Wow. It’s called as kicking in between the telecom companies crotch. It would hurt them for sure.
TRAI has called for universal implementation of IPTV by the cable service providers. This means that cable companies would provide a direct competition to the telecom companies as far as voice services are concerned. If they are carrying the net to the customer premises, there is no way anyone could stop ultracheap VoIP calls and ineffect telephony service in the guise of IPTV. Plus, they could easily hire oodles of bandwidth from guys like Power Grid Corporation or the Railways and carry them to the end customer premises.
This means that telcos should shit in their pants because all there massive investments would not attract customers at all. I have argued that customers are actually loath to change their landlines and this provides a great oppurtunity to lock in brand new customers with all the lollies. Wireless is good in theory but then wireline can provide a better bandwidth.
Yet, the dickheads are sleeping soundly without realising the potential for the market with their ostrich like attitude. This is specially true for start up companies like Airtel who are clear laggards in the broadband space. BSNL is silently coursing ahead with about a million subscribers. If they play their cards sensibly, I am sure they have a winner at their hands. Unless of course, babus sitting there sell their soul to the devil.
It is this proactive attitude of TRAI that has found much appreciation here. Something surely has happened to TRAI and I have no clue as to how it has found it’s teeth. I am waiting for their salvos on broadband and many companies get going by selling their narrowband as speeds “upto 256 kbbps”. Of course, this is illegal and TRAI needs a kick in the bollocks to wake itself up. Earlier on they mandated a Do Not Disturb list to be maintained which clearly means that our numbers and private details were being sold to the tele marketeers. Not surprisingly, media has chosen not to anger it’s major advertiser and instead chose to keep mum about the whole issue.
Airtel is clearly a laggard and so is Reliance. Whither the oppurtunity of 100 mbps plans? Agreed, it was all hogwash by elder Ambani but the younger sibling is burning his cash on trying to size up the media. Telecom needs his attention and he ought to cough up cash in the wireline space to make himself relevant. Having a website dedicated in your own name is just to score a point over those who don’t have.
Is TRAI reading this blog? Then wake up and do something!
