Since I joined Dilithium Networks in June, in the
exciting field of mobile video, I have had a chance to reminisce about
my 15 year on and off association with the telecommunication industry
in India from a vendor perspective.

Going by the saying “numbers never lie”, the
growth in the mobile space has been mind-boggling. By 2010, India is
expected to have 500 million mobile subscribers, growing at the rate of
10 million new subscribers a month. 40% of these subscribers are
expected to use their mobile phone for something more than just making
a basic call. The cost of making a mobile call is the lowest in the
world and mobile devices are expected to be the primary device for
internet access for a big section of the population.

The auction of 3G licenses in the 2H,09 is
expected to provide a major boost to mobile video and related value
added services (VAS) that are unique to the socio-economic set-up for
the cost conscious Indian consumer.

One of the big challenges facing India is the
inadequate power/electricity production, where rural areas receive less
than 8 hours of powers a day on average. Since television cannot be
turned on for most of the day, mobile devices are expected to provide
back-up entertainment as well - from watching cricket snippets and
getting the latest scores in a cricket crazed nation, to watching news
or getting the latest on the ongoing soap operas.

Mobile video and VAS are also expected to play a major role in the small business and services sectors. Some
possibilities include: construction contractors making a video call to
their sub-contractors and monitoring progress from their phones rather
than visiting each of their sites everyday; plumbers rather than
visiting multiple shops for parts can make video call to check out the
available choices; farmers can call experts and show them field
conditions and get advice without traveling; explaining medical
conditions to experts in the cities… the possibilities are endless.

The way to I think about it is that the pipes for
mobile infrastructure are ready. The next step for the service
providers is to enable video and VAS that are relevant in the context
of India’s socio-economic set up. The mobile revolution is just
beginning in India……..tighten your seat belts and get ready for the
ride.