*Warning!! Long Post!!*
I am thoroughly irritated with my ISP these days. I have been using the BSNL BBG Combo ULD900 plan for quite a while now in my SOHO. Considering our usage (of 4 laptops, 2 droid tablets, 5 smartphones and several hours of skype calls from all kinds of devices), the 8GB usage @ 2Mbps runs out by 4th / 5th / 6th of the month and then we all are stuck on dreary 512 kbps (so by conservative estimates, we use roughly 50-60 GB data/month)
With the Smart-TV dongle expected to arrive anytime in the next 36 hrs, I decided to do something about it and looked for alternatives.
Looking first at BSNL itself, no plans were worthwhile compared to these *Thunder* plans from Reliance: Welcome to Reliance Communications
Reliance (which has the best plans and speeds in Nasik BTW) and TATA Wired Broadband don't offer broadband in my colony because they consider it infeasible (my foot) even though they are offering services literally a stone's throw away (though we would need Khali to throw said stone) in 3 directions from my place.
Nivyah broadband is offering 1/10th of Bombay speeds for 4 times the money in my area and has a 10GB FUP on all plans.
My cable operator doesn't offer broadband at all and there is no You-Broadband in Nasik either.
Now that none of the competition offers wired services in my area, I am stuck on BSNL. Lets look at my options now for crystal clear requirements of: (1)minimum 60GB data @ (2)minimum 2Mbps.
1. BSNL Broadband: *bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/broadband/BB_combo_unlim.html
For ~60GB (not counting increase in usage due to the SmartTV) usage at acceptable speeds, I would need the ULD2250 plan. Which again would give me just 1Mbps which will be inadequate for SmartTV. Alternately, I could opt for the ULD1800 plan which will offer me a respectable 2Mbps for the first 40GB but that would drop me down to an intolerable 256kbps by the 20th of the month, i.e., Both solutions are rubbish. The cheapest plan to satisfy both conditions costs Rs.3500/month but I don't need 150GB of data.
Advantage: Cheaper than Fiber, all infra already in place
Disadvantage: 3.5k + taxes is a lot of money for a 2Mbps connection, lower upload speeds than Fiber. Costs 4 times my existing BB plan. Pains to see Reliance *not* offering me their 4Mbps UNLTD plan which would have costed me just 1099
.
2. BSNL FTTH (Fiber To The Home):
*bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/broadband/bb_ftth.html
Talked with Nasik area GM today. They will be conducting feasibility survey in my area. I have high hopes from them (because those people are also just a stone's throw away). 2Mbps unlimited connection costs 4 f'in grand a month! BUT does the job exactly as required.
Advantage: 1:1(don't know what it signifies), high upload speeds, no FUP, ethernet like latency.
Disadvantage: Need new modem which might be more expensive than regular ADSL2.
3. BSNL EVDO (CDMA 3G):
*bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/mobile/evdo_prepaid.html
Costs 750/month for an unltd. 3.1 Mbps connection.
Disadvantage: Ultra unreliable, restrictive and truly rubbish service. Rapidshare-like sites don't work on EVDO. The only possible way to wring out all the speed from this connection is to use Torrents, everything else works just like dial-up.
Advantage: Cheap, Already have the USB Modem and a Belkin Share router which can be used to share this connection on the network. At best, it can be used as a fail-over connection in case of downtime in primary connection.
4. Reliance Netconnect BB+ 3G CDMA:
Using a corporate plan through a friend, I can get an UNLTD Reliance CDMA 3G connection with some hanky-panky business. Better service than #3 & costs 100 bucks more (Rs.850/month)
Disadvantage: None that I can think of apart from latency related issues of wireless connections, limited upload speeds.
Advantage: Cheap, better service than BSNL EVDO
5. Tata Docomo Photon 3G+ (GSM 3.5G):
Wireless Internet Connection | HSDPA & HSPA 3G Internet | 3G Dongle - Tata Docomo
I might as well get a faster connection when spending so much. Costs 1550/month for 15GB @ 21.1 Mbps. So I need to buy 1x Modem and 4x Postpaid connections.
Disadvantage: 1.6 times the charges of BSNL FTTH 2Mbps. For not too much more, I can get 16Mbps 100GB Fiber from BSNL. Not the ideal solution since I need to switch Sim Cards every now and again, High latency due to wireless tech, not ideal for Skype.
Advantage: Theoretically speaking it is blazing fast and I already have the equipment needed to share the connection.
6. Wait for Reliance Jio 4G:
Not an immediate solution.
Advantage: Speculated to cost Rs.10/GB, i.e., insanely cheap, 4G i.e. insanely faster than 1-4.
Disadvantage: Untested product will have teething troubles, no idea how long the wait will be (at least 7 months more remaining as per internal reports), not even pilot testing has begun as of now.
7. Get a Leased Line / VSAT:
Both are prohibitively expensive. #2 offers much better value with equal reliability.
8. Move Residence to *Stone's Throw Away*:
Disadvantage: Spending a figure which is at least in 6 digits *just to upgrade the internet connection* is just plain STUPID.
These are the only 8 options I could find. Help me if you can.
P.S.: AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!
I am thoroughly irritated with my ISP these days. I have been using the BSNL BBG Combo ULD900 plan for quite a while now in my SOHO. Considering our usage (of 4 laptops, 2 droid tablets, 5 smartphones and several hours of skype calls from all kinds of devices), the 8GB usage @ 2Mbps runs out by 4th / 5th / 6th of the month and then we all are stuck on dreary 512 kbps (so by conservative estimates, we use roughly 50-60 GB data/month)
With the Smart-TV dongle expected to arrive anytime in the next 36 hrs, I decided to do something about it and looked for alternatives.
Looking first at BSNL itself, no plans were worthwhile compared to these *Thunder* plans from Reliance: Welcome to Reliance Communications
Reliance (which has the best plans and speeds in Nasik BTW) and TATA Wired Broadband don't offer broadband in my colony because they consider it infeasible (my foot) even though they are offering services literally a stone's throw away (though we would need Khali to throw said stone) in 3 directions from my place.
Nivyah broadband is offering 1/10th of Bombay speeds for 4 times the money in my area and has a 10GB FUP on all plans.
My cable operator doesn't offer broadband at all and there is no You-Broadband in Nasik either.
Now that none of the competition offers wired services in my area, I am stuck on BSNL. Lets look at my options now for crystal clear requirements of: (1)minimum 60GB data @ (2)minimum 2Mbps.
1. BSNL Broadband: *bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/broadband/BB_combo_unlim.html
For ~60GB (not counting increase in usage due to the SmartTV) usage at acceptable speeds, I would need the ULD2250 plan. Which again would give me just 1Mbps which will be inadequate for SmartTV. Alternately, I could opt for the ULD1800 plan which will offer me a respectable 2Mbps for the first 40GB but that would drop me down to an intolerable 256kbps by the 20th of the month, i.e., Both solutions are rubbish. The cheapest plan to satisfy both conditions costs Rs.3500/month but I don't need 150GB of data.
Advantage: Cheaper than Fiber, all infra already in place
Disadvantage: 3.5k + taxes is a lot of money for a 2Mbps connection, lower upload speeds than Fiber. Costs 4 times my existing BB plan. Pains to see Reliance *not* offering me their 4Mbps UNLTD plan which would have costed me just 1099
.2. BSNL FTTH (Fiber To The Home):
*bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/broadband/bb_ftth.html
Talked with Nasik area GM today. They will be conducting feasibility survey in my area. I have high hopes from them (because those people are also just a stone's throw away). 2Mbps unlimited connection costs 4 f'in grand a month! BUT does the job exactly as required.
Advantage: 1:1(don't know what it signifies), high upload speeds, no FUP, ethernet like latency.
Disadvantage: Need new modem which might be more expensive than regular ADSL2.
3. BSNL EVDO (CDMA 3G):
*bsnl.co.in/opencms/bsnl/BSNL/services/mobile/evdo_prepaid.html
Costs 750/month for an unltd. 3.1 Mbps connection.
Disadvantage: Ultra unreliable, restrictive and truly rubbish service. Rapidshare-like sites don't work on EVDO. The only possible way to wring out all the speed from this connection is to use Torrents, everything else works just like dial-up.
Advantage: Cheap, Already have the USB Modem and a Belkin Share router which can be used to share this connection on the network. At best, it can be used as a fail-over connection in case of downtime in primary connection.
4. Reliance Netconnect BB+ 3G CDMA:
Using a corporate plan through a friend, I can get an UNLTD Reliance CDMA 3G connection with some hanky-panky business. Better service than #3 & costs 100 bucks more (Rs.850/month)
Disadvantage: None that I can think of apart from latency related issues of wireless connections, limited upload speeds.
Advantage: Cheap, better service than BSNL EVDO
5. Tata Docomo Photon 3G+ (GSM 3.5G):
Wireless Internet Connection | HSDPA & HSPA 3G Internet | 3G Dongle - Tata Docomo
I might as well get a faster connection when spending so much. Costs 1550/month for 15GB @ 21.1 Mbps. So I need to buy 1x Modem and 4x Postpaid connections.
Disadvantage: 1.6 times the charges of BSNL FTTH 2Mbps. For not too much more, I can get 16Mbps 100GB Fiber from BSNL. Not the ideal solution since I need to switch Sim Cards every now and again, High latency due to wireless tech, not ideal for Skype.
Advantage: Theoretically speaking it is blazing fast and I already have the equipment needed to share the connection.
6. Wait for Reliance Jio 4G:
Not an immediate solution.
Advantage: Speculated to cost Rs.10/GB, i.e., insanely cheap, 4G i.e. insanely faster than 1-4.
Disadvantage: Untested product will have teething troubles, no idea how long the wait will be (at least 7 months more remaining as per internal reports), not even pilot testing has begun as of now.
7. Get a Leased Line / VSAT:
Both are prohibitively expensive. #2 offers much better value with equal reliability.
8. Move Residence to *Stone's Throw Away*:
Disadvantage: Spending a figure which is at least in 6 digits *just to upgrade the internet connection* is just plain STUPID.
These are the only 8 options I could find. Help me if you can.
P.S.: AAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!