[India] Dishnet To Start Cable Net Services

["Irfan Khan" <KhanIA@super.net.pk>]

Dishnet To Start Cable Net Services 

By Uday Lal Pai
InternetNews Guest Writer 

[July 1, 1999--MUMBAI] Dishnet Limited, a subsidiary of the Sterling 
Infotech group and an Internet Service Provider (ISP), has kicked off 
a pilot project for the delivery of its Internet service through 
cable TV operators. The ISP also plans to invest about $ 5 million to 
enable the company to take its Internet services to several more 
Indian cities. 

According to J Vijay, technical director, Dishnet, the project aims 
to replace the telephone with cable as the subscriber's access mode 
to the Internet. A private cable service operator, Anil Dubey has 
already started to provide Internet services through his cable 
network in conjunction with Dishnet. 

Initially Dubey is providing the service to his customers in three 
high rise buildings and has already got 500 subscribers. As this is a 
pilot project, terms and conditions between the cable operator and 
ISP remain fluid. Subscribers will have to buy a modem to access the 
Net which will cost around $275. Initially, most customers doubted 
whether the investment justified returns but as the realization that 
they could save on telephone calls prompted them to take the service. 
"The initial response from the public has been very encouraging." 
says Dubey. There are 2000-odd cable operators in Chennai alone who 
are trying to consolidate and offer internet services through cable 
network. 

Dishnet is conducting Internet testing over cable in Pune. This 
testing is being carried out along with Silicon Mountains, which has 
over 50 percent market share in Pune cable market. Plans are on to 
start commercial operations within the next 3 months in specific 
pockets of the city using this cable network. This would make it one 
of the first few cable networks to provide Internet access on a 
commercial basis. SitiCable, the Zee Group company, has already done 
a similar pilot project in Bangalore and is expected to launch its 
service soon. 

Meanwhile, Dishnet is going ahead with its plan to extend its 
services to major Indian metros like Mumbai and Delhi. The ISP, which 
launched its services in Chennai, Coimbatore and Pune in mid-April, 
is set to expand to Delhi and Mumbai by August 15 this year. More 
cities and towns will be included soon. Within two-and-a-half months 
of launching its services, Dishnet claims to have built up a 
subscriber base of 10,000. "Over 90 per cent of them comprise 
individuals and small office, home office (SOHO) segments" Vijay 
said. According to the company communique, it has brought in certain 
innovations by designing packages that suit individual needs. There 
are products for as low as $12 that provide access for 25 hours to as 
high as $143 for 500 hours. Also there are products in the medium 
range for 50, 100 and 200 hours. "Dishnet brings to its subscribers, 
both new initiates as well as demanding professionals, a whole range 
of comprehensive Internet services through the Microsoft Commercial 
Internet Suite (MCIS 2.0). In order to make internet widely 
accessible, Dishnet has formulated a Trusted Partnership Programme 
through which it is establishing friendly neighbourhood Internet 
Centres for easy access, training and support for end users." claims 
company sources. 

http://asia.internet.com/1999/7/0104-dishnet.html