19 WiMAX enabled industrial estates with 4000 subscribers in a year
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Broadband services an integral part of GIDC infrastructure
- 19 industrial estates to be WiMax enabled by next year
- 4,000 subscribers by 2010
- Service plans with speeds upto 2 Mbps.
- 25 BTS towers deployed
- Increased operational efficiency and scalability to enterprises
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), India’s largest State owned Telecommunications Company today announced a partnership with Goa Industrial Development Corporation (Goa-IDC) to provide a state-of-the-art wireless broadband network to connect all of Goa-IDC’s 19 industrial estates. Under the partnership, BSNL’s technology partner for Mobile WiMAX, SOMA Networks of US, will deploy its award winning FlexMAX System[1], which delivers always on, high-speed DSL quality broadband with a simple plug-and-play indoor device called the Customer Premise Equipment (CPE).
Goa-IDC will provide wireless broadband services to enterprises as a value-addition to traditional brick and mortar infrastructure facilities. Sharing his views on the partnership, Mr. A.V. Paliker, MD GIDC, said, “Industrial development is the backbone of economic growth. Goa-IDC is committed to provide world-class infrastructure that is second to none, to create an ideal operating environment for its resident industries. Our decision, to go with the latest technology for wireless broadband from BSNL-SOMA, will help the industries in Goa-IDC enhance their productivity and efficiency to compete with the best in the world.”
With one of the highest per capita income ratios and one of the highest literacy rates (82.32%) Goa is an emerging industrial hub for Pharmaceuticals, Biotech, Food Processing, Agro-based industries and IT-enabled services. Top-layering broadband services as an added virtual infrastructure will enable enterprises to benefit from a ‘reliable’ communication network resulting in higher operational efficiencies, better customer interaction, and newer modes of distribution and delivery management.
“Goa is an ideal industrial hub and investment destination. We are pleased that enterprises in Goa will now have access to high speed wireless broadband connectivity from BSNL. We aspire to bring benefits of advanced technology of Mobile WiMAX to thousands of enterprises and consumers to Goa in the coming months said Mr. GR Ravi GM, BSNL Goa.
BSNL and their technology partner, SOMA Networks, will target 4,000 broadband connections in Goa-IDC within the next 12 months across 19 Goa-IDC industrial estates: Corlim, Margao, Sancoale, Mapusa, Tivim, Bichotim, Kakoda, Honda, Bethora, Canacona, Kundaim, Tuem, Verna, Cuncotim, Pilerne, Marcaim, Pissurtem, Colvale, Shiroda and Sanguem. In the coming months SOMA Networks will launch a host of broadband enabled value added services supporting eCommerce, alternate forms of communication, and virtualized application hosting using cloud computing.
“Today, for businesses, Internet is an essential part of the infrastructure, like water, phone and electricity. Our wireless broadband technology helps us quickly provide connectivity to any underserved area, particularly in locations with poor or no wired infrastructure, and at a cost lower than any other competing technology,” added Mayur Tanna, Vice President, Enterprise Services, SOMA Networks.
SOMA Networks is investing US$ 200 million to deploy Mobile WiMAX networks in three circles i.e. Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. As a part of this operating partnership with BSNL, SOMA has invested in the network rollout, and manages the service on behalf of BSNL.
To learn more about SOMA’s service offering with BSNL, please call toll free:
1 800 2 33 66 00, or visit: http://www.wimax.bsnl.in
About BSNL
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. formed in October, 2000, is one of world's largest Telecommunications Company providing comprehensive range of telecom services in India: Wireline, CDMA mobile, GSM Mobile, Internet, Broadband, Carrier service, MPLS-VPN, VSAT, IN Services etc. Within a span of five years it has become one of the largest public sector unit in India. Today, it has about 29.6 million line basic telephone, 5 million WLL, 45 Million GSM, more than 38700 fixed exchanges, 40000 BTS, 197 Satellite Stations, 560000 Rkm of OFC Cable, 50000 Rkm of Microwave Network connecting 624 Districts, 7330 cities/towns and 5.5 Lakhs villages. http://www.bsnl.in
About Goa IDC
The Goa Daman and Diu Industrial Development Corporation (GDDIDC) was established by the Government of Goa, Daman & Diu in February 1966 under the provisions of Goa, Daman and Diu Industrial Development Act, 1965 with the aims and objectives of securing and assisting in the rapid and orderly establishment of industries in Industrial Areas and Industrial Estates in Goa. One of the important activities of the Corporation is setting up of Industrial Estates and offer developed plots to industrial units.
In pursuance of the above objectives, the GDDIDC (now renamed Goa IDC) has so far established twenty Industrial Estates in Goa, Daman and Diu, viz Corlim, Margao, Sancoale, Daman, Mapusa, Tivim, Bicholim, Kakoda, Honda, Bethora, Canacona, Kundaim, Diu, Tuem, Verna, Cuncolim, Pilerne, Marcaim, Pissurlem and Colvale.
http://www.goaidc.com
About SOMA Networks
SOMA Networks, Inc., helps service providers and their subscribers access the world with WiMAX. As a leading provider of Mobile WiMAX products and professional services, SOMA’s FlexMAX™ Mobile WiMAX System, SoftAir™ Multimedia Application System, and global professional services provide a complete platform that accelerates service providers’ time to market with revenue-generating applications that bring broadband to the home or business. SOMA is a principal member of the WiMAX Forum®, and its FlexMAX Mobile WiMAX System supports the 802.16e-2005 Mobile WiMAX standard. Deployed on five continents, SOMA is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Delhi, Sao Paulo and Singapore.
http://www.somanetworks.com
