Broadband Internet India

USB vs Mobile internet Pros and Cons

2009-09-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Mobile Internet through USB Device

Pros

No external power required
Easy to carry
Easier to get support and service
Nationwide roaming

Cons

Cannot be used to make calls
You are stuck with one provider
Expensive as compared to mobile internet
You have to buy separate phone

Benefits of using Internet using mobile phone

Pros

One device required
Nationwide roaming without extra charges
Cheap plans available
Good for less internet use on the go
You are free to change the service provider!

Cons

Phone battery replenishes because of over use
Have to buy expensive phone if you need faster speeds (3G or EDGE)
Manual settings are not easy to do.

Review of 3G USB data Card (Reliance Netconnect Vs Tata Photon Vs EVDO BSNL ) in India

2009-09-09T04:49:00.000-07:00

3G Data Cards (speed upto 2 MBps, expensive)
these data cards can be plugged into USB port of your desktop or Laptop. They are expensive as compared to land line broadband and a good option for people who travel a lot.

Reliance netconnect plus (recommended)
Reliance is most reliable when it comes to usb broadband internet in India. The availability of network is good and speeds are fast.

This usb card works only in selected cities and area. Make sure that 3G network is available in your area before you buy one.

With Reliance you can get nationwide roaming facility (wherever broadband 3G network is not available the connection switches to normal 1x CDMA speeds upto 153 Kbps ) which is good for browsing

Pros:
- High speed EVDO internet with speeds upto 3.1 Mbps
- Service centers available in most cities in India.
- Better network and speed. Customer care is good.

Cons
- no unlimited data plans
- Expensive tariff
- You have to pay, even if you get slow 1x speed.

Tariff
- Upto 800 Rs per month for 3 GB
- 1100 Rs for 10 GB
- 1500 for 15 GB
Tata Photon
The direct competitor of Reliance. Tata is bit cheap comparison to Reliance but again the speed and service is not as good as latter.

The problem with TATA is non availability of network in smaller towns (as compared to reliance)

pros
- Cheaper than Reliance
- Speeds are faster than 256 broadband line (upto 2 Mbps)

Cons
- Lack in availability of network.
- Service centers not located in smaller towns and cities.
- Slower in comparison to Reliance

Tariff
Upto 1500 for 15 GB
only 50 Paise per mb beyond fair use limit.
BSNL EVDO
BSNL is known for low tariffs and poor customer service. Especially in the mobile segment BSNL the largest telecom company in India suffers badly.

The network is not as much good and in many cases not reliable company to go with. My friend who bought EVDO data card from them never got speed more than 10 KBps.

Although there are some positive reviews as well avaialble on the internet. All in all going with BSNL is risky. Yes it is cheapest but probably not the best.

Pros
- Speeds upto 2.1 Mbps (if you are lucky to get 3g network)
- Cost only 650 Rs for unlimited plan

Cons
Non availability of data cards most of the time
Unreliable speed and coverage location.
Downtimes occur often.

Tariff
650 Rs month for unlimited plan

Faqs

What is 3G
3G is the third generation standard that can transmit faster speeds over Wireless networks. The tower has to be upgraded to offer such speeds by the provider. This is the reason why it is not available all over India. It is slowly installed on smaller cities in India by the companies.

It is estimated that by 2013 whole India and its major districts and towns would become 3G enabled!
How to know coverage locations
It is very important to confirm availablity of 3G network in the area you want to access internet
What is fair use policy
All unlimited data plans come with a limit. There is a cap on each plan and if you cross those you have to pay extra if you have postpaid connection.

The limit is approx 10 GB per month with most of the service providers.
Benefit of using USB data card instead of mobile
Instead of using internet through mobile it is better to go for USB broadband if you want higher speeds and it does not require additional power charge as it runs on the USB.

There is no wire or cable to be used like in Mobile Internet.

Mobile internet and broadband connections in India

2009-08-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Mobile Internet
For using internet through mobile phone in India)

--Introduction--

Note:- if you want to use internet through mobile(and connect laptop/PC) you should buy a multimedia handset that supports GPRS or EDGE technology. A multimedia handset has capacity for GPRS and EDGE.

Now EDGE has various classes. The latest the model the higher the speeds would be (click here for complete guide on buying cellphone for mobile internet)

This option is good for people who do NOT want to download much or watch many youtube videos. Using this option you can download upto 200-250 Mb in one night.

Speeds (Common for all service providers)

In EDGE enabled Area (metro's, urban and semi-urban)- 15 Kbps
In GPRS enabled area (villages and rural areas)- 4 KBps

Airtel
(Cheapest and Best)

Airtel is the largest and the best telecom company in India. When it comes to using internet on mobile, Airtel wins in all aspects. It has unlimited plans both for prepaid and postpaid customer which makes it even better option.

Prepaid-
The prepaid GPRS tariff varies from state to state. In some states there is monthly unlimited plan and in some daily plans are available.

For example:

Mumbai- Rs 25 per day. (No monthly weekly plan available)
Rajasthan- Rs 395 monthly (no daily plan available)
Madhya pradesh- Rs 10 per day, weekly Rs 195

Postpaid

Rs 650 to Rs 900 (depends on location)

Pros of using Airtel connection

Great speed and connectivity if used with EDGE enabled handsets (complete guide)
Free nationwide Roaming both prepaid and postpaid plans
easy recharge options
Great network even in small villages

Airtel speed prices in different state.. Basics of Edge and GPRS. Which handset to choose. Postpaid and prepaid expenses. Pros and Cons.

Vodafone (not recommended)
Very expensive charges based on 20 Paisa per 10 KB (you pay 1 Rs if you login on facebook)

Idea
(Not a bad idea if you “do not want” all India Roaming)

Idea has some good plans and can be used as an alternative to Airtel. The only Cons Idea has is it is little bit more expensive than airtel and provide free GPRS roaming on only selected states.

Here is the tariff for Idea GPRS internet (EDGE enabled)

Prepaid
Rs 195 7 days Unlimited
Rs 699 30 days Unlimited
Rs 20 1 day Unlimited

Postpaid
Rs 849 1 month Unlimited

BSNL
(Available all over India except Delhi and Mumbai.)

BSNL is Govt of India company. It has plans those are best(speed and network) and most economic.

Go for it if you want cheap options and do not mind poor customer service. The only downside to BSNL is that there is no unlimited GPRS plans for prepaid customers. So you have to bound by the

Prepaid (
10 paise per 10 KB
recharge with 230 rs

Postpaid

199 Rs per month Unlimited download

Pros
Nationwide roaming, unlimited internet, low cost.

Cons
poor customer service, Roaming charges in Delhi and Mumbai

MTNL
(Available only in Delhi and Mumbai)

for some unobvious reason BSNL is MTNL in Delhi and Mumbai. Yes, this is a big turn off for their customers as they do not get an option from government for free nationwide roaming as an alternative to Airtel plans.

MTNL is slightly expensive than BSNL plans but is like it's brother. Similar customer service experience and low tariff plans.

Prepaid
10 Paisa per 10 KB (No unlimited option)

PostPaid
399 Rs per month Unlimited Downloading

Aircel
(New kid on the block)

Aircel, at first it sounds like sister concern for Airtel. But no it is not. It has recently launched its services in Mumbai. The speed is below average and plans are cheap.

So you can go for Aircel if you are on a budget and use internet only for checking email and surfing websites. Here are it's internet plans

Prepaid:
Pocket internet plan Rs 99 Per month

Post Paid
99 rs per month

FAQs

How much downloading speed can you expect?
The companies promise a speed of around 115 Kbps. So you get downloading speed of around 5 KBps to 15 KBps.

Which mobile phone support EDGE technology for mobile internet?
Nokia 3110 classic is the cheapest handset that costs around 4000 rs. Any multimedia phone that has java enabled features and USB can be used to connect to the internet.

What is the pros of using internet through mobile?
- You get free roaming and no extra data charges while not in home state.
- It is a cheaper option that broadband. If you just want to surf you can go for mobile connection.
- No need to buy seperate data card to use internet.
- Faster speeds than dial up networks that costs almost the same.
- Mobility to use internet with your laptop anywhere anytime.

Cons of using internet through mobile
- The battery of mobile dies quickly while using internet.
- Speeds are not as fast as landline broadband connection.
- Unstable, and in many cases lack of connectivity.
- Confusion in choosing handsets.
- Problems in setting up the handset for access point etc (this could be a problem especially with govt companies like BSNL. Their employees of customer care rarely help to set the settings, this has been my personal experience)