Citipals ports MovieMatch to facebook platform
Last month while covering Citipals.com [Network of Trusted Reviewers] I had asked them about the idea of porting their reviews to social networks. Bingo! the team has done an excellent job in taking the Movie Match / reviews vertical online to facebook and I speculate they maybe porting it to more networks 
Here is a release from Citipals. Here is what Ashish had to say in an e-mail,
Inline with your suggestion, we have now launched a facebook app.Thanks very much for your candid feedback earlier and will appreciate the same even now.
Ashish, you are most welcome. You are way too experienced than I am, and I am sure you have more innovation in store for the community
Other Web 2.0 app owners, like it or not, large networks now form the Web 2.0 platform and you might want to port / interact with them to reach aliens in Mars 
In case of Citipals, they are now reaching wider audience and are accumulating more user generated content from different networks on to Citipals.com
Facebook App sold + Asia’s Young Entrepreneurs
Mark set Developers on fire opening the facebook platform early this fall. Since then Developers have been writing and deploying applications. Friendhugs is the first facebook App that was sold by the developer to some private party for $21,500. Friendhugs used Amazon’s Hardware / Internet as a service platform [EC2] and had 240,000 installs. He made $100 a day in revenue via appsaholic on 40K impressions per day. Web 2.0 platform is the new place for your next Jackpot However, prevent facebook from stealing your idea and launching a competing service. [Recall how Alexa pulled the plug on Alexaholic and later settled after community backlash ? ]
Carwale.Com and IndiaGames.com founders have made it to BusinessWeek’s Asia’s Young Entrepreneurs Award. There are more, you can choose whom you want to.
Mobile Tariffs set to Fall ? Broadband Obligation for Mobile Spectrum ?
At first I wasn’t very serious about DoT’s internal memo on wireless tariffs heading south. In a discussion with one of the Dalal Street analysts, it became evident that Reliance is all set to change the dynamics of GSM mobile services. Assuming that average revenue per minute will now fall to Rs 0.50; South Block interference combined with regulatory changes will erode the profitability of existing players. The first axe will fall on Idea Cellular followed by Reliance Communications and then Bharti Airtel. However, TDSAT and Delhi High Court will play an important role as the events unfold [spectrum availability + IT Ministry decisions] I am talking to few folks in NSN, erstwhile Vodafone-Hutch employees on understanding the battle for spectrum. Will post about it later as we had to wind up the discussion due to some meeting.
Referring to this development in the afternoon, it would be really cool if Wireless operators holding Unified License be obligated to roll out broadband in India, if they want more spectrum We all know how badly the government has failed to fulfill its broadband promise – a pathetic 1.06% [2.67 mn] broadband subscribers Vs India’s Tele-density [250 Mn]. The government might want to open BSNL’s network to private players on a lucrative revenue sharing agreement until the later deploy their own Cable, Copper, Fiber, Giga / TeraBit network
Mobile Updates from TiE ISB Connect
Coverage of the TiE-ISB connect,
- Mobile Content creators not rewarded sufficiently – The operators are still ripping the customers [I think I had read this in Tanla Mobile Solutions Research report] Anil Raj of Packet Mobile said Mobile operators are a hurdle for Value Added Services.
- MCheck is all set to launchP2P mobile payments in association with VISA and Banks [Currently they have tied up with CorpBank and Citibank] Will P2P payments be treated as purchases or Cash Advances ? You’ve gotta be careful.
Mobile (Telephone) number portability in Indian Metros
The long pending mobile number portability has been recommended for implementation [Deadline, I don't know yet] by Telecom Minister A.Raja. I am not sure what were the recommendations of TRAI for Telephone [Wireless / Wireline] Number portability. However, A.Raja has recommended mobile [Wireless Only, Not sure if it also includes Fixed Wireless Phones (WLL) or just numbers beginning with "9"] number portability in metro circles – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkatta. If A.Raja has accepted only fewer recommendation to favor Reliance’s entry into metro mobile circles, TRAI may once again write to him asking to accept or reject in full
Number portability can be for,
- Wireless [ GSM+ CDMA Mobile or GSM+CDMA Fixed Wireless Phone] , Intra or Inter Cirlce
- Wireline Intra or Inter circle
However, I think A.Raja has only recommended number portability for Mobile numbers. So if you are a cellular subscriber in any of the metros, you can retain the same number and change your service provider at a nominal cost. COAI said that the cost for number migration can be as high as 30-40 Euros. However, it is likely that TRAI will fix the migration fees.
COAI has pointed fingers at A.Raja for partial acceptance of TRAI recommendations and further added that this was uncalled for at this juncture since companies can invest in expanding mobile networks in rural areas. COAI is also of the opinion that the response for mobile number portability will be lukewarm due to the fact that 90% of the subscribers are pre-paid.
There are approximately 4 million moving mobile subscribers in India who do not stick to a service provider. Reliance has set its eyes on this segment as and when it enters the market. Also, Reliance can stand to gain from unsatisfied GSM service providers or Vice-Versa, but overall its a fantastic move to introduce number portability giving more choice and freedom to the consumer.
Spectrum Voices in India
Mr. Sunil Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel has released the letter he wrote to DoT regarding Spectrum controversy. I am glad he has challenged BSNL & MTNL over spectrum usage [Don't know when will these companies improve]. He may get the international GSM lobby to back him
Mr. T.V.Ramchandran, Director, COAI said,
As per the current spectrum availability and the number of operator, Indian GSM operators have an average 7-8 MHz per operator, which is well below international average. But the operators have used their resources well. Considering the subscribers per MHz per sq km, India is miles ahead of its global counterparts.
In India you can find cell sites as close as 100 mts apart, which is a major challenge to the engineers to make it work efficiently without interference.
The government may relax the Telecom Engineering Centre’s recently finalized spectrum allocation criterion, the minimum subscriber limits that entitle mobile service operators to additional spectrum. They have formed a committee representing every section of the industry. The only sad part is the recommendations will be submitted to Minister of IT and don’t be surprised if he selectively choose the recommendations like he did earlier
Problems: Committee does not include incumbents in the race, thus all current players may form a lobby against auction. In the broader scenario it is time to re-write the National Telecom Policy as their are lot of technological advancements in the Wireless domain. The policy must encourage innovation and in the intermediate term, should encourage players like VaVasi Telegance.
Tags: Telecom, GSM, CDMA, Mobile Communications
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