Reliance, TATA, Airtel Retarding Broadband Internet growth in India?

Are the three BIGGEST Telecom giants in India who are blinded by their short term company revenues are the real perpetrators of retarding the Growth of Broadband Internet in India?


Premise: Reliance Communication, Bharti Airtel and Tata Indicom all three are offering their wireless datacards for laptops and PCs. These datacards offer various connectivity speeds. However, it's very apparent that the bad wireless infrastructures, poor dataspeeds and over all un-satisfactory customer service is retarding and shooing away the customers from Internet. People get a very poor user experience and the overall confidence in the online media as the main stream media gets distorted completely. Day-by-day poor online experiences just adds to the frustation of new and existing users and end up making people anti-online. What could become as one of the biggest strength of India in uniting and bringing education and more jobs to the country may just go down the drain if appropriate steps are not taken.

A country like India where people plan months ago to buy their next gadget and save money meticulously and buy their dream gadget get fooled by buying such stupid datacards for better Internet connectivity.

The Proof: The Internet by its own nature of bringing the Voice of each customer to one common platform shows the PROOF of pathetic service, speed and connectivity issues which came along with these Wireless Data Cards from Reliance, Airtel and Tata Indicom.

Mouthshut.com an Online user generated content company which provides a platform to Indian users to post their personal experiences in terms of product reviews is just filled with BAD reviews about all these three service providers.

Reviews on Reliance Wireless Data Cards
Reviews on TATA Indicom Wireless Data Cards and USB Modems
Reviews on Bharti Airtel Wireless Data Cards and USB Modems

If this isin't proof enough, do a simple google search and over 50,000 review related search results will show up...mostly people crying out loud at the bad service or drivers or connectivity and bad user experiences.

Strategic Flaw or The Time is not right?
Well a lot of top honchos sitting in those top management plush seats would want to argue that this is not a strategic fault and they do offer Broadband Internet services but people are not ready to take those services up. Well obviously if you produce those stupid Datacards in BULK and push them through a marketing plan, people are bound to get driven. However, it's a SHORT term retarding growth strategy for overall Internet Adoption Strategy for the country. In a way the Datacards and USB modems etc are detrimental to the growth of the Internet adoption and widespread in India. And the best part is both Broadband and datacards are coming from the same Telecom company (Irony Simplified)!

When over 4 Millions users have adopted broadband internet (refer to TRAI report, July-08) there are very few reasons why others wouldn't want to adopt it. The reason (primarily) is high bandwidth cost and lesser education and awareness. Well if you have to shell out Rs 999 per month to get a decent broadband connectivity per month, obviously you are discouraging people from adopting Internet. When Mobile recharges come in small pre-paid values, why don't we allow the users to have low cost flexibility for a LONG Term Internet penetration and growth in country.

Conclusion: The short term revenues of organizations which are blinding them for providing poor infrastructure and bad connectivity should be overcome quickly. The Broadband Internet services should be provided at cheaper rates fueling the Internet demand in India. Improvement of Wireless Broadband, Cost reduction and better infastructure can really contribute to the fast paced growth. Public Private Partnership based Awareness and Education sessions to masses about the benefits of internet should be conducted to help promote the Internet growth in India.

Why India is stiill a Developing Nation?

Modern twist to an old tale

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
-Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.
-Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.
-Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.
-Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
-The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .
-Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
-CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
-Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
-Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
-Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden '
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley, 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India.
AND.... As a result of losing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
India is still a developing country!!!

ICA and Games24x7.com successfully host 4th Annual Chess Championship 2008 in Bangalore

2nd October 2008, Bangalore: Mr. Sushruta Reddy, National Arbiter and Secretary, Innovators Chess Academy (ICA) in association with Games24x7.com hosted the 4th Annual ICA Rapid Chess Championship 2008 and the 3rd Innovators Chess Academy Inter-School Chess Championship on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti in Bangalore.

The ICA Championship 2008 saw a massive response with nearly 350 players participating from the south of India including Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore and neighbouring cities. There was an active participation from young, up-coming champions of chess and their parents in various age categories. The open chess tournament saw a very strong response with the veterans and cream of the top talent participating.

Mr. Sushruta Reddy who is the ex. Jt. Secretary of United Karnataka Chess Association and a chess coach and founder of the Innovators Chess Academy has been a very active arbiter and a strong proponent of promoting the skill based game of chess and taking it to the masses. In recent times, people have shown active interest in participating in a completely new online blitz chess tournament model where people can play online tournaments for cash prizes and the game of chess is now spreading to the masses.

www.games24x7.com was the official sponsor for the ICA Championship 2008 where Mr. Reddy himself is an active player. Mr. Bhavin Pandya, co-founder and managing director of Games24x7.com said, “We have an active association with Mr. Sushruta Reddy right from the starting days of Games24x7.com and he has been an active player and a strong contributor to the development of the chess game on our website. We offer online chess and rummy tournaments catering to the local needs of Indian gaming enthusiast. When Mr. Reddy approached us with the opportunity for being part of ICA Championship, we were very enthusiastic and immediately confirmed our support in his noble initiative to expand chess tournaments in the southern part of India."

Rahul Shandilya won the ICA Open Chess Championship 2008 when he defeated R Nagesh in the final round. Although Rahul tied with K.V.Sripad for the first place with 5.5 points apiece, the former finished ahead due to a higher tie breaker score.

The detailed list of winners of the ICA chess championships 2008 can be seen here.

About Games24x7.com – Games24x7.com is an Indian online games start-up founded by a group of entrepreneurs from IIT and IIM who have seen both eastern and western cultures and wish to bring the spirit of local Indian games to the masses. Games24x7.com is India’s first online games company to run skill based competitive daily tournaments with real cash prizes in rummy and chess.

About Innovator’s Chess Academy – Innovator’s Chess Academy (ICA) is one of the premier and most Active Chess Organizations in Bangalore. The Academy has organized nearly 50 Chess Tournaments since early 2005 besides providing Coaching to children in various parts of the City. The Academy also enjoys strong support from the United Karnataka Chess Association (UKCA). ICA founded by Mr. Sushruta Reddy, and supported by Vice Presidents, Mr. Durgesh and Mr. Karthik Shetty has now branched to Muscat and Oman.

For any further information please contact:
Sachin Uppal, Marketing Director,
Play Games24x7 Pvt.Ltd.
Mumbai, Maharashtra


Sushruta Reddy
National Arbiter and Secretary,
Innovators Chess Academy
Bangalore, Karnataka

Ahmedabad Blasts Update - 16 Blasts, 10 Killed, 100+ Injured

Ahmedabad Blasts Update

According to the sources on NDTV, now its over 16 blasts in the Ahmedabad City which has left 10 killed and over 100+ injured. The scene is really chaotic right now in many parts in Ahmedabad with police trying to shoo away the people with power. This is in favour of the people only as you never know how many blasts have been planned.

Veerappa Moily just now gave a statement that take these blasts as a unified case of blasts and shouldn't be politicized.

Lal Krishan Advani said political angle is not been considered yet...however, later on the agencies can look at that angle too.

These statements are in the wake of the BJP led governements in the cities where these blasts have occured. Agencies like SIMI etc are under scanner now.

I would again like to re-iterate to keep safe and follow the tips which I suggested.

Ahmedabad Bomb Blasts - Update - 7 Blasts, 2 Killed 20 Injured

Ahmedabad Bomb Blasts - Update 2 - 7 Blasts, 2 Killed 20 Injured, as updated on NDTV.

It's a really disheartening to see how bad the situation is becoming on a daily basis in India. Yesterday, teams were sent from Rajasthan and Delhi to Bangalore to probe the bomb blasts and even the national security guard (NSG) teams were checking the blast sites and trying to find out cues on the sources of the same.

It's becoming evident now that these are all similar kind of blasts which are low intensity blasts and done to disrupt the local population with their daily activities and instill terror in the country.

The perpetrators of this crime should be brought to justice.

News updates:
HamroPalo.com
A2to.info
theindian.com

Blog Updates:
Danny G Sam
Hindustaniat
Paras Shah
Indian Raksa
Ankit Rawat

More updates to follow...

Ahmedabad Blasts - 6 blasts in 30 minutes

Ahmedabad Bomb Blasts - 6 blasts in a series within 30 mins. These bombs were allegedly planted in soft targets like Cycles, Tiffin Boxes, Buses - and with evil intentions in crowded areas ... more news is awaited.

Places where these bombs were planted - Maninagar, Bapunagar, Isanpur, Narol Circle, Sarkhej, Haksar

Ahmedabad Bomb Blasts report: - at around 7.30PM

There are reports of 6 bomb blasts in Ahmedabad - this is as per the news showing in NDTV news channel.

Kindly share if you have any information regarding this.

TIPS to keep safe in a time like this - A public appeal to all Indians:

• Please keep away from crowded places.
• Try to avoid traveling for few of days.
• Inform any suspicious activity to police immediately.
• Keep general vigilance in and around your vicinity.
• Do not spread panic, relax and help others.

Keep safe.