From fred@bytesforall.org Wed Nov 14 11:40:26 2001
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:48:11 +0530 (IST)
From: Frederick Noronha 
Reply-To: gkd@phoenix.edc.org
To: gkd@phoenix.edc.org
Subject: [GKD]: Satellite Radio in India

SURF THE NET, VIA YOUR SATELLITE RADIO
by Frederick Noronha

BANGALORE, Oct 31 -- Download a website via your radio? Unbelievable but
true. Yet this is soon to become possible across India too when a
satellite-radio broadcaster enables its receivers with data-downloading
capabilities.

Shortly, systems of the WorldSpace satellite-radio broadcester will be
enabled in India to offers not only audio broadcasting but also data
broadcasting capabilities. This would enable Internet data-downloads at
128 Kbps directly to a computer (approximately 1 MB of data per second)
without even having a telephone line.

To do this, the 'listener' has to connect his specially-built receiver
to a computer using a Digital Data Adaptor that is expected to cost
around Rs 1750 to the end customer in India.

WorldSpace India head Mathewkutty Sebastian told IANS: "This also means
that if someone is interested in sending educational or infotainment
data -- that could be an internet site, a Powerpoint presentation or any
data, the same can be simultaneously broadcast to any number of users
spread across a continent".

This service is to be launched in Bangalore sometime in November.

"When we launch this service, an Indian consumer would be able to
receive 25 channels of crystal clear audio plus around 50 web sites,"
said Sebastian. This would possibly include informational sites like the
Encyclopedia Britannica, howstuffworks.com, nationalgeographic.com and
some Indian sites too, including Bollywood filmi sites.

"What anyone would need is just a WorldSpace receiver and a digital data
adapter. No telephone line, no ISP (Internet Service Provider), no
geographical limitations and complete portability," said Sebastian.

Ethiopian-born WorldSpace chairman Noah A. Samara (44) who recently
visited India, founded WorldSpace in 1990. He has argued that the
company's mission is to create information affluence by using new audio
technology to deliver programming to three-quarters of the world's
population that today lacks adequate radio reception and program choice
and that wants news, knowledge and entertainment of the highest quality
at an affordable cost.

WorldSpace also has a sister concern called WorldSpace Foundation that
is a non-profit organization focussing on socio-economic development
oriented activities. "We could even look at the possibilities of having
some support from WS Foundation," said Sebastian.

"We are at a stage (where we can be confident about our plans)," said
Sebastian.

WorldSpace says it is working on reducing the price of its
satellite-radio receivers. This is a product which have been widely
appreciated for providing some two dozen near CD-quality music and
information, but with a limited appeal because the relatively high
prices of their imported receivers.

Each receiver still costs roughly between Rs 5,000 to 12,000 currently,
meaning many Indian listeners can't afford these even though WorldSpace
provides some fascinating Indian music on its 24-hour channels in Hindi,
Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.

"Today we are ready with the second generation receivers. Locally
manufactured receivers from BPL have already been launched on September
6," says Sebastian.

Indian electronic major BPL's model comes with WorldSpace, and the
traditional radio channels -- AM, FM and shortwave -- besides a cassette
recorder. It offers a 60 watt output, and costs just below Rs 7000.

Says Sebastian: "The second model for the mass market is planned to be
launched in November where the price of the product to the end customer
is expected to be Rs 4500 or less."

He said this would include a 16 per cent excise, Central sales tax of 4
per cent, and local sales taxes of 12 to 17 per cent. In addition, the
first satellite-radio company's operations in India also had to cope
with turnover tax, distributor and dealer margins, and other logistic
costs.

Sebastian argues that if someone is interested in picking up these
products at factory level, the price can be less than Rs 3000.
"Moreover, this model will also have WorldSpace and AM/FM capabilities
with a sound output of 70 watt," he said.

WorldSpace's business plan is to launch a total of three satellites
hovering over the information-poor Third World. To receive broadcasts,
anyone in the region (currently much of Africa and Asia) would need a
special WorldSpace portable receivers, with attached four-inch dish
antennas. These L-band receivers have so far been designed and
mass-produced specially for WorldSpace by electronic giants Hitachi,
JVC, Matsushita (Panasonic) and Sanyo.




------------
***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership***
To post a message, send it to: 
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to:
. In the 1st line of the message type:
subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd
Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at:
<http://www.globalknowledge.org>