Ramchi

In the same page look at the talk-back section: http://news.com.com/5208-1039-0.html?forum...4743&start=-185 I am not sure how big shots like Christoph Catselitz makes stupid statements like this one! Everyone says that CDMA is better in 1. Better voice clarify 2. Fewer Drop calls 3. Better security due to strong encoding 4. Advanced features 5. Better voice quality etc....

My understanding goes that both GSM and CDMA will be replaced with 3G soon. I am not a telecom network expert but in this forum I hear people saying CDMA can be converted to 3G network easily compared to GSM networks. GSM market share is mostly due to variety of handset options. In this respect CDMA is lagging behind forcing GSM network to capture more market share.

I am not sure how we can interpret this network congestion! For me if there is no congestion obviously less people are using the network, which means the tariffs are on the higher side. People will use the network only if it can be used I mean, only if it is affordable. I am not sure whether we can buy the argument that CDMA technology can handle any amount of calls… No provider would keep their bandwidth wide-open! In US same thing happened with Sprint PCS Mobile, which was using Qualcomm technologies (CDMA). They used to provide free night and weekend [after 6 PM -9 PM]. Eventually, no one could dial any number. Entire network was choked and people could not effectively make use of this offer. But it was a great plan only if you can use it.

I currently use Airtel (both prepaid & postpaid), Reliance (Joy499) & TATA Indicom (recently got the 3 year validity offer). I do not face any issues at all with any of them in terms of congestion, billing or anything. Even when I travel, I never experience any call drops. Overall, my experience with all providers are equally good.

Fevin-Raj, I have said the same thing in another thread 'Airtel's Revolutionary Offer'. This is mostly because Reliance handsets become paper-wieght once an exisiting customer decides against Reliance.

Simply copying Airtel. I am wondering whether Hutch has anything oringinal in its plates? Do not wait till your competitors over take up then follow their path. Come up with something original, Hutch!

Kalya_Prince, Here you need to look at one more thing. An existing Reliance customer may think 100 times before selling his mobile for getting Airtel connection. What if Reliance comes up with an attractive offer not necessarily life-time ones? He may not like to purchase another new Reliance handset at that point after spending 1000 bucks plus handst for getting Airtel connection. For TATA Indicom new offer, all Reliance could come up was, airing commercials in Television Channels rediculing TATA Indicom ! This is the best Reliance could do to counter TATA Indicom. Ask Reliance to get out of meddling with handsets, it will clearly demonstrate whether they are ready for open market?

Reliance and TATA Indicom may not come up with life-time offers. Reliance immediate target is TATA Indicom which is giving only 2-3 years validity. The problem for Reliance or advantage of Reliance over GSM providers is handsets. Once you buy Reliance handset, it is almost like you are singing a life-time agreement with Reliance. Even if you do not continue with Reliance, still Reliance ends up making money or it is not losing money. Only new customers may need to choose between Reliance over GSM providers like Airtel, Idea, Hutch etc... Reliance already started the competition (in its earlier days) with stiff rates; I really do not believe it can do another round of stree-fighting with such life-time offers.

Kesav, Even in TATA indicom raoming is not free. Incoming calls will be charged based on the roaming rates. Thats why I have made my wish list as Zonal Roaming. This way people will be encouraged to talk even if they are on the move. Especially for those people in metros when they just go out of the city it becomes roaming!

I feel this is one of the greatest schemes even if others follow suit later! TATA indeed opened up the Pandora box !!! Good for the customers; though I feel the call rates may go up if we do not have to pay monthly rental or monthly recharge. This would encourage many postpaid customers to move towards this option. But for those who have GPRS connections thru postpaid connections, I am not sure how they can make use of this? For me this would really help as I use Airtel connection just for incoming purpose plus minimum outgoing and I keep paying Rs 350 just to keep this connection alive; though I hardly use the complete talk time offered every time I recharge with Rs 350 card. This would really help me to recharge only when it is necessary, otherwise, do not worry about losing the validity. If Airtel offers this plus free Zonal Roaming (South) then people would never change their numbers frequently causing lots of headaches to the providers and causing inconveniences to themselves..

SexyGurl & Ani Mehar both are correct!!!! Keep it up!

I am talking about distraction in the class room and college hours. Another concern is safety of students and their privacy. This are not an imaginary things and these are happening everyday. The adverse impact that bring upon young students may be sometimes irrevocable. With mobile phones, digicams et al in the class room, you can hardly call that place as a college. No one is taking the freedom outside college premises. Where there is civility there is no need for explicit rules but for barbarians you need one!

Good one You may all know this: With one strike you need to solve this equation: 5+5 = 545 By adjusting only one digit in the following equation you need to solve: 102 - 2 = 98

Students indulging in indecent activities when caught by school authorities can be punished without affecting their future. With their actions caught on mobile every single citizen in this country would know what these kids have done. Do you think this is a desirable situation? As some one mentioned here that people may take a mobile where cameras can be hidden! In hostels it is easy to capture private moments. In classes this will be a distraction overall this will not be a healthy situation for students who are expected to excel in their curriculum activities. Outside the campus you are welcome to indulge in any activities that please your sensory organs. But inside, one must accept rules and regulations. This is the same case when you deal with organizations as well. Many organizations do not allow mobile phones inside their premises. If you do not agree with them you are welcome to find another place. This is a real nonsense even at the work place; during serious discussions, training sessions, meetings and doing concentrated activities we easily get distracted with mobile phone calls.

Raccoon, It is not about morality instead about safety of the students. It is the responsibility of the college authorities to make sure that college campuses are not exploited for non-curricular activities. About one year back young school students caught on mobile phones indulging in indecent activities. After that those kids would have gone thru terrific mental trauma and probably their education career must be in doldrums by now. With mobile phones around the campus you can imagine worst thing that can happen. Some students may threat others by capturing private moments in the hostel. It is not the question of morality at all.

People unnecessarily beating around the bushes on co-education in South. The topic was on to something. Mobile phones will definitely distract students while attending classes. It will not only distract them alone but also others as well. Every college must have a mechanism for students to contact their parents/gaurdians at any time. This is more than sufficient for any student.

"There MUST be mechanism for new (and more efficient) players to take the place of current 2G operators, for 3G" Do you think any new player would like to invest huge amount without prior experience in Indian markets? I do understand your concern on this aspect but there are lots of contradictions in your observations. I do not mind old players continuing but new entrants must be encouraged. If there is a real technical bottleneck such as scarce spectrum can be allotted for only 6 providers then we may go for bidding. But I can bet my 100 dollars that it would be disaster for Indian consumers because providers definitely try to make quick bucks thru unfair practices. With TRAI around the corner Indian consumers will be at the mercy of these affluent providers.

I am not asking any one to lose the money. It can be done thru revenue sharing. No operator would say no to that as against investing huge amount. This would encourage many players to enter the market. It is a proven fact that license raj was disastrous for India. I do not want to go thru that freaking mess again. If TATA, Reliance or Airtel are not comfortable with competition, let them leave the business and go to hell. We know how Indian entrepreneurs black-mailed Indian customers with their substandard products & services. Until few years ago, when these marwaris like Bajaj, Tatas were doing business, only they had the royal right to screw Indian consumers. I still can not forget those days where we waited for 10 long years of booking period to purchase miserable Bajaj scooters. When they faced with stiff competition they moved their @ss out to make new models. Same is applicable to our P&T and others. Let them face real competition with more vendors.

"Under market determined auction ... still SIX OPERATORS get the spectrum." What if only two players able to pay this heavy entry fee? What if they take the customers for ransom? This is already a proven exercise and our experience with pre-historic P&T department [bSNL] clearly tells us the same. When BSNL was the only Landline provider the teledensity was hardly 1% or so. Now we have so many providers look at the teledensity. Forget Teledensity, even to get a telephone connection we waited for centuries. By bringing in the heavy entry fees will NO way help opening the market segment for more players. “Or the same $ 2 Billion could be dedicated for building a similar Mumbai Metro .... or a Bangalore Metro.No need to us to take loans from Japan.” Please smell the coffee, this is THE most corrupt country in the world called as India. Indian government is already heavily taxing their citizens (I mean, sincere, hard-working, middle-class segment) they can definitely generate money for infrastructure development projects thru other means as well. “Stiff competition doesn't come from offering FREE spectrum to current monsters like TATA, Reliance, Airtel and Hutch. Free competition comes from: LET THE MARKET DECIDE. No subsidies to current monsters.” There will not be any competition at all when only two or limited number of providers operating in the market. I am pretty sure that hefty entry fee would make this undesirable situation quite possible. Free or nominal entry fee would definitely encourage more players to pitch in and after that as you say, market will decide the future.

Any abnormal entry fee would definitely impact cost of services and would definitely deny multiple entries. Only monsters like TATA, Reliance and Airtel will dominate the spectrum. Customes will be forced to pay more with limited players around. Whereas with reasonable entry fee would enable multiple players to drive the overall charges down. Anything that goes to government will be swindled by politician and routed to Swiss bank accounts. I would rather see cheaper entry fee enabling stiff competition than getting a free refill for a day.

I see Nokia 6255 appearing in the handset list. Can we use Nokia 6255 purchased from Reliance Web [and used for sometime] with Tata Indicom mobile services?

I do not mind charging Rs 1500 PM but it must be unlimited. Anything more than Rs 1500 [@ 256/512 Kbps] will not work for Indian home customers unless they have plenty of money to throw. In US they charge $50 for unlimited broadband connections which comes around 1/50 of the average American income.

I am using Rconnect thru 6255 without Cable and thru Bluetooth connection. The speed is not great but better than GPRS.

I am not sure 10 PM - 06:00 AM will help any people except for those who download softwares. If they extend this facility on full Weekends [00:00 Saturday - 23:59 Sunday] then it might help subscribers. It should be free Nights and Weekends instead of just Nights alone. Free Nights must start from 07:00 PM and ends till 09: 00 AM.

I have already done it for myself in an Excel spreadsheet. But creating a web based platform/portal which can automatically select different tarrifs from different providers [content management or XML Webservices] and analyze our usage factor then coming up with a suitable plan, would be a way to go. Definitely a great business model can be developed considering the fact Indian tarrifs are so complex and often misleading. If you look at my bills I use 300 STD calls and 50 local calls thru my RIM. I am using Joy499. This is the most optimal plan with mobility factor also attached. Even a land-line for me would have been an expensive one. I tested usage patter for the past several months it is always around this figure. I am not sure if I can attach my spread sheet here.