The promise of lightning fast internet via 4G

 

A long time ago (actually 10 years ago), I had made a post on this blog about the changing priorities of life from 'Roti, kapda and makaan' (Food, Clothing and Shelter) to what people look forward to every morning … "Bread, Butter and Broadband". I often use to joke with my friends that I 'google before gargle'

Well, its not humor any longer. It's a fact of life. Our day begins, not by us staring at our sleepy selves brushing in the mirror … it now begins with picking up the phone and checking WhatsApp, FB and Youtube – and that is even before getting off the bed.

Who wants to rummage thro the song list on the phone when u can stream music (albeit, latest) from online sites and apps. Who wants to see videos that are on the phone, when youtube is available with the latest trending videos.

Biggest change I see (something Nikhil and I used to discuss often) is that you no longer connect to the internet. Your phone is always online. The wifi modem at home is hardly switched off and you turn down data connectivity on phone only when wifi is available or your phone has 5% battery left and u are still away from a charging point. All other times, you are connected, you are online …. Strangely reminding me of Matrix. You are indeed jacked up.

With this kind of life style, internet speed is an important consideration. You don't have the patience of watching the buffering circle for youtube movies nor do u have time for the google maps to show u the appropriate location and driving directions etc. You want it and you want it NOW.

We rejoiced when we moved from 2G to 3G as we experienced better speed and the wait reduced. But we have gotten used to 3G now and find it 'slow' now. We want more speed.

And that's where the wait for 4G began. The promise of lightning fast speeds on the mobile device was enticing to say the least.

Airtel now brings 4G speeds to India and the initial ads / promotions are pretty interesting. Airtel will be first telecom operator to roll out 4G services in India and they are rolling it out in almost 300 cities/towns at the same time. Their offer of 4G at 3G rates/prices is extremely attractive (hopefully it is an honest offer and does not come with bandwidtch caveats).

Another thing which people may not realise is that with increased speed, bandwidtch requirements will definitely increase. You will now consume bandwidth faster which means if your existing usage was 2GB a month … be ready to be surprised by your own increased usage to 5GB (if not 10). You will download more since you can download faster and you will see more youtube videos since they don't buffer and waste your time.

So expect a rise in your monthly bills and expenses even when the prices are the same.

Airtel has made it easy for people to jump onto the 4G bandwagon. You can tweet for a new 4G compatible sim (use #GetAirtel4G) and it will be delivered to your doorstep – free of charge. More details at http://www.airtel.in/4g/  

So are you ready to jump on the high speed 4G bandwagon !!

(Do note: You will need a 4G mobile handset to take advantage of 4G speeds. So factor in that cost also in case ur current handset is not 4G enabled)