
Reliance MG880 Reliance Netconnect Reliance USB Modem
Compatible with Windows Xp, 2000 & Vista, Make phone Calls & Send/Recieve SMS. Compatible with Windows Xp & 2000, Send/Recieve SMS upto 1000 characters. Download speeds upto 144kbps, Send/Recieve Multiple SMS
Rs 2990 Rs 2850 Rs 2990

Reliance has recently dropped the prices heavily on these data cards & modems and you can avail these heavy discounts and buy the cards as soon as possible, you need to check out the prepaid & postpaid packages available at Reliance Web world outlets in India. Make sure you install the right drivers and in case of any connection problems give reliance netconnect service number a call at 121.

Airtel Broadband Services Internet Plans

Airtel Broadband Services Internet Plans : Airtel is offering different broadband plans based on the customers requirement ie unlimited plans on different broadband speeds and along with the internet connection they do offer a landline phone which can be used at call charges of 1Rs pulse rate. Airtel broadband services are right now available in all the major cities and towns in india, but not in the inner rural areas.

Home Packages Monthly Rent Broadband Speed Monthly Bandwidth Details Features
Combo555 555Rs 512Kbps 2 Gb 0.80Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Combo666 666Rs 1Mbps 2 Gb 0.80Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Combo777 777Rs 2Mbps 4Gb 0.80Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Combo999 999Rs 2Mbps 6Gb 0.70Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Combo1299 1299Rs 8Mbps 4Gb 1Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Unlimited999 999Rs 256Kbps Unlimited -
Unlimited1499 1499Rs 512Kbps Unlimited -
Business1299 1299Rs 2Mbps 8Gb 0.80Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business2222 2222Rs 2Mbps 20 Gb 0.70Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business4444 4444Rs 2Mbps 50 Gb 0.50Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business8888 8888Rs 2Mbps 100 Gb 0.50Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business2222 2222Rs 8Mbps 8 Gb 0.90Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business4444 4444Rs 8Mbps 20 Gb 0.80Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business9999 9999Rs 8Mbps 50 Gb 0.70Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges
Business15999 2222Rs 8Mbps 100 Gb 0.60Rs/Mb Extra Bandwidth Charges

MTNL Mobile TV service launched


State owned telecom company Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd has now launched their Mobile TV service in the Delhi and Mumbai region.

The service is currently available in experimental stage and offer seven channels.

MTNL is providing this service for free to subscribers of their unlimited plan till the commercial launch which is slated for April this year.

Interested users would require a compatible mobile handset to make use of this service.

MTNL Executive Director A K Arora spoke about this launch: “We are giving this service free, on an experimental basis, to 500 customers who are having unlimited plan of Rs349 per month, till we launch it commercially.”

Airtel Broadband launches 1 mbps unlimited plan for Rs. 2222

Airtel Broadband launches 1 mbps unlimited plan for Rs. 2222

Airtel Broadband has finally launched their 1mbps unlimited plan for Rs. 2222.

The plan offers no free calls.

The local pulse rate is Rs. 1. The pulse durations are as following:

Local Fixed Line: 180 sec
Local Mobile: 60 sec
STD: 30 sec

Checkout: Airtel Broadband

Airtel Announces 8 Mbps Broadband in INDIA


Airtel, on Wednesday announced the launch of eight Mbps broadband service, becoming the first service provider in the country to offer such high speed broadband service.

Announcing the launch of the new product, Bharti Airtel President (Broadband and Telephone Services) Atul Bindal said with this the Airtel broadband customers could now browse multiple windows and at the same time, download heavy files, view streaming video, enjoy online gaming, chat, email and other applications.

Currently the speeds on offer, range from 256 KBps to 4Mbps. With the new speed offering, Airtel has pioneered a revolution in internet experience, he said.

"Airtel customers will no longer have to wait for a video to get buffered while watching streaming videos. They would be able to download a 5 Mb music file in five seconds flat as compared to 160 seconds on a 256 kbps connection," according to P V V Srinivas Roa, Chief Marketing Officer.

Airtel's eight Mbps broadband service will initially be available in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi and the NCR, with a subsequent roll out in Mumbai and Hyderabad in a few weeks.

The offering would be commercially available soon, he said, adding the price points of this offering is still being worked out. However, roughly the price point could be around Rs 2,000 for a download of 7-8 Gbs.

Tariff plans and product offerings are also being worked out to enable customers, who do not want a 24-hour eight mpbs speed but want them for certain applications or a short duration of time, to avail the new offering.

Airtel's objective while finalising the tariff plan for the new offering would not be to make it very expensive but rather to achieve a deeper penetration and to open the market, said Bindal.

"The aim of this offering is to reach out to the mass consumers, especially homes, SMES and youth in particular."

The plans worked out would enable the existing customers of a lower speed broadband services to upgrade their services. "We are looking at a segment of `speed on demand', he said.

Airtel has invested in the back-end infrastructure to deliver these speeds.

It already has a Carier Ethernet Network oprational in Delhi, Bangalore and CHennai. In the next phase Mumbai too would be upgraded to CEN.

CEN allows not only provisioning of high speed plans to broadband customers but also delivery of triple play services. In the other cities, the SDH network has been upgraded to deliver four and 8 Mbps speeds.

"With the 8Mbps speed, our network will also be IPTV ready," he said adding the pilot run at NCR had been going on successfully and once the clarity on government regulatory came through, Airtel would be in a position to launch the service in NCR and subsequently in other places.

Keeping up with changing times and needs, Airtel's business is witnessing a transformation from being voice centric to broadband. "There was an attempt to upgrade the value chain and to offer services of world cl@ss quality."

Elaborating on Airtel's advantage in pioneering the service, he said, Airtel being one of the thoroughly integrated operators, was something it could leverage on in addition to its existing infrastructure.

BSNL Broadband Home Plan125

BSNL has decided to introduce a new Broadband Home Plan125 as per details given below:

Particulars - Home Plan 125
Bandwidth - 256 Kbps/ up to 2 Mbps
Monthly Charges (Rs.) :- 125
Download/ Upload Limit Per month - 150 MB
Additional usage charges / MB beyond free download/ upload limit (Rs.) 0.90
The above tariff will be effective from 1st March, 2008

Data One Broadband Connection Sharing

BSNL data one service a limitation of using only one computer per home connection. So I thought why they did this stuff even though many other broadband services allows you to connect as many PCs as you wish. Thus decided to find a way myself, and finally did it my own way. ;)

Here is how you can share your “Single user” BSNL broadband connection to as many PCs you have. Also this work around is for educational purpose. I take no responsibility for the resulting stuff. Do at your own risk!

First of all log in to SmartAX MT880 admin panel by typing admin/admin user/pass combination. You can access the admin panel by typing 192.168.1.1.

Then on left menu:
SmartAX MT880

In DHCP settings, enable DHCP.
DHCP Settings
Set the ending IP address according to number of PCs you want to connect. For example if you have 100 PCs, set starting from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.102. ( In this figure, I have randomly set 33 just for phun! :D )

For doing server client configuration.

Next thing you have do is changing TCP/IP settings. Go to control panel -> network settings. right click your nic and change tcp/IP properties.

First remove the Ip settings done by bsnl guys to as in this figure. ( note the greyed out section, which is set in advanced button ;) )
Config
Then in advanced section add default gateway as 192.168.1.1
Advanced Config

Now share this connection from network setting of this nic. by checking “allow other users in my network…blah..”

This makes your other lan card to be set with default 192.168.0.1 as IP, which is the default when doing connection sharing.

You are done with network server now. :)

Now you have to configure every client machine. Just go to network setting and in TCP/IP settings of each nic, set the following stuff.
Update #1
Just discovered some people are using a new DNS server for fast response. Here is the IP.

218.248.255.145
Add this IP as preffered DNS server.

Update #2
Use open DNS as your DNS serverI found this better than any other DNS servers available.

Client Stuff
Do this to as many client machines you have.
DHCP will take care of rest. Each of client machines will be gettin an IP in range of 192.168.0.x.

If this doesn’t work for you, then add your server’s Nic’s IP as default gateway in advanced section. Normally for connection sharing it will be “192.168.0.1 :)

Connection Sharing Using Switch

In this case everything is very easy. You only need to plug-in your modem connection to switch. Then set all PCs to obtain Ips automatically. You are done!

You have successfully managed to do the work around! :D

VSNL WiMax in Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad

Tata Indicom Broadband / VSNL which successfully launched Wimax broadband services in banglore is all set to expand it to 12 more cities by the end of FY2009. Delhi NCR, Chennai and Hyderabad are the preferred cities for Wimax broadband. The company will invest Rs 2,000 crore to undertake the expansion. VSNL will also invest Rs 2,200 crore [$600 mn] to expand its backend submarine cable network.

Mr. Srinivas, Sr. VP said,
There are 10 million PCs in India and mere 2.9 mn broadband connections. There is no reason to believe those with PCs do not want broadband. There is a huge demand for broadband which current service providers are unable to meet.
We have been saying so since the past couple of years yet everybody is lost in their mobile world fighting for 1/4th the ARPU of Broadband services.

BSNL LAN troubleshooting.

a) Check that ADSL line is properly connected, CPE is powered on and ADSL link LED is glowing in stable condition.

b) Check that LAN cable is properly connected to PC and LAN link LED is glowing in stable condition. If LAN LED is not stable then check that LAN cable is connected properly or replace the cable and check. In case the LAN cable is connected to LAN switch or HUB, you have to use a cross cable. If the LAN LED is still not glowing, then veify that LAN card is properly installed with suitable driver or get the help of your computer service person for doing so.

c) If all the physical installation is correct but still you are not able to browse. Then check that-

i. The TCP/IP setting are configured as desired with correct gateway address and DNS server IP addresses. To verify open the DOS window and type ping 192.168.1.1 it should give output ‘Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms ttl="64’.">

ii. Ensure that no proxy setting is configured in Browser. In Internet explorer you can verify as following –

iii. Open the Internet explorer and Click on Tools and select Internet Options.

iv. Click on Connections tab and select LAN Settings. See if any proxy setting are configured. Uncheck the proxy settings box and click OK.

d) If still it is not working, then login to CPE configuration page ( http://192.168.1.1).

e) Select Advance Function and click on Diagnostics. Scroll down the page and click on Submit. All the tests should pass except tests under ‘Testing ATM connectivity’. If you see authentication failed message then check for correctness of username and password entered in ATM settings page. If any other test fails or still you are unable to access the Internet, then get the help of BSNL support service.

f) In case you have configured dialup-like connection on your PC, ensure that it is configured properly.