India’s fastest broadband: 8 Mbps Airtel Broadband Connection

Recently Airtel a leading private ISP in India announced the first ever 8 Mbps ADSL plans for Bangalore.

This step is in right direction. Personally, I’m happy with MTNL 2 Mbps plan. At work we have 155Mbps x 3 connections so I never worried about bandwidth.

The cost is as follows according to official website:
=> 4 GB limit/month INR. 1299
=> 8 GB limit/month INR. 2222
=> 20 GB limit/month INR. 4444
=> 50 GB limit/month INR. 9999
=> 100 GB limit/month INR. 19999

I wish it was bit cheaper, I need 20 GB plan around INR . 1500. Currently service only available in Bangalore and Chennai city.

Rs.1 – Flat rate for STD phones

Finally, you will be able to pay a flat rate for STD calls. Rs. 1 per minute will be new rates for STD from March. No matter where, the hell you are in India you can call to any part of country with just Rs.1 pm. Both MTNL and BSNL – Government owned telecom companies planning to charge new rates from March with new reduced monthly rental. However, Reliance telecom (private firm) already announced such plans. This is yet another sign of booming economy. I just wish cost for broadband connection come down with high-speed Internet access for home users.

Broadband or Bandwidth problem – my DSL blues

You know it is pain to use 256kbps DSL with limited data-transfer option.
In India we don’t have bandwidth problem, so what’s holding back the Broadband in India? Elsewhere in the world fast broadband connection available at very reasonable prices.
First and most important lack of access to last mile connectivity. Private players don’t have last mile telephone network . Only government owned BSNL (or MTNL) has last mile network.
Cost of DSL/ADSL router/modem are also bit hight as compare to other countries.
Bandwidth itself is expensive for ISP. ISP purchase bandwidth from VSNL/BSNL in bulk and sales to end users. An E1 line from BSNL cost around 13 lacks/pa (INR. 13,00,000), DS-3 INR 10400000/pa etc. This is quite expensive as compare to other countries. Price was dropped by TRAI but VSNL claiming that the pricing hurts its business. So order sent back by to TRAI to consider VSNL’s concerns.
Today we use only 30% of bandwidth of the total capacity. Rest is not used and not given to end users like us.
I think both BSNL/MTNL should allow private ISP to use their vast last mile network, reduce prices. Private ISP should also move to latest technology such as WiMAX to provide last mile connectivity (still they can have fiber optic based backbone). And get fast broadband (minimum 1 Mbps) for all of us. Big market waiting for all ISPs. Hope private ISP and BSNL/MTNL/TRAI listing to me.

Till then it is Hakuna Matata!