One of the major reasons why Internet penetration in India is low is because of the dismal PC penetration.
Hyderabad based IChip has an interesting solution to combat this – @box.
@box allows access to broadband internet without having a typical PC around. The product allows the user to access the net through any display device, a TV for instance, or a projector etc.
Tech Specifications
The @box comes bundled with Firefox and includes full flash, HD video, 2D/3D graphics and a suite of applications. In other words what is available on the Net, which is perhaps everything, can be enjoyed or studied sitting on your sofa or a school bench, on a TV or projector at a marginal cost. – more
@Box costs Rs. 6,990/ (standard package includes keyboard, track ball, power adaptor and a cable to connect to the television) and the company has partnered with BSNL Broadband to supply @Box to its rural subscribers at a subisdised cost of Rs 2,500 per set (via).
What’s your opinion on @box technology? It does has the potential to change the India’s Internet penetration story.
i think a new PC will do the job better for 7000 Rs.
And don’t forget the radiation from the old TV’s.
6990 or 7000 is too high.
2500 is a decent deal and goes well with BJP’s tech agenda (200/month for 2MBPS connection).
They should bundle with operators (BSNL or Airtel…) like 3000/- with 1-year internet connection free.
OR
should give the @box free and charge 300/month for internet and collect 1200/- year-on-year….this needs funds for 2-years of production.
I think this is awesome!
I looked at similar devices (not gonna name them here as it is @Box’s moment) based on compact versions of Linux. But they were coming out at 10,000/- plus shipping from abroad and no international warranty.
Here are some recommendations for @Box/iChip:
1. Make the product available on the web for purchase(browse-buy-ship)
2. There is no description of the product (chip, board, storage, memory) etc. Can I load my software? Can I use VLC player? What formats can it play? etc. etc.
3. Make WiFi as the default option as it is becoming common place.
My interest in devices like these is connecting a VLC player over WiFI to make a compact Video-On-Demand client for my TV. Right now, I have an old laptop sitting next to my TV which streams movie/audio from another machine.
Good effort esp the price tag. Is there a keyboard to interact with the internet or do they just provide a point-n-click device?
The biggest challenge, when targeting rural India, is going to be localized content and applications. If there were custom content channels that they can tune into (farming, weather, education, etc) it would be a draw. Would they be using it for Google Search? I doubt it.