[Assam] Broadband in Guwahati

[Krishnendu Chakraborty]

I am yet to see "essential items"  priced at per with dollar.   By "essential items"  I would not think big ticket luxury items.
Having said that,  it is no denying that price of goods in comaprision to earning is high in India.  
However,  this also shows that a large number of Indians have risen  from lower middle class to upper middle class  which is a good sign.  
 
I would attribute most of India's problems to population density -- the simple demand and supply.
 
Thsi include housing (a major issue in bigger cities) , traffic etc.
 
Hwoever,  IMO  Public Transport system in India (at least parts of India) is far better and affordable  (in Indian terms, I would clarify) then what is available in Major US cities.   Here ,  I would compare the MBTA (Public Transport of Boston ) to that in Mumbai  and Mumbai definitely is much superior in terms of both punctuality and  safety .    
Mumbai trains run ever 4- 5 minutes  in 3 different routes (and a number of sub-routes) and are very punctual .  Also there have not been any  major collission in ages.    Comparing that to Boston public transport having frequently delayed trains,  at least 3 collissions in last 2 years, and regular cancellations , Mumbai stands far superior.
True,  there are cases where people fall off the train,  one has to travel like a pack of sardins but all these have nothing to do with operation of the Public Transport.
The same goes for the BEST bus service .  
 
Public transport is very affordable in other parts of India too though it might  lack in punctuality  and safety .  
 
Education -- The Right to Education law got implemented from yesterday.   This is a right move and I am hopeful this will bring improvement.   
 
All in all,  India is progressing -- at a fast rate. 
 
Coming back to the original topic --  the price of wireless boradband   will surely come down.  It is just a matter of time.  And I really do not understand why a School Teacher or a Grocer or a Farmer (be it in India or US) need a wireless broadband.  Wireless broadband is mostly for people who are constantly on wheels (like sales folks)  for rest,  wired broadband is good enough.
 
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On Apr 1, 2010, at 3:01 PM, Krishnendu Chakraborty wrote:

> There are couple of fallacies here --
>
> First is to equate $2000 to Rs 2000  or $15  to Rs15.    That is  
> simply not true  .



*** I wouldn't argue that. Obviously I was oversimplifying. But it  
does have parallels, in many instances.
Compared to what an average man earns in the USA  vs. one in India,  
many items of essential goods
and services, particularly in the most affluent Indian metros, would  
place the rupee at par with the dollar.

It is in that context I cited the cost of wireless internet ( not cell- 
phone service) as highly unaffordable
to the average iNdian. I agree cell phone service has indeed become  
not only widely available, of reasonable
quality and affordable to the average man on the street.

Now if one can say the same thing of housing, a decent education,  
medical care, food, transportation and so forth,
then one can rightfully claim that the life of an average Indian has  
indeed improved demonstrably to an acceptable
level, considering its human and  other resources.











> There are number of other parameters.  For example,  a successful  
> architect  might be  earning $200K  per year in US  but the same  
> architect will make Rs20,00,000 pa  in India. The figures are random  
> but the bottomline is  $1=Rs1 equation does not work.
>
> Second,  wireless communication does not mean  wireless internet  
> alone.  That is a very new creature.   Wireless communication  
> largely is Cell Phone Services  and yes,  a Daily wage earner can  
> and do afford to have a Cell Phone in India.  In India, the plumber  
> who works in your house,  the maid,  the chaiwalla everybody has a  
> cell phone.  I will not be surprised if the beggars of some posh  
> locations have cell phones.
>
> Any new technology is expensive -- everywhere.  think about the Core  
> 2 duo laptop with windows Vista and 4 GB RAM which you purchased  2  
> years back for over a thousand USD ... you will get that for less  
> then half the price today.
>
> Wireless  internet is expensive now  because it  is new and does not  
> have the mass base yet.  Give another 1 - 2 year and prices will  
> head south.    Wireless technology is significantly more affordable  
> and advanced  in India then in US .  The bonus is , you are not tied  
> up by Contracts etc.  and free to hop if you are not satisfied with  
> the service.
>
> A lot of credit for this goes to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory body).
>
>
> While wi fi hotspots are available in many locations in US, it is  
> limited to designated areas only.   I agree this might be a reason  
> why wireless internet has not been popular in US  but I believe    
> there is another strong reason --- the cost and the contractual  
> obligation associated.  Wireless technology is way  too expensive in  
> US
>