Given that registration is free, those interested should book their connection right now to avoid disappointment as connections would be offered from January 10 on a first-come-first-serve basis, she added.
Although BSNL failed to offer broadband services to corporates despite repeated promises last year, it is now able to roll out Dataone for retail customers using its own National Internet Backbone (NIB-II). The public telecom major had fallen flat on its face since the Bangalore-based service-provider I-Spatial Systems Ltd had botched up its operations — apparently it did not even have a proper spectrum licence from the government.
But now with Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran having himself announced the launch of retail broadband, the BSNL is bound to get its act together. Maran had pegged the broadband price at Rs 500 per month though BSNL is yet to come out with an official price package.
Assuming BSNL sticks to Maran’s price range, it would work out to be much cheaper than Sify Broadband and Hathway Cable who launched their services in Pune about a year ago.
Asked about infrastructure readiness, Nagleela said BSNL will have no problem giving connections to people staying within 2 km of the main telephone exchange. ‘‘Since there are 70 exchanges in Pune, almost all main areas are covered comfortably,’’ she said.
As for suburbs and areas beyond the 2 km radius, she said the department has put up Digital Line Concentrators (DLC) which allows last mile connectivity up to the clients home. ‘‘We have plans to install 88 DLCs across Pune city,’’ she added. Dataone will offer internet at a speed of 256 kbps to begin with. Actually, broadband in foreign countries offer speeds up to 1 Mbps and beyond. But with a crying shortage of bandwidth, even a continuous speed of 256 kbps is good enough for most users who are generally used to pathetic surfing speeds.
Entertainment and information services like video-on-demand and info-library will be started within a month after the launch of services, Nagleela said. ‘‘Talks are on at the corporate level in Delhi with content providers,’’ she added.
WHAT YOU NEED
* A BSNL landline with PC and modem
* Set-top-box to be given by BSNL at no extra charge
* If you are within 2 km radius of main exchange, no problem at all
* For those beyond 2 km, BSNL will provide last mile connectivity through Digital Line Concentrators
* Expected Net speed: 256 kbps
* Entertainment and information services to start in a month
