Changing facets of Mobile 

Have you ever thought that a little thing which you carry with you always and is more close to you than your closest friend was evolved more than twenty years ago weighing nearly 2 pounds and costing more than lakh of rupees. Its ring which resembles with your favourite song was mere "tring tring" We are talking about your mobile phone.

In year 1983, Motorola launched the first ever mobile phone in the World named "Dyna TAC 8000X following 15 years of research and $100 million in development costs. It was 13-inch-long brick costing more than $3000. 

Over those two decades the brick has morphed into a 3.5-ounce Beethoven-tootling device that many service providers give away for free. Or, for just a few hundred rupees, consumers can choose phones that double as a colour-screen video camera, a Web browser, a music player, a personal organizer and more.

Little wonder that for some people, the cellphone has become a status symbol, a trendy wearable accessory, even a lifeline.

Researchers say more than 400 million handsets were sold in 2002 and that about 1 billion people around the world -- nearly one in six -- now use cellphones. Europe has usage rates as high as 80 percent. Mobile-phone market in India, with a population of 1.01 billion, is still way off the total in China, with a population of 1.27 billion.

Only one in 100 Indians uses a cell phone. One in seven people uses a mobile phone in China, which has 190 million cell-phone users and recently passed the United States as the largest mobile market in the world. Growth is fastest in India's metro markets, which account for around 4 million or 40 percent of the total. New Delhi just edges out Mumbai as the biggest of India's cell-phone markets. 

It is a questionable argument that why the growth of mobile phones is not at par as that of European or East-Asian countries. According to marketing analysts mobiles were lauched in mid 90's and at that time the cost of handsets were extremly high (Rs 20,000-75,000) and the pulse rate was around Rs 24(today its as low as 40paise). And also they were not offering anything more than a simple talk. Due to all these reasons Indian consumer was reluctant in having mobile connection. In the late 90's these mobile companies sensed the market potential, reduced the pulse rates and also started giving more services like SMS text messaging, roaming, internet etc. Prices of handsets were also decreased due to lowering of excise duty and local manufacturing of sets. 

Decrease in prices of mobile phones, new functions added, lower tarrifs enabled the penetration of mobile market in all segment of people. From Rickshaw-puller to Mercedes owner everyone can afford to buy mobile. Bulky old fashioned sets are now available for just Rs 500 and new mobile sets are available at as low as Rs 3000 to as high as Rs 50,000. 

Shyam Sunder, a milk-man says that he purchased a handset from Karol Bagh for Rs 1,000. Add to it the pre-paid card cost of Rs 200 and he had a device that helped him to liaison with customers, dairy and casual labourers that he employs. His business has increased twofold. In fact, the latest market gag is that migrant workers from UP and Bihar are preferring cellphones to transistors as the most-sought after gadget now.

Second-hand mobiles are available in Palika or in any patri bazar of Chandni chowk, Karol bagh, Preet Vihar. A lot of well-to-do persons also visit such shops to purchase such handsets for their workers and drivers. 

According to a report published on internet around 60 percent of mobiles sold in India are purchased by lower and middle income group. Upper class segment is no longer the potential market. New models are coming out every month and this has led to high rate of handset redundancy. Usually handsets do not have resale value and that is what has given a boost to the purchasing power of the lower-end segment. 

 Going towards cellular operators side, at this time there are 7 operators providing mobile services in Delhi - Airtel, Hutch, Idea, Dolphin in GSM segment giving post-paid and pre-paid services and there are Reliance, TATA and MTNL's Garuda in CDMA or popularly called as WLL.  Rates of all GSM providers are somewhat same – Prepaid Rs 2-2.40 per pulse and card costs Rs 300 to Rs 3000 having corresponding talktime. Post paid pulse is as low as Rs 50p to Rs 2.00 but rent and other rates are fluctuating. In CDMA case, Reliance is offering 40p pulse rate provided you call to reliance network, otherwise it is around Rs 2, TATA and Garuda is also in the same category. But the main play is in the registration. Reliance is offering to register for Rs 501 which includes mobile and connection, while TATA costs RS 999 for the same.   

As more and more operators are diving to penetrate further in middleclass market. That situation will not be very far away when each and every person will have his choice of mobile. It is obvious that this boom had shrinked the world. You can contact anyone anytime, can send text message or can share the photo of your cute baby with your friends and relatives. Whether you are in bus or in market, restaurant, cinemahall you are traceable. Now you can not get excuse if you say you were out of town because mobile cannot be out of town due to roaming. 

But as per wise saying, comfort does not come free, mobile users are also facing same thing. All goodies like roaming, picture message can force you to shell more and also it takes out the freedom to contact. In peak hours (office hours), you cannot connect to desired number due to network congestion. In basements or deep buildings your network seems to be lost for indefinete period. Otherwise also how many times you were annoyed when you got cranky junk SMS or disturbed by movie theater chatterers. And when webworld is opening in mobile too we can well imagine the effect of x-rated sites or pictures on our teenagers mobile sets. 

Healthwise too mobile is not safe. Emmission of electomagnetic radiation is the most feared negative side of mobile use. Patients of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, Hyper/hypoglacimea are always advised not to keep mobil sets in their shirts pocket. 

Legally, use of mobiles are banned while driving as it has caused many fatal accidents. 

It is true that modernisation and westernisation has indeed brought many facilities which we had always imagined but to use it wisely is in our hand otherwise inspite of boon it can become bane for humanity

q Pratiman Uniyal