[MLB-WIRELESS] Some info on wireless in India

[Simon Knight]

Cheers for that, some fascinating differences.
Probably has a part to play in their becoming a big knowledge centre
of the world and for outsourcing - with connectivity like that it's
only going to grow massively.

On Jan 31, 2008 9:45 PM, emdeex <emdeex at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I just came back from a couple of months in India and thought I'd
> share what I learned about wireless data over there.
>
> Almost everyone seems to have a mobile phone, you can buy a brand new
> GSM phone with no contract for $30, a simple Chinese brand but it
> works fine, colour screen etc.  I even met locals with iPhone's
> (hacked to run local networks).
>
> You can get mobile GSM GPRS/EDGE data at 40kbps via the Airtel
> Network, in most places in India, including many rural areas.
> The cost is 15rp per day for unlimited usage, thats about 40 cents per
> day,  unlimited.  You are only charged this if you access the service
> on any day.
> A GSM SIM card costs about $3AUD, you can choose your own number.  You
> recharge your account via an SMS system at any of thousands of
> locations.
> Calls cost about 1rp (2cents) per minute mobile to mobile, and 8rp
> (22cents) mobile to any number in Australia.
>
> Reliance Mobile has a 1X CDMA2000 network with faster mobile data
> speeds, but with higher charges and less coverage.  I'm not sure of
> the rates.  But you see people using this network a lot in the big
> cities, often with a PCMCIA wireless modem plugged into their
> notebook.
>
> Wireless 802.x networks are available in most major airports and
> hotels, but generally are on a charge basis, sometimes a scratchy card
> you can buy at booths, sometimes Airtel offers free wireless if you
> SMS your mobile number and they return you the login details.  I tried
> a Tatacom scratchy card at Mumbai airport and it worked well (the
> login portal didn't like Windows Mobile's IE, so I used Pocket Opera
> and it worked fine).  You don't see wireless hotspots in many other
> places and I didn't find any free hotspots anywhere.
>
> Almost all private telephones in homes, businesses and shops run over
> wireless, via a type of CDMA.  The phones are generally made by LG.
> You see a normal handset type phone, but there is no phone cable to
> the property, just a panel antenna on the rooftop.  They run their
> "landline", EFTPOS, and Internet all over this wireless loop.  You see
> whole buildings, and Internet cafes running like this.  Here's what
> the handsets look like
> http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11558349/Cdma_Lg_Branded_Set.html.  You
> often see LG units that are like a small terminal with inputs for
> EFTPOS, DATA and Phone and an antenna attachment.
>
> On the non-wireless side, Fixed line ADSL costs 250rp ($8) per month
> for 2mbit line with 1gb download per month.  10gb downloads is about
> 1800rp ($50).
>
> Hope thats interesting to someone,
> cheers,
> Murray
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