Stay connected with Ericsson's Video telephony booths!

The implementation of 3G
has not only given a bolster to the well heeled sections of the society but has also given the marginal ones to stay connected with their loved ones.

Ericsson through its unique pilot project has initiated a new concept called Aamne Saamne to showcase how shared video telephony
will address a latent need amongst migrants to keep in touch with loved ones through a shared usage model.

Through this project named 'Aamne- Samne', Ericsson endeavors to address the need of the common man, who cannot afford Internet access or a 3G connection. This project involves 8 video booths (PCO's) equipped with 3G video phone spread in both urban and rural areas, focusing on a specific migrant corridor. The project is basically aimed at the migrants who flock from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs.

As far as infrastructure set up is concerned, the PCO owners do not have to set up new infrastructure for this. The PCO owners just need a 3G SIM and a 3G enabled phone to start video conferencing. This activity was started in Sept 2009 with market research on the PCO business to understand their customers and their communication needs.

P Balaji, official spokesperson for Ericsson says “The advent of PCOs in India in the early 1990s came as a boon to the Indian consumer, who often had to wait indefinitely for a landline connection. With the increased penetration of mobile and personal phones, the once flourishing PCO business is fast declining. We believe that 3G video telephony has the potential to provide a new lease of life to the millions of such PCOs and also to bring families together through visual communications given the large base of migrant workers in urban areas. We, therefore, think that initiatives such as Aamne Saamne can empower people, business and society”.

Keeping in mind the affordability and its target audiences PCO owners are charging Rs1/min at both calling and receiving ends.

Projects like this will certainly entails building awareness and generating interest to trigger a behavioral change that will lead to adoption of video telephony in the target segment.

India has 5 million PCO's, which are rapidly diminishing with increasing 2G penetration. The PCO with a video phone can bring down the entry cost barrier to 3G, thus creating a landmark in the telecom industry. While providing a new lease of life to the declining PCO business, it will highlight the 3G market development and its best practice in Indian telephony.

ritus@cybermedia.co.in