For Ms Anila Grover, the Internet will never be the same again. It has come alive after her family switched over from a dial-up connection to a Spectranet connection over their PC. Ms Grover says, "It is faster and we don't have to wait for hours to get connected to VSNL since no telephone dial-up is needed. Besides, there are no fixed-hour limitations since Spectranet provides a 24-hour connection."Even the definition of TV has changed for some. Says Mr Suresh Prabhakar, 47, "I'm using the Spectranet connection through cable TV because it is accessible to each and every person in my family and it also discourages children and other younger members of the family from peeping into unwanted sites."
WELCOME to the new generation Internet. It holds a real promise to change the virtual world. These are two of the basic applications of the country's first broadband convergent network launched in New Delhi recently. Set to change the rules of the Net game, Spectranet means faster net connections; steady, 24-hour links; no abrupt cut-offs; diminishing telephone overheads; and crystal clear quality audio and video for your favourite cable channels.
Spectranet also means an integration of information, communication and entertainment services, accompanied by a whole gamut of other services.
For example, you can watch any movie of your choice at your convenience-even reverse, forward and pause it. You can also enjoy pre-recorded television programmes. And when you switch on the Pay Per View channel, you only pay for the programmes you want to see. Ditto with audio programmes. The high-speed always-on Internet service over cable in the Capital can be accessed on a PC using a cable modem or a TV using a set-top box. Along with the Internet, the new service also offers subscribers free-to-air television channels. The next generation Internet was turned on late last month by the Punj Lloyd group's Spectra Net Ltd, after it completed laying its fibre optic infrastructure over 600 km in Delhi and Gurgaon, connecting 40 residential colonies through cable operators at present.
Mr Gaurav Pant, a college student who surfs mainly through entertainment, news and sports sites, says, "Internet connectivity using the Spectranet 64 kbps connection is faster than the normal dial-up connection, say 8-9 times faster than a normal VSNL dial-up connection. Downloading music files is quite fast. the picture resolution is also better.
"For accessing Internet service on a PC, a subscriber needs to buy a cable modem, which costs Rs 15,500. Registration, activation and cable laying (up to 20 m) cost another Rs 1,500. extra cost to the subscriber. The replacement of the old co-axial -with Srikumar Bondyopadhyay
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.