Mobile Broadband - Thoughts

[teky]

I'm in the market to pick-up Mobile Broadband to be used for my Netbook in Chennai. I've been checking various website's for prices & reviews and wanted to know if any HFV'er has got a connection and how they fair.

Seems to be that Tata Indicom Photon+ looks good, But would also like to understand about the likes of Airtel, Reliance etc.

Usage will be general browsing & voice & video calls. Anything in the range of 2 -5 GB download limit should be enough.

 

[srinisundar]

Tata Photon seems to be good and have some good reviews, who were using for long time......

But Reliance is also having good support among people due to price factor,,, but heard some jackup in the monthly bills..

 

[teky]

Tata Photon seems to be good and have some good reviews, who were using for long time......

But Reliance is also having good support among people due to price factor,,, but heard some jackup in the monthly bills..

Thanks Srini, I'm more inclined to Photon+. However it's only supported in Chennai and not elsewhere. So may think about Reliance as well, as they boast about coverage.

 

[srinisundar]

Yes i mentioned about in city coverage/ travel for outside chennai Reliance is good and it is having good coverage outside chennai all along the routes atleast in highways..

 

[spirovious]

They claim 3mbps as max,but actual DL speed is much less.

 

[vinny_wills]

According to my views i feel you can go for BSNL EVDO which is similiar to recent 3G network from what they promise you can get half of the speed. Connection is also good and MTS new service i heard they are providing good service.

 

[teky]

They claim 3mbps as max,but actual DL speed is much less.

Thanks Spiro, Even if we get around 1 Mbps I should be satisfied. We aren't going to download anything off Internet.

According to my views i feel you can go BSNL EVDO connection is also good and MTS new service i heard they are providing good service.

Thanks, I will check their data plans. However the only things I'm worried about is the support and technical know-how. No offence to any BSNL employees here, their service seems to be good but when you get a issue they still feel as government organisation to me.

 

[tech2010]

Hi,

I am using Reliance Netconnect Broadband Plus (with Huawei EC 1260 modem) for the last 4 months in Bangalore. Generally, I do not rely upon Reliance products/services. But, this time it was a positive surprise. I am getting average 1.5 Mbps speed. Speed range is 500 Kbps - 2.4 Mbps. That means, speed is very much variable -- but, that's not a big issue, as I am getting minimum of 500 Kbps. All these data are with respect to Windows Vista Service pack 1.

But, interesting thing is that, in Windows XP SP3 (on the same laptop with Dual boot option, and other laptops as well), the speed range is 400 Kbps - 800 Kbps, with average being 650 Kbps. I have seen the same issue (mobile broadband speed on XP SP3) on other internet threads. It seems there are some issues with XP SP3, as far as Mobile Broadband is concerned. Since I mostly use Vista for personal use, lesser speed (still quite decent) on XP SP3 is not an issue for me.

I have used this same connection in Kolkata, and got similar speed there too.

While in Hybrid mode, on very few occasions, the connection degrades to Netconnect High Speed 1x (i.e. around 140 Kbps). You will get only this speed while in areas outside of Broadband coverage.

Before taking this connection, please make sure that your Chennai home comes under Broadband coverage area. You can get all informations from Reliance Netconnect


From both speed & coverage aspects, it seems to be much better than Tata Photon plus (few of my friends/colleagues have Photon Plus). I have no idea about similar services from MTS, and Airtel's service is only EDGE, not broadband speed (when they launch 3G, it will be different story). BSNL EVDO needs your good luck, and can't be relied upon --- but, it offers unlimited download/upload at a very cheap rate.

I have taken prepaid connection and it suits me, as there is no monthly obligation unlike postpaid. Prepaid connection being life-time valid, is very good for me. But, I think we need to recharge it at least every 6 months for certain minimum amount (exact details can be obtained from customer care). With prepaid connection, one can also avoid the hassle of occasional inflated bills from Reliance. But, obviously prepaid/postpaid selection depends on personal choice/requirement.

In one sentence, I'm quite satisfied with my (Un)Reliance Netconnect broadband connection !!

 

[srinisundar]

Thanks Tech,

Thatz a good piece of information and appreciate your detailed personal review, think whoever having id with tech/teky have good covering up in digital news:lol:

 

[deba]

Are there any wireless Broadband plans from BSNL ?

 

[venkatcr]

Are there any wireless Broadband plans from BSNL ?

Sometime ago I had picked up a EVDO from BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.). Unfortunately, this is only a postpaid service at around 700 for unlimited. They claim 2.4 mbps, but the connectivity is very varying depending upon where you are. For example, in my house in Besant Nagar, it worked only if I sat in the sit-out, while in Teynampet and Mylapore, it worked quite well. I cancelled my connection and I am now sitting with a dead 3,500 investment and a equally useless USB router.

I also believe that you can pick up the connection only from the Mandevelli exchange.

Cheers

 

[srinisundar]

Oh thought BSNL could have improved..

 

[deba]

BSNL and Improvement .....Never Possible.........these people will never change .........they spend most of their time in Trade Union......no time to work........:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[teky]

It seems there are some issues with XP SP3, as far as Mobile Broadband is concerned.

Thanks

My netbook runs XP SP3 as well I believe, It can't handle Vista for sure so I believe we'll have to live with the speeds which get. But hey it seems better than the Wired Internet (So called broadband).

While in Hybrid mode, on very few occasions, the connection degrades to Netconnect High Speed 1x (i.e. around 140 Kbps). You will get only this speed while in areas outside of Broadband coverage.

Even that seems pretty okay for normal e-mailing & general browsing.

Before taking this connection, please make sure that your Chennai home comes under Broadband coverage area. You can get all informations from Reliance Netconnect

I checked this and it seems there is a tower very close to my home. Also this seems to be densly populated in main areas.

I have no idea about similar services from MTS, and Airtel's service is only EDGE, not broadband speed (when they launch 3G, it will be different story). BSNL EVDO needs your good luck, and can't be relied upon --- but, it offers unlimited download/upload at a very cheap rate.

Airtel just being EDGE connection can't justify the prices quote on th website , Any news on 3G yet - I believe the bid was supposed to be today. Regarding BSNL I didn't want to step in that from right first time because of the level of service.

Sometime ago I had picked up a EVDO from BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.). Unfortunately, this is only a postpaid service at around 700 for unlimited. They claim 2.4 mbps, but the connectivity is very varying depending upon where you are. For example, in my house in Besant Nagar, it worked only if I sat in the sit-out, while in Teynampet and Mylapore, it worked quite well. I cancelled my connection and I am now sitting with a dead 3,500 investment and a equally useless USB router.

I also believe that you can pick up the connection only from the Mandevelli exchange.

Cheers

Thanks Venkat. Such a shame - BSNL are considered having superior last mile connectivity. Unfortunately it's still being run as a government company and unless they improve their service levels I can't see them last long as our market gets more customer centric.

 

[thevortex]

Tata Indicomm Photon/Photon + is unbeatable in this area. Reliance, as a company, I hate to deal with. And they have never given me any reason to think twice about this with their service and billing policies. I had a very poor experience with the Reliance net connect instrument but it could be that their tower did not have good coverage in our area. Nevertheless it did not improve their stature in my mind.

Also nowadays Tata has started giving wireless internet to homes - with or without static IP. I am not talking about something like the USB modem interfaces we are discussing. A true ethernet based and if needed wireless connection. All they do is install a sat dish at your terrace and you are done. Oh yeah, there are feasibility issues, but I see this working very well. At least for my brother in law this has been working very well.

The downside is that you have use a login page to get connected. In that respect it is different from the 'always on' broadband experience.

 

[teky]

Tata Indicomm Photon/Photon + is unbeatable in this area. Reliance, as a company, I hate to deal with. And they have never given me any reason to think twice about this with their service and billing policies. I had a very poor experience with the Reliance net connect instrument but it could be that their tower did not have good coverage in our area. Nevertheless it did not improve their stature in my mind.

Also nowadays Tata has started giving wireless internet to homes - with or without static IP. I am not talking about something like the USB modem interfaces we are discussing. A true ethernet based and if needed wireless connection. All they do is install a sat dish at your terrace and you are done. Oh yeah, there are feasibility issues, but I see this working very well. At least for my brother in law this has been working very well.

The downside is that you have use a login page to get connected. In that respect it is different from the 'always on' broadband experience.

Thanks Thevortex.

We've the same service with Wireless receiver from TI. Whilst it works it works brilliant, however we do get disconnected often for no reason. But their customer service has been good, I'm with them for past 4 years now. Any faults reported get fixed pretty quickly.

I'll continue to do research and probably do a quick speed test and decide which way to go for.