KumaarShah
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Posts posted by KumaarShah
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RCL wants the 3G edge engineeringK YATISH RAJAWAT
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006 03:10:43 AM]MUMBAI: Reliance Communication’s decision to target a big bang expansion in the GSM space is largely influenced by spectrum scarcity in CDMA and a desire to earn higher margins from big-spending customers who travel around the world and pay top dollar for watching football matches on their mobile.
The company plans to roll out a third generation (3G) GSM network by ’07. Its decision to pursue 3G network on GSM technology has already sent vendors and some competitors into a tizzy. The confusion is compounded by the fact that the company already has a huge CDMA network, and any move to target growth in the rival standard would affect vendors across the world.
CDMA vendor Qualcomm’s top management is said to be discussing RCL’s new roadmap in San Diego. RCL, of course, has not fully communicated its strategy to any vendor yet. Qualcomm also has a 3G network rollout plan for RCL, which involves upgrading Reliance’s existing network.
Telecom vendor Lucent Technologies’ senior management has gone into a huddle with the RCL management at the campus off-Mumbai since the past two days. Other vendors are also keen on understanding Reliance’s new game plan.
RCL is facing a strange problem of growth. The limited spectrum is expected to hit its growth plans in the coming months. Growth is also saddling its balance sheet with the cost of millions of handsets, sources close to the company said. The firm is also unable to target more profitable customers.
RCL’s strategy is being dictated by its ambition and problems. RCL wants to be the dominant telecom service provider and it does not want technology, spectrum or other issues to hold it back.
RCL claims a market share of around 21.5% if its GSM and CDMA subscribers are jointly taken into account. The company wants to maintain its marketshare and even grow it to 25% to become the dominant player in the telecom services market.
In some of the high growth circles, RCL is already touching the upper limit of spectrum usage. Therefore, its network capacity is hampered and it may not be able to add new subscribers if it does not get additional spectrum. The spectrum problem is expected to hit Reliance in the fast growth circles like Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur.
RCL’s CDMA network has been allotted spectrum in the 800 Mhz range. There are four service provider in this range — MTNL, BSNL, Tata and Reliance — and between them, they have exhausted all the available spectrum with very little available for a new carrier or for further expansion.
Reliance is trying to get extra spectrum as a fifth carrier in some of the circles. Moreover, this is just growth spectrum and will get exhausted as subscribers grow. If RCL wants to upgrade its CDMA network to 3G, it will need bigger bands of spectrum, which may not be possible in the 800 Mhz range. This raises the question of its continuation with CDMA technology per se for 3G networks.
Moreover, as the subscriber base for RCL grows and if it maintains its market share, it will have a subscriber base of 100m users four years down the line. With this, RCL will also have the cost of 100m handsets sitting on its balance sheet, which will be a complicated and sticky liability on a balance sheet. In the GSM world , Reliance does not have to worry about the handset cost or carrying it on its balance sheet.
The government will release spectrum for 3G GSM services by the end of this year. GSM service providers will be able to roll out higher and better broadband services in by 2007. 3G services are likely to be used more by higher paying customers and is likely to be have more profitable value added services around it.
This means RCL may lose the higher end of the subscriber base which wants not only need high speed data but global roaming available on 3G GSM. If the existing GSM service providers roll out the 3G network faster than Reliance, the company may lose out. Which is why RCL is trying to pre-empt this with its own 3G GSM network based services.
Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1652202
RCL to alter sector dynamics with GSM, CDMAK YATISH RAJAWAT
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006 12:53:04 AM]MUMBAI: Reliance Communication (RCL) strategy to straddle both the GSM and CDMA platforms for growth may serve the dual purpose of confusing its competitors as well as leveraging its existing and future investments.
RCL’s decision to get on to a GSM platform is not a novel move. Some operators across the world are managing both CDMA and GSM networks. However, operators like Telestra have completely vacated CDMA to move to the 3G GSM network.
RCL is likely to let both these technologies co-exist for some time due to the nature of the Indian market. While numbers and subscriber growth is very high in India, the bulk of growth is not from high-paying consumers. The ARPUs are the lowest in India and they may go down as those at the bottom of the pyramid become users.
Hence, it is interesting to track RCL’s strategy in detail over the coming years . If the roll-out of services and networks is in three phases it will look like this.
Phase-I will involve RCL leveraging its existing CDMA physical infrastructure to build a 3G GSM network in Mumbai and Delhi. CDMA towers will see co-location with GSM radios. The fibre optic network will be leveraged to connect it with centralised billing solutions.
The existing expansion of the CDMA network will continue in cities where RCL has spectrum and is adding subscribers. The roll-out of the 3G GSM network from the date RCL gets all its clearance will take anywhere between 6-7 months. This means sometime in Q1 of ’07 or before, 3G GSM services will be provided by RCL.
In phase-II, RCL, might buy GSM licences in other circles. This will be done where its current CDMA network peaks in terms of spectrum-usage and there is still more growth or high-end subscribers to tap. RCL is unlikely to vacate its CDMA infrastructure as it will continue servicing existing and future value-for-money subscribers.
RCL is also likely to launch dual mode phones, which will allow roaming between its GSM and CDMA network. RCL is likely to continue servicing its huge subscriber base at the lower-end on the CDMA network. Firms like Alltel, Sprint-Nextel have been operating GSM and CDMA networks for some time.
In phase-III, RCL, may start offering transition to GSM services to its existing CDMA subscribers as an upgrade and to reduce its handset-related liability on the balancesheet. RCL’s 3G GSM services are expected to be a combination of broadband, roaming, video content.
Depending upon how the spectrum issue for 3G CDMA networks is handled along with changes in the technology, it may continue both technologies or phase one out gradually.
The three-phase plan for RCL described here is based on conversation with officials in the telecom industry. It is also similar to what has been done by operators like Telestra, ALLTEL, Chinook Wireless, China Unicom, Telefonic Movile.
Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1652108.cms
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Your heading says mumbai circle, but your post does not mention whether it is for mumbai alone or for all india????
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Now that Reliance wants to shift to GSM, Nokia 6265 lovers please forget buying such high end handsets. There will be no resale value available at all in future, if Reliance does indeed shift to GSM where you can get much better featured handsets anyday at much lesser cost and with higher resale value.
Think once again before you jump to 6265 or any other high end handsets on Reliance.
Tata is selling 6255 at around Rs 9000 whereas Rel is selling the same handset at Rs 13000 and so on for similar Nokia handsets. Check the handset prices with your nearest Tata Indicom dealers and you will be shocked to note the difference in prices. Further all Tata handsets are T-Sim enabled whereas this feature has been disabled by Reliance. Reliance also shaves off many features and gives you plain vanilla handsets whereas Tata gives you Sundaes at lesser costs.
Think, Think Think before buying any highend handsets from Reliance. (hello Schumi, are you listening or rather reading this???)
Thanks
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Link:Reliance says GSM plans are customer-centredOur Bureau
Mumbai , June 14
Reliance Communications, responding to the Department of Telecommunications' indications that it may move out of CDMA technology or that it might have to vacate CDMA spectrum, said it is merely looking for the best competitive services for its customers.
"We are committed to pursue the world's leading mobile technologies, whether CDMA or GSM, to provide the best and most competitive services to our many million customers," said a spokesperson.
According to industry sources, Reliance may not discontinue its existing CDMA services to move over entirely to GSM; but as things stand, it is currently cheaper for the company to expand on the GSM front, using its existing infrastructure.
Since Reliance Communications already has the infrastructure, an overlay of GSM equipment will cost around $40 per digital exchange line (DEL) as compared to $50 per DEL for CDMA equipment, which is the best bargain that they can drive given their ability to get good deals on large orders (otherwise costs could go up to $70 per DEL).
Additionally, the burden of distributing handsets is reduced. Reliance currently ships handsets to different places across the country. Couriering GSM SIM cards instead would cost much less, as GSM customers do not need their service provider to supply them handsets, sources said. They said it was clear that Reliance is also pushing to drive a better bargain with both CDMA equipment providers as well as Qualcomm, the CDMA technology provider.
http://www.magindia.com/manmain.asp?url=ht...1562006&i=34577
Now what does one make of this?????
Shrewd AA is only threatening Qualcomm to reduce their royalties, or else RCoVL will move to GSM.
Ha Ha Ha
Proof of the above is here: -
Qualcom CEO to visit India; may hold talks with Rel CommPTI[ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2006 02:10:00 PM]
Surf 'N' Earn -Sign innow
NEW DELHI: Shortly after Reliance Communications announce plans to roll out GSM-based mobile services, top brass of Qualcom, developer of CDMA technology, will be visiting India next week and may hold discussions with the company on royalty obligations.
Qualcom gets 7 per cent royalty from CDMA operators for using the chips in CDMA-based handsets, thus inflating their operation cost.
Qualcom's worldwide CEO Paul Jacob is also likely to meet Communication and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who recently had said that CDMA operators were at a disadvantage due to their royalty obligations and were unable to bring down the prices of handsets.
Reliance Communication had recently approached the Department of Telecom (DoT) seeking spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band to start GSM operations, starting with Delhi and Mumbai, a development that may cause a loss of revenue for Qualcom.
Although the company officials declined to comment on Qualcom management's proposed visit, sources said discussions may take place between Qualcom and Reliance Communications on terms of royalty payment.
Besides Reliance, Tata is another major CDMA player in India with a virtual pan-India footprint.
DoT has also sought more details from Reliance before taking a decision on its application for release of spectrum.
The DoT is hoping to get 45 Mhz spectrum in the 1800 band by end of this year and most of GSM operators have lined up for additional frequency for their future growth.
Reliance Communications, meanwhile, announced a major expansion plan in existing eight circles where the company is offering GSM-based mobile services.
According to sources, Qualcom has held discussions with the government as well as operators on earlier occasions over royalty payment issues.
Sources said that Indian operators may also raise the issue of differential royalty payment by Chinese operators.
Link:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articl...ews/1651122.cms
Now look at what TATAs say: -
No plans for GSM service: TataREUTERS[ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2006 12:30:59 PM]MUMBAI: Tata group said on Thursday it had no immediate plans to embrace Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, for its mobile phone services and would stick with a rival broadband technology.
The group's firms offer services under Code Division Multiple Access standard, touted as a high-speed technology competing with GSM to attract users in India's booming mobile phone market.
"We firmly believe in the CDMA technology and remain committed to growing the business (in India)," Darryl Green, chief executive officer of Tata Teleservices Ltd, the group's dominant mobile services firm, told media.
India had 101.17 million mobile phone users at the end of May, of whom 75.29 million had taken the GSM service and the rest opted for CDMA. The country adds more than four million users each month.
Tata's statement comes days after its main CDMA competitor, Reliance Communication Ventures Ltd, applied to the Indian government for GSM frequency as part of a plan to expand services.
Indian media have speculated that the Tata group might enter the GSM sector, but Green would only say, "we are watching the situation."
CDMA is a proprietary standard designed by Qualcomm Inc and is the dominant network standard for North America and parts of Asia. GSM is widely used across most of Asia and Europe.
Green also said that Tatas would wait to see what Reliance Communication did with its CDMA network as it expanded in GSM.
Reliance Communication has 19.5 million users, while Tata group firms that operate under the "Tata Indicom" brand together have nearly 10 million users.
Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1650135.cms
Eventually, What Reliance will do is to sell out to Tata's and enter GSM services in a full fledged way.
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GSM is also giving much better SMS rates (they also charge for every 160 chrs) Airtel and Hutch give 100 SMS free local in their prepaids and for postpaids, they have even more attractive schemes of upto 10000 localand national sms's.
Reliance wants to wind up fastest. So it is slowly withdrawing one facility after another. Maybe, AA willsell off to Tata's and then start GSM on a new war footing. But at their rate of speed, they will take atleast ten years to just start services.
Hope for the best as always.
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Relax, this will cover only Mum and Del (apart from East India) at present. And the rate at which Rel. operates,it will def. take them atleast a decade to come up with good GSM services for other GSM users to even think of switching.
By that time, if you have Life Time Prepaid , it would have outlived its existence. HA HA HA
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But I doubt if DAPO also will continue with free SMS after 20.07.06.
If it does, yes DAPO Zindabad. If it doesnt, Reliance Infocomm Murdabad....
Once SMS starts being charged abnormally, I think Reliance customers will switch to Airtel, BSNL or Hutch.
Hope AA wakes up from his deep slumber atleast now.
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Please see the following:-
NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecom has sought more details from Reliance Communication on its roll-out plans on the GSM cellular front for which the Anil Ambani company has sought spectrum from the Government.
Highly placed sources said, "We have sought more details from Reliance on their roll-out plans on GSM. The company might have to vacate its current CDMA spectrum to get GSM spectrum for its roll-out. Our understanding is that they might completely switch over to GSM based mobile services and exit CDMA as they have sought spectrum for GSM wherever it is available in their application."
Country's leading operator Reliance Communication with its nearly two crore CDMA based mobile subscribers was one of the most committed CDMA players of the two major CDMA players in the country. The other one is Tatas.
Link:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articl...ews/1645853.cms
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Only Delhi and Mumbai apart from the circles in which it is operating currently will see Reliance GSM,All other circles willcontinue on CDMA. So at long last, Mum and Del customers will have every reason to feel happy.
Link:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1645011.cms
MUMBAI: Reliance Communications (RCL) has earmarked around Rs 2,500 crore for its GSM foray into new circles. The listed telecom arm of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) is said to be in discussion with all the major equipment vendors for GSM expansion, sources told ET.
“RCL plans to invest Rs 1,000-1,200 crore for the Mumbai and Delhi circles, and about Rs 1,500 crore for the existing eight circles where it provides GSM services,” said sources.
Leading vendors, including Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens, Nortel have approached RCL. Besides, Chinese equipment vendors ZTE and Huawei are also in talks with RCL, sources added.
The telco is likely to target around 5m GSM lines in the two metros. In the eastern circles, RCL is planning to add 10 to 12m GSM lines. The overall expansion translates into nearly a $2bn opportunity for equipment makers, most of whom have also bid for BSNL’s mega tender for 45m GSM lines, said sources.
At the end of May, Reliance had over 19.3m CDMA users and 2.16m GSM subscribers. It offers GSM services in eight circles in the east and north-east circles, including Kolkata, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar and Assam. The company offers CDMA services in 23 circles across the country.
While Reliance’s GSM service could attract new customers, it is also likely to see some existing CDMA customers migrating to the GSM service, especially since the GSM service can offer international roaming facilities that is not provided by CDMA.
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Hi Arun,
Another gem of an article from you.
Keep it up.
Thanks
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Already Reliance has SMSed that effective 20 July, All national SMS will be charged at Rs 2 per SMS and International SMS at Rs 5 per SMS. All local SMS will remain as at present. This was in a SMS received today on my NJ499 plan mobile.
God only will save Reliance. As it stands,their share price is below Rs 200 now. Who will buy their shares when their IPO comes out????
I think it is high time for people to shift to either BSNL or Airtel or Hutch now. Junk Reliance - no good handsets, only good is local Onnet calls, which Airtel also is offering now in the form of CUG.
Reliance GSM will take atleast six years seeing the pace at which they work. And who knows, what AA is upto. Does he want to sink RCoVL even before it learns to float? Systematic withdrawal of each and every service willdefinitely make loyal customers switch.
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The Coai site shows the link of Reliance Telecom as that of ril.com, but there no mention of telecom at all. Very Surprising....
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I also am a heavy SMS user about 6 to 10K per month
and so far no complaints from anyone that wrong delivery has been made -lets see if I receive any calls from some unknown people.
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No idea, this only is Jai Reliance. Think Bigger, Think Better, Think Higher - do you understand??? Higher and bigger and better only means that reliance only will think like this - and charge you the maximum and also remove all facilities one by one slyly.
Keep Enjooooooooooooooooooooooooying Jai Reliance.
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It happens on my LG 6230 also.
Moreover when a calls comesin, there is this stupid area display,which does not allow one to see who is calling until three to four rings. It is very irritating when one is on roaming or when someone gives you a missed call. You never know whether to attend or wait for the call to disconnect or whether to reject the call.
Is there any way out?
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Thanks a ton Srini, you have cleared all my doubts.
I also earlier understood the funda as you have explained, but when I called up helplines,they confused me saying I have to recharge first and then use the STVs.
Believe it or not, when I sent an email reg. this issue to the CMO, the reply I got from them is as follows: -
Dear Mr. Shah,
Greetings of the day!
This is in reference to your mail addressed to the Chairman.
In response to your mail regarding new Reliance IndiaMobile Postpaid On-Net Pack, kindly note that even if you do not change your plan and just change to new On-Net pack from Old On-Net pack then later on you can not opt for the Old On-Net pack again as the same is closed for subscription since 27 March, 2006.
Further to your query about STVs ( Special Tariff Vouchers), we wish to inform you that STVs cannot be used alone, as these vouchers do not provide validity and talktime. These vouchers provide special tariff plan to your account. Hence, your main account needs to be valid to upload these vouchers that will change your main tariff rates to special call charges. The validity of these STVs is 30 days, however if you recharge with any other regular voucher the effect of special tariff rates ends.
Please find the details of the Special Tariff Vouchers and the call charges for your ready reference.
Looking forward to assist you again.
For further details, you can visit our web-site www.relianceinfo.com or write to us at customercare@relianceada.com or fax us at 022-3033 6565. You can also call Reliance Customer Care by dialing *333 or 022 3033 3333 from your Reliance IndiaMobile or Reliance IndiaPhone or by dialing 022-3033 3333 from any other phone.
Warm Regards,
Vikas Gupta
Customer Service,
Chairman’s Office.
So you see, even the CMO is offering wrong and irrelevant advise. I had explained to them very clearly my issues and also the fact that both my prepaids had a validity of one year, but they have either not understood or are trying to pull off a fast one.
Anyway, I will try tomorrow and let you know the position.
Thanks once again.
P.S.: Suppose I load my account with a erecharge ( full talkvalue) after loading the STV, what happens? Any Ideas? Or, do I have to load the erecharge first and then the STV? I am asking this because if I run out of talktime, then can i reload with erecharge during the 30 days?
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Hi All,
In Chennai/TN, Reliance has introduced two new STVs called Local STV at Rs 33 and Onnet STV at Rs 99.
The features of these STVs are as follows: -
Local STV at 33
Call charges will be R2all mobiles Rs 0.49 pm, R2 all fixed lines incl. FWs Rs 1.20 pm and all STD at Rs 2 pm
ONnet STV at 99
Call charges will be R2R(mobiles only) from 8AM to 10PM Rs 0.15 pm, and from 10PM to 8AM free to any Reliance mobile only, R2 Reliance fixed at Rs 0.40 pm all day, R2all other mobiles Rs 0.80 pm, R2 all other fixed lines Rs 1.20 pm and STD R2R at Rs 1.79 pm and R2 all others at Rs 2.49 pm
Now my query is as follows: -
(This query is mainly meant for customers of those states (like Karnataka) which have STVs already, though others can also reply)
I have two RIM prepaids both under one year incoming plan. As and when I require to make o/g calls, i topup with erecharges of upto Rs 50 max. There is a balance of around Rs 30 always in both my prepaid accounts.
Can I use the above STVs or not? I mean do I have to buy any other recharge voucher and also the above STV to get the benefit of lower call charges? According to the helplines, they say that to get max benefit of these STVs you must recharge with Rs 205, 315, etc and then immediately with the STVs. This is vague, because they say "to get max. benefit", does it mean that one cannot use STVs separately?
Thanks in Advance.
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ha ha
but i am not advt for any company.
and did you get any junk/sms from my number at any time????
ha ha hee heee
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How does delight solve the heavy SMS'ers problem???
I send about 6000 to 10000 SMS every month,most of which to non reliance numbers. If I take any other plan,my bill would shoot up by atleast 3000 to 4000 (at the lowest 0.50 per national SMS) or even 6000 to 8000 (at 1 per nat. SMS) and worst case of delight plans at Rs 12000 to 16000 (at 2 per nat. SMS).
So delight is of no delight at all to us DAPO people, who SMS extensively.
The best thing to do is to use 225 India Cards for all calls to STD landlines. For other mobiles, only after 400 minutes is used up. And while roaming also, India cards can be used for o/g calls. Simply reject all i/c calls if 400 minutes are over and receive all i/c calls if 400 minutes are not over (because at 0.40 pm it is dirt cheap)
Comments are welcome please.
Thanks and Enjooooooooooooooooooooooooooy
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Friends,
Attached herewith are two files of Motorola Q - just see the features and pass your comments.
Will we see such phones on Reliance at all?
Enjoooooooooooy
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dreams man, dreams. Only thing you can do now is "Think Bigger, Think Better" ha ha
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Both excel files are awesome and of much use to anybody wanting to check from where the call has come. In Today's India, when we have almost 100 million mobiles, it becomes very difficult to find out whether the call you received is from a local number or a national number.
Thanks a ton, Arun, theking and also Vishal Gupta for the painstaking efforts. Keep it up..
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have they released the handset there? who gave you the info? is it authentic.
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Never ever believe either the WW staff or the Helpline staff for any and every thing. In case of any doubts,send an emailto the CMO or to the service assurance cell and then take a plunge.
Reliance cannot be blamed for your actions. From the beginning, they have never allowed any outside handsets on their network. You could have gone through the various posts/topics in this forum before buying your Treo. Now you will have to keep it with you as this will not work on Reliance or maybe wait until Reliance allows outside phones. Maybe the place from where you bought this Treo may exchange it for some other model. Then your loss will not be 30k, it will be lesser.
I strongly request you to email to the CMO about the plight you are in and if you know the name of the WW staff, mention it in your email and await the CMO's response.
Maybe if your stars are good, they will be able to help you. In case they do help you out, please post here immediately.
Thanks and be aware before buying.
Reliance Communication To Enter Gsm Services
in Reliance Communications
Posted · Report reply
Yes Abhay, you have already posted it yesterday. Sorry and thanks for bringing it to my attention. Will be careful henceforth.
