• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Kripa Raman

Will the first be the best? That's the question you need to ask as broadband service providers jostle with each other to reach your home.

THREE large entities are running a marathon, in the country, trying to be the first to offer broadband facilities countrywide, across the country, especially in the retail sector.

Reliance Infocomm's broadband project, for example, connects over 600 locations through 60,000 km of optic fibre. Also under way is the creation of a metro ethernet to connect buildings through a network of smaller capillaries.

"We are already providing broadband access selectively to commercial customers," says a Reliance official. "But our retail broadband facility will be available only by the year end or early next year."

Also in the race is the Tata group, with several of its telecom entities. "It is a marathon race to get broadband to the customer ahead of everyone else," says a senior Tata official. In the case of the Tatas, however, different entities in their stable are involved. Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is talking to cable operators for its broadband offering. "Some experiments are already on in Bandra in Mumbai. It requires tying up with cable operators, enabling them to invest in updated technology," says a VSNL official. VSNL is also trying to add on the clients served by Dishnet, a company that VSNL recently acquired.

"We are talking to MTNL and BSNL for offering DSL broadband facilities through their last-mile copper," says the official. Competing with Reliance Infocomm's fibre network will be Tatas' own network. "We have taken 20,000 km of fibre on lease in perpetuity," says the official. " Another 15,000 to 20,000 km would be set up by VSNL and Tata Power. Altogether we would have 35,000 to 40,000 km of cable soon. We are going to lay our fibre wherever we can."

Competing with the two large private groups is Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. Of course, BSNL would be lending a hand through its countrywide broadband programme. In fact, several BSNL officials openly claim that they intend reaching their broadband facilities to customers ahead of private players.

"In fact, we hope to have networks ready by the end of this year," says a senior MTNL official. The company has already invited bids for equipment.

By the next fiscal, MTNL hopes to offer between 2 lakh and 3 lakh broadband connections. For all the talk, though, none of the broadband offers have really materialised. "This is because of logistical problems," says an MTNL official. The other problem centres around the content on offer. "We are offering a fat pipe, now our success will depend on what we feed our customers through it," explains a Reliance Infocomm official. Reliance Infocomm is building up whole libraries of material (such as films) and applications to offer through broadband, he adds. "If people are happy with their usage levels, they will just stick to dial-up facilities; we must offer them something to chew on," says the Tata official.

Will the early bird get the worm? Or will the quality of services work better?

"There is no hard and fast rule. But, in general, if the down payment is high, the early bird will certainly get the worm. And this is what we are trying to be," says the Tata official.

kripram@thehindu.co.in

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
My robot and I

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line