XPS, Singapore Online tie up for satellite gateway

Radhika Bhuyan

KOLKATA: Kolkata-based XPS Online, an ISP within the region, is tying up with
Singapore Telecom to set up an international satellite gateway in Kolkata. With
clearance from DoT to set up the connectivity, the ISP will soon provide
12Mbps bandwidth to all its users. Recent changes in the Indian IT policy allow
companies to operate through their own international gateways. Such gateways
speed up subscriber traffic through the ISP's high-performance Internet links.
These gateways connect via a switch to high-speed terrestrial networks and
bridge those connections onto a satellite link.

"The entire project is likely to see an initial investment of Rs 3 crore. The ISP’s basic infrastructure has been developed by IBM, and the
entire funding has been through internal accruals," said Santosh Sarraf,
CEO, Express Communication Ltd.

With a current subscriber base of 2000, the company is expecting an increase
in the number after setting up the gateway. Sarraf said that the ISP has a 90 per cent retention capacity of users and is sparing no efforts to maintain that level.
The ISP will soon be launching its portal, which is expected to aid its
efforts in maintainig a constant user base. It would also be providing total
corporate solutions, including Web hosting, mailing and server operations.

XPS Online is negotiating with 3COM to provide unified messaging services to
its users. With this facility, users and subscribers can access mail from any
communication devices like telephones, mobiles and faxes. As unified messaging
services require a very high bandwidth to become operational, the
company is awaiting federal clearance before finalizing the deal. 3COM would provide technical backbone for the project.

XPS Online will also be setting up cyber cafes all around the city under the brand name X-Zone. XPS plans to extend its operations to Rourkela,
Siliguri, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur among other cities.