3G Launch
In December, Indian telecom sector took another technological leap, with the launch of 3G services in the capital city of country, Delhi.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) put India on the 3G global map with the launch of third generation (3G) mobile service 'Jaadu' in Delhi.
The 3G services will give mobile users high-quality voice transmission and access to high-end data applications on their mobile phones, including broadband Internet access, interactive gaming and download movies, video clips and music. They can also enjoy other multimedia features such as video conferencing, mobile TV etc.
For example, a user will be able to download a 3-minute song in approximately 15 seconds with 3G. This compares to 8 minutes usually required in existing mobile technologies.
This will help mobile players to offer high-end value-added services like movie downloads, mobileTV, etc to prop up their ARPUs (average realisation per user). Presently, Indian mobile operators generate only 7-10 per cent of their revenue from non-voice services, primarily dominated by SMSes.
As for the pricing, MTNL is yet to release a commercial tariff plan. The company is currently serving corporate clients and will rely on their feedback before the commercial launch.
TECH TERROR
The gruesome terrorists attacks that rocked several parts of the country brought to the fore the fact that the technology which makes our live simpler has also become a handy tool for terrorists. The use of technology is evident everywhere, right from providing recruiting grounds (social networking sites) to being a communication platform (Internet, mobile and satellite phones) to providing geographical details (digital maps).
The ease and frequency with which terrorists freely communicated using sat-phones, BlackBerrys and used Google maps to pin down locations, deepened the intensity of terror attacks across the country.
The recent Mumbai carnage also saw terrorists...