The Hindu Business Line : Wireless cards: Reliance Comm ties up with laptop cos

In a bid to increase its presence in the Internet and broadband segment, Reliance Communications is taking up a slew of initiatives including a tie-up with laptop manufacturers Hewlett Packard, Lenovo and HCL to bundle its wireless data card. Reliance, which has five lakh Internet subscribers, is aiming to double its user base by fiscal end.

When contacted, a Reliance Communications spokesperson said, "We are currently the largest Wireless Internet Service provider in the country. The immense growth potential for Internet penetration is an opportunity to further enhance our leadership position in the segment." The spokesperson, however, declined to comment on specific plans.

"R Connect"

The data cards branded "R Connect" has seen an uptake of 12,000 to 14,000 units a months over the last four months. According to industry estimates, HP, Lenevo and HCL have combined sales of close to 60,000 laptop units every month. Through the alliance, Reliance expects the "R Connect" monthly sales to double from the current sales numbers.

Going forward, the company plans to promote Internet access on mobile phones. Reliance has close to eight million mobile users who have phones with Internet capabilities. Plans are afoot to promote handsets with in-built modems that can be used to access Internet.

Next big thing!

Wireless Internet is seen to be the next big thing in telecom with technologies such as Wi-Max, 3G and CDMA 1X. Internet penetration in India is mainly concentrated in the top 10 cities, which account for 70 per cent of the total users. Reliance is therefore targeting Category B and C circles where the Internet penetration is low and the traditional dial-up wire line speeds are poor.

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