Internet Connection Question

shashank.aggarwal

I am using Idea in Delhi..its Internet is beyond my expectations...amazing to say the least...

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Aishah

And speed is fast? And it does GPRS? I am thinking maybe for the time i am up in Landour to get this one instead of Airtel. Another question, does my Rajasthan Airtel pre-paid work all over India? Or do I have to get a SIM card specific to area?
In another thread an answer came that it would work in Delhi..It may have been you Shashank, I can't remember, sorry or Dilliwalla. It is still in the back of my mind for when I go to Mussoorie next year.

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shashank.aggarwal

Aitel Rajasthan would work all over India..i.e. wherever any other Airtel prepaid will work...

That means it will work in Mussoorie and Delhi..

Dilliwala

I have no knowledge of GPRS anywhere, so can't comment on it.
I do know that since Escotel was bought by Idea, their service in Mussoorie has improved dramatically.
I wud tend to think that BSNL's reception at Wolfsburn cud have improved based on my experience at Char Dukan, since it's a bit closer to NAA Happy Valley and at a height above the road. Altho I can't vouch for it, there seems to be less or no interference from the DD towers, and the tower at NAA has an almost straight line-of-sight to Wolfsburn and surrounds. BTW just recently a 3rd tower was installed at the ITBP Academy down-valley, and that signal is also catchable at times. But as I said, the problem at Landour with BSNL is too much choice, not too little. When I went up with an Airtel fone, the choice was simple - one local tower, u either got it or u didn't (which was often). I still wudn't rely on it now, espesh if I needed to use GPRS on it.

I wud suggest that since u already have one, see how it is with your BSNL mobile there next year, and if not good enough, buy an Escotel/Idea card locally, rather than buying at home. I emphasise though I am limiting myself to the voice-call service and can say nothing either way about GPRS. But the local broadband cafe wud be my choice for inet anyway in that case. Of course I realise it wud be more convenient to have inet access at 'home' anytime u want, espesh early morn or late night.

Dilliwala

2600 posts, and u still don't know the rules of the IM game??
This thread was about internet upto post #1. It is now about 20 posts long.
Already in post #2 we were talking about GSM. So....I have also restricted myself to discussing GSM. In any case I maintain I'm not OT even otherwise, we are discussing telecom. However, if u were talking about inet only, I misunderstood becos I read the names MTNL/BSNL 'in totality', as it were. So then my reply is - I have already commented elsewhere a few times that I'm using MTNL broadband at home, since exactly 2 years now - break-downs have been 4 times, twice not MTNL's fault. Browsing speeds have been within the generally accepted range of variation (no service in the world can deliver at present "full speeds" all the time).
My experience of BSNL broadband is limited to the cafe in Muss Aishah and I have mentioned, going back about 1.5 years (yes, earlier the dial-up service was complete crap). I have almost never experienced a break-down when using broadband there - of course I have to emphasise I don't live in Muss and spend a lot less time on a daily basis using inet there than I do at home. Since earlier this year they have 2 mbps speed and it works very well.

I do not deny that all your experiences are genuine re the probs u have seen/faced. But similarly, I can also only talk of my personal experiences.
I had Tata VSNL at home before, and it was crap. And expensive. I have bitched elsewhere about how the local tech staff wud work only 9 to 6, weekdays only, leaving me in the unenviable situation of using dialup for 2 whole days in the event of a Friday-eve breakdown (FREQUENT!), until the laat-saabs wud come back to work Monday morning. I hope that situation has changed at least.
And I am perfectly happy to call a spade a spade - I have mentioned already that the MTNL/BSNL sms service while roaming is crap, i.e., unacceptable for providers that have otherwise suitable technical infrastructure in place.

Again, my experiences are what they are. And re serious bizmen - I can only point out that there are lakhs of them across India who have BSNL as their ONLY choice - the mercenaries like Shri Mittal not going in becos it wud reduce their year-end bonuses and then they wud be able to buy only 3 Mercedes cars next year instead of 5.
And I for one thank the govt for carrying out its social responsibility, otherwise I wud have NO connectivity at most of the places I travel to.

I'll only say that u are being unfair to such candidates if u skip over their CVs totally. It may not matter to u becos the talent pool is so large that u can still do your part effectively, but look at it from their side - they don't know u from the next recruiter, but have chosen u when there are hundreds (thousands?) in the same biz as u. I.e., they have placed their trust in u to do an honest job, which is to find them a job, subject to a whole host of factors of course. Shud your personal likes/dislikes be a factor?
Of course it is highly unreasonable for anyone to expect that u spend 2 hours trying to call 1 person whose fone is not working properly, but what u can do is set yourself a limit (for all providers, not just MTNL) - i.e., something like 5 attempts in all, then move to the next one. And then tell them if/when u get thru, "look, your fone is a problem, I can't spend so much time trying to call u when I have hundreds of others to call, from now on u'll have to call me on such and such day and/or time."
Just a friendly suggestion, I can't judge if and how far this is practicable.

shashank.aggarwal

I agree with you DW..as reasonable as ever..you are a strong supported of MTNL/BSNL....but again you have a very valid point that millions of people have no there choice..but maybe that is the reason these two are surviving..

I guess this cannot be solved by debating, as you have the strongest point that an argument can provide..your experience is yours and mine is mine..however someday when I am frustrated from calling on of those numbers, I will again start the argument, but this time with a Poll on IM, and will see what others members who have considerable experience in Indian conditions have to say...

Btw..i do not see you around in Meet-up thread...what are you afraid of I am also planning to send that B grade buy...umm...BB guy a stinker about this...

Dilliwala

Valid point re their survival - so let's hope the private sector gets their act together and puts BSNL out of business altogether. too.
And MTNL operates in a free market (Delhi and Mumbai only).

One small correction to your other point - I am a strong supporter of what works for ME!
It'll bear repeating - I specifically chose MTNL for it's roaming agreement with BSNL. If this changes tomorrow, I'll move over to whoever has a better roaming network.

Aishah

And thanks Dilliwalla for that info. re Wolfsburn and reception area etc.Also, Shashank for my Airtel question re Delhi and Mussoorie. Sounds like I don't have to buy a new SIM.

Nick-H

There is no free market in Indian broadband connections.

There is an authority whose very definition of broadband is a joke, and a number of companies (it makes no difference if they are privately or publicly owned) who are very happy to offer minimal packages for maximum prices.

Suits them. Very nicely.

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Dilliwala

There is in big cities. In this country, 4 ISPs counts as a free market.



It may not interest u to know this, but there is a history to why the number of service providers are limited in a particular state/region. The govt wants only players with deep pockets. No one need agree with this, I don't, but it is actually a protective measure. The Indian public has been duped many times by fly-by-nighters and other confidence tricksters in fields ranging from selling shares in teak-wood plantations to housing to that nice cottage in the hills, and more.
Whereas I strongly contest that deep pockets bring greater moral and financial responsibility, this is the logic, as warped as it is. I understand that - right intention, wrong methodology. I believe the correct way to do it wud be to allow totally free enterprise with certain safeguards, and then hit any violators for the smallest infraction, and hard!
I also believe the moon is made of blue cheese, by the way.

Nick-H

OK, I can see the point of that. Not sure I agree with it either, but I can see the reasoning, but there was absolutely no need to set the sights so low.

It is also no reason whatsoever for them to have created the situation where India is the fifth most expensive broadband in the world.

It may be a horse, but letting it die doesn't get us anywhere either.

I also think it's worth warning visitors that they won't see what they call "broadband".

By the way: did you see that BSNL now say they are going to connect us all up with 100Mb fibre in a couple of years time?

Dilliwala

I haven't actually, this is news to me. Then again, maybe not - news wud have been if they had said they'd do it in a couple of months' time.

Aishah

I wouldn't hold my breath.. we were supposed to have BSNL broadband last March.. still waiting!

shashank.aggarwal

I today read an Ad from Airtel in Delhi..they are introducing 8 MB connections...I am sure the speed with be good..however the data limit will be killer point...

Let me check the plans and I will get back to you...

shashank.aggarwal

Okay..here is the link for Delhi plan...

http://airtel.in/ForYou_BroadBand_Pl...&cid=2&pid=339

Too expensive..

Rs.1299 + Service tax = Approx Rs.1450.

And they allow only 4 GB data in a month.

I pay around Rs.1200 to Sify for 256 unlimited and use around 40 GB in a month...