India Broadband Forum

Transformer

3G Data Cards (speed upto 2 MBps, expensive)
these data cards can be plugged into USB port of your desktop or Laptop. They are expensive as compared to land line broadband and a good option for people who travel a lot.

* Reliance netconnect plus (recommended)
Reliance is most reliable when it comes to usb broadband internet in India. The availability of network is good and speeds are fast.

This usb card works only in selected cities and area. Make sure that 3G network is available in your area before you buy one.

With Reliance you can get nationwide roaming facility (wherever broadband 3G network is not available the connection switches to normal 1x CDMA speeds upto 153 Kbps ) which is good for browsing


Pros:
- High speed EVDO internet with speeds upto 3.1 Mbps
- Service centers available in most cities in India.
- Better network and speed. Customer care is good.

Cons
- no unlimited data plans
- Expensive tariff
- You have to pay, even if you get slow 1x speed.

Tariff
- Upto 800 Rs per month for 3 GB
- 1100 Rs for 10 GB
- 1500 for 15 GB


* Tata Photon
The direct competitor of Reliance. Tata is bit cheap comparison to Reliance but again the speed and service is not as good as latter.

The problem with TATA is non availability of network in smaller towns (as compared to reliance)

pros
- Cheaper than Reliance
- Speeds are faster than 256 broadband line (upto 2 Mbps)

Cons
- Lack in availability of network.
- Service centers not located in smaller towns and cities.
- Slower in comparison to Reliance

Tariff
Upto 1500 for 15 GB
only 50 Paise per mb beyond fair use limit.


* BSNL EVDO
BSNL is known for low tariffs and poor customer service. Especially in the mobile segment BSNL the largest telecom company in India suffers badly.

The network is not as much good and in many cases not reliable company to go with. My friend who bought EVDO data card from them never got speed more than 10 KBps.

Although there are some positive reviews as well avaialble on the internet. All in all going with BSNL is risky. Yes it is cheapest but probably not the best.

Pros
- Speeds upto 2.1 Mbps (if you are lucky to get 3g network)
- Cost only 650 Rs for unlimited plan

Cons
Non availability of data cards most of the time
Unreliable speed and coverage location.
Downtimes occur often.

Tariff
650 Rs month for unlimited plan


Faqs

* What is 3G
3G is the third generation standard that can transmit faster speeds over Wireless networks. The tower has to be upgraded to offer such speeds by the provider. This is the reason why it is not available all over India. It is slowly installed on smaller cities in India by the companies.

It is estimated that by 2013 whole India and its major districts and towns would become 3G enabled!

* How to know coverage locations
It is very important to confirm availablity of 3G network in the area you want to access internet


* What is fair use policy
All unlimited data plans come with a limit. There is a cap on each plan and if you cross those you have to pay extra if you have postpaid connection.

The limit is approx 10 GB per month with most of the service providers.


* Benefit of using USB data card instead of mobile
Instead of using internet through mobile it is better to go for USB broadband if you want higher speeds and it does not require additional power charge as it runs on the USB.

There is no wire or cable to be used like in Mobile Internet.

crashnburn_in

Any updates to the above information?

sukraj

very useful information. keep threading so that everyone could gain knowledge about networking