Information Communication World: Book Watch
BOOK REVIEW: In the Telecom Business...
The Business of Telecommunication, by Niraj K. Gupta, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 2000, 506 pages, Rs 450
As a witness to post natal trauma of operators, Niraj Gupta brings out a compelling account of the telecommunication dilemma faced by countries like India.
Fortified by an inspiring Foreword by battle-hardened Sam Pitroda, currently the Chairman and CEO of WorldTel Limited, the book is a must for everyone connected to telecommunication.
Tracing the early days of telecom to the late 19th century in the days of Alexander Graham Bell, it takes the reader through an engrossing journey that poignantly reveals the contribution of Sir J.C. Bose in the successful demonstration of radio wave propagation by Guglielmo Marconi.
Intense competition and massive capital requirements that characterise the telecom scene anywhere makes this book relevant to the students and observers of telecom in any country. However the focus is predominantly on India.
The book is replete with eons of tables, charts and diagrams that Niraj terms as 'Exhibits'-- making it a valuable resource material for professionals and laymen alike.
In fact, it will be hard to find so much of in-depth data compiled at any single point of reference.
Eight chapters comprise of -- Technology evolution, Asia-Pacific races ahead, Telecom Liberalization in India, Financing Telecom Projects, The Marketing Arena, The AirTel Story, Emergence of Wireless Technologies and Integrated Corporate Networks.
What impressed me the most was both the depth as well as wide spectrum of issues that have been lucidly dealt with. Whether you are interested to know about crossbar or ATM, Internet or CDMA, you have to just go to the Index at the end, meticulously compiled by Niraj's children -- Priyanka and Harsh. Further, implications of policy matters are beautifully delineated alongwith the almanac of mistakes and blunders in the Indian context.
The book is a testimony of the irresistible entrepreneurial spirit that survives despite policy meanderings that are blissfully ignorant of the dynamics of telecom.
Country-specific case studies of the Asia-Pacific region that exhibits the fastest rate of telecom growth is a treat to read. Encounters with facts like Sri Lanka's tenure of licences as 30 years; or that China adds 20 million phone lines annually to its network as against India's gross total so far of that number add an entire different dimension to one's insight.
Comprehensive glossary at the end adds quite a value to the book.
On the whole, the book is a must read...
Dr. Ranjit Singh