Mobile Internet to Overtake Fixed Internet Soon
India is the second-biggest consumer of Mobile Internet after the US
Sounds like a sensationalistic headline, but if you read Morgan Stanley‘s latest series of reports on the Mobile Internet, you’ll walk away with the same impression. Morgan Stanley’s global technology and telecom analysts documented the rapidly changing mobile Internet market to provide a framework for emerging trends and direction.
To set the stage, Morgan Stanley forecasts that the mobile Internet market will be at least 2x the size of desktop Internet when comparing Internet users to mobile subscribers. According to the report, Apple’s iTunes + iPhone/Touch ecosystem has created what “may prove to be the fastest ramping and most disruptive technology product / service launch the world has ever seen.”
Current business scenario requires quicker decision making and it becomes imperative to have access to the relevant information as and when required. „Stay connected‟ is the need of an hour for effective decision making and this is facilitated by the technological advancements by providing access to Internet even on the move. These developments have lead to the mobile office concept which has transitioned from fixed, portable, roaming and nomadic access.
Internet in India is growing rapidly since its introduction but primarily restricted usage of Internet from “fixed” points like homes, offices and cyber café. While mobility for Internet exists, public access points such as cyber café have dominated as point of access for low PC penetrated Indian Market. Internet usage on the move can be facilitated by the high speed data cards, public Wi-Fi hot spots and Internet access on mobile phone. Over the years, other access points such as Wi-Fi hot spots and Internet access on the mobile phone are gaining user acceptance with better convenience and mobility. Data card and Internet access on the mobile phone has shown the considerable increase in the India. There have been some movements in the area of public Wi-Fi hot spots however, the current costs of access limit frequent usage of any mobile Internet.
TRAI’s Recommendations on Policy Issues relating to
Uplinking / Downlinking of Television channels in India
i) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (M/o I&B) formulated the policy guidelines, for downlinking of satellite television channels down linked / received/ transmitted and re-transmitted in India for public viewing, on 11th November 2005. Similarly, the guidelines for Uplinking of Television from India were notified on 2nd December 2005. These guidelines contained a liberal approach towards granting permissions. Pursuant to the Guidelines, there was an exponential growth of television channels, especially during the last few years. Till date, permissions for more than 550 TV channels have been granted by M/o I&B and there are pending applications for fresh approvals.
ii) Vide its letter No. D.O. No. 1501/34/2009-TV(I) dated October 08, 2009 the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting sought the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding modifications in the uplinking and downlinking guidelines.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has broadly raised the following issues:
1. Maximum number of satellite TV channels possible
2. Cap on Number of Channels
3. Eligibility criteria & process of granting Permission
4. Minimum period of operation
5. Revocation of permission of TV channels
6. Renewal of permission
7. Policy for transfer of permission
8. Proposed changes in the guidelines to develop the country into a teleport/hub for uplinking/turnaround of TV channels which are not meant for viewing in India.
iii) TRAI accordingly initiated a process of consultation to arrive at an appropriate decision. The reference dated October 08, 2009 received from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was placed on TRAI website www.trai.gov.in to solicit preliminary views of the stakeholders on the subject. Taking into account the preliminary views of the stakeholders on the subject, a consultation paper on “Policy Issues relating to Uplinking/Downlinking Television Channels in India” was issued on March 15, 2010.
iv) All the comments and counter-comments were placed on the Authority’s web site www.trai.gov.in . Open House Discussions were held on 3rd May 2010 at New Delhi.
v) The recommendations have been formulated taking into consideration the comments and views of the stakeholders. The issues have been broadly discussed in three chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the issue of regulating the number of TV channels wherein the matter has been examined from legal, technological and socio-economic angles besides looking at the international experience. Chapter 2 examines the issue of introduction/modification of certain eligibility conditions pertaining to the applicant companies seeking permission for uplinking/ downlinking of TV channels. It also deals with the issues of permission fee and revocation, renewal, transfer of license etc.
Number of TV Channels & Technologies
India has witnessed a significant growth in Cable and Satellite television services in the recent past. As a result, the number of TV channels which have been permitted to be downlinked in India has increased exponentially (Ref. Fig. 1). Today, there are around 550 TV channels which have been approved by M/o I&B for uplinking/downlinking in India. Several applications for new TV channels are pending consideration.
Social Networking Sites Fulfill
Serious Business or Personal Development Needs
If you're like many people these days, you spend a growing amount of time on one or more of the Internet's social media sites - YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or blogs.
While hanging out on these sites used to fall squarely into the realm of pastime, that's no longer the case. Many of the best social networking sites fulfill serious business or personal development needs.
That's why finding ways to use them more efficiently can pay big dividends by allowing you to focus on the rest of your life while keeping up with your social networking tasks.
Here are some tools that can help:
Live Writer
If you're a blogger, you need a tool that lets you blog offline and update your blog when you're ready - regardless of whether you have direct access to the blog at the moment. Windows Live Writer fits the bill.
This tool, free to registered Windows users, ties in to most blogging sites and blogging software - including WordPress - and gives you a slick, word processor-like interface in which to compose blog entries.
When you're ready to publish an entry, either on the spot or at a later date when you're connected to the internet, just click the Publish button, and you're done. A nifty scheduling feature even lets you set up a post to be published at a specific day and time - so you might, for instance, compose a blog post to be published a week from now to coincide with some event.
If you happen to maintain and update several blogs, you'll be happy to know that Live Writer lets you add multiple blog accounts and update one or more of them from the same writing session.
Plus you can use the tool's table editor and spell checker to format and proofread your work, just like in a word processor.
Twitter Feed
Many use Twitter to inform their followers of updates to other sites that they maintain.
For instance, people who regularly blog often use Twitter to alert followers to new postings. TwitterFeed helps you automate that chore.
TwitterFeed takes advantage of the RSS (really simple syndication) feature of many web sites to make 'tweets' on your behalf.
To set up TwitterFeed, you simply provide the RSS feed URL to the site of your choice, allow TwitterFeed to access your Twitter account, set a few options, and you're done. From that point on, TwitterFeed will keep your Twitter account active - with or without you.
A friend is a friend in time of need. When you live alone, home surveillance will take care of your security. Play it right and you’re alright.
Silent walls have stories to tell
When you go to work, are you confident about leaving your valuables and pet at home? You may hide your gems under lock and key and your dog inside the house. But would you have any idea who was inside your home while you were out? As a single girl living alone in the big city, home surveillance should be your best friend.
Young women looking for the big break in the metro should not gamble with their security. Even with the security of the padlock and multiple locks, there is the fat chance that an intruder may break in and cart away your prized possessions. A home surveillance system could capture the thief’s image and you can identify him in the police line-up.
Young women who have been murdered in the safety of their apartments cannot come back to tell what happened to them, and the walls will remain mute and their stories remain untold. It wouldn’t be nice to be another statistics because you reneged on buying yourself some protection.
Armed and wired
If you latch on to the computer, you can browse the different home surveillance equipments suited for your place. You need not spend a fortune for a surveillance system. You can opt for the two-way intercom for the all entry ways to your place. Some unwisely neglect the back door where wily thieves gain entry.
A fixed camera on the back door can be a comforting thought when you are alone in the apartment in the evenings. Wire your IP ready camera to your PC and monitor all areas with your quad monitor. One glance at the monitor you will know what’s going on at the back door, kitchen and your bedroom.
To fortify your home surveillance get armed. Also, have your mobile phone on the ready and inspect all locks before retiring. Call your parents back home and tell them you are safe in your apartment. At least they’ll know you are okay. If you are strict about your safety, never admit late night visitors unless they are your kith and kin.
Smart surveillance
Surveillance is not always about the enemy. It could also be a convenient way to check up on the house when there is a heavy downpour. Is the basement flooding? Are the shutters safely locked? Is the dog running through the rug? You can check all these out even when you are at work.
Home surveillance need not be expensive. You can maximize your PC and your cellphone. Save thousands of dollars by just setting up a USB connected webcam, and get two cameras. You can also get a PC-based surveillance system.
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Consumers will have to pay up to Rs 250 a month, plus taxes, to watch a complete bouquet of channels on cable television, though operators have the option to charge lesser, according to a proposal that is expected to get the government’s blessings as early as next week.
The proposal to cap cable tariffs was part of a broad consensus that emerged at a meeting between industry representatives and telecom regulator TRAI on Wednesday, said persons who attended the meeting. A plan to digitise all cable operations in three years was also debated, they said.
TRAI, which also regulates the broadcast sector, will issue a tariff order early next week, the persons said. Barring certain areas in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata where conditional access system (CAS) or digital cable signals are available, all other cable operators will have to follow the new tariff order.
“There is no final conclusion and we will come out with a tariff order in some time,” said TRAI chairman JS Sarma, adding that various suggestions were discussed in the meeting, The new price ceiling was proposed after a survey of 22 non-CAS cities commissioned by TRAI revealed that consumers are against paying more for better services through digitisation. “As against 90% (of the sample surveyed) in 2007, only one-fourth in this round expressed willingness to pay more,” said the TRAI survey report released last month.
The survey said subscribers know from experience that paying more does not necessarily guarantee improved services. Instead, they prefer Direct-To-Home (DTH) connections. Cable operators in many parts of the country charge more than Rs 300 a month. Shillong topped the list with consumers paying Rs 319 a month, according to the survey.
Govt plans TV channel for rural masses
The rural development ministry is planning to launch a dedicated TV channel for the rural masses to ensure that information about the government’s various policies and programmes reaches the target group.
Rural development minister C P Joshi is working out the modalities with the information and broadcasting ministry. The channel is being planned along the lines of the Lok Sabha TV and is expected to be ready in a few months.
Joshi said unless people know about their rights, it is as good as not having those rights. The TV channel will air a variety of programmes, including a quiz show – along the lines of Kaun Banega Crorepati – where representatives from rural areas could participate and win prize money of Rs 1 crore. The questions would be based on village life, the right to information, government policies and programmes for the rural areas.
The channel would also focus on programmes – like the panchayat system, the schemes under NREGA, the need of watershed development and success stories from across the country in various villages – that will be of interest to and provide information exclusively for rural audience.
Joshi said crores of rupees have been spent in the last 60 years to address problems facing the rural population, but all developmental objectives could not be achieved. He said providing information to the masses was the main motive and this alone could help achieve many of the goals that had failed even after spending crores of rupees.
Lack of information had not allowed the rural population to avail the facilities provided by many centrally-sponsored programmes worth Rs 70,000 crore, he said.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, who attended a workshop to determine the contents of the rural information drive, said democracy demands that the public broadcaster be used for building public awareness. The programmes will be entertaining as well as enlightening, said Soni.
