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NEW
DELHI:The government's Wimax programme is awaiting spectrum
allocation for launch on a commercial basis but the pilot
projects are being run and both MTNL Delhi and Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Ltd have tested their equipment
Thus
far, the pilots are running well, sources tell indiantelevision.com.
The
MTNL office has 30 CP, or customer points where Wimax equipment
have been installed, the sources said, adding that the pilot
is on and tests are being carried out for various parameters.
The
pilot has been running for the past three months on 2.56 GHz.
"These
tests are for various parameters but at the pilot stage we
would not like to reveal what the parameters are, but the
reports are being complied and we are running up to the point
of preparedness where we can go for commercial launch as soon
as the government clears the spectrum allocation."
Asked
about the issue of the government asking TV channels to vacate
certain transponders so that private Wimax players can be
accommodated, a telecom ministry official refused to be drawn
in, stressing, "Anyway, MTNL and BSNL are public players,
so that is a different issue."
Meanwhile,
a senior official told indiantelevision.com that the Wimax
pilot that MTNL is running cannot exactly be called an extension
of Wifi. "It is a different standard altogether,"
he said.
He
explained that so far as extension of range is concerned,
this could sometimes be referred to as an extension of Wifi,
but overall, the technology standard is different.
"Yes,
we have tested the range, but that differs according to many
factors. Like topography, antenna strength, etc and the functional
environment," he said.
The
official explained that in rural areas the range is much higher.
"BSNL
has tested this in rural areas and the comfortable range is
about 30 km. It can be stretched to 60 km as well, but then
the signal weakens considerably," he revealed.
"So
far as MTNL is concerned, we are here in Delhi, so we have
been testing in the urban topography with higher obstructions,
so we can go up to a range of maximum 10 km so far."
The
standards that are available for Wimax are two: 82.16 D and
82.16 E.
"The
pilot is being run on E, because we want to go for the most
advanced technology, and D is not being tested in the country,"
the official said.
Mobility
is the most difficult thing, he added, though he said that
portable terminals are available.
MTNL
Delhi had successfully launched Wifi Broadband two months
ago and the speed available is 2 GBPS, whereas the normal
broadband either from MTNL or private players run at a maximum
speed of 256 MBPS.
Officials
said that the off-take has been encouraging, though there
are some complaints that some MTNL Sanchar Haats are not entertaining
requests for connectivity, asking prospective customers to
go the MTNL HQ.
"Every
Sanchar Haat has been told to book your requests and give
customers an order booking receipt and we shall immediately
link you up. But even is some Haats are not able to serve
the customers, they can simply call up 1500 and book the order,"
the official said.
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