Broadband in India

YOU Broadband equips Reliance Metro Airport Express with Wifi connectivity

2012-01-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

In a first of its kind service in India, stations along Reliance Metro Airport Express Route are fully Wifi-enabled. In a move that is bound to benefit huge number of passengers, broadband major YOU Broadband & Cable India Limited in association with Reliance Metro Airport Express introduced WIFI services at all stations along the Express Route. To avail this free Wifi across the Airport Express Route, please click on this link: \PressRelease\Steps-to-access-Wi_Fi.pdf

For more info, click on the links below:

http://www.varindia.com/press_details.html?id=29835

http://week.manoramaonline.com/businesss/businesswire/29835.html

http://zeenews.india.com/biz/businesswire/29835news.html

http://www.businesswireindia.com/Feeds/bwibusseco/bwirelease29835.asp

Customer Experience

2011-09-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

In case of non response to your calls and emails from our location teams or call centre, please write to kishore.velankar@youbroadband.co.in, samir.pathak@youbroadband.co.in, ccteam@youbroadband.co.in & corp.comm@youbroadband.co.in

We assure you of our support in resolving the issue at the earliest

Thanks
Team YOU Broadband

Bringing a smile: an evening with kids

2011-07-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

On July 27, 2011 YOU Broadband employees spent some time with children at Vatsalya Orphanage in Navi Mumbai. They interacted with the kids, celebrated the birthday of Manali, one of the girls at the centre and donated old clothes...bringing a smile on their faces! (Below: Team YOU with Manali).

India in Top 3 countries worldwide for Global Broadband Growth: Report

2011-07-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

Broadband Forum predicts top ten position is coming close

India’s phenomenal growth in broadband in 2010 – second only to China and the United States – is leading towards the country soon becoming one of the top ten users of broadband in the world. That is the message delivered at the recent Convergence India event in New Delhi by Broadband Forum Chief Executive Officer Robin Mersh.

India added more than 2.5 million new lines of broadband last year and now stands at No13 in the world – having been barely in the top 50 of broadband countries just six years ago. “India has been steadily climbing the rankings in terms of broadband subscribers for the last 6 years. It has gone from 50th to 13th in only 6 years and will be knocking on the door of the top 10 within a year or two,” says Oliver Johnson, chief analyst with Point Topic.

To read more on the Report,

please visit: http://www.broadband-forum.org/news/download/pressreleeases/2011/India2011.pdf

Cable broadband subscriptions to rise in APAC

2011-07-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

Burgeoning pay-TV revenues, particularly in IPTV, will make it boom time for Asia-Pac telcos over the next five years a new report from ABI Research predicts.

The “Pay TV and Broadband Markets in China, India, Japan and Asia-Pacific” study forecasts regional service revenues from DSL, fibre broadband and IPTV to rise from $52.5 billion in 2010 to $79.5 billion in 2016. ABI adds that significant revenue growth will come from fibre broadband and IPTV services, offset slightly by some declines in broadband DSL.

By contrast with the telco sector which is set for revenue growth of 51%, and as is the case of late almost everywhere else in the world, cable companies won’t share in the boom with revenues dipping slightly by 3%. from $51 billion to $49.5 billion.

Increases in cable broadband will likely offset some loss of pay-TV revenue to telco-provided IPTV and satellite.

ABI added that at the heart of the boom is shifting regulation that will tilt the balance of power between telcos and cable companies, especially in China and India.

YOU Broadband, 6th largest broadband service provider - TRAI Report

2011-06-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

IT'S YOUR SPACE - Customer Speaks

2010-12-13T22:20:00.000-08:00

“It is heartening to see the prompt response to my mail and I would like to record my appreciation of the very professional service rendered by the two technicians who came to attend to the cabling problem, Ganesh Mane and Amit. It is encouraging to see such a committed, courteous, knowledgeable and professional team. Their handling of my concern has been a pleasure to observe.

I am also particularly impressed of the Corporate office receptionist’s helpful attitude and keenness to assist customers who call in for information."

Dr. Narendra Nair M.D.
YOU Broadband customer, Thane

Please visit the link for customer feedback: http://www.youbroadband.in/testimonials.php

If you have any suggestions or feedback to give on YOU Broadband services, please feel free to write at corp.comm@youbroadband.co.in

YOU Broadband - equal opportunity employer

2010-12-10T03:38:00.000-08:00

Indra Nooyi, Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Chanda Kochchar, Saina Nehwal, Barkha Dutt, Sonia Gandhi – what do they have in common? Across disciplines they are a force to reckon with – with sheer hard work, determination and ability to make opportunities count, they emerged successful in their chosen fields - for many they are the role models and reference points for success.

WOMEN LEADERS IN INDIA AWARDS 2010, held at New Delhi on December 9-10, 2010 had 3 representatives from YOU Broadband in 3 different categories

Leading Woman Chief Customer Officer
Young Woman Leader of the Year
Leading Woman in Telecommunications

Click to read story: http://timesascent.in/article/1/2010120920101209163801152810fc874/Women-ready-for-leadership-roles.html

Short Animation Film Contest - MAD 2010

2010-08-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

YOU Broadband & Cable India Limited has announced the launch of MAD 2010, a National Animation Contest for aspiring and expert animators across India.

For more details, visit: http://www.youbroadband.in/mad/home/

Challenges Ahead

2010-07-23T03:35:00.000-07:00

Read the full article in Voice & Data 100 July 2010 issue
or visit: http://www.youbroadband.in/mediacenter/media/july2010/images/ca.pdf

YOU BROADBAND AMONG TOP 5 BROADBAND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN INDIA - TRAI REPORT

2010-06-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 Technologies: Trustworthy or a threat?

2010-05-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

With rising popularity of social networking sites information security will be a major concern. Organisations need to seriously look at data loss prevention and reputation management strategy.

Over the last few years Web 2.0 technologies or social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, MySpace, LinkedIn and a few others have become popular. If Internet reduced distances, social networking sites (SNS) reduced them further. Such has been the impact of SNS in our lives that even posts/comments on these sites have become news fodder for print and TV media.

To read full article, visit the link...

http://www.connect-world.com/PDFs/articles/2010/India_2010/India_2010_11.pdf

YOU Broadband, SingTel join hands to provide IP VPN to enterprises

2010-03-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

The India arm of Singapore-based telecom operator Singtel has joined with the Citigroup-owned broadband services company YOU Broadband to provide international connectivity and broadband services to small and medium-sized businesses in India.

As a first step, the two companies will tap YOU Broadband's existing enterprise customer base to offer SingTel's ‘ConnectPlus' suite of services such as international private leased circuit (IPLC), internet protocol virtual private network (IP VPN) and internet connectivity .

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2010/03/08/stories/2010030850120300.htm

YOU to lease broadband capacity

2010-03-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Hindu Business Line, February 26, 2010

The Citigroup-owned YOU Broadband & Cable has ventured into leasing out broadband capacity on its fibre infrastructure.

The company is targeting telecom operators, telecom tower companies and other cable service providers who require intra-city connectivity in 12 of the top 20 cities, Mr E.V.S. Chakravarthy, Chief Executive Officer of YOU Broadband, told Business Line.

"We can also provide fibre-based backhauling to telcos so that they can conserve spectrum which is a scarce commodity in any case," he added.

YOU Broadband uses around 15 per cent of the 5,000-route km of optical fibre infrastructure, originally established to support its broadband and cable businesses. By end 2010-11, it intends to add 2,400-route km of underground optical fibre as well as 1,000 more route km of overhead optical fibre.

YOU Broadband, which has an Internet Service Provider (Category A) licence, has already leased out part of the excess broadband capacity to Tata Communications, Vodafone and Tulip, said Mr Chakravarthy.

Managed Data Storage Services will grow - YOU Broadband

2010-02-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

"With growing customer base companies will have a challenge to manage data. Focus on core business and cost are the major factors they have to deal with. Outsourcing is the answer and managed storage services will grow" - E.V.S. Chakravarthy, CEO, YOU Broadband & Cable India Limited

YOU Broadband's Enterprise Offerings include end to end IT infrastructure services comprising of storage, security, co-location, UTM solutions.

http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/NetworkingPlus/110020305.asp

YOU Broadband - Energy Management Program

2010-02-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

The maximum amount of power is consumed by the IT infrastructure followed by the broadband network infrastructure on the field. From the IT side, our approach is to reduce the number of servers and equipments where all the software applications are loaded. Servers consume a lot of power, so does our complete Internet data center and disaster recovery systems base at Surat. By applying consolidation and virtualization methodology and adopting the latest available technological advancement, we intend to achieve this which will help YOU Broadband to reduce the current power consumption by 50 to 60%. For our broadband infrastructure that mainly comprises of our network operating centers and nodes, we are exploring the possibility of using solar energy solutions.

One more segment of power consumption and often overlooked in our day to day operations are office equipments like lights, AC, PCs, laptops, micro ovens, etc. Thus, these should be switched off when not in use, or used only when required. This saves lot of power. This again is an individual initiative rather than having any external pressure from the organization.

The objective of YOU's energy management program is to identify areas of improvement which would result in lower energy consumption, and thus reduce energy spent in all the eleven operational locations of YOU Broadband.

Story link: http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/speak/110020101.asp

Project Prakriti - YOU Broadband's Green Initiative

2010-02-01T02:15:00.000-08:00

“The direct impact of climate change and other related effects is felt by all now. Organisations being the torch bearers of development have started realising the magnitude of the problem and need to take action. Employees are an integral part of an organisational set up and should play an active part in environment protection. To support this initiative our employees have started commuting by bicycles and have also quit smoking. Not only that, majority of the employees refrain from using the microwave to save power," says E.V.S. Chakravarthy, CEO, YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt. Ltd.

He further adds, "Under Project 'Prakriti' the onus will be on individuals to change their mindset / lifestyle to do their bit for pollution control, energy & water conservation and paper wastage among other things. While each individual should add value to this project, it is a collective responsibility to ensure the project gives desired results. Project 'Prakriti' is implemented across all 11 locations.

http://timesascent.in/article/1/2010011420100114151151703e22bcec3/Working-for-a-better-tomorrow.html

2009-12-23T02:22:00.000-08:00

"An organisation without an effective internal communication is like a body without soul" - E.V.S. Chakravarthy, CEO, YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt Ltd

At a time when employees are increasingly disengaged due to concerns regarding unstable business, salary cuts and job losses, an effective internal communication between employees and top management becomes the need of the hour. We take a look at what organisations are doing to bridge the communication gap.

World over, Human Resource professionals and experts in organisational behaviour believe that an effective internal communication is a key determinant in driving efficiency levels within an organisation. This is especially true in today's high-stress, high performance organisational set up where employees are often required to 'stretch' beyond the call of duty to help meet larger organisational goals.

http://timesascent.in/article/1/200910142009101412152731399c2de0/Bridging-communication-gap-at-workplaces-.html

Keeping workplace stress at bay

2009-12-23T02:18:00.000-08:00

At a time, when companies are leaving no stone unturned to ride the economic storm, managing workplace stress has become a crucial issue that needs to be addressed

According to a global survey conducted by Regus, an office workplace solutions provider, 58 per cent of companies worldwide have experienced an appreciable rise in workplace stress over the last two years. The survey found that Indian workers experienced a slightly lower level of stress than their international counterparts, with 57 per cent reporting that their stress levels have grown ‘higher’ or ‘much higher’ over the past two years.

The survey confirmed that 45 per cent of Indian workers are particularly stressed by the increased focus on profitability that has arisen during the recession. Company size has also had an influence on the increased level of stress experienced in recent years. Sector variations on a global level were also apparent throughout the survey, with workers in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry reporting the greatest increase in stress (65 per cent), while retail showed the least growth in stress (52 per cent).

Kishore Velankar, HR- head, YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt Ltd. feels that any change brings some amount of stress in an individual/employee. “The slowdown did have an impact on the stress levels of employees,” says Velankar. He further adds, “Stress during a slowdown is primarily career/employment related. With performance being a major factor for retention, people who were on the edge felt it more. In a sensitive situation, employees feel the need for regular assurances. Organisations need to be wary of this and communicate in the right way at the right time.”

Web Links - www.timesascent.in/features

India largest cable modem market in South East Asia - Report

2009-12-17T23:46:00.000-08:00

London-based Technology Research firm Point Topic released its Broadband Report for Q3 2009:

Highlights of the Report:
Total global BB subs at the end of Q3 2009 - appx 452 million.

Subs added in Q3 globally - appx 57 million - 12.6 % of total sub base

India - largest cable modem market in South East Asia with 851,000 subscribers by end Q3 2009. Its subscriber base grew by 7.86 per cent over the quarter from 789,000 in Q2 2009.

Incidentally YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt Ltd is a leading player in the cable modem space.

Speed matters

2009-12-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

Two months ago, a South African company decided to call attention to the dismal 1-Mbps ADSL speeds from government-owned incumbent telco Telkom SA via a publicity stunt based on an old IETF April Fool's Day joke called IP over Avian Carriers (IPoAC). In essence, the company hired a carrier pigeon to carry a 4-GB micro-SD card from a branch office in Howick to its head office 70 km away, while the same data was uploaded to the same location via ADSL.

The pigeon won handsomely.

http://www.telecomasia.net/content/you-have-right-broadband?page=0%2C1

YOU Telecom is now YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt Ltd

2009-11-26T01:14:00.000-08:00

With an intention of making its identity, focus and vision clear Citigroup owned broadband major YOU Telecom decided for a name change. The company will henceforth be referred to as YOU Broadband & Cable India Pvt Ltd.

CVCI owned YOU Broadband is led by its CEO Mr. E.V.S. Chakravarthy and is one of the top 6 broadband players in the country with presence across 11 cities.

Bombay HC dismisses petition by RCom against YOU Telecom

2009-11-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

RCIL had in February 2009 filed a legal petition against YOU Telecom for allegedly not paying Rs37 lakh in dues for services provided

Khusboo Narayan

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday dismissed a winding-up petition filed by Reliance Communications Infrastructure Ltd (RCIL), a subsidiary of Reliance Communications Ltd (R-Com), against YOU Telecom India Pvt. Ltd. RCIL had in February 2009 filed a legal petition against YOU Telecom for allegedly not paying Rs37 lakh in dues for services provided. It had also sought 30% interest for delayed payment.
“We have demonstrated the court that service was not up to mark and there were series of emails of such complaints that were made to RCom. In fact RCom has admitted deficiency in its services. Under such circumstances the alleged amount should not be treated as debt against the company and any order such as winding up may not be passed,” E.V.S. Chakravarthy, chief executive officer of YOU Telecom, wrote in an email statement.

“We have also represented the court that the dispute pertains to service providers and hence RCom should have approached appropriate forum (say TDSAT) for the same. The Honourable Court was kind enough to dismiss the petition and directed RCom to approach appropriate forum for any relief....,” he added.

An immediate comment could not be had from Rcom.

YOU Telecom, a broadband service provider owned by Citigroup Venture Capital International, Citigroup Inc.’s private equity arm for growth capital, had in 2007 entered into a contract for bandwidth infrastructure, RCIL said in its petition to the court

YOU Telecom bullish on broadband in India

2009-10-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

EVS Chakravarthy, CEO, YOU Telecom India gives an overview of the broadband industry

URL: http://www.timesascent.in/section/2/Interviews

Carriers Eye Pay-As-You-Go Internet

2009-10-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

Amid Government Push to Open Networks, Some See Cover for Pricing Based on Usage

By CHRISTOPHER RHOADS And NIRAJ SHETH

In the early years of the Internet, the more time people spent online, the more they paid a provider like AOL for their connection. But as customers have shifted to always-on broadband services, many Web surfers have enjoyed all-you-can-eat Internet for a flat rate.

Some cable and telecommunications providers are trying to turn back the clock and return to usage-based pricing for Internet connections. Carriers including AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. say they may have to switch amid a surge in Internet traffic as more people go online to watch videos and download movies.

Recent efforts to introduce usage-based, or metered, broadband services have met stiff resistance from consumers. But a new push by the federal government to adopt rules that would force Internet providers to treat all Web traffic equally, no matter how much bandwidth they take up, could give ammunition to the broadband providers that want to change how they charge for Web access, Internet experts and consumer advocates say.

"This could come down to carriers saying, 'If you don't allow us to manage our networks the way we see fit, then we will just have to cap everything,' " says Phillip Dampier, a consumer advocate focusing on technology issues in Rochester, N.Y. "They'll make it an either/or thing: give them more control over their network or expect metered broadband."

Mr. Dampier was among those who forced Time Warner Cable to shelve a metered Internet pilot program in several cities last year. The company, which had argued the plan would be a fairer way to charge for access, acknowledged it was a "debacle." It won't say if it plans to revive the trials.

Some broadband providers argue that a pay-as-you-go Internet is unavoidable. "A flat-rate, infinitely expandable service is unachievable,"Dick Lynch, chief technology officer of Verizon Communications Inc., said at a recent industry conference, referring to the industry in general. "We're going to have to consider pricing structures that allow us to sell packages of bytes."

Advocates say unlimited monthly Internet service has been critical to the Internet's growth and the formation of online start-ups. Paying by the amount of Internet traffic used could damp usage and the sort of tinkering that can lead to breakthroughs, they warn.

Carriers believe it is only fair that heavy users pay more, especially since online file-sharing software, such as BitTorrent, takes up so much bandwidth.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission sanctioned Comcast Corp. for violating so-called network neutrality principles. Comcast, which is appealing the decision, had hindered the use of file-sharing software without informing customers. It argued it needed to control such usage to keep traffic flowing properly.

In Beaumont, Texas, and Reno, Nev., AT&T has been pricing Internet access based on usage. Since last year, it has let new customers choose from one of six tiers, depending on the desired speed and how much data they think they will download in a month. Existing customers can keep their old flat-rate plan, which is capped at 150 gigabytes a month

The most basic plan, which costs $19.95, offers 20 gigabytes of downloads; the most expensive, for $65, allows 150 gigabytes a month. For every gigabyte over the limit, there is a $1 fee.

"Some type of usage-based model, for those customers who have abnormally high usage patterns, seems inevitable," an AT&T spokesman says. AT&T declined to provide more details on its trials.

Some cable companies have instituted monthly usage limits, though they are usually so high they affect only the heaviest users. A plan with 150 gigabytes, for example, would enable sending and receiving 75 million emails, or downloading more than 30,000 songs. The average Internet user consumes around 15 gigabytes a month, according to University of Minnesota professor Andrew Odlyzko.

Comcast earlier this year instituted a cap of 250 gigabytes a month. The company says the rule affects a very small minority of its high-usage customers. Some smaller and regional Internet service providers also charge on a metered basis, including Sunflower Broadband in Kansas. Frontier Communications Corp. last year briefly used metered pricing in Rochester before scrapping the policy in the face of protest.

"Unquestionably, the carriers erred in their initial selling of broadband with a flat rate," says Elroy Jopling, research director of Gartner Inc. "They assumed no one would use it as much as they do now, but then along came high-definition movies. They're now trying to get around that mistake."

Network neutrality deals primarily with ensuring that Internet providers don't favor any online traffic over any other. Still, Mr. Jopling and other analysts argue, the net neutrality debate might provide the carriers with an opening to argue for changing that pricing.

The FCC last month proposed strengthening the existing principles on network neutrality—turning them into more strictly enforceable rules—to ensure that carriers treat all Internet traffic equally.The idea is that as Internet providers themselves get more into the content business—as foreshadowed most recently by Comcast's overtures to acquire a majority stake in NBC Universal—they shouldn't be able to make it easier for users to access their own content than other companies' content

The agency also said it wants more transparency in how carriers manage their networks.

In announcing the proposals, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski cited Comcast's approach to BitTorrent, as well as phone companies' blocking the use of online phone services on their networks.

"With network neutrality enforced, the only other option for carrriers is to charge by the byte or to raise the flat-rate pricing," says Johna Till Johnson, president of Nemertes Research. "Right now they're just deciding which one to do. Just be prepared to pay more."

When Time Warner announced last March it would expand its metered-pricing approach to other cities, including Austin and Rochester, protests erupted. Rep. Joe Messa of Rochester introduced a bill in Congress banning tiered Internet pricing plans, arguing the plan would put his city at a disadvantage for corporate investment.

Time Warner Chief Executive Glenn Britt told a conference the following month that the company erred in communicating the rollout, not in the plan itself.

"We did not handle the public relations very well and had a bit of a debacle, to he honest," Mr. Britt said at the conference. "I still think some notion of you use less and pay less, use more and pay more, will ultimately be what happens."

Cyber Cafe Association of India

2009-09-09T03:18:00.000-07:00

Close on the heels of media reports of YOU Tel planning cyber cafes, Cyber Cafe Association of India has announced its resolve to provide broadband access to rural areas and Tier 2 and 3 cities/ towns through cyber cafes at affordable rates....

YOU Tel's cyber cafe plans

2009-09-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

Citigroup-owned broadband service company YOU Telecom is evaluating options to establish a chain of cybercafés in non-metro cities.

The company hopes to benefit from the pent-up demand for cyber connectivity in the hinterland of the country, according to E.V.S. Chakravarthy, Chief Executive Officer of the company.

"YOU Telecom sees cybercafés as a great opportunity for broadband growth in Tier - 2 and 3 towns and is keen to enter this model. We are evaluating the scenario and will join the fray at an opportune time," Chakravarthy said. The company sees this move as an extension of its association with cyber cafes as bandwidth provider; YOU Telecom currently provides Internet bandwidth to about 70 cybercafé ventures in the country's non-metro cities.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, YOU Telecom is the sixth largest telecom broadband player in India with over one lakh subscribers.

YOU Telecom is more likely to go in for the franchisee model for this new business.

The organised market for cybercafes in India is hardly eight percent of the overall pie and consists of players such as Sify and Zapak.

Chakravarthy did not specify the timeframe for starting the cybercafé business. "With growing real estate prices and drop in bandwidth rates, economics will decide on the timing of our entry," he said.

The demand for cybercafés in urban India has been dwindling largely because of high broadband penetration and soaring real estate costs in cities.

However, cybercafés have been sprouting in the non-metro cities largely due to low real estate costs, low PC penetration and various Government initiatives such as the Common Service Centre programme.

6th largest broadband service provider

2009-09-09T02:33:00.000-07:00

As per recent TRAI's Quarterly Performance Indicators Report, YOU Telecom is the 6th largest broadband service provider in the country by market share....BSNL is the leader..

Freedom Offer from YOU Telecom

2009-08-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

August being the Freedom month, YOU Telecom has introduced an exciting offer for customers.

Book broadband connection for the entire 2010 and access free Internet for the rest of 2009...

Offer valid till September 15, 2009 only..

Starter Pack: Rs 1499 for three months

Night Booster for existing customer: Rs 200/month Top Up for unlimited usage during night time....

India's first training centre for cable broadband technicians

2008-11-25T03:53:00.000-08:00

YOU Telecom sets up YOU Academy in Pune to revolutionize the Cable Industry.

Takes a significant step to educate and train cable operators’ staff across the country

The Academy is set up in the backgroud of the cable broadband sector taking a quantum jump in its service dimension. Apart from high-speed data, analogue & digital video and Voice over IP, the industry will soon witness emergence of ‘On Demand’ services in the digital format. Customers will embrace interactivity, just in time, any time you want kind of services, breaking the current trend of linear delivery. All this will require upgrading the skill set of employees, franchisees and their technicians on an on going basis. YOU Academy will play a crucial role in equipping our employees and partners in the value chain to finally deliver a world class service to our consumers.

YOU Academy will not only train the candidates in technical proficiency, it will also focus on enhancing the softer skills by educating the cable operator and his team about their critical role in customer interaction.

The centre will initially cater to YOU Telecom’s in house teams, but will soon expand to reach out to the other operators and technicians as well.

VoIP Lab in Chennai

2008-11-25T00:08:00.000-08:00

YOU Telecom has set up a VoIP lab in Chennai to cater to its research and development needs and provide technology support to its on-field engineers. This is a first of its kind in India.

YOU Telecom enhanced its VoIP offerrings by acquiring the Ahmedabad-based internet services provider IceNet in 2007, which had strong VoIP solutions.

The lab will test new VoIP applications; the company currently has around seven projects in the pipeline, including one on Mobile VoIP

The lab is also equipped with all the equipment that different ISPs use to install VoIP connections at their customer premises. To simulate real life scenario, connections from all leading ISPs are taken at the lab.

If the engineer is not able to solve the customers problem at his premise, he could call up the lab. The team in Chennai would then work on a pre set VoIP configuration (which would closely resemble the configuration at the customer’s premises) and come up with the solution.

Why are we smitten by 3G?

2008-07-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

3G has been in vogue since 2001 when it was for the first time auctioned in Europe and other countries. Today, after spending over $ 300 billion....billion, the people in these countries have yet to realise the promised benefits of 3G technology. Why then is India and its cellular establishment so gung-ho about 3G, which has failed to deliver? What is that the 3G can do what the current 2.5 G cannot do in India...realistically nothing much. Though there is a lot of talk about speed etc...

Moreover its expensive...on the contrary WiMax and WiFi are better options for broadband penetration...certainly not 3G.

When do our learned politicians and business savvy telco giants realise that its a national waste?

WiFi is the flavour of the season

2008-06-09T02:42:00.001-07:00

Indian broadband market is witnessing a heightened interest in wireless technolgies, especially WiFi. Even Government of India is contemplating deploying these technologies to enable broadband penetration in rural areas...

Meanwhile, YOU Snapper, the JV entity of YOU Telecom and Red Snapper has made plans to deploy its WiFi infrastructure in all the 10 cities where YOU Telecom has its optic fibre network. The initial cost is estimated to be around Rs 80 crore....

When rolled out, YOU Telecom's customer base and revenues are expected to double up in the next 2 years....

Currently, YOU has an active customer base of over 100,000 and a registered susbcriber base of over 1, 75,000.....

WiFi deployment

2008-05-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

A mix of wire and wireless infrastructure will help increase broadband penetration in India...huge costs prevent service providers from laying new cable lines thereby unable to reach a large portion of the addressable market. Also with a plethora of issues like cable cuts and building permissions plaguing the operations, wireless seems to be a viable option.

Malaysia has followed a similar strategy and it has worked wonders to their broadband penetration......will it succeed in India? we need to wait and watch as YOUSnapper continues its WiFi deployment in Navi Mumbai and Pune....good luck..

YOUSnapper

2008-05-09T03:34:00.000-07:00

YOUSnapper commissions WiFi pilot in Mumbai. Results encouraging

Plans nationwide implementation

YOU Telecom forms JV with Red Snapper

2008-05-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

Citigroup Venture Capital International-owned YOU Telecom, one of India’s largest private broadband service providers, has entered into a Joint Venture agreement with Malaysia’s wireless technology & VoIP major Red Snapper (M) Sdn Bhd. The joint venture, named YOUSnapper, will focus on providing wide area wireless connectivity on the edge of the YOU Telecom network.

YOU is a cable company with converged services ambition. While the world is moving towards adding Mobility to Voice, Video, Data services, very soon customers will look for nomadic and mobile options to access high-speed data and IP voice services. In this context, YOUSnapper’s WiFi access options assume significance.

Interestingly, India and Malaysia are both looking at wireless technologies to increase broadband penetration.