'Both GSM and CDMA will migrate to 3G'

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking. Naresh Wadhwa, vice
president, sales, Cisco India, speaks about the technologies that will pave the
way for 3G in India. Excerpts:

What do you mean when you say it may not be a linear technology roadmap
for India?

The coming of limited mobility on the CDMA platform has expanded the scope
of technologies providing cellular services beyond GSM. Although GSM will remain
the predominant technology for at least the next few years, CDMA penetration
will proliferate fast in the rural areas because of cheaper connectivity. This
clearly means that there will be two different technologies that will offer
separate migration paths to 3G. That is why we will not have a linear technology
roadmap.

What do you mean when you say service providers in India will move as a
cohesive ecosystem?

If we look at the present scenario, there are a few major players that are
emerging in different areas of the ICT arena. So while on the GSM cellular
front, Bharti, Hutchison, BPL Batata and BSNL have emerged as the big players,
on the CDMA limited mobility front, Reliance is looking like a major player
though it is a compelling technology choice for all the new FSPs and on the
national long distance front, Reliance, Tata and Bharti are the major players.

So it is clear that players are investing and building strengths in
particular areas of the ICT arena. Even if you look at Reliance and Bharti, the
only two private players that have a footprint across technologies have chosen
to invest in particular technologies, while Bharti has clearly opted for GSM
cellular and a national broadband network, Reliance has opted for CDMA limited
mobility and a national broadband network.

Also, due to high costs of investments involved in infrastructure, we may be
looking at a scenario where service providers will jointly invest and share the
infrastructure. So a cohesive ecosystem between service providers will exist
whereby they will share, buy or lease infrastructure from other players.

How will the 802.11 protocol lead its way to 3G, in India?

The 802.11 protocol and 3G are two separate technologies and the only thing
they have in common is the fact that they are both wireless technologies, which
offer data access on the move. So all that 802.11 protocol will do is split up
the market for 3G globally, but for that to happen access nodes will have to be
set up in every nook and cranny.

Nishu Rastogi