A number of prospective Internet service providers (ISPs) have also begun evaluating the system which enables decongestion of their networks.

The company is also in the process of finalising negotiations with Shyam Telecom for the broadband CDMA system that offers high-speed data transfer at speeds of 28.8 kilo-bytes per second (kbps) for fax and internet access at 64 kbps.

"Frustrating delays in accessing the internet at present have left many consumers disillusioned and our B-CDMA link enables service providers to have a single infrastructure for enabling internet access in addition to multi-media solutions", said vice-president VK Aggarwal.

Integration of the system with a regular voice switch enables dual use to a provider. "But, this system may not be the answer for smaller ISPsas we share a belief that only big operators will prevail in the future," said Aggarwal.

The B-CDMA solution can provide all revenue generating services like 32 kbps for plain old telephone system (POTS), 128 kbps for leased lines, 144 kbps for ISDN and N times 64 kbps for data line services. While eliminating need for frequency planning, the "CDMAlink" provides operators with greater flexibility to trade off capacity, range and services as the network evolves.

"For Indian operators who build networks from scratch, the speed of deployment to match objectives is one of the critical factors that influences choice of technology," said Aggarwal.

This solution is ideal as it expedites the provision of emerging broadband services via PSTN and ISDN switches to residential and SOHO customers through access network.

With the national task force on information technology recommending fast nation wide onset of internet and intranet through high speed (64 kbps or higher), a world class information infrastructureoptical fibre and wireless network needs to be set up.

Efforts are being made by DoT to enhance the penetration of PCs and internet in remote and far flung areas in the country. Operators expect the share of retail segment to increase future, primarily due to higher penetration for telecommunication systems into the small office-home office segment.

Siemens Matsushita buys capacitor unit

Siemens Matsushita Components (SMC), the components division of Siemens Limited, has bought another capacitor unit for $5.6 million, in its efforts to make the country an export base for global sales.

SMC has bought the Nasik-based AC capacitor unit of Asian Electronics Limited (AEL), with an agreement to pay AEL an additional 2 per cent `royalty' on aggregate sales of AC capacitors for the next five years, beginning October 1.