Wireless broadband

While the telecom world is still marveling at the mobile telephony growth In India, which at 100 million connections has emerged as the fastest growing in the world, there is another scorching growth story coming in the country's technology sector: broadband services.

In a recent report, Canada-based broadband telecom research firm Maravedis Inc. forecasts that the next phenomenal telecom growth story in India lies in broadband wireless access (BWA) which could experience the same explosive growth that mobile telephony has experienced over the last three years. The mobile phone made its debut in 1995 and struggled for the first three years to touch the 1 million mark. Growth started picking up thereafter, reaching 3 million in 2000, 5 million in 2001, and 10 million in 2002. Finally mobile telecom subscription exploded in the country to reach 100 million in June 2006. Broadband, particularly over wireless access, is likely to follow the same pandemic path...