The Hindu Business Line : Nokia Siemens plans rural mobile solution

Singapore June 19 Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is in talks with mobile service providers in India to launch a hardware-cum-software package that will enable mobile connectivity to small villages with population of about 2,000.

The solution will obviate the need for putting up costly base stations (towers) and mobile switching networks to expand coverage.

Without disclosing any operator names, Mr Michael Murphy, Head of Technology, Asia-Pacific, NSN, told a media delegation from India that the product would be available for commercial implementation by the second half of 2008.

Earlier this year, NSN, in collaboration with an unnamed mobile operator, conducted trials at a few locations in India to test the solution.

The company is likely to conduct three more such trials early next year, before commercially rolling out the solution, Mr Murphy said on the sidelines of `CommunicAsia 2007,' an information communication technology exhibition and conference.

Called `Village Connection,' the solution supports GSM-based voice and SMS services, including roaming, and has a provision to add services such as Internet access.

Under this, each village would have a GSM access point consisting of GSM radio, power unit and IT hardware and software components.

Access points

Calls to mobile users in the village are routed through the access points.

Each village is linked to a regional access centre via the Internet and calls between villages are routed through this point. Additionally, the solution manages bills, distribution of mobile phone cards and other operational aspects.

The solution is designed as a franchisee-based business model where village entrepreneurs get to operate the GSM access points.

The solution is positioned as an economical option to aid operators in India to fulfil their universal service obligation of expanding network coverage to rural areas.

Mr Murphy said that he did not know how much cost savings mobile operators would incur by implementing the solution.

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