WiMAX in India

[Alan J Weissberger]

Business Week called it "A WiMAX Breathrough in India."

On Mar. 4, India's Tata Communications , an emerging broadband wireless service provider, announced the countrywide rollout of a commercial WiMax network in India, the largest anywhere in the world of the high-speed, wireless broadband technology.

Already 10 Indian cities and 5,000 retail and business customers use the product, and by next year Tata will offer service in 115 cities nationwide. The folks at Tata can hardly contain their excitement. "WiMax is not experimental, it's oven-hot," says Tata's Prateek Pashine, in charge of the company's broadband and retail business.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2008/gb20080312_47...

But will this really be one of the world's largest WiMAX networks in the world?

Last Friday, March 21st we heard directly from the Indian IT minister that only 10M WiMAX subscribers were expected by 2011. That was quite disappointing for a country that has over 1 B residents! So there is obviously a huge disconnect from what is reported in the business/ trade press and what the Indian government knows.

This seems like more hype for the already way over hyped WiMAX market potential.

[Alan J Weissberger]

India's 3G Auction- sometime soon?

Although the exact date is not clear, it is rumored that the government is planning to hold the all-important auction for allocation of licenses for 3G sometime soon. We hope this happens soon as it's high time 3G services are launched here, especially since other countries have already started looking beyond 3G.

http://www.techtree.com/India/News/3G_in_India_Auction_Soon/551-918...

AW Comment: Like what about WiMAX and even 4G licenses?

[Alan J Weissberger]

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Applauds the Announcement of a Spectrum Auction for 3G Services in India


Arlington, Va. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy, standards development, business development and intelligence for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, applauds the Indian government’s recent announcement of its guidelines for auction and allotment of spectrum for 3G telecom services and broadband wireless access. This long anticipated announcement will help ensure that Indian consumers can access the latest wireless technologies for voice and data services.

TIA is encouraged that the Indian government has addressed a number of concerns raised by global industry regarding the allocation and eligibility criteria for 3G spectrum. TIA, as Chair of the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the U.S.-India ICT Working Group, has been recommending to India for many years that it identify, allocate and distribute Spectrum for 3G and Broadband Wireless Services. The new auction guidelines are a positive step toward accomplishing this goal.

To obtain the actual documents, please visit http://www.dot.gov.in/2008/Aug%202008/sprectrum_2.pdf.

http://www.dot.gov.in/2008/Aug%202008/spectrum_3.pdf

AW Comment: We note that the Indian government has still not issued rules and regulations for licensed spectrum to be used for WiMAX deployment. Why not?

[Alan J Weissberger]

Intel is negotiating with WiMAX operators in India while promising to deliver a very low cost laptop with embedded WiMAX interface

August 19, 2008
Intel readies sub-$400 laptop for India
http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&auto...
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3377752.cms

27.5M WiMax Users In India by 2012

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/275_mn__WiMAX_users_in_India_by...

[Alan J Weissberger]

India may be next WiMAX mecca

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News_by_Industry/India_may_beco...

"India is slated to become the largest WiMAX market in the Asia-Pacific by 2013. A recent study sees India's WiMAX subscriber base hitting 14 million by Year 2013 and grow annually at nearly 130%. What's more, initial investment in WiMAX ventures is slated to top $500 mn in India, notes the report conducted by US-based research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics."

[Alan J Weissberger]

BSNL Launches India's First High-speed Wireless Broadband Network in Gujarat

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Soma-Networks-Inc-954543.html

[Alan J Weissberger]

India's 3G, WiMax rollout may be pushed to 2010

Although Telecommunication Minister A. Raja this week said it is possible to hold auctions for India's 3G spectrum by Mar. 31, experts doubt the current government will proceed with haste in this realm.

Don't hold your breath. I heard Minister Raja talk when he was at the India Center in Milpitas, CA. I was not at all impressed!

http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62051318,00...

[Alan J Weissberger]

Maravedis and Tonse Predict WiMAX Subscribers in India to Exceed 13 Million by 2013
Leading research firms Maravedis and Tonse Telecom release 3rd edition of the “India Wireless Broadband and WiMAX Market Analysis and Forecasts, 2009-2013” report


MONTREAL, Canada, and BANGALORE, India, April 28, 2009 – Deployment of 3G and WiMAX streams will generate a reasonable user base over the next 5 year period, before noticeable LTE deployments begin to make an impact in India, according to the latest research by Maravedis, who in partnership with leading Indian telecom market research and analysis firm Tonse Telecom today released the 3rd Edition of “India Wireless Broadband and WiMAX Market Analysis and Forecasts, 2009-2013.”

“Despite delayed spectrum auctions that are impeding a tremendous economic driver, 3G/BWA/WiMAX network activity is already on a roll,” said Sridhar Pai, co-author of the report and Tonse Telecom CEO. “For the severely underserved Indian broadband market, demand for wireless broadband connectivity continues across all sectors: retail, SOHO, SMEs and large enterprises alike,” he continued.

According to the report, the big push will be seen post-spectrum auctions. “However, aided by pre-allocation in the 2.5GHz band, incumbents are already developing massive national rollout plans for both 3G and WiMAX. Expect significant pan-India deployments from other successful auction bidders,” said Maravedis CEO Adlane Fellah.

While the global economy is lying dormant, demand for telecommunications services in India continues to fuel significant growth in the sector. “We estimate that in 2008, approximately 10,000 BWA/WiMAX base station sectors were deployed in total. Currently there are about 300,000 BWA/WiMAX subscribers already using these services,” Pai noted.

“Wireless CAPEX has already reached US$ sub-100 levels per line, thereby confirming the primary transport technology will be wireless,” added Fellah.

[Alan J Weissberger]

Economic Times: Dual mode devices to drive growth of WiMax in India

Mobile handsets offering both 3G (for voice) and WiMax (for high speed wireless broadband access) are likely to gain popularity with the Indian telecom operators and give a fillip to WiMax services in the country.

The dual mode devices which combine both the technology - 3G and WiMax - would help the operators in the country to offer the services in a cost effective manner once the spectrum for the services is auctioned by the government post the elections, WiMax Forum Chairman (India chapter) C S Rao said.

"In India once the spectrum is auctioned, the operators are likely to go for 3G spectrum for voice services as the existing spectrum is saturated and to support the next 200 million subscribers they have to use the third generation spectrum," he said.

However, for data services like video streaming and downloading WiMax could be used, as the technology is more efficient for data download and other applications, he said. Globally, Samsung has already started manufacturing such devices.

More at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Dual-mode-sets-to-driv...

[Alan J Weissberger]

Tata joins WiMAX Forum board of directors:
Prateek Pashine, will represents Indian operator Tata on the WiMAX Forum Board. The appointment of Pashine emphasizes the huge role that the subcontinent is expected to play in the WiMAX industry, once its own spectrum licenses are auctioned, and also as companies like Tata look to expand in other parts of the world using new technologies.

[Alan J Weissberger]

BSNL -India’s largest telecom operator -will invite fresh tenders to run its WiMax operations, after the previous attempt was aborted in light of dubious operators making it to the final shortlist. The state-run firm will now seek fresh bids for franchisees across the country to roll out technology that allows users wireless access to high-speed internet and other data applications over a large area, according to two top executives of the company. BSNL expects WiMax to generate multi-billion dollar revenues over the next 10 years.

ET had reported on February 20 that a string of ‘shell’ companies that exist only on paper had made it to BSNL shortlist for WiMax.

The telco subsequently cancelled the tender after its own investigations revealed that five of the six shortlisted companies — WiExpert Communications, SV Telecom Systems, Digitelco Communications, Spectrus Communications and Technotial Infoways — were acting as ‘fronts’ for certain individuals.

It was found that these companies shared the same corporate details, notaries, auditors and dates of incorporation, and even their last annual general body meeting was shown to be held on the same day.

BSNL came under pressure from its labour unions to scrap the tender following reports of wide-scale corruption in the methodologies adopted to shortlist successful bidders. Doubts were also raised on the disqualification of several companies with proven track record of offering WiMax services including Soma Networks, Cisco-backed Terracom, Unwire India and Welcomm Communications — it had a tie-up Huawei and Aricent — in the earlier shortlist.

This has strengthened the allegations of a possible scandal especially since BSNL had failed to provide valid reasons for the disqualification. During the recent election campaign, opposition BJP had alleged that five of the six shortlisted companies were promoted by telecom minister A Raja’s confidant Sanjay Kapoor and had sought a CBI probe into the issue.

“BJP demands that allotment of BSNL’s WiMax franchise should be suspended immediately and the telecom minister be sacked as reports suggest wholesale loot and corruption in the process,” party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar had said during a press conference in Delhi on May 6.

Earlier this year, the WiMAX Forum, an industry association that has more than 530 member companies globally and 50 members in India had warned BSNL that companies existing only on paper are exploiting lax eligibility criteria for bids invited by the telco for franchisee operators for its WiMax services.

The Forum had also alleged that these newly floated front companies have approached global majors to buy them out quoting BSNL’s spectrum and network assets as valuation criteria. “This is a result of the lax eligibility conditions in the tender which these paper companies are exploiting,” the association had said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Telecom/B...

Comment: Scandals, corruption and cronyism seem to be a way of life in India. That's on top of the stifling bureaucracy that Indians blame on the British (but India has been independent for almost 62 years!)

[Alan J Weissberger]

Intel Capital is at it again:

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/intel-signs-alliancephi...