The government has de-licensed 50 MHz of spectrum in the 5.8 GHz band for commercial use, in accordance in global practices, reports the Economic Times. However, the delicensing has its own issues – of congestion since it is open to all, of equipment for this frequency having not received certification, and of limiting the access to the 5.8GHz band since most equipment is for the entire 5Ghz range. More in ET.
Here we’re talking about lack of PC penetration and cost of the PC as inhibiting the growth of Internet usage; Laptops are still more expensive than PCs, and there aren’t many mobile handsets in the market that can connect via WiMAX or WiFi, and I’m not even going to talk about the mobile interface; WiMAX is a solution for the last mile problem, and not for the overall cost. In terms of number of users, there are around 10 million Internet users in India (excluding the ‘active users’ who access once a month). How many will spend that additional amount on hardware for WiMAX?
Do take a look at the WiFi in India report, which mentions that after announcements by Dishnet Wireless and Sify in 2003-04 for opening thousands of hotspots, the plans fizzled out primarily due to lack of viability. WiMAX will eventually be a reality, but is it too soon to be considering it?
Related:
— Sify Launches WiMax Services
— WiFi In India Report; MTNL Launches WiFi Solutions
— <a href="http://www.contentsutra.com/entry/dont-auction-wimax-spectrum-isps-tell-trai/" title="Don
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