Archive for the ‘Communication’ Category
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
Enjoyed the movie Windtalkers? Sad that White Horse had to die but the secret codes have remained secret because of his sacrifice. Do you want to learn Navaho language for your secret messages or any other Indian language? You are likely to find an Indian who will be willing to tutor you via phone. Would that not cost you more than paying a tutor at your place? Not really. Go online now and I will teach you how. 
At http://www.trueroots.us/calling/india you have an india prepaid calling card online that can give you a lot time to talk yet save money. Simply register an account with them. You will know the exact pronunciation and expressions of Navahos because of the clear voice quality of the phone patch no matter where you are. You can you’re your time learning even the symbols they are famous of. You can even make your tutor translate your whole life and you translate his with your own native tongue having the Auto Recharge feature that replenishes your credit balance whenever it flattens to $2.
Call india with TrueRoots, their friendly operators are standing by to help you. Do not forget to prepare a piece of paper and pen or your computer to take note of the translations.
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Saturday, January 19th, 2008
For any business to be successful, business owners are wholly dependent on their client base. If for any reason they need to call and find out about things, new launches, product queries or general enquiry, you need to ensure that you have a reliable customer care system that makes contact immediately and this is exactly what you’ll find at http://www.packet8.net/.
Your employees need not always be available on phone but you can make your hosted call center a success venture if you incorporated a reliable system wherein emails and maybe a fax could be sent out. Give your hosted contact center the chance to compete on a global level.
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Monday, January 14th, 2008
The cutting-edge technology of IP telephony has made long distance communication hassle free and cost effective. The technology behind high-speed data transfer has been applied to the realm of communications - with very positive results. It has become very easy to connect with friends and relatives - who could be situated almost anywhere in the globe. One could say that VoIP Internet phones have brought in a revolution of sorts in the present-day world.
In these phones, voice is first converted into data packets, which are then routed through gateways and decoded at the receiver’s end. To ensure easy transfer and high standards in call quality, broadband internet service is used. It is also possible to use satellite internet phones to do away with the somewhat exorbitant costs of installation of gateways.
There are quite a few VoIP carriers that offer services to end-users - both institutional and corporate. Many of these carriers use common gateways to deliver services to almost anywhere in the globe.
For the end-users, the benefits of using Internet phones are many. They can now call almost any place on the globe. The call quality is very good - more so when the service provider offering the same is of repute. And the best part is that the end-users can now connect with people through their computers - an idea that is highly innovative and has an instant appeal among tech-savvy people.
(more…)
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Sunday, January 6th, 2008
The death toll of analog technology as a means of data and voice transmission was rung as businesses started venturing out of their regional or territorial strongholds.
As the footprints of the corporate houses started crossing time zones and political boundaries, communication became increasingly important. Not only with clients but also with own employees, who were possibly quite a few time zones away, and supposedly working for the benefit of the organization. It was not only a case of keeping a tab on the employees and asking them for daily reports but also being able to provide guidance and support at crunch moments.
Connectivity gained a major boost with the advent of mobile phones. Now the person and his phone became inseparable. He could be connected any time anywhere. The need to be at the table or in the office did not exist anymore. The final frontier was crossed when the World Wide Web opened up the vista of e-commerce! The whole world became available on the desktop and corporate houses just could not wait to conquer it.
The opportunities are there waiting to be grabbed but the communication was proving to be a bottleneck. The Bell Laboratories were already working at it since they could envisage beforehand that such a requirement was in the offing. They wanted to be ready before the market felt the need for it!
They came out with the concept of T carriers. This was a revolution of sorts in the communication world! The whole concept of analog translation was discarded and the concept of digitization took its place. The voice and data were converted into digitized packets and transferred through optic fibers instead of copper lines.
The speed, capacity and clarity of data transfer increased manifold. A single T1 (the first generation of T carriers) line could accommodate as many as 24 channels. In a lay man’s language it meant that while a single telephone line could support either one voice communication or data transfer at one point of time, a single T1 connection could handle as many as 24 separate conversations simultaneously!
The speed also increased sixty times more than that was till then available over conventional copper wire phone lines. Everybody thought that the final peak has been scaled; the ultimate in communication technology has been achieved! But nobody realized that e-commerce would become such a vital life blood in world of business. So, the quest for an even faster and better communication channel was on.
The next offering from the Bell Laboratories was T3. It was essentially an improvement over the earlier T1. Well the word “improvement” is really an understatement.
T3 was forty five times faster than a T1 connection and it had the capacity to carry 672 channels. It roughly worked out to the astounding fact that a single T3 line was capable of servicing an office establishment consisting of approximately 4000 people.
But that was also not the end! Now it was the turn of OC3. In fact OC indicates that data is essentially conveyed through optic fiber. Depending on the architecture used, OC3 is also known as STS-3 and STM-1.
(more…)
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
With so many HDTV antennas out in the market, how does a tech newbie choose from the hundreds of products. That’s why you should forgive me for being impressed with hdtvantennalabs.com, as they are one of the few websites left that is honest.
They have reviews about indoor HDTV antenna as well as a listing of the products that you can use to improve your viewing. Although outdoor HDTV antenna is more popular, the former is by no means a waste of investment based on what I have learned through the site. If you’re looking not for brand names, but for honest evaluations of TV accessories, visit the website today.
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Monday, December 3rd, 2007
Recently, the advents of cell phones and VoIP have drastically changed the dynamic of telephone usage forever. Recently, Packet8 has released a new product called MobileTalk that will allow you to keep your existing cell phone while enjoying all of the benefits of a VoIP cell phone. The program will recognize international calls, and reroute them through a separate VoIP international network, hugely cutting your costs. The one time activation fee, and minimal monthly fees are trivial compared to the huge amounts of savings that you will enjoy from this product. With such rates as two cents per minute for calls to the United Kingdom compared to the whopping $1.49 charged by most major phone companies, this service pays for itself quickly.
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Sunday, August 5th, 2007
In 1999, the European countries kicked off plans to auction spectrum for 3G. A ballpark US$200B down the road and 3G still seeks validation. But the establishment is on its side allowing the 3G bus to careen from country to country leaving a trail of red ink. However, just one ISP blunders with WiFi deployment in American cities and the Inquisition is back.
To understand better the brouhaha hark back to 2004 when Verizon launched a political broadside against Wireless Philadelphia. Demonstrating just what clout means Verizon got Pennsylvania Governor Ed Randell to sign a law barring MuniWireless initiatives unless the municipality or local body first offered the incumbent service provider an opportunity to deploy its own network. That the incumbent had all these past years to deploy a broadband network and didn’t simply means irony does not trump political muscle.
Then a funny thing happens. There was a groundswell of protest from the citizenry making the good Governor rapidly backtrack resulting in a last-minute deal allowing Wireless Philadelphia to proceed and with EarthLink subsequently winning the contract to deploy. MuniWireless was now officially in the telecom establishment’s cross-hairs. Taking on City Hall is one thing. But to take on the corporate telecoms establishment, groundswells and big cojones aren’t enough. Especially when the ISP depends on the same incumbent to provide fixed line connectivity to WiFi base stations.
In 2005 Diana Neff – the lady behind Wireless Philadelphia – explained its economics to me:
- In lieu of Capex related payments, the city government becomes the anchor tenant.
- Power, locations for base stations provided for free.
- ISP free to offer internet access into homes , offices at commercial rates.
- Free Internet access in open parks.
- Subsidized Internet access to weaker sections.
That’s the economic gist. Is its net wherewithal enough to rumble with fully amortized copper running voice and owned by an incumbent able to cherry picks where to put its DSLAMs? I’d say, barely. Just about. If all goes well. Now, if the municipalities were to ante up to also mitigate the Capex burden in addition to becoming anchor tenants, we could have a robust stand-off.
Here is the core argument on the economics.
- Nothing is free.
- Recurring revenues are a bitch to kick-off. To generate a stream that makes sense is usually a three year wait. This is the incumbent’s huge advantage. His three year wait occurred in the Triassic era.
- If the municipalities pay for equipment and become anchor tenants, MuniWireless has money then to wait out the gestation period required for monthly recurring revenues to stack up.
- If the municipalities are not going to pay for equipment, they need to ante up properly as anchor tenants. If neither, the MuniWireless operation goes bust.
- Again, the same economics do not apply to a cellular player because the 2G networks are comfortably amortized and the service ubiquitous.
- Unbundled services from the incumbent are a bedrock for MuniWireless economics. Without it the whole enterprise remains fraught.
- Lastly, look at the blood around 3G to understand what it takes to launch a new service, even when the service is allowed to rest on 2G crutches. In comparison, WiFi’s burn is peanuts and all it takes for the economics to work is at a minimum, strict & wholehearted adherence to the Neff model.
It’s safe to say that besides a continued reliance on incumbent backhaul, the basics of the Neff formula weren’t adhered to as ISPs like EarthLink sought to light up America’s urban landscapes. In a rush to move away from a dying dial-up business deals were signed up at the same velocity they are currently unwinding. We watched from the sidelines as each new deal resulted in one more concession and then another and another thrusting a precedence on the rest of the industry. By 2007, cities were refusing anchor tenancies and delivering a double whammy instead by demanding free services if the ISP were to be allowed to address the city population.
MuniWireless’ teething problems then have more to do with possible economic mismanagement and incumbent hostility than with WiFi technology. The same WiFi for example, is working wonderfully for T-Mobile in their WiFi@home service linking your home WiFi and the thousands of T-Mobile WiFi hotspots to their cellular network. This service is WiFi’s wedge into the telecom establishment’s door.
So someone may have screwed with MuniWireless but WiFi isn’t the perp.
Seeing T-Mobile’s intent there’s more to WiFi than WiFi. I wrote in 2005 about patching WiFi to cellular networks suggesting UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) as a method for cellular companies to co-opt WiFi and bring true broadband into the realm without investing in a questionable 3G. Kudos to T-Mobile for doing it two years later.
But WiFi-cellular links are already passé. If the cellular companies have been too slow/reluctant/hostile to the technology doesn’t mean the technology wasn’t there. WiFi is the tip of an OFDMA iceberg and the WiFi-WiMax nexus is what’s going to shake up the networks next. One doesn’t expect to see a WiMax operator mulling too much on the pros & cons of connecting to WiFi at the edges over a common IP back end. The first casualty of such ubiquitous footprints with high speed mobile wireless broadband access to the internet is going to be band-aid applications like Blackberry. Whether you sit at Starbucks, walk up to your car with your Frappuchino or drive off home, you can directly access your email server/service at a minimum 2-5mbps.
There are some very dedicated people working hard at IEEE under the IEEE P802.21 working group to develop standards for these vertical (cellular – WiFi) and horizontal (WiFi-WiMax) nexuses. The standard is slated for finalization by 2008 at which point WiFi begins its real role as the owner of the edge. As we old telecom hands have learnt at great expense, that’s where the winning lottery ticket is hidden.
For a non-incumbent, to make sense of a WiFi-centric business one needs to adhere to the economic arguments made in these article. That keeps the business afloat while you spread your network one home after another, one café after another. Your intent is to have as large a footprint as possible before you make that call to T-Mobile.
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
Friday, July 13th, 2007
Broadband internet service in rural areas of the country is still a shaky proposition. Just like the spotty cell phone service, it all depends on whether the companies providing the service consider it profitable. Some industrialized countries consider internet connectivity an essential part of their economies and their governments have been quick to intervene where private industry has proved unwilling. But, no so in the United States.
Buyer Beware
Broadband Internet service in rural areas can be had, but it is expensive and unreliable. Customers who opt for satellite service are forced to buy high priced equipment which then has a habit of becoming quickly outdated. One and two year service contracts are required. When a customer complains about outages, refunds are almost never offered. If a customer cannot tolerate the poor service and wants to cancel, these companies will usually attempt to sue for breach of contract.
So, read the fine print before you choose a service. Such contracts usually excuse a company from any responsibility for service quality. Contracts are written in such a way that even if service is almost non existent, they can still force you to pay. Of course, such tactics would never be tolerated by an urban population and government intervention would almost certainly follow, but rural areas like Vermont have no little influence in how they are treated in such matters.
Satellite Services may be on their way out
Up until recently, satellite service was the only way you could get broadband internet in a rural area. Those willing to pay in excess of $100 per month, plus a $600-$700 installation fee, are able to receive download speeds similar to that of a cable subscriber in the big city. But, not so with upload speeds. Those still remain almost as slow as a telephone modem. And, satellite service is unsuitable for internet phone providers like Vonage because of something call “latency.” This word refers to the time it takes for a signal to travel to and from from the satellite. The delay, sometimes several seconds, makes it impossible to operate a telephone connection. Interactivity with a site like Pay Pal is also painfully slow. Expect at least several outages per month with a satellite service. Severe lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes and heavy snowfalls all cause outages effecting hundreds of thousands of customers. Calls to a national call center do little to alleviate customer frustration.
Wireless Internet
A more recent answer to internet connectivity in rural Vermont is Wireless. In this case, the signal comes in from a tower located nearby. The equipment and installation is still costly but usually remains the property of the provider so you don’t have to worry so much about obsolescence. But, the technology requires a line of sight, so not everyone can get it. With a premium service level, speeds are high enough to operate an internet phone service like Vonage. But once again, service quality is not guaranteed and when the service goes down there may not be anyone around to fix it immediately. The wireless internet business is apparently not lucrative enough to keep technicians on call 24-7. That could mean not only no internet service but also no phone service for a day or two!
Government Intervention
Just like government regulation of cell phone service and the broadcast spectrum, expect government regulation of the internet to come into force, just as soon as this new area of economic activity becomes a reliable tax target. With the taxation and government grants to fledgling companies (Vermont has started giving out grants), the first signs are there. Of course with it comes public accountability. Will we see Vermont Internet connectivity providers before the local Public Service Utilities Board? Such an overseeing body is badly needed to restrain the gouging and poor service in an area which is essential to the well being of rural areas.
Tim Palmer-Benson is editor and publisher of Scenes of Vermont, a webzine about Vermont life with directories of restaurants and lodging in Vermont. His website is http://www.scenesofvermont.com
Posted in Communication | No Comments »
