The Insider

'Incredible India' indeed!

2012-02-10T10:19:00Z

Anyone seduced by those ‘Incredible India’ advertisements that ply the TV airwaves around the world may be lulled into a false sense of security, much the same as 122 2G spectrum license bidders were. The color, the vibrancy, the uniqueness of India that is used to attract tourists soon gives way to squalor, poverty, dirt and grime that is the real India. Those 122 license holders that have now been stripped naked and left with no 2G licenses or compensation are the victims of an inept...(read more)

Feeling phantom vibrations?

2012-02-02T22:40:00Z

Do you unconsciously look at your smartphone screen even though nothing has happened to prompt the action? Do you feel ‘phantom’ vibrations emanating from your purse or pocket that make you grab for the phone only to find, again, that nothing is happening? Oh, oh – according to the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology, you could be suffering from ‘smartphone addiction!’ The whole idea that smartphones are a tool to help manage workloads...(read more)

Data privacy laws - like a cat chasing its own tail

2012-01-31T13:20:00Z

The European Commission last week suggested some serious reforms to data protection laws last that could have implications for everyone that uses the Internet or provides services over the Internet, including CSPs. For a start, companies operating over the Internet will have to seek explicit consent from users if they plan to use data about them, including when it is being collected, how long it will be stored, and for what purpose it is being used for. (Sounds a bit like Google’s new privacy...(read more)

Property, diamonds, gold or spectrum?

2012-01-27T09:05:00Z

A recent Computerworld article opened up with the provocative statement that wireless bandwidth is like land in Manhattan — it’s extremely valuable because they’re not making more of it. No kidding. That probably explains why it has become such a premium commodity. Until new spectrum can be created (who knows what the future holds there) or existing spectrum can be better utilized, its value, like scarce metals, will continue to rise – some even say, skyrocket. Maybe that’s...(read more)

Killing crime killing the cloud

2012-01-24T04:10:00Z

Have you been following the news about Megaupload? Do you know what it is, and even if you do, would you admit it? You see, it is/was one of the world’s largest file sharing sites and it was closed down by US authorities because it was deemed to have been violating federal piracy laws. The US Justice Department, through the FBI, has even managed to arrest key executives residing in New Zealand and seven other countries, and there are distinct fears that this could be just the beginning of an...(read more)

4G jogs jobs

2012-01-20T15:42:00Z

Ever wondered what impact all that spending on telecommunications has on national economies? If you haven’t, maybe you should and maybe governments should start appreciating just how much the industry contributes to gross national product (GNP). A joint report from NDN (which calls itself a leading think tank and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC) and NPI (New Policy Institute) claims that investments and innovation entailed in the transition from 2G to 3G wireless technologies...(read more)

Watch out for Which?like watchdog on witch hunt

2012-01-17T11:18:00Z

New research by UK consumer watchdog and adviser Which? reveals just how hard it is to calculate unauthorized bank charges under the current charging structures of the main banks. Which? experts have discovered that people using unauthorized overdrafts would find it virtually impossible to calculate how much their bank would charge them, or to compare charges between banks as the fee structures are so complicated. Which? asked a group of its members to work out the cost of an unauthorized overdraft...(read more)

Expanding internationally, virtually.

2012-01-13T04:32:00Z

The Insider has always been an advocate of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model. He has suggested , on occasion, that the MVNO model is the perfect medium for utilities to establish their own Smart Grid, for big brands to extend services to their customers via their own network and even for OTT players to ensure they can guarantee delivery of digital content to their base. This even extends to mobile or fixed-line operators that might want to look at creating their own sub-brands as MVNOs...(read more)

Buy a drink, get connected.

2012-01-10T05:53:00Z

One thing that strikes any first-time visitor to Japan is the sheer number of vending machines that are scattered almost everywhere on streets, in malls, at railway stations, underpasses, even public toilets. Japanese people seem to be obsessed with them, after all, if they were not in demand there would be far less, surely. They dispense almost every possible consumer good that will fit in them, everything from food, drinks, cosmetics, electronic goods, umbrellas, clothing even used ladies underwear...(read more)

Convenience charge chits churn customers

2012-01-04T04:03:00Z

You have to wonder why, at a time when most CSPs are espousing the virtues of improving the experience of customers, that some seem hell-bent on upsetting them. And, it appears the best way to do that is to charge them for something they don’t expect to be charged for. Take the example of U.S. mobile mega operator, Verizon. It decided that its customers should pay a ‘convenience fee’ of $2 for making payments online or over the phone. Apparently, customers did not think that this...(read more)