Net via cell phone, it's zippier now

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Reliance Infocomm, arguably India's fastest growing "" and, certainly, the most powerful "" mobile services company took more than two weeks after a request getting a handset and a data cable across to me. Apparently, the delay was in sourcing the cable "" a testimony perhaps to the growing popularity of the data offering.

To be able to experience the data offering that Reliance is hawking, all you need to have is a data cable and the proprietary "R-Connect Dialer" software that the company hawks with its service. Please note that data cables are specific to a phone and not interchangeable.

Buying a cable from a service provider (Reliance or Tata) can set you back as much as Rs 1,200, but it may be worth the price. There are cables available in the grey market and online flea markets for as less as Rs 200, but make sure they are compatible with your phone.

Once my data cable and phone (a Samsung N191) arrived, setting up the service was a cinch. Insert the "R-Connect Dialer" CD into your drive and follow the instructions that include plugging in the data cable into a serial or USB port of your computer and powering it on. Once the software is set up, it will ask you to reset your computer, after which you are ready to surf the Net.

One feature that strikes you about accessing the Internet through a CDMA phone is that the connecting (handshaking protocols, authentication and so on) takes just a few seconds unlike the normal dial-up set up on a landline or a circuit-switched access from a GSM phone.

It is perhaps comparable to the GPRS (general packet radio service, a GSM-based data access service) set up or "" I'm told "" the newer and fancier EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Systems for Mobile Communications Evolution) offerings.

Once you're connected, the "R-Connect Dialer" rather helpfully throws up an graphic that tracks your access download and upload speeds. The Internet access speeds are certainly better than speeds that GSM-based mobile phone afford and even beat dial-up connections.

Theoretically, a dial-up connection offers up to 56 kbps, but you'd be lucky to get a third of that in busy hours. In comparison, CDMA-based connections promise 144 kbps in test conditions and I got various speeds between 30 and 50 kbps, which is a neat speed.

The service is especially useful when you are mobile. I tested the phone on a 1,500-km road trip in south India and found it quite useful. Reliance's coverage is patchy in many parts, which can be frustrating when you are in middle of a mail or surfing, but it does quite well if you take some time out to enjoy a cuppa in a small town. (My sampling stations were towns in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.)

One trouble I had with the service was that my computer would not detect the phone if I connected it to the USB port after switching on and running the laptop. This can be a bit of a bummer since it entails rebooting the computer and waiting for it to detect the phone. I am not sure why this happened, but it could well be a bug with the computer's software.

At the end of the day, the pricing of the Reliance data service makes it compelling. The handset comes at Rs 501 and the service is accessed at a flat 40 paise a minute, which is less than the dial-up and Internet access charge you would pay on even a dial-up connection that promises you 56 kbps.

If you are a road warrior and can't sleep without checking your mail before you crash for the night, the CDMA phone and data cable is certainly a must in your laptop bag. You might want to use the voice offering, but that is not so compelling given the skewed call charges to other mobile and landline phones and, of course, the issue of number portability.

(The writer works with content company perZuade. His views are personal and may not be endorsed by his employers, the company's investors, customers or vendors. Comments may be sent to josey@perzuade.com)