coolrajiv

New Delhi, Aug. 19: The telecom ministry will soon issue guidelines on number portability. According to the department of telecom (DoT), portability will keep tariffs under control. Recently, some private operators hiked tariffs even as telecom minister A. Raja was exploring the possibility of a tariff reduction. The incident prompted the government to get cracking on number portability. “DoT is holding discussions with service providers to finetune telecom regulator Trai’s recommendations on the issue before it changes the license conditions to accommodate number portability,” officials said. Trai, which favored portability and had recommended that DoT should implement the system by April 2007, was of the opinion that number portability would improve the quality of service and reduce tariff. The system allows mobile phone users to change service providers without having to change phone numbers. Usually, unsatisfied customers hesitate to change operators as it entails changes in mobile numbers, which most find inconvenient. “Number portability will help customers overcome this problem. They will be able to enjoy low tariff, high quality of service, wide coverage and enhanced features offered by particular service providers,” the officials said. Telecom operators, however, have opposed portability. They said huge investments — to the tune of Rs 18,000 crore — would be required to implement the scheme on a national scale. Analysts said the operators were apprehensive about the expenses involved in retaining customers, which would affect their profit. Those who opposed the move said with a teledensity of around 15 per cent, it was too early to implement portability at such a high cost. Teledensity is the number of phone users per 100 people. Since over 90 per cent of subscribers were in the pre-paid category, the sanctity of a number was less relevant, they added. Mobile number portability has already been implemented in Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Singapore. “There was significant tariff reduction among mobile operators in Hong Kong after the implementation of mobile number portability,” said officials. Moreover, according to a survey by research firm IDC, “Thirty per cent subscribers are likely to shift to an operator offering a better service, if given the option.” Even Pakistan, which has a mobile penetration of a mere 6.9 per cent, implemented number portability in April this year.

Zylog Systems plans to make Chennai WiFI-enabled, allowing laptop users in the city access to the Internet from anywhere, including a moving vehicle. The company plans to dot Chennai with WiFi nodes — electronic devices often kept on the top of buildings — which will tap data from optic fibre cables and transmit them to laptops and computers that will be equipped with a receptive device. “By doing away with cables in the last mile of connectivity, we not only ensure high speed and seamless connectivity but also the ability to tap into devices such as laptops, hand-held devices and gaming consoles,” said S. Ram managing director of Zylog Systems. The company launched the Wi5 plan in the city on Sunday. Zylog plans to launch the service within the next two years in Calcutta and elsewhere. At present, five areas are covered by Wi5 in Chennai. The entire city will be covered within 15 months. “Our packages will be priced very competitively at Rs 550 per month for an unlimited plan at a download speed of 1 MbPS (megabytes per second), Rs 1,000 at 2 MbPS and Rs 1,750 at 4 MbPS,” said Jankiraman, Zylog’s chief operating officer.

Source - http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070820/asp/...ory_8212766.asp Bhopal/New Delhi, Aug. 19: A Nokia cellphone and another handset with a Samsung battery allegedly exploded in Madhya Pradesh today amid panic over Nokia’s announcement about faulty batteries and its offer to replace them. Rajesh Shastri of Indore said his Reliance mobile phone, run on a Samsung battery, burst with a bang on Sunday. “I was talking to someone on the phone and the moment I put it down, it jumped and broke in two,” Shastri alleged. Over 200km away, Vicky Jain told police that his Nokia 1100 mobile had exploded while being recharged at his electricals shop in Begumgunj, 80km from Bhopal. He said some furniture was damaged. Mangal Singh Thakre, the officer in charge of Begumgunj police station, confirmed the complaint but said he was yet to ascertain the circumstances in which Jain’s phone had exploded. A Samsung representative in Indore, J.K. Nayar, said Shastri’s battery was old and needed change. “We have not received any formal complaint but are looking into the matter,” he added. Last week, Nokia had advised consumers to check their handsets after it decided to replace 46 million batteries worldwide because about 100 of them overheated while being recharged. The company listed steps to identify whether a battery was affected. The fear of battery explosions has driven thousands of mobile users to service stations, and Nokia is believed to have received more than 31 lakh messages or phone calls in the past week. Leading mobile operators, Bharti Airtel and Hutch, however, have thrown their weight behind Nokia, praising its commitment to customers. “Such pro-active intervention… was never seen in India before. This reaffirms our confidence in them,” an agency report quoted Sanjay Kapoor, president of Bharti Airtel Mobile Services, as saying Harit Nagpal, marketing director of Hutch, said: “The scale at which Nokia is communicating with its customers — it looks like a great act of responsibility.”

Moser Baer Releases DVD Player DVD players are already abundant in the market, but a new player is always welcome, especially from a known company. Optical storage giants Moser Baer have launched their DVD player, MB - 69885. The DVD Player has a sleek and aesthetic look and comes in two colors black and silver. The USP of the product is that it comes with a Memory Card slot which plays SD/MMC/MS cards. This is a unique feature that's worth a mention. The product features a USB slot that plays photos, music, and videos from USB Flash Drives, has a 5.1 channel audio output, Digital coaxial output, Optical fiber output, S-video output, Karaoke for sing-along facility and plays DVD, VCD, SVCD, MPEG4, DIVX, MP3, WMA and JPEG Digital Camera Photos. The player costs Rs. 2990, and comes with some free goodies in the form of Hindi movie titles, also by Moser Baer DVD. A few of the available titles are Ghayal, Mr. Natwarlal and My friend Ganesha.

Reliance Digital to Open 60 iStores Across India Reliance digital, the IT consumer durable arm of Reliance Retail, plans to open 150 digital stores and 60 iStores or Apple stores across the country. While digital stores offer a wide range of consumer durables, iStores are exclusively for Apple's products for professional and consumer segments. Launching its second iStore in Hyderabad, the company officials said 50 to 60 such stores would be rolled out in 20 top cities in the next 18 months while 150 digital stores would come up over the next two to three years. Spread over 2,875 sq ft, the iStore offers the entire range of Apple products for professional and consumer segments such as iMac consumer desktop computers, MacBook consumer notebooks, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro, iPods and entire suite of Mac software along with over 500 accessories and peripherals. Among the products offered at iStore is MacBook Air, the world's thinnest notebook computer priced at Rs. 99,000. Ajay Baijal, president and CEO of Reliance Digital, told newsmen on the occasion that they planned to open 20 such stores this year. "Apple is one of the iconic bands and offers most innovative products. We are the first company to offer these products in retail," he said. Each iStore will have 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft area and will be set up at a cost of Rs.7-8 million. "Our endeavour is to be competitive and offer installation and best service," he said pointing out that Apple trained the store employees. The Reliance Digital stores will have a space of 20,000 to 25,000 sq ft each and will offer wide range of consumer durables from different brands. The investment in each of these stores (excluding land) will be Rs.3,000 per sq ft while the company expects a business of Rs.50,000 to Rs.60,000 per sq ft. The digital business is expected to be 10 percent of the total revenues of Reliance Retail. Reliance Retail Ltd is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, India's largest private sector company. Started in November 2006, it operates over 500 stores in over 49 cities. Its formats cover groceries, vegetables, fruits, apparels, wellness products, consumer durables and IT products, Apple products, footwear, jewellery and music.

Happy B'day Rimweb .. 5 glorious yrs of success

Asustek Computer on June 5 unveiled its ultra low-cost notebook, the Eee, at Computex Taipei 2007, with volume shipments to being in August, according to company chairman Jonney Shih. The Eee name comes from ‘Easy to learn, easy to work and easy to play,' Shih said in a conference chaired by Intel's executive vice president Sean Maloney. The lowest-priced Eee PC will carry a suggested retail price of US$199 and will come with a 7-inch display, Intel Celeron M CPU, 2GB flash memory and support the Linux and Microsoft Windows operating systems (OS). Shih also estimated that shipments of Eee PCs are likely to total 500,000 in 2007, but declined to say how many Eee PCs would be shipped in the coming years. However, Shih stated that shipments of Eee PCs will help Intel achieve its goal of seeing a total global shipment of one billion Intel-based PCs. The new PC has already drawn comparisons with the OLPC (One Laptop per Child) project, which is attempting to ship US$100 to developing countries. However, that project has not met its price targets, with the system BOM reaching US$140. In addition, the OLPC project lacks a strong after-sales support network and initial shipments have reportedly been delayed. Recent reports stated that Quanta Computer's shipments of XO notebooks under the OLPC project may be delayed, again, to the fourth quarter instead of the third quarter due to a delay in designs of varied application scenarios for different emerging markets. Sources at Taiwan-based component makers indicated that Quanta has not yet released its orders for parts and components needed for the OLPC notebooks, indicating that Quanta will not be able to start shipping the low-cost notebooks in July as scheduled. If Asustek is able to maintain its schedule, the Eee may beat the XO to market. In related news, Shih said that Asustek may push its schedule to divide its brand and ODM/OEM businesses to before the end of this year instead of in 2008 as originally planned. After separation, the current Asustek will focus on the operation of brand products in a way much the same as Acer does today, whereas the manufacture of notebooks, motherboards, networking devices and other products will be handled by a newly established EMS unit that will compete with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. Asustek Eee PC 701 specifications Display 7-inch CPU and chipset Intel mobile CPU & chipset OS Linux/ Microsoft Windows XP compatible Communication 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56K modem WLAN WiFi 802.11b/g Graphics Intel UMA Memory 512MB DDR2-400 Storage 4/ 8/ 16GB Flash Webcam 300K pixel video camera Audio Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in stereo speaker; Built-in microphone Battery life 3hrs (4 cells: 5200mAh2S2P) Dimension and weight 22.5×16.5×2.1~3.5cm Weight 0.89kg Asustek chairman Jonney Shih (right) unveils the Eee PC as Intel executive vice president Sean Maloney looks on... Looks very nice i guess for people who want a low cost PC this is the one for them Even though its called Eee PC to me it looks like a laptop .... should be a success in India .

Redesigned netbook now sports aluminum LCD cover. Asus had recently shown to a select few publications what the Eee PC 1000H would look like. Well, now they have officially taken off the wraps from 1002HA, which is a replacement of 1000H with more aesthetic appeal. The Eee PC 1002HA now sports a stylishly-designed chassis with brushed aluminum LCD cover and palm rest. The reason for going aluminum was to make the netbook as light as possible without giving away durability. The netbook now weighs 1.2 kg and is just 1-inch thick with the battery attached. The specifications include a 10-inch LED backlit display, 1GB memory, which can be maxed up to 2GB, Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 160GB HDD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel webcam, 4-in-1 card reader and Linux or Windows XP as the OS options. Other noteworthy features are the included 10GB Eee Online Storage, keyboard that is 92% of the size of the conventional ones and is equipped with technology like Super Hybrid Engine (SHE) for better battery efficiency. The Super Hybrid Engine, coupled with 4200mAh battery, gives a total run time of around 5 hours in a single charge. Price & launch date will soon be announced..

hopefully BSNL will be offering 3G mobile broadband in Calcutta by Jan 2009.. waiting eagerly for it.

Source - http://www.tech2.com/india/news/mobile-pho...hipping/19541/0 The 8GB version of the Nokia N95 has started shipping and will be in stores soon. "Our Nokia Nseries family has expanded with added pizzazz and performance with the Nokia N95 8GB, a device as personal as it is powerful," said Jonas Geust, vice president, Multimedia, at Nokia. "We've reached a pinnacle with the Nokia N95 and now with the addition of one of the largest ever displays, built-in Assisted-GPS and improved battery power, the Nokia N95 8GB takes entertainment enjoyment to another level." With 8 gigabytes of built-in memory, the Nokia N95 8GB has all the key features of its predecessor, including a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide. The phone also boasts a 2.8" (240 x 320) QVGA display and offers up to 20 hours of video or up to 6000 songs. The Nokia N95 8GB supports services like Nokia Music Store and N-Gage Games. The 8GB N95 has an estimated retail price of EUR 560 (approx. Rs. 31,000) before taxes or subsidies.

Finally India wins GOLD after 28 yrs Congratulations to Abhinav Bindra!!

Lenovo has entered the netbook market with the IdeaPad S9 and S10 netbooks The netbooks are approximately one inch thin and weigh just over two pounds. The S9 has an 8.9-inch screen while the S10 has a 10.2-inch screen. Both models come in glossy deep blue, ruby red and classic black. Lenovo has designed the keyboard to be 85 percent the size of a full-function notebook PC's keyboard, and an energy-efficient LED backlit display helps provide longer battery life than traditional displays. The netbooks feature Wi-fi and optional Bluetooth connectivity and also have an Express Card slot so users can enable the netbook for optional high speed mobile broadband connectivity. The netbooks feature a built-in web camera, two USB ports, a 4-in-1 multicard reader and come equipped with either Microsoft Windows XP or Linux. The IdeaPad netbooks offer up to 1 GB of memory and either 80 GB or 160 GB hard disk drive space. Lenovo has engineered the netbooks to reduce the heat emitted on key contact areas such as the bottom of the PC, the palm rest and the keyboard. Additionally, Lenovo's OneKey Rescue System on Microsoft Windows-based netbooks helps users recover data at the touch of a button should a system error or virus occur. The IdeaPad netbooks will be available in September in India at all Lenovo authorized storefronts, for approximately Rs. 15, 000 for the S9 and Rs. 17,000 for the S10.

8 inches Entry Level Laptop from Sahara Sahara Computers has expanded its Book Series laptops with the entry-level 8-inches model S-NB522434-EB00. Though entry-level, the laptop is feature-rich and affordable, claims Sahara. All of 1.1kg, the notebook, according to Sahara, qualifies as one of the smallest in its class. Significant features include a 60GB hard drive and an 8-inches TFT LCD display. The S-NB522434-EB00 is a Linux-based, Wi-Fi enabled notebook targeted at entry-level users, students, and frequent travelers. It comes with an AMD Geode LX 800 processor, a PCMCIA slot, and an extended battery life of 4-and-a-half hours. Speaking at the launch, George Van Der Merwe, chief operating officer of Sahara Computers, expressed the view that unlike other notebooks in the same segment, this one comes with a hard drive and offers more features. The S-NB522434-EB00 is immediately available through Sahara's authorized channel partners as well as ITJ stores for a MRP of Rs 14,999 plus taxes. It comes encased in a leather carry bag, and enjoys a one-year carry-in warranty.

Source - http://www.tech2.com/india/news/mobile-pho...n-india/15541/0 Reliance to Offer BlackBerry Services in India Reliance Communications (RCOM) and Research in Motion (RIM), today announced the launch of the innovative BlackBerry wireless solutions for the first time on CDMA network in India. Available across 10,000 towns and 3 lakh villages, this will make it the most widely connected BlackBerry service in the country. Being the first to launch the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone in India, Reliance Communication will now be able to provide its customers with the more data-efficient CDMA and GSM network that will also deliver high Internet speed and offer international roaming, enhancing the productivity of both enterprise and professionals on the go. Reliance is well poised to extend business applications through BlackBerry as is. The BlackBerry 8830 is equipped with a full QWERTY keypad and aside from providing users with high-speed email and messaging capabilities, it’s also equipped with a built-in GPS navigator and trackball (Pearl) navigation feature. It has 64MB of inbuilt memory and provisions for expansion through microSD cards. The 8830 also has a media player for video and audio files, and supports video streaming. Reliance intends to take the BlackBerry solution a step further and provide customers with other solutions such as Internet-based online trading and Bloomberg Anywhere. On the occasion of the launch, Prakash Bajpai, President, RCOM, said, “As the first player to offer BlackBerry World Edition smartphone in India, we are confident that our network will offer a superior value proposition to professionals on the move. Reliance is committed to provide world class Solutions on BlackBerry Enterprise server and we will take BlackBerry 'BeyondEmail'. Now for the first time in India we are launching BlackBerry service with applications such as Internet-based online trading and Blackberry on prepaid . Many more such solutions will follow suit." Norm Lo, Vice President, Asia-Pacific, RIM added, “BlackBerry smartphones are designed to provide people with the best integrated mobile experience for email, phone, web browsing and other corporate and personal applications. RIM is very pleased to be working with RCOM to further drive the adoption of BlackBerry smartphones and mobile applications in India.” Models launched include: BlackBerry Pearl (Rs 24,990), BlackBerry 8703e (Rs 22,990), BlackBerry Curve (Rs 24,990) and BlackBerry 8830 World Edition (Rs 33,990). The BlackBerry 8830 and 8703e handsets will be available in 16 cities to start with, and will be expanded to other cities in phase II. RCOM has launched BlackBerry Pearl on its GSM network in a phase-wise manner, starting with Indore.

Source - http://www.tech2.com/india/news/mobile-pho...odafone/16771/0 Come September 21, 2007, Hutch will be renamed Vodafone. Vodafone had acquired 67 per cent in Hutchison Essar from Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa a few months ago, in a bid to enter the fast-growing Indian market. Global player Vodafone completed the acquisition of Hutchison Essar in May 2007 and the company was formally renamed Vodafone Essar in July 2007. Asim Ghosh, MD, Vodafone Essar, says, "We’ve had a good innings as Hutch in India and today marks a new beginning for us, not as a departure from the fundamentals that created Hutch, but an acceleration into the future with Vodafone’s global expertise." This transition is estimated to touch over 35 million customers across 400,000 shops and thousands of Hutch’s own employees, as well as employees of its business associates. This makes it the largest ever transformation for Hutch, considering the fact that in India, the brand itself has undergone several changes in the past.

HTC Diamond is the only one which is a big threat to Iphone & probably the only one which can take the limelight away from Iphone.

Source - http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070919/asp/...ory_8334101.asp Cellular magic New Delhi, Sept. 18: After emails and videos, it’s time to watch television on the mobile phone. The telecom regulator has initiated a consultation process to seek operators’ views before issuing guidelines for mobile TV services. The government will also issue a regulatory framework for mobile TV. A joint group comprising officials from telecom and information and broadcasting ministries has been constituted to draft the framework. “The group will submit its report soon,” said officials. Based on comments from the industry, Trai will issue recommendations on issues relating to mobile television services. The guidelines will be on international practice, eligibility criteria, net worth requirement, foreign direct and indirect investment levels, technology, revenue sharing, entry fees, bank guarantee, spectrum and facilities to be offered by service providers. A joint group of ministers will study the recommendations before releasing the final set of regulations. The group will also examine the issue of content. “For mobile television, only the channels approved by the ministry can be allowed,” said officials. The group will study the law under which new broadcast modes can be regulated. “The current broadcasting law does not cover mobile television because the mode of transmission is not traditional, that is, satellite or terrestrial,” said officials. Cable operators and broadcasters want security, licensing and downlinking laws for TV channels to be extended to programmes on mobile phones. “If the new broadcast modes are considered cable services, the definition of broadcasting service and cable operators will need to change,” an official said. Security and content are not the only issues, officials said. As mobile TV is in the telecom domain, it will be eligible for 74 per cent foreign direct investment compared with 49 per cent for entertainment channels and just 26 per cent for news channels. “India has the potential for mobile TV services as the subscription base is growing at a phenomenal rate with more than 7 million customers signing up for mobile services each month,” said Sanjay Sinha, CEO of AirChord TeleVentures. The Delhi-based company is venturing into the wireless TV segment.

yeah the recipient has to reply just like it is in yahoo

Sagem has just launched a new entry level handset in India – the Bleu 453x. It’s quite loaded with essentials that most users would expect from their cell phones. This GSM/GPRS-enabled handset has a slim candy bar design and comes equipped with a 1.5-inch display with a 128 x 128 pixel resolution and 65k colors. The 453x also has a host of other features that include Bluetooth with an A2DP profile for stereo Bluetooth headsets and a VGA camera with video recording. It also has an FM radio and an MP3 player. The integrated video player supports 3GP, AVI and Mp4 file formats. The phone also features a rather sophisticated Mobile Tracker application that allows users to block the handset by simply sending an SMS from another SIM and a whole lot more including formatting the phone book remotely. The 453x supports the use of microSD cards for external memory. The Sagem Bleu 453x is priced at Rs. 3,350 and will be available in 2 colors. I think this is complete value for money handset

Bharti Airtel, India's largest mobile service operator, has reduced local, long-distance and roaming call charges effective from Wednesday. The telecom operator, which announced an investment of $3.5 billion for strengthening its infrastructure, slashed STD rates to Re.1.50 per minute from the earlier Rs.2.65 a minute for both home area and roaming. In its roaming tariffs the company also reduced incoming call charges to Re.1 a minute from the current Re.1.75 and outgoing local calls to Re.1 a minute, the company announced here Monday. “This initiative has been taken to encourage people to make more calls while roaming. This would also immensely benefit our rural customers,” said Manoj Kohli, president and CEO, Bharti Airtel. Bharti Airtel, in which Southeast Asia's leading telecom firm SingTel owns 30 percent stake, announced a robust 37 percent increase in its fourth quarter profit ending March 2008. The company recorded 62 million customers by the end of last month. Indian mobile phone firms added an unprecedented 10.2 million subscribers in March taking the total to 261 million.

Source - http://www.tech2.com/india/news/mobile-pho...otorola/25691/0 Motorola Unveils Two New W-Series Phones Motorola has introduced two new W-series GSM handsets at the ongoing International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2008). The new W230 and W270 handsets offer expandable memory with optional microSD card and a simplified interface for text messaging. "These new devices offer design elements, music features and outstanding battery life that consumers don’t expect to find at this price point," said Stu Reed, president, Motorola Mobile Devices. "Whether buying your first phone or trying out a music phone for the first time, these new models from Motorola are the perfect choice." The W230 and W270 include features a dedicated music key that activates an integrated digital audio player which supports MP3 and other popular formats. Your favorite songs can be stored using optional microSD removable memory cards up to 2GB in size. In addition, users have access to free music and news through an FM radio with integrated Radio Data System (RDS) which displays artist, title and type of song playing on the radio. Users can also record FM radio clips to use as the phone’s alarm, share favorite stations with friends through text messaging, and listen via headphones or speaker. Both devices offer Motorola CrystalTalk technology that helps reduce background noise, up to nine hours of talk time, the capacity to store up to 500 text messages and phone contacts, one-click access to create text messages, and the ability to access the Web. The W230 is available in two interchangeable faceplate color palettes: licorice/silver, and titanium gray/mandarin. Both handsets are expected to be available in Q1 2008.

Nokia Launches New Handset With NFC Nokia has introduced the Nokia 6212 classic featuring integrated Near Field Communication (NFC). The 3G handset has been designed to simplify sharing content, access services and information as well as conduct payments and ticketing. "NFC-capable handsets such as the Nokia 6212 classic are set to change the way mobile phone users interact with devices and services in their surroundings," says Jeremy Belostock, the Head of Near Field Communications, Nokia. "With the Nokia 6212 classic, people can swap items like business cards or calendar notes by simply tapping their handsets together." Near Field Communication is designed for intuitive, simple and safe interaction between electronic devices. By tapping an NFC-enabled tag, consumers can receive new content such as weblinks, audio files or contact data directly to their handset. They can activate a profile in their mobile or open applications such as the FM radio or web browser. Photos and videos can also be shared by tapping another NFC-capable phone and pairing with a Bluetooth NFC-enabled device. The Nokia 6212 classic allows consumers to personalize and edit their own NFC tags, be it for writing calendar entries or setting the alarm clock. The sales pack of the Nokia 6212 classic comes with three sticker tags, one of which opens the NFC introduction in the phone. The Nokia 6212 classic can also be used as a travel ticket or for mobile payments. Travel tickets can be charged over the air, so there is no need to wait at the service counter. Users can store their credit card information on the device and access their account online directly from the handset. Using the Nokia 6212 classic for payment and ticketing purposes requires a service subscription and the installation of an appropriate secure application. Security for transactions is assured as the handset can be set to allow payment only when the user expressly authorizes the transaction via an additional passcode. The 6212 classic also comes equipped with a 2 megapixel camera, a 2-inch QVGA display, stereo FM radio, music player and extra memory via microSD cards. The Nokia 6212 classic is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2008 in select markets in Europe and Asia with an estimated retail price of Rs. 12,525 (EURO 200) before taxes and subsidies.

Its GSM .. wah ashoksoft sounds cool just think & the call gets dialed

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has approved the pan-India implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), and requested the Department of Telecom (DoT) to select an operator who will be licensed for providing and operating end-to-end MNP solutions in the country. Further, TRAI has recommended that the 'Mobile Number Portability Clearing House Administrator' (MCHA) should select a neutral third party operator through a competitive bidding process. If all goes well, MNP will be implemented country wide by June 2009 in phases, with the first phase covering metros, as per TRAI recommendations. With this, India will soon join the elite club comprising USA, UK, Australia, Korea, Japan, Canada, most of Europe, and Pakistan, who already offer number portability. And when effective, those planning on using MNP, here's something you ought to know. In case of pre-paid mobile subscribers porting the mobile number having balance amount, no credit transfer will be allowed to the new account. Subscribers will have to either consume the balance amount or forgo it. Also, there will be a 'break before make' arrangement for completion of porting process i.e. connection from donor network to be disconnected first, and then connection with recipient network to be made. However, TRAI has asked to keep the break period not more than two hours. According to some surveys, as many as half of the country's mobile phone users are unhappy with their service providers, and hence willing to switch operators if allowed to retain their existing numbers.

these are pretty impressive speeds for 1X service .. @ 250/pm this is more than value for money