Number Portability in India - Benefits and Drawbacks

 

One of the most awaited developments in the mobile telecommunications space is the introduction of “Number Portability” in India. Remember when as a student, you used to keep changing numbers as and when a new scheme was introduced by different service providers, and it was such a painful affair to update your friends with your new mobile number? You know what, it’s no longer going to be that. Number Portability promises to remove the shackles that the service providers have over the user by allowing them to retain their existing number while moving to a new network. So, is this for real? Let’s see what we as a user should be aware of before jumping into the game.

What You Should Look Forward To

Increase Competition – Reduced Call Rate

If you believe in Murphy’s Law (Who Doesn’t), then the service provider apart from yours always has that perfect plan which your network just refuses to adopt. It may be a roaming cost of 50 Paisa per second or free national SMSs or Night Time free calls on the same network. Whatever be the reason, you are now free to say goodbye to your current network. Also, with increased competition due to users switching to other networks, mobile operators will be forced to come out with new schemes and value added services to retain customers.

Better Service

One of the most annoying aspects of having a mobile phone is that when there is a problem with the mobile phone service, it is very difficult to get it rectified by calling the respective customer care or resolving the issue by visiting one of their physical offices. While some service providers have excellent resolution times, most don’t. The second annoying aspect of owning a mobile phone is the number of telemarketing calls and SMSs one gets from the service provider. Apart from wasting valuable time, it may end up costing money in case the user is in roaming. Number portability should address both these issues, since operators would want to retain existing customers.

Better Coverage

Network operators will also be forced to invest in their infrastructure to ensure that it’s the state of the art, providing high call clarity and wide coverage. There have been several instances, especially during roaming, where one is stuck in a place with no network coverage and unable to connect to a different network. This should change and call drops would be a forgotten issue.

What You Should Be Careful About

Pushing Postpaid Schemes

We had written previously on how attractive a prepaid scheme is currently. With the introduction of Number Portability, this should change. By making postpaid more lucrative, service providers would hope to retain customers and ensure that their Average Revenue per User (ARPU) remains high. So, if you are the kind of user who prefers to recharge their account on the fly and like to track call costs after every call or SMS, Number Portability would probably change that.

Number Portability in India = Increased Call Charges?

We just mentioned how call rates would reduce with the introduction of Number Portability. However, there are just a handful of operators, and it would not be difficult to align their schemes with each other so that the incentive for the user to shift service providers would be removed. However, this is just a possibility and it may just not happen.

Introduction of Contract Based Phones

It is no secret that the iPhone revived AT&T’s fledging sales in the US. If a mobile phone manufacturer would introduce one of the best handsets that you have always coveted, but locked to a network that you do not prefer, then the whole purpose of number portability would be defeated. However, this is something that we as users would just have to live with.

However, all said and done, number portability is set to revolutionize the mobile telecommunication scene in India and despite the above mentioned drawbacks, it is a welcome move. The end user has more to benefit that lose and that is what matters.

All About Bluetooth

“Bluetooth is an open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances (using short length radio waves) from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs) with high levels of security.”

That’s wiki and here’s the simple version.

The Bluetooth feature on your Accord mobile helps you do everything that you normally use data cables for, except without the added mess and bother of the wires. That means transferring files, photos, videos etc in and out of your phone, talking hands-free, connecting to the internet and much more. A Bluetooth connection is wireless and automatic, and it has a number of interesting features that can simplify our daily lives.

It is necessary to know and understand how to use your mobile’s Bluetooth efficiently and safely.

So here goes.

What can it do?

With the Bluetooth feature of your mobile, you can:

· Transfer files (such as mp3s and photos) to and from your mobile

· Backup your Accord mobile to your PC

· Use a Bluetooth GPS device for satellite navigation on your mobile phone, PDA or laptop.

· Exchange business cards, calendar entries and photos with other users

· Use a Bluetooth headset for hands-free calling

· Use the phone as a wireless modem from your Bluetooth-enabled laptop or PDA

The variety of things you can do with the Bluetooth technology are mostly only limited by imagination. As you read on, you will get a better idea of the capabilities of this feature and how to use it resourcefully.

The Advantage

Bluetooth is designed to be a secure and inexpensive way of connecting and exchanging information between devices without wires. Within this simple definition are a horde of benefits:

· Its wireless! You can eliminate all the dangers and inconvenience that accompany cables and wires.

· It’s efficient! Bluetooth can instantly transfer information between various devices as long as they are all compatible. Driving directions can be sent from your car’s GPS system to your phone and all your friend’s handsets as well as to your PC, all within the same minute.

· The technology itself is cheap which means its pocket friendly. There are hardly any additional costs, if ever.

· It’s Automatic! It can be set so that you don’t have to start up or establish any connections or give any commands. Transfers will take place automatically when you come within range of 30 feet. Just keep it on the right mode and forget about it!

· It works on a standard protocol. This means that its standard wireless specification assure a high level of compatibility amidst other devices.

· It consumes lesser energy. As it uses low power signals, the Bluetooth needs only little energy which means that it utilizes less electrical power or battery. But this is as compared to other wireless technologies. Don’t use up battery power by keeping Bluetooth on when not being used. (Check How to Extend Your Battery Life)

· It offers great flexibility and mobility. With the Bluetooth standard, compatible gadgets share both voice and data communication. A Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone can share voice conversations with a compatible Bluetooth headset. The same cell phone can also create a GPRS connection to the internet. Also with the Bluetooth, the same phone can connect to a laptop and the latter can surf the web and even send and receive emails.

Connecting to the internet

If there is no source of internet connection available, you can use your mobile phone’s Bluetooth to connect your PC to the internet, provided the PC has a Bluetooth Feature.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Turn on the Bluetooth enabled cell phone and turn on the Bluetooth connection software.

2. Make the phone discoverable.

3. In Windows XP on the laptop go to My Bluetooth Places.

4. Select View Devices in Range.

5. After the discovery process is complete, you should see the icon for the cell phone.

6. Right-click on the icon and select Discover Available Services.

7. To connect to your cell phone right-click on the Dial-Up Networking.

8. Select Connect Dial-up networking.

9. The phone will ask if you want to accept the connection request, decline or add to paired.

10. The last step pairs the phone and laptop and performs the connection request.

11. You will be prompted to enter a PIN code to pair up the devices, the PIN is entered in the cell phone.

12. A dialogue box appears asking for user name, password and the phone number of your ISP.

13. Click on the dial button to complete the connection.

An advantage of using Bluetooth is that your phone can remain in your laptop carrying case or pocket and Bluetooth does not require direct line of sight connection.

Bluetooth Security

Know The Problem

Bluejacking involves Bluetooth users sending a business card (just a text message, really) to other Bluetooth users within a 10-meter (32-foot) radius. If the user doesn't realize what the message is, he might allow the contact to be added to his address book, and the contact can send him messages that might be automatically opened because they're coming from a known contact.

Bluebugging is more of a problem, because it allows hackers to remotely access a user's phone and use its features, including placing calls and sending text messages, and the user doesn't realize it's happening.

The Car Whisperer is a piece of software that allows hackers to send audio to and receive audio from a Bluetooth-enabled car stereo. Like a computer security hole, these vulnerabilities are an inevitable result of technological innovation, and device manufacturers are releasing firmware upgrades that address new problems as they arise.

Devices can easily grab radio waves out of the air, so people who send sensitive information over a wireless connection need to take precautions to make sure those signals aren't intercepted.

Eliminate the problem

1. You can also simply switch the Bluetooth mode to "non-discoverable" and avoid connecting with other Bluetooth devices entirely. This especially makes sense if you use Bluetooth network primarily for synching devices at home,

2. Bluetooth users can establish "trusted devices" that can exchange data without asking permission. When any other device tries to establish a connection to the user's gadget, the user has to decide to allow it.

3. Don't "pair" with unknown devices. Just like you would not open your door to a stranger, do not accept content or pair with devices from unknown users.

4. Pair your device in private to make the permanent connection. And if your device comes with a default Personal Identification Number (PIN), change it to one that only you know.

5. If you are not using Bluetooth, simply turn it off. This the best thing you can do as it is good for your battery and for your safety.

For Your Information

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

It’s a common question. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are wireless technologies. So what’s the difference and why choose one over the other?

· Bluetooth runs at a lower speed and power than Wi-Fi. This means that Bluetooth consumes much less power, an asset for your mobile phone.

· Since it covers shorter distances and has a 2 level password protection, it is more secure than Wi-Fi.

· All you need is a Bluetooth adaptor on all the devices connecting with each other. On the other hand, a Wi-Fi connection requires much more hardware.

· Bluetooth is fairly simple to use. It can be used to connect up to seven devices at a time and it is easy to switch between devices or find and connect to any device. With Wi-Fi, one needs to configure the hardware and software.

Remember, the two don't interfere with each other, but the two don't talk to each other either - in other words you can't get a device with Bluetooth to communicate to a device that only supports Wi-Fi.