The trouble with broadband

We live in an age of broadband connectivity, or do we? While other countries have long gone into double digits when it comes to broadband penetration India is lagging far behind. Last year we were at the abysmal figure of 0.2 percent penetration and the scene hasn t dramatically changed since then. In stark contrast the US had over 50 percent (53 percent as per the most recent report) in Q4 2006 and that US figure was the lowest among the Top 25 worldwide. In other words there are 25 nations where broadband penetration tops 50 percent and a dozen where the figure tops 60 percent.
So why is it that broadband is such a failure in this country? Is it lack of demand? Is it because there isn t enough content online in local languages? The answers to these questions are a resounding No to the first and a qualified Yes to the second. There is a lot of demand, pent up demand I may add, for broadband and while the lack of vernacular content is a cause for concern it is not a show stopper.
So what is preventing broadband from getting into single, forget double, digits? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, heck, it s shouting in a gale of indifference on part of ISPs. Why is it that even today after all the ballyhooing about how fiber has been laid to every office building in every city worth naming, the first reaction of any ISP if asked for a broadband connection is all too often that they have run out of ports? Or that your locality is not served?Go wireless and you will still encounter a solid wall of disinterest. Most cellular providers not only have ridiculous bandwidth caps but their tech support is non-existent. If I had a hundred rupee note for every time I have run up against a cellular company s support staff making some asinine suggestion about having to call from another line as they need me to turn my phone on and off to get GPRS working, I would have at least enough money for a meal at a five star.
So what is the answer to this mess? For one, the ISPs, particularly the incumbents who have the area coverage, need to wake up to two facts-people want broadband and that they must do away with download caps on entry-level plans. City-wide availability through DSL or WiMAX or whatever-else-they-can-come-up-with has to be a given. If an ISP isn t willing to serve all areas take away their licenses. Internet access cannot be denied. It may not be a fundamental right but it is essential if we are to compete in this information age.
On a related note, I believe that 3G, as and when it arrives, will fall flat on its face with a resounding thud in India. The fact that the people rolling it out are going to be the same geniuses who charge Rs 10 per MB downloaded and make threatening calls when you exceed your post-paid limit even though you have a free allowance of 1 GB does not lead one to believe that they are going to do any better with 3G than they have done with 2.5G. The ISPs are bad but the cellular providers are worse. Kind of like the frying pan and the fire.



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Record Skype conversations easily with Skype Recorder 1.2

For immediate release
September 26, 2007 Contact: Dmitry Baranov Company: ExtraLabs Software Title: CEO E-mail: support@extralabs.net
Record Skype conversations easily with Skype Recorder 1.2!
Skype Recorder is compatible with all operating systems of the Windows family (95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, NT, Vista) and supports all Skype versions.
Skype Recorder is a surprisingly easy-to-use tool for recording Skype audio conversations. Skype Recorder can record Skype calls automatically. The software has a number of additional handy features such as an automatic record encoding into MP3/WMA/OGG/WAV format, all Skype versions support, conversations in either single or dual audio track recording, hidden mode work, a built-in audio player, a built-in FTP-client and an easy-going interface.
It is really simple to create a new recording. All you need is to run Skype Recorder.
The software will start the recording by itself as soon as you start talking on Skype. The conversation over, Skype Recorder will encode the recording to the specified format and will save the ready file on your hard drive. Due to the built-in audio player, you will be able to listen to the recording in no time and do whatever you like delete it, move or upload to the site.
"We have been engaged in the development of RSS and Skype technologies for 5 years already and we known what our customers need," said Andy Cheiney, the head of the marketing department in the ExtraLabs Software company. "We are constantly working on increasing the efficiency of our solutions and we are glad that our products are getting more and more popular. We are ready to do everything possible to make our solutions meet all functional requirements of our customers".
The solution of the ExtraLabs Software company won the confidence of users worldwide and was given various awards far more than once. Users of Skype Recorder will highly appreciate the wide range of features available in the solution, the affordable license price ($13.95 USD) including the right to get FREE lifelong updates.
The full-featured version of Skype Recorder 1.2 with a free 30-day trial period is available at the company s sites: http://www.extralabs.net/SkypeRecorderSetup.exe Read more about Skype Recorder at http://www.extralabs.net/skype-recorder.htm
About ExtraLabs Software Founded in 2002, the ExtraLabs Software company is engaged in the development of software solutions for web design and RSS creation.
The ExtraLabs Software company closely cooperates with its customers and develops its solutions according to their requirements. The combination of the modern technologies and the creative team results in the success formula that makes it possible to create state-of-the-art solutions meeting the needs of all customers.
You can find more details about the ExtraLabs Software company at http://www.extralabs.net



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Choosing a Data Storage Company

For a long time in the computer industry, large companies have used outside companies to store copies of their data as a backup in case of a computer disaster. Now the accessibility of adequate bandwidth, and the increased needs of small business and home computers, has resulted in a growth of companies that will upload the data that you select at the intervals you choose and store those copies until you need them to restore damaged files. How do you know if you need such a company and how do you select the right one?
Under Lock and Key
The first decision is whether your files are necessary enough to call for off-site storage. Most home computers can archive old files on DVD s or by printing them out on hard copies and filing them the old fashioned way. Current files can also be saved on DVD s or a USB storage device and updated as needed. Some home computers are used for small, home-based businesses or to keep the research and works-in-progress for college students. These needs may demand the services of a data storage company. Records of customers, suppliers and the company s books all need to be backed up in a reliable way.
While this can be done in the same way that the basic home files are, the data storage company has some advantages. Most important is the fact that the records may be lost because of a destructive event such as flood or fire. In a case like that, having your important records saved in a distant, safe, server can make all the difference. As soon as you have a working computer again, the records can be downloaded from the data storage company quickly and ready for action.
With the rapid growth of this new market, you will need to do a little research to find just the right data storage company for you. Most companies base their price on the amount of data to be stored, the number of computers to be backed up, and the number of file versions to be kept. For a small business, this may mean a fair size of files, computers from more than one site, and several versions of all files. While the price of a data storage company may seem high at first, the savings begin to accumulate by avoiding the cost of an onsite dedicated server and the technical staff needed to care for it and perform the backups. You will also give yourself the peace of mind in knowing that all of your important information is backed up off-site. Roland Parris Jefferson III is an online researcher based out of Los Angeles, California. Need more details and expert advice on Data Backup? Then please visit our Data Storage Company Resource.



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Save Money By Fixing PC Errors As They Occur

How much did it cost you the last time you had to call one of those computer tech help lines? What about the time you actually had to have a PC service technician come to your home? That expensive, huh? The truth is, PC tech help is expensive, and often the problems that cost you the most could have been avoided for a fraction of the cost with just an ounce of prevention.
There are many computer errors that send us scrambling for tech help. Sometimes, they can be annoying problems like glitches and error pop-up warnings. Other times, they can be fatal and result in the loss of data and/or system crash. All of these errors, no matter how varied they may be, have one thing in common: They are caused by things you unknowingly bring or take out of your system s hard drive, and you can fix them instantaneously before they start to cause problems with the right software.
You see, your computer is just a machine that does exactly what it is programmed to do or what you tell it to do. To help it do this, it has thousands of files and programs filed neatly away in the hard drive. Most of the time, these files are accessed by your computer easily, but sometimes the filing system can be a little off, which makes it hard for your PC to access certain files and applications quickly or at all. Anytime that your PC has to search for these files or fails to find them an error occurs.
In most cases, errors can occur without you even realizing it. You may not get a warning or program shutdown. Often, the only evidence that you have that errors are occurring is a computer that does not perform as quickly as it used to. While this in itself is annoying and frustrating, hidden errors can multiply and result in PC problems that leave you shelling out big bucks to tech professionals.
To avoid errors from multiplying and eating away at your wallet, you need to fix the little errors as they occur. This can be done easily with the right software. The right software consists of programs that watch out for hidden errors and help fix them before they cause problems. In many cases, you can get all of the protection from hidden errors that you need in one software suite or download. In some cases, you can even get an error scan for free.
Even if you don t think your PC has hidden errors on it, it may be a good idea to have it scanned for free just to make sure. Statistics show that it is not uncommon for most computers in operation to have more than 200 errors. In fact, 94% of all PCs that have been used for one month or longer have hidden errors.
As mentioned before, hidden errors occur during the daily operation of your PC, and they especially occur when you download new programs or install and uninstall software. This is because each time you download a new program or install/uninstall software, you change the filing order of your hard drive. New files are added, old files are deleted, and some files that should have been deleted remain behind. In some cases, you may inadvertently delete a file that is needed for another computer application. All of these changes leave holes in your PC s operation and make it more and more difficult for it to perform accurately and quickly.
Instead of letting these problems add up until they become annoying, unbearable or result in a system crash, doctor software helps to eliminate any trouble that you may experience from hidden errors. This software fixes errors that cause problems, fixes corrupt files, prevents hidden files from causing harm, and helps you avoid formatting and rebooting errors without you having to think about it.
And you can use this software for a fraction of the cost that you would shell out to tech professionals. Unlimited access to repairs costs as little as $20 per month, $60 per year and $130 for life. Now, that s a big difference than what you pay for in-house technical service. In fact, you could pay for your doctor software for a lifetime just by avoiding one in-home technical call. All of those technical fees avoided equal more money in your pocket and a smooth-running, error-free personal computer for you and your whole family to enjoy.



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