Kamis, 31 Januari 2008

Internet services disrupted in India

If you're used to beginning your day by logging on to the net, brace yourself for a huge slowdown over the next few days.

That's how long it could take to restore Internet services in India and large parts of West Asia to their normal level.

Net access in these areas has been hit following damage to two undersea cables in the Mediterranean Sea.

Internet service providers in India have put the disruption at 60 per cent of normal services while those in Egypt have been affected up to 70 per cent.

Other countries affected in West Asia are the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Call centres located in these areas have been affected, as well as international calls, which are now being rerouted.

The cable service provider has said the disruption was caused by a ship that accidentally cut the cable, after it was diverted from the Egyptian port of Alexandria due to bad weather.

Delhi logged out


And it's not just the link to the web world that may have been snapped in Egypt but time came to a standstill for its users in Delhi as well.

Twenty-five-year old Ajit was trying hard to cope with life beyond the Web world but found it excruciatingly difficult.

He said he could not complete important office work and worst of all, he was uable to chat.

Internet providers reported at least a 50 per cent loss in service due to the disruption in connection.

But cyber cafes had no explanation for their customers about why the Net was erratic and why business was suffering.

''We are unable to access any website. Customers are disappointed by this. The internet is really very slow,'' said Sahil, a Net user.

Although the Indian Internet Service Providers have said they have started a downgraded service, full restoration may be possible only after 10 to 15 days.

It's time enough, perhaps, for Delhizens to learn about life beyond the Net.

As reported in NDTV.com

Internet services disrupted in India

If you're used to beginning your day by logging on to the net, brace yourself for a huge slowdown over the next few days.

That's how long it could take to restore Internet services in India and large parts of West Asia to their normal level.

Net access in these areas has been hit following damage to two undersea cables in the Mediterranean Sea.

Internet service providers in India have put the disruption at 60 per cent of normal services while those in Egypt have been affected up to 70 per cent.

Other countries affected in West Asia are the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Call centres located in these areas have been affected, as well as international calls, which are now being rerouted.

The cable service provider has said the disruption was caused by a ship that accidentally cut the cable, after it was diverted from the Egyptian port of Alexandria due to bad weather.

Delhi logged out


And it's not just the link to the web world that may have been snapped in Egypt but time came to a standstill for its users in Delhi as well.

Twenty-five-year old Ajit was trying hard to cope with life beyond the Web world but found it excruciatingly difficult.

He said he could not complete important office work and worst of all, he was uable to chat.

Internet providers reported at least a 50 per cent loss in service due to the disruption in connection.

But cyber cafes had no explanation for their customers about why the Net was erratic and why business was suffering.

''We are unable to access any website. Customers are disappointed by this. The internet is really very slow,'' said Sahil, a Net user.

Although the Indian Internet Service Providers have said they have started a downgraded service, full restoration may be possible only after 10 to 15 days.

It's time enough, perhaps, for Delhizens to learn about life beyond the Net.

As reported in NDTV.com

Internet services disrupted in India

If you're used to beginning your day by logging on to the net, brace yourself for a huge slowdown over the next few days.

That's how long it could take to restore Internet services in India and large parts of West Asia to their normal level.

Net access in these areas has been hit following damage to two undersea cables in the Mediterranean Sea.

Internet service providers in India have put the disruption at 60 per cent of normal services while those in Egypt have been affected up to 70 per cent.

Other countries affected in West Asia are the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Call centres located in these areas have been affected, as well as international calls, which are now being rerouted.

The cable service provider has said the disruption was caused by a ship that accidentally cut the cable, after it was diverted from the Egyptian port of Alexandria due to bad weather.

Delhi logged out


And it's not just the link to the web world that may have been snapped in Egypt but time came to a standstill for its users in Delhi as well.

Twenty-five-year old Ajit was trying hard to cope with life beyond the Web world but found it excruciatingly difficult.

He said he could not complete important office work and worst of all, he was uable to chat.

Internet providers reported at least a 50 per cent loss in service due to the disruption in connection.

But cyber cafes had no explanation for their customers about why the Net was erratic and why business was suffering.

''We are unable to access any website. Customers are disappointed by this. The internet is really very slow,'' said Sahil, a Net user.

Although the Indian Internet Service Providers have said they have started a downgraded service, full restoration may be possible only after 10 to 15 days.

It's time enough, perhaps, for Delhizens to learn about life beyond the Net.

As reported in NDTV.com

Senin, 28 Januari 2008

McKinsey Report - India’s rising middle class wants a better life


The same furious energy that made India a world-class provider of software and business services is creating a huge urban middle class. By 2025, household spending could more than quadruple, generating the 5th-largest consumer economy on Earth, up from 12th now. About 400 million Indian city dwellers—nearly 100 million more people than the United States has today—will enjoy comfortable living standards. Even India’s most affluent consumers will outnumber not only the comparable segment in China but also the entire current population of Australia.

As a result, the composition of spending has already started to change: discretionary outlays (such as mobile phones) occupy more of India’s shopping basket, even as the absolute sums devoted to necessities, such as food, continue to rise. Above all, consumers will increase the amounts they spend to improve their economic prospects and quality of life—for better health, education, transport, and communications.

For more on the report, click here

Santosh