Convergence India 2011-Rides on the Broadband Wave

South Asia's largest event on information and communications technology, the 19th Convergence India 2011 expo held in the capital once again took a sneak peak into the significant inroads towards the development of the Indian telecommunications industry.

Voice&Data brings to you the wrap-up of the 3-day long event that was held from March 24-26 at Pragati Maidan. Organized by Exhibitions India with the support of the Information and Broadcasting, and the Communications and Information Technology Ministries, the event was inaugurated by the communication and IT Minister Sachin Pilot.

The emerging role of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) was topical and definitive at the event. The operators, vendors, and research establishments unanimously urged the need of developing standards that will help enable the widespread adoption of broadband across India and the world.

Envisaging a future for the communication industry to be data heavy, Sachin Pilot emphatically pointed that, “Less than 1% broadband connectivity is unacceptable”. Admitting that the technology agnostic government needs to adapt itself to the latest developments, he said “Convergence has happened much faster than anyone expected”. However Indian ICT industry has all the ingredients to lead from the front. Looking ahead at the huge potential of BWA in India, Pilot further said, “Different parts of the country have different definitions (for broadband). However it should make tangible difference in people's lives which we are targeting.”

India offers a large marketplace for all the stakeholders in the communication value chain. It is time for the ICT players and regulators of the government to take collaborative efforts to provide high-speed broadband services in rural areas and best services at the most affordable price.

In a packed session entitled 'Wireless Broadband-Rapid Growth in India', Robin Mersh, CEO, Broadband Forum said that broadband was being re-defined because convergence meant that it was no longer possible to separate out fixed from mobile. The Forum, whose 200-strong membership comprises service providers, vendors, and research centers is involved in wide-ranging standards-focused work, from mobile backhaul to GPON and IPv6.

Reiterating the significance of growing importance of broadband in India, Mersh said that “India's growth in broadband in 2010-second only to China and the United States-is leading towards the country soon becoming one of the top 10 users of broadband in the world.” India added more than 2.5 mn new lines of broadband last year and now stands at #13 in the world, having been barely in the top 50 of broadband countries just 6 years ago.

Featuring about 430 exhibitors from 25 countries and around 1,500 delegates in 5 halls of Pragati Maidan, the meet also had as many as 16 conference sessions with over 100 speakers on the basic theme of 'Nextgen Applications and Services: Empowering A Billion Lives.'

The power-packed inaugural panel conference on 'NextGen applications...Empowering a Billion Lives' was attended by industry stalwarts such as JS Sarma, chairman (Trai); Akhil Gupta, deputy group CEO & MD (Bharti Enterprises); Rajiv Bawa, EVP & head corporate affairs (Uninor); Declan Byrne, director marketing (Wimax Forum); Gunter Kleindl, chairman (ETSI Technical Committee DECT); Rajan S Mathew, director general (COAI); Robin Mersh, CEO (Broadband Forum), and Weimin Ying, president LTE Solution (Huawei Telecommunications).

The event attracted a diverse combination of empowering participants like Aircel, Indus Towers, Viom, Uninor, C-Dot, Huawei, GTL, DECT Forum, F secure‑, Nokia Siemens Networks RAD data communications, SAI Infosystems, Microqual, Intex Combo Telecom, MediaTek, etc.

There was a general consensus in the telecom industry on the business case for going green. Operators who have been looking at energy saving options to reduce their opex felt, around 25-30% reductions were achievable through green energy options.

One of the main goals of the exhibition and conference was to create awareness about such practices to a growing number of IT vendors and users who are moving towards green IT, thereby assisting in building a green society and economy.

In addition to the stress on going green and the urgent need for broadband, the exhibition floor had strong presence from the broadband and LTE companies as well. The focus of the industry towards the 2 technologies clearly indicates the emerging trends and the growth path for the ICT sector.

A special session was conducted by Huawei Telecommunications to highlight the strategies for successful implementation of LTE technology. The conference also covered discussions of digitalization, 3G, wireless broadband, network health, VAS, rural infrastructure, and green ICT.

Apart from this, the event however also aimed to provide a platform for stakeholders to come together and connect the unconnected by making possible e-governance, e-health, e-learning, e-industry, e-innovation, e-education, and e-security.

With a constant flow of high profile trade visitors including government officials, trade associations, regulatory bodies and media, the 19th Convergence India 2011 excitement once again proved it to be an ideal convergence point for the business-to-business interaction. The convergence also made a difference in the lives of the common man by showcasing and promoting innovative technologies and new applications.

Ritu Singh
ritus@cybermedia.co.in