Reliance Broadband Blog

Reliance And Airtel Announces Cuts In Roaming Charges

2007-02-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

Indian mobile service providers Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications have both announced their reduced roaming tariffs.

These two companies have also announced the scrapped rental rates for roaming services. These announcements are to meet the recently released guidelines issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India last month.

Bharti Airtel said that they have now slashed roaming charges by 56%. They have also now waived off the roaming rental of Rs 49 per month.

In addition, their local calls while roaming will be charged at Rs 1.40 per minute. STD calls would be charged at a fixed 2.40 per minute. Incoming calls on roaming would cost Rs 1.75 per minute.

Sanjay Kapoor, joint president (mobile services), Bharti Airtel added on these new announcements: “We now usher in an era of simplified roaming tariffs wherein all Airtel mobile users will benefit from our seamless network and have the opportunity to make calls while traveling anywhere in India.”

Reliance on the other hand has announced that they are reducing their roaming charges by up to 44% on its pre-paid connections. They have not been charging any roaming fees from their customers.

Reliance Technical Team....Whatever!!!!

2007-02-02T01:19:00.000-08:00

Question sent to so called Reliance Technical Team:
I am planning to go for reliance broadnet. Since login is needed to access internet every time, how can I configure wireless network with reliance broadnet?

Answer By Reliance Technical Team:
"Dear customer,

Greetings of the day!

With reference to your mail regarding broadband connection with wireless router, we regret to inform your that at present there is no functionality to process this request, whenever we launch the same, you would be notified through relevant media channels.

With reference your mail, we would like to inform you that the ADSL Modem is in Bridge Mode and there is no facility to access the web interface of ADSL Modem.

For additional product and service related information you may contact us through any of the following means:

Phone:
*377 from any Reliance fixed phone
1800 22 7773 from any MTNL / BSNL phone
022-3033 7777 from any phone
Email: broadband@relianceada.com
(Working hours between 9 am to 9 pm)
Fax: 022-30337878.
Website: Reliance Communications.

Yours sincerely,
Broadband Customer Care
Reliance Communications"

==============================

Gimme a break.
I'm pretty sure that this is not the case,its just that the Reliance Technical Support seems Incompetent to answer this question, so this seems a lame reply to me.

What do you think about this????

Reliance Communications applies for GSM spectrum in four more circles

2006-07-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Reliance Communications is continuing to give out more signals that they are serious about their full-blown entry into the GSM market. The Indian telecom company has now applied for GSM spectrum in Chennai, Uttar Pradesh (east and west) and Jammu and Kashmir circles.

The application for this was sent to the wireless planning and coordination wing of the department of telecommunications (DoT).

Reliance has already asked for GSM spectrum in major markets including the Delhi and Mumbai circles. DoT has said that the latest application for newer circles has been made under RCL’s unified access service license and they have informed the company to provide them with a detailed plan.

Reliance is already the dominating player in the CDMA based mobile services market in India and have shown interest in moving to the GSM arena as the company believes that the royalty fees charged by Qualcomm is hindering growth in CDMA mobile segment. Qualcomm has refused to slash their fees saying that it is already too low.

Qualcomm however is scheduled to meet this July 19 to discuss the royalty issue for CDMA operators in the Indian market. Head of Qualcomm’s India operations, Kanwalinder Singh is rumored to be visiting company’s headquarters for this meeting.

Reliance Broadband Buying out HFCL Connect

2006-07-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, my insider sources are not willing to confirm nor deny the move.

As far as the usage impression goes, Connect betters BSNL only in customer apathy. Though, recently faced with the onslaught of competition, there was a clear directive from the top bosses to shape up or ship out.

Long time back, I had approached Connect office to provide me with dial up connectivity. The screwed up idiot was hell bent on providing me with ISDN- a premium service in his opinion. Despite promises of high usage, they refused to extend the wireline to my place. Interestingly, they were insisting that I pick up CoRDect- a wireless mode of Internet access.

The buyout rumours might be true. HFCL’s script has shown it the way. It rose significantly in yesterday’s day trading on BSE.

Interestingly, Reliance has dug up only those areas in my city where HFCL Connect isn’t offering it’s services. I was indeed surprised in recent times that they are not going to high density zones. Yet, this is just a pointer and perhaps future might reveal the truth.

Reliance would be well poised to get a deal for HFCL. They would have a captive base for landline customers some of them who have been stupid enough to go along with promises of 400 MB “free limit”. However, HFCL had chalked out plans on the lines of Reliance Web World under the brand name “Planet Connect”. They misleadingly claim about surfing at 1Mbps; the bandwidth is distributed to different terminals. Either, this was a ploy to get higher value addition to the imminent sale or stupidity of monumental proportions. HFCL has by and large a small regional player; with no depth of the market. Neither, there is any buzz around the company.

So, it cannot hope to get on even ground with Reliance or Airtel. Plus, it is sorely dependent on bandwidth from the biggies.

Overall, it would be a great buyout for Reliance. A solid deal. And perhaps help them to roll out their Broadband services to exisitng and new customers.

Exciting times indeed. By the way, this is the only place where it is being reported; Google News hasn’t picked this up so far!

You can read the old posts on HFCL Connect:

1) Smaller Telecom Operators of India. I had written in about Connect:

Do we need these smaller players? Well the answer is yes and no. Smaller players lack the marketing muscle of the bigger ones. They are encumbered to localized regions and cannot offer economies of scale. However, the smaller players can offer faster customer response times. Sadly, this fact has not really reflected as far as Connect is concerned. I have mailed and personally talked to the people in charge for extending the services to my area, which they consistently refuse to do so. I gave up in disgust.

2)HFCL Connect- running out of luck?

For how long can they sustain themselves? Spice Punjab has announced plans to expand in other markets. Connect is opening up it’s browsing centres on the pattern of Reliance Web World. While this is belated entry, it is enough to attract puppy crowds towards what they call as Broadband. It seems that much of the time is spent on chatting. So much for the “millions of Internet subscribers” do to access Internet. It cannot be generalised but a cross section of the surfers mainly use for Emailing and the like. A minorty are power users. It remains to be seen as to how HFCL survive.

Airtel hasn’t made any major moves in the market so far.

This post was prompted by imminent buy out by VSNL/ Airtel. It didn’t materialise. Does it mean this Reliance buyout is another rumour? We’d have to wait.

3) In Interesting Developments I had reported back that Connect is setting up it’s Planet Connect showrooms.

Reliance Broadband: Some details

2006-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have taken a liberty from self-imposed hiatus here to break this news to all. From my insider sources in Reliance, it is reliably learnt that Reliance is stepping up services for Wireline and aims to go big in Broadband. Roughly in about 3 months time.
It all boils down to one thing. To challange the ultimate domination of BSNL in the Wireline space. I was told that BSNL’s refusal to open up the last mile access was going nowhere; plus in any case, they would have opened up only those loops, which are 5 years or older ones. Which are practically useless for data applications since they were never designed keeping these factors in mind.
The exact technical details elude me.
Still, it is good news. The roll out would be staggered. Reliance seems to be concentrating on the plum cities as for now. It has already started off it’s wireline in Chandigarh and perhaps Ludhiana in Punjab. DSL is not being offered but dial up is available.
A disclaimer here. 3 months is based on their internal projections. If they decide to stagger or put the plans on hold due to unforeseen circumstances, we might have to suffer the BIG question mark again. Reliance Broadband when?
Further, it would be copper connectivity to the last mile, which means that it would be DSL. Since DSL can be scaled up to 25 Mbps, this is more than sufficient for the video applications and gaming at the moment. Of course, 100 Mbps is in a different league altogether. Forget it guys. 100 Mbps is what seems to be a magical figure. It’s like looking for a sane soul in BSNL; a needle in a haystack; a mere number for us and much like the elusive missing page in the Government’s files……
Reliance is perfectly poised for kicking BSNL right in between where it hurts them most. They would surely undercut the tariffs to scale up.
Meanwhile, Reliance seems to have cut out the idea to loan bandwidth to cable operators and mercifully, it isn’t going via Sify’s way. Surely, it was their waterloo.
I shall keep you posted as and when something really interesting comes up.
BSNL has not responded so far to any further queries about the unlimited plans pricing. Nor there has been any activity about the CNN-IBN Blog. They are in the process of setting up a CMS with remote login facility; further, they seem to be fine-tuning the idea about having blogs existing with the mainstream media. Therefore, for everything else, you would have to suffer Rajdeep’s outbursts for the time being.

Reliance is going Sify way?

2006-07-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

History, dear folks, can teach us a lot. The generations who learn from their history are better placed than who refuse to acknowledge it. The wisdom holds true for corporations too. CEO’s mar or make a company; despite the common sense prevailing on ground.
In a way, I have been wondering about Reliance, Anil’s division. Much vaunted “broadband” has not materialized; his mobile business has not really excited the market in recent times and hordes of people are expressing dissatisfaction. Then, of course, Reliance has its neck deep in different ventures, which defeats the entire purpose of having focused plans for telecom. It would, in the end, go down like the Govt. of India’s black hole- where money goes in but no result thereof.
I was indeed dismayed to see a write up in Indian Television.com, which talked of last mile access woes. It is true. However, Satyam burnt its fingers nicely and had to exit its ISP business. Reliance is refusing to learn from the history and that of not too recent past. According to the report, Reliance would be investing and scaling up the infrastructure including billing, while cable operators would provide the last mile access.
There is an inherent flaw in the model. First, the Cable internet is not the bright speck in the sky for Internet access; unless of course it is optic fiber running to your home. DSL can giver higher and faster access. Then, the problem of secure browsing- most of the PC’s running Microsoft would be infected. It is easy to compromise a PC without firewalls et al.
Reliance would be stupid enough to expect the cable operators willing to invest time and energy- the same issues that dogged Satyam would plague Reliance too. Lack of customer focus and alienation would soon settle in.
Most of the cable operators have their own “internet services”- they act as last mile distributors for telecom companies. Why would they allow any other company to compete with their own services?
Despite this, Reliance has enough financial muscle and extremely active legal department to arm-twist them. This would make your cable operator wary, unless they are backed by a robust association. Satyam was perceived to be pliable and the dodos did not bother about customers anyway. Reliance would never want to have bad press.
Let us see how their foray comes in the picture. Let me grudgingly admit. BSNL, by mid next year, may have the last laugh. Especially when they have started scaling up direct optic fiber to building clusters in select cities. These Govt. PSU’s may well rule the broadband market. Everyone else would twiddle their thumbs and resort to lobbying to open up last mile access.
Especially when media would get enough brains to start comparing the inroads made by other companies. If the report in Indian Television.com is just a proposal, it is good enough. History never forgives anyone who ignores it.

eliance broadband tariff : Broadband Internet Access

2006-07-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Tariff PlanOur tariff plans are designed to suit every pocket and have been customised to meet your speed and spend requirements.

Note: Subscriber's experience of Internet may vary depending on PC configuration, Internet performance beyond Reliance network and website/ server being accessed. The service is available for homes and offices and not for cyber cafes or any other form of reseller. Use of service is subject to Reliance acceptable user policy.

* TRAI has classified speeds greater than or equal to 256 Kbps as broadband.
Minimum PC Configuration
Pentium; 32 Mb RAM; 2 GB HDD; OS: Windows 9x; Ethernet LAN Card (10/100Base T) with TCP/IP support. Browser: Internet Explorer, Netscape.

Recommended PC Configuration

Pentium IV 2 Ghz or higher; 256 Mb RAM; 40 GB HDD; OS: Win 2K/ XP, Ethernet LAN Card (10/100Base T) with TCP/IP support & Browser Internet Explorer 6.0.