Airtel 4G Datacard

[saumitra]

I am sure most of you already know this and many of you may have already experienced this I am talking about the Airtel 4G datacard that was launched in Bangalore with lot of fanfare last Monday (7th May). I had a chance to see the demo of the 4G datacard at my place last Sunday (6th May), a day before the 4G services were formally launched here. I was amazed by the speed with the USB datacard, Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test showed more than 14 MBPS download speed (& > 10 MBPS upload speed). I took one USB datacard last week with the 1399 plan (it starts with 999) they charged 8k for the datacard. After the connection got activated on Friday, I have been testing/trying it for last few days and must say the speed is quite good I am getting more than 14 MBPS most of the time, lowest I got was around 10 MBPS. Do note that in case you would want to replace your wired broadband connection at home, you have the option of opting for the Wifi 4G datacard as well. I have not tested that one, but heard the speed will be as good. While the advantage of the wifi datacard will be that you can wirelessly connect up to 6 devices to the 4G network, it has some disadvantages as well. First it requires a (230V) power connection, so it is not really very mobile (though you may be able to work it around with a power adapter); second it is a 4G-only device, so if you are outside 4G coverage area, you wont be able to connect with this. However, if you are only going to use it within your house, this remains the best available option. I preferred the USB datacard because it would work with 3G and 2G networks as well. And with little effort, you can always create a private/ ad-hoc network on the PC/laptop (with WiFi) to which the datacard is physically connected and then connect other devices to that network to access net. You also have the option of buying a compatible router (for USB modem) to make it a wifi connection.

I have heard people downplaying this new 4G LTE connections saying the speed is nothing great. It is true that - 4G LTE technology currently is specified as 100 MPBS peak for high-mobility and 1 GBPS peak for limited mobility. The Airtel modem (made by Huawei) supports only up to 40 MBPS.
However, considering that with 3G, though the theoretical peak speed is supposed to be 56 MBPS, you get not more than 4 MBPS (in India, with Airtel/other 3G datacard), this new (4G) service is still quite good. The pricing (for now) is also not much higher than the 3G datacards.

 

[alpha1]

What about download limit?
Or the extremely hopeless concept of Fair usage.

 

[technobhatt]

What about download limit?
Or the extremely hopeless concept of Fair usage.

Exactly! What's the point in using a 4G data card, if these Service Providers provide a FUP limit of just around 10 GB ...that too when you spend more than Rs. 1000 ! Just try to calculate...for how many hours we can do a Skype Video chat within 10 GB and we'll know that this is worthless.
Moreover, these companies don't provide flexible options of increasing usage limit in reasonable price in the same billing cycle.
Even 3G is quite a failure in India. These companies don't even adhere to their promise of providing appropriate speed. There are customers suffering with 2G speed on a 3G connection !!
Personally, I would say...a strict NO-NO to these high speed data connections until TRAI take some measures to abolish this FUP limit of internet connection !!
Which other country is having FUP limit on internet connections ?

 

[freedom]

The speed is a big USP but then what do we need high speeds for really? Multimedia and streaming and that will consume the 10GB download limit in what a week? After that its down to 128kbps!!! I see a few from my own known circle rushing for this, wondering why spend 8k to get 10Mbps+ when you really cannot make use? I sincerely want to know what is the real benefit of this

 

[Kittu]

8k for the card. Most stuff with airtel is non-refundable. pch.

 

[saumitra]

You guys are right - it may not make sense if you go by the usable performance benefits vs. the cost with this datacard.
Why did I take it? I use a BSNL broadband connection - upto 2 mbps - with 4 GB download limit - costs me 500 per month. While I get anywhere between 0.8 to 1.8 mbps which is good enough for regular browsing, I needed something to be able use on the move and something that would also work as a back-up connection at home. BSNL service is pathetic and amount/frequency of downtime with BSNL broadband sometime can rob you off valuable time when you desperately want to do some work from home. Besides, for some office work, normal broadband speed is really not good enough. I checked around for people using datacard. I found a few people using Airtel 3G datacard for 1200 monthly rental with 10 GB limit and getting not more than 4 mbps. In that comparison, the 4G LTE 1399 plan (minus 250, you will get about 250 cash-back in your monthly bill for 6 months) with 9 GB limit and speed consistently above 10 mbps, made sense to me.
I have not spent enough time researching and comparing across operators and plans to find the most cost-effective solution - that I humbly agree.
I was only sharing my initial impression especially with the connection speed, which made a definite impact to me when I am using VPN connections.

 

[sam9s]

@sumitra ... is it 14MBPS or 14Mbps .... coz with 14MBps you gonna download 1.6 GB in two minutes ... ....lolzz .. I recently came back from Holland and even there the broadband was not this fast ..... ...... The max I got there was 8MBps .... which is like 64 Mbps ... we are still stuck at 4-5Mbps , which is Airtels Premium plan ...

 

[Dushie]

They could have given those speeds on 3G itself, why push it to 4G, just another gimmick to make money. Put few towers and claim fame for 4G. When will our telecom companies learn.

 

[gobble]

so 4G does not support voice and I cannot put it in my android phone ... ?

--G

 

[saumitra]

@sumitra ... is it 14MBPS or 14Mbps .... coz with 14MBps you gonna download 1.6 GB in two minutes ... ....lolzz .. I recently came back from Holland and even there the broadband was not this fast ..... ...... The max I got there was 8MBps .... which is like 64 Mbps ... we are still stuck at 4-5Mbps , which is Airtels Premium plan ...

It is Mbps - Mega bits per second and not MBps - Mega Bytes per second. I am surprised you asked this - in India all internet service providers use Mbps only, so in that sense it is no gimmick from Airtel.

On points mentioned by Dushie & gobble:
While 3G can potentially go up to 56 Mbps, the 4G LTE can go up to 1 Gbps. At the moment though, anything that is giving a better performance than 3G is termed conveniently as 4G. But more than the term, 4G LTE is a different wireless communication standard and probably the most advanced one at the moment.
The current 4G connections don't support voice - which means you can't have a 4G simcard to power your 4G LTE enabled handset yet. But that's no limitation of the the LTE technology, it is because of the absence of an established telecom policy that 4G sims in mobile can't be offered, yet.
But I wonder - if we are only talking about a datacard, how does it make a difference? The 3G (or even 2G) datacards and sims are also not inter-changable, right? In this case the datacards have arrived earlier than the mobile simcards.
The 4G datacard from Airtel was launched first in Kolkata 2 months back. After Bangalore, Airtel plans to launch it in Pune, Delhi and Mumbai.

 

[alpha1]

The speed is a big USP but then what do we need high speeds for really? Multimedia and streaming and that will consume the 10GB download limit in what a week? After that its down to 128kbps!!! I see a few from my own known circle rushing for this, wondering why spend 8k to get 10Mbps+ when you really cannot make use? I sincerely want to know what is the real benefit of this

Human beings have three very basic natures:
1. Extreme greed (and using brain power to further it)
2. Extreme impatience (to get desired results)
3. Extreme (irrational) attachment (to living / non-living things)

And add another general nature of a living beings - "herd mentality"

I believe these three + herd can easily explain almost EVERY personal/social phenomena encountered by human being(s) over the entire history of mankind

 

[Rupam]

Forget 4G, FUP, come to my campus and experience 5/6 G !!! hyeah:

Just look at my sig.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

4G can easily support voice, but you must have a handset that can do 4G. In the frequency launched by Airtel this is not yet available. Soon, or at any rate in a few months, tablets will come with 4G. As in Apple iPad's Australia case, the frequency must match the local 4G frequency. In India it is 2300MHz. If tablets come in this frequency, users of tablets can download Viber/Tango/Skype for doing voice over IP.
I use Viber frequently for international voice calls in 2G itself. Over 3G it works flawlessly. it is free and available for iPhone and Android. The iPad app is not so good, but can do voice in that too.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Thru apps like Viber, the distinction between doing conventional voice with smooth menus, and doing VoIP through clunky dialling from proprietary address books is disappearing. Viber integrates so smoothly into the iPhone that you would wonder why you are not using it all the time.

If anyone has tried it in Kolkata, where also Airtel has launched, it would be good to know some feedback.

 

[freedom]

To users of this device- i see that a CPE in house options exists- can we connect this CPE anywhere or it has to be located outside of the house or near window? Also can we connect this to other devices via ethernet or we need a router to do that?

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

The wireless receiver (cpe) has to be outside the house. From there an Ethernet cable will enter the house and you can convert to wifi. This is because if the receiver is inside the house the signal will not be strong enough.

 

[freedom]

The wireless receiver (cpe) has to be outside the house. From there an Ethernet cable will enter the house and you can convert to wifi. This is because if the receiver is inside the house the signal will not be strong enough.

So basically the ethernet cable has to go into a wireless router which means a wireless router is a must unless fixed on using it from the same location. I would also assume this needs power.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Yes. Coe will not have built in router. You must put ur your own.

 

[chandran]

dear sumitra madam

i also had tested it and it is amazing, i need a small help from you, can you take the sim card put it in any mobile, see weather net is working?

also if you convert your mobile to wifi hotspot, what speed you get in your laptop with this sim in yr mobile.

i am suer the speed will be less, but i think we may get a full 3g speed 6 to 7 mpps and this may become very convenient.

i have not taken the connection if this is working i will be taking, ofcourse voice call will not come

this is a small request please try, my email is [email protected]
regards

I am sure most of you already know this and many of you may have already experienced this I am talking about the Airtel 4G datacard that was launched in Bangalore with lot of fanfare last Monday (7th May). I had a chance to see the demo of the 4G datacard at my place last Sunday (6th May), a day before the 4G services were formally launched here. I was amazed by the speed with the USB datacard, Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test showed more than 14 MBPS download speed (& > 10 MBPS upload speed). I took one USB datacard last week with the 1399 plan (it starts with 999) they charged 8k for the datacard. After the connection got activated on Friday, I have been testing/trying it for last few days and must say the speed is quite good I am getting more than 14 MBPS most of the time, lowest I got was around 10 MBPS. Do note that in case you would want to replace your wired broadband connection at home, you have the option of opting for the Wifi 4G datacard as well. I have not tested that one, but heard the speed will be as good. While the advantage of the wifi datacard will be that you can wirelessly connect up to 6 devices to the 4G network, it has some disadvantages as well. First it requires a (230V) power connection, so it is not really very mobile (though you may be able to work it around with a power adapter); second it is a 4G-only device, so if you are outside 4G coverage area, you wont be able to connect with this. However, if you are only going to use it within your house, this remains the best available option. I preferred the USB datacard because it would work with 3G and 2G networks as well. And with little effort, you can always create a private/ ad-hoc network on the PC/laptop (with WiFi) to which the datacard is physically connected and then connect other devices to that network to access net. You also have the option of buying a compatible router (for USB modem) to make it a wifi connection.

I have heard people downplaying this new 4G LTE connections saying the speed is nothing great. It is true that - 4G LTE technology currently is specified as 100 MPBS peak for high-mobility and 1 GBPS peak for limited mobility. The Airtel modem (made by Huawei) supports only up to 40 MBPS.
However, considering that with 3G, though the theoretical peak speed is supposed to be 56 MBPS, you get not more than 4 MBPS (in India, with Airtel/other 3G datacard), this new (4G) service is still quite good. The pricing (for now) is also not much higher than the 3G datacards.