The launch of third-generation mobile telephony services might be a couple of months away, but operators like Vodafone have begun powering mobile broadband (for Mumbai circle) with 3G signals.
The company has started advertising its 3G-enabled broadband USB device, priced at Rs 1,600 for PCs and laptops. The USB device by MTNL costs Rs 1,799. But Vodafone’s surfing charges are almost ten times that of the state-owned telecom operator.
Monthly subscription for Vodafone’s 3G data plan is Rs 398 per month with free downloads of up to 2 GB and thereon 10 paise per 10 KB. The same plan is offered for six months at Rs 2,099 and Rs 4,099 for yearly subscription. There unlimited data plans cost Rs 599 per month, Rs 2,999 for six months and Rs 5,999 a year.
The only other 3G broadband service provider is MTNL, which has fewer data plans. For a monthly rental of '99, MTNL subscribers get a 2G data bundle for a month and are charged one paisa per 10 KB. (A pre-paid user should have a minimum balance of '25 to surf on the Internet).
The best part of paying a higher fee – 2G data plans – is the 3.6 Mbps speed that a 3G mobile broadband promises. This is more than ten times that of wireline and 2.5G broadband (which is around 250 Kbps). Even if the deliverable speed of 3G – depending on the number of people on the network and congestion – ends up at about 700 kbps, it is still three times faster than 2.5G broadband speed.
| FASTER BUT DEARER | |||
| Company | Price | Free bundled | Surfing price |
| Vodafone | Rs 1,600 | 2GB | 10 paise per 10 kb |
| MTNL | Rs 1,799 | 2GB | 1 paisa per 10 kb |
However, experts believe that high speed itself might not be a unique selling point for 3G mobile broadband. “People use internet for surfing and business purposes. One does not need extremely high speeds for that, as we do not use volumes of data,” said Alok Shende, principal analyst and co-founder of Ascentius Consulting.
Experts believe that users who download and stream videos online might take to 3G offers, but for the majority of 10 million broadband subscribers in India, data connections are used mostly for browsing, e-mail and social networking.
Mrityunjay Kapoor, country head of Protiviti, said if pricing for 3G broadband continues to be high, it might attract very few takers. “To get mass appeal, prices have to be reduced. We already have services like Tata Photon Plus which are widely popular,”
Enterprises, however, are most likely to switch to 3G data networks. “There are many applications like video conferencing. On 3G bandwidths, one can run an online power point presentation live, while talking, to a group of people who may be outside the country,” said Kapoor.
