Tata on SWiK

Wholesale Internet Bandwidth Prices Keep Falling

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:49:02 -0700

Sure it’s not like back in the early 2000s, when those crooks from Enron were driving the prices of bandwidth down into the ground, but even today prices on Internet bandwidth continue to fall. If you are a consumer, however, there’s a good chance you’re wondering what I’m talking about — after all, broadband service providers like Comcast and Time Warner are talking about putting the meter on the bandwidth they serve up to residential subscribers.

What I’m talking about is wholesale Internet bandwidth that is sold to Internet services providers (ISPs) and content companies like Yahoo and Google. This is called IP Transit and it is sold at a rate of “per megabit per second per month” and often requires a monthly bandwidth commitment. Cogent Communications, Level 3 Communications, Tata Communications, Global Crossing and AT&T are some of the more well-known IP Transit providers.

Today research firm Telegeography came out with a report that shows the price of wholesale Internet access (IP transit), while varied around the globe, are still in decline. Here are some facts.

GigE port prices in major U.S. cities fell 30-40 percent between Q2 2007 and Q2 2008. Median monthly IP transit prices for 1,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) ports in major U.S. and European cities ranged from $10-$14 per Mbps in Q2 2008.
GigE port prices in Latin American cities declined a more modest 15-20 percent for the same period. Median GigE port prices range from $73 per month in Buenos Aires to $86 per month in Santiago.
Prices for GigE ports in major Asian cities in Q2 2008 ranged from $30 per Mbps month in Seoul to $45 per Mbps per month in Tokyo, higher than the U.S. or Europe. The price declines were around 30 percent.

Namaste, Moto! Indian TV Guy Wants Your Handset Business

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:46:38 -0700

Indian electronics maker Videocon has designs on Motorola’s ailing handset division, according to news reports. Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot says he’s heard that the U.S. mobile giant is going to put its wireless handset business up for sale, and if that happens, his company — well-known for making budget televisions and appliances — wants to buy it.

He wouldn’t be the first Indian industrialist with global ambitions. More recently, Tata bought out Ford Motors’ Jaguar and Land Rover business for $2.3 billion. Tata and its local rival Reliance have been on a buying binge for a while now, but buying a branded mobile phone maker would be a first for either of them.

“We will be bidding for Motorola’s handset business, but at this point of time I cannot give out the price or the value of the bid,” Dhoot told Dow Jones Newswires. He’s considering using Motorola as the centerpiece of his vertically integrated retail strategy: He already has the licenses to set up a mobile network in India and a network of 1,000 stores across the country — handsets could be the missing piece.

Given that India continues to be one of the fastest growing mobile markets — 251 million connections, at last count — this move shouldn’t come as a surprise. I have been hoping that the massive telecom buildout in India would spur a lot of local innovation and the formation of telecom/networking equipment startups.

Oh No….Blackberry Ban In India?

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:42:25 -0800

Put this in the dumb-things-dumb-government-officials-do category! Apparently India’s Department of Telecommunications has rejected Tata Teleservices’ application to offer RIM’s BlackBerry on their network. DoT’s dumb excuse: “BlackBerry service does not allow for ‘lawful interception’ mandated for all Value Added Services (VAS).” In other words, they are bringing up the national security bogeyman! Current BlackBerry service providers have been contacted by DoT as well. The question is, what will DoT do with overseas visitors who show up with their BlackBerrys?

[from bushwald] Tata's High-Stakes Bet on Low-Cost Car

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 08:15:35 -0800

Check out the video too.