印度4G动态:Reliance,Tikona和Airtel展开龙争虎斗

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    *  印度4G动态：Reliance、Tikona和Airtel展开龙争虎斗

印度尚没充分普及3G服务，但它已为4G做好准备。与3G服务不同，只有少数供应商可提供4G服务。在一场频谱拍卖中，印度政府将82.5亿美元收入囊中，信实工业（INFOTEL）、Bharti Airtel、Aircel、高通和Augere获得了各地区的频谱使用权。信实获得了全部22个地区，Augere仅得到一个，其余的在两者之间，多少不一。

这五家公司中，高通和Augere尚没透露任何服务计划的信息。事实上，高通希望将其在4个地区的频谱出售给Airtel。对Airtel幸运的是，高通和Airtel的牌照位于不同地区。极有可能，Airtel将获得高通的频谱。Aircel是另一个主要玩家，得到了8个地区的频谱资源，它也一直对其4G计划三缄其口。

Bharti Airtel、Reliance和Tikona不是发了公告就是推出了服务。让我们看看这几家公司。

Airtel运营商

Airtel成为在印度加尔各答率先推出4G服务的供应商。Airtel在设备和服务方面与中兴通讯合作。Airtel拥有其它3个地区（马哈拉施特拉邦、卡纳塔克邦和旁遮普）的频谱资源。

Airtel的4G计划值得关注。它提供了一个6GB下载的999卢比（19美元）计划。超过6GB，下载速度将下降到128kbps。Airtel的4G服务承诺从100Mbps到1Gbps的理论速度。虽然这种速度在现实世界中可能无法兑现，但它可以提供4MBPS以上的速度，这是印度大部分宽带用户一直使用的速度。从这么高的速度下降到急煞人的128kbps似乎并不合理。Airtel还有其它计划。如：每月1999卢比（38美元），最大下载限制为18GB。

Airtel的这些计划都远远好于其3G计划，其3G服务没办法跟踪使用情况；超出一定流量时，会在不事先通知用户的情况下，向客户收取新费用。

Airtel承认，在其目前提供的服务中，缺少4G设备，故计划推出4G MiFi设备。新iPad兼容LTE标准，但不兼容印度的4G频率。

Reliance运营商

Reliance通过其Infotel品牌拥有22个地区的运营牌照，它已与华为和阿尔卡特朗讯结盟以共推设备和网络部署。信实还计划专门为其4G服务建造 100,000座电信塔。

Reliance本来有利用现有基站塔的选项，但它选择推出自己的塔。预计今年底，它将推出4G服务。还盛传Reliance将推出支持4G的平板电脑以与其服务相得益彰。

Tikona运营商

另一家主要玩家Tikona Digital已宣布4G/LTE计划，在未来两年斥资100亿卢比（1.9亿美元）推出用于4G/LTE网络的数据产品。Tikona持有古吉拉特邦、拉贾斯坦邦、北方邦和喜马偕尔邦的运营牌照。

700 MHz之争

与2010年拍卖的2,300 MHz频段比，700 MHz频段的效率被认为提高了3倍。印度政府将拍卖该频谱用于宽带无线。这是新iPad也使用的频率。鉴于我们在历次拍卖中耳闻目睹的，我并不指望新拍卖会在和风细雨中进行。
 

India 4G Update: Reliance, Tikona, Airtel & More
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India 4G Update: Reliance, Tikona, Airtel & More

India hasn’t quite taken up to 3G services yet, but it’s already ready for 4G. Unlike 3G services, there are few service providers for 4G. In an auction of airwaves which fetched the Indian government some US$ 8.25 billion, Reliance Industries (Infotel), Bharti Airtel, Aircel, Qualcomm and Augere gained the shares of the spectrum in various circles. Reliance gained for all 22 circles and Augere for just one circle. The rest fall in between.

Of these five players, Qualcomm and Augere haven’t made any noise about their launch plans. In fact, Qualcomm wanted to sell its spectrum in 4 circles to Airtel. Luckily for Airtel, Qualcomm and Airtel have licenses in different circles. In all likelihood, Airtel will get Qualcomm’s spectrum. Aircel, the other dominant player with spectrum allocation in 8 circles, has also been mum about its 4G plans.

Bharti Airtel, Reliance and Tikona have either made announcements or launched their services. Let’s look at them.

Airtel

Airtel became the first service provider in the country to launch 4G services. It launched in the Kolkata circle. Airtel partnered with ZTE for equipment and services. Airtel has spectrum allocated in 3 other circles — Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab.

Airtel’s 4G rate plans are noteworthy. It offers a Rs. 999 (US$ 19) plan for a free download limit of 6 GB. Beyond 6 GB, the speed will drop down to 128 kbps. Airtel’s 4G services promises theoretical speeds from 100 MBPS to 1 GBPS. While that kind of speed might not be possible in the real world, it could offer above 4 MBPS, which is what most of India’s broadband users are used to. Dropping from such high speed to a paltry 128 kbps seems unreasonable. There are other plans from Airtel. The maximum download limit is 18 GB which costs Rs. 1999 (US$ 38) per month.

These plans by Airtel are much better than the 3G plans, where there is no way to track the usage. Beyond a certain usage the new charges will apply without the user being notified.

Airtel acknowledges, though, that there is a dearth of 4G devices in its current offering, but plans to launch 4G MiFi devices. The new iPad — which is LTE compliant — doesn’t work with India’s 4G frequencies, however.

Reliance

Reliance, which holds licenses in 22 circles through its Infotel brand, has partnered with Huawei and Alcatel Lucent for devices and network rollout. Reliance is also planning to set-up 100,000 telecom towers exclusively for its 4G launch.

Reliance has the option to piggy-back on existing towers, but has chosen to launch its own towers. The launch of its 4G services is expected by end of this year. Reliance is also rumored to launch a 4G tablet to go with its services.

Tikona

Tikona Digital, the other prominent player, has announced its plans to spend Rs 1,000 crore (US$ 190 million) in the next two years to launch its data offerings on 4G/LTE networks. Tikona holds licenses in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

The 700 MHz Twist

The 700 MHz band is believed to be thrice efficient as the 2,300 MHz band that was auctioned in 2010. The Indian government will auction this spectrum for broadband wireless. This is the spectrum which the New iPad also uses. Given what we have seen so far in the auctions, I don’t expect the new auctions to happen without ruckus.