Just yesterday TRAI released and justified that 256 Kbps is not a bad speed at all. Today they have recommended ways to boost the growth of broadband penetration in India. Some of the key recommendations are as follows, [My Comments appear in Italics]
- BSNL / MTNL to appoint franchisees. Total flexibility in developing a commercial model and effective utilization of local loop. [So will the last mile be opened for 3rd Parties ?]
- Service Providers requested to declare future plans to encourage manufacturing of CPEs within India
- Government should expedite decision on 3G and Wireless Broadband Access policy including spectrum.
- Central Government to constitute a team at district level to study the Right of Way problem. [This is nothing but a F*cking eye wash. Had our Babus and Netas knew what planning and execution is all about, then why would our cities and towns be in such shamble ?]
- Broadband roll out on DTH platform [If Sunil Mittal or Anil Ambani is reading this recommendation, they would be laughing 😉 Airtel and Reliance have been waiting for Transponders since over a year now for their DTH TV service and Government is talking or Joking 😉 about broadband on DTH]
- Cable TV operators to be encouraged to provide broadband service. [If they are talking about large corporate players, its fine, but never ever opt for service from your local cable guys who are just a rip off. Read on why Tata’s chose to deploy Wimax broadband in Bangalore]
- Finally, they have chosen to utilize the USO fund for broadband services.
- Encourage multiple dwelling units / buildings to be broadband ready. Make it mandatory before issuing clearance certificate.
Year after Year, TRAI is either still framing recommendations or committees while the Indian consumer is struggling on his laptop with poor GSM/CDMA internet connection and subscriber base on this platform has reached 46.37 million.
No nation in the modern world has built itself upside-down. Everyone starts from the basics and the basics have to be taken care of first or we’ll never be the first. In the current context we need to have a good infrastructure that will make way for everything from water / electricity / sewage / broadband / wireless /satellite etc.
However we are only focussing on the digital pipes and forgetting the basic human needs. These broadband pipes are not worth a thing for the average Indian person. Should you discuss the right of way and make a policy based upon just the current broadband needs in picture what happens when the water / electricity & gas / sewage industry forces come into picture ? After all there’s a hierarchy of these needs, broadband connection being at the bottom of the list, hope all human beings agree to this.
So my dear policy TRAI makers, remember that you have the last of the rights on to these public properties ( water / elect. gas / /etc/… guys have priority over you broadband folks) Should you jump to conclusions and policize according to your convinience, you’ll fall like the IT stocks of India. They had their time (short-time). So will you.
Just look at China.