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Dishnet aims at pan-India Wi-Fi network
By agencies
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Thursday, 05 May 2005, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI:Internet service provider Dishnet Wireless Ltd. said it aims to dominate the nascent WiFi mobile Internet market by rolling out nationwide service in two years.
Dishnet will use WiMax base stations to link WiFi "hotspots," where properly equipped devices like laptops can download data wirelessly at up to 512 kilobits/second. It aims to be India's largest WiFi provider, targeting 200,000 subscribers with 6,000 hotspots in 38 cities under the brand name Red by the end of 2006.
"We expect a subscriber base of 200,000 users when we finish our rollout in 18-24 months," V.G. Suri, Dishnet's vice-president for marketing, said, adding that the cafe outlets of Barista -- run by Dishnet's owner -- would be key usage points.
The firm is targeting heavy users like companies as well as price-conscious students and families. Suri said Dishnet had spent 
2.5 billion ($58 million) on the wireless network, whose expansion will be funded from future sales. The firm expects 1.07 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year to March 2006, he said.
The charges for using the hotspots will range from 25 to 250 per hour.
The government is pushing for faster Internet access in Asia's fourth-largest economy by freeing up several frequency bands and is mulling some tax breaks to make equipment cheaper. It has targeted 3 million broadband customers by December.
Broadband penetration is low in India, where only two in 10,000 people have a high-speed hook-up, compared with one in four in South Korea. Digital subscriber line connections are the main route by which India expects to boost access.
2.5 billion ($58 million) on the wireless network, whose expansion will be funded from future sales. The firm expects 1.07 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year to March 2006, he said.
The charges for using the hotspots will range from 25 to 250 per hour.
The government is pushing for faster Internet access in Asia's fourth-largest economy by freeing up several frequency bands and is mulling some tax breaks to make equipment cheaper. It has targeted 3 million broadband customers by December.
Broadband penetration is low in India, where only two in 10,000 people have a high-speed hook-up, compared with one in four in South Korea. Digital subscriber line connections are the main route by which India expects to boost access.