Childhood Pond at My Window

I don’t feel like writing, my age old fingers feel like it got rusty and stream of thoughts is taking unprecedented amount of time to start over. Hope to be back on track at least on Eid day!

I’m still fortunate being in the same place where I grew up. I can look through the same window when it is drizzling or down pouring heavily. The skyline has changed a lot, but the pond through my window looks the same. Watching the rain drops dripping through the window rails and curtains was my favourite pastime. The crows in the rain, felt like they had been loving it! I might have lived a great deal of time in Lake Albert, but the truth is, as I’m typing these, I can picture myself fishing at this pond.

When was that?

Perhaps 1974-5? I just uploaded photos taken this morning – raining all day, my brother, residing in Vancouver (the most livable city on earth) will miss it.

Did I tell you, one of our balconies has the greatest view of that big pond where I learnt my first swimming lesson? I still long for those days fishing without running away from home. All my childhood friends home are other side of this pond. Most of them are long gone, half away across the globe, we call it – life.

Don’t you think I’m the fortunate one? Even if it takes almost two hours to reach my office, everyday.

What has triggered it then?

Woke up this morning when my father took me to the Eid prayer, I didn’t want to miss it, to the same mosque, through the same route – my childhood memories were brimming like this pond water. Just met couple of my childhood friends father in the mosque, I felt the lament part deep inside.

I can keep on talking about my childhood and teenage years memories all day, but I guess, this will probably need another post.

Many returns .. Happy Eid.

P.S. Photos taken this morning are uploaded here.

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Analog Dividend: Bangladesh Case

Broadcast and Broadband

Think of what spectrum can do to us?

I wouldn’t talk about developed countries where optical fibers are everywhere and people don’t talk about download speed less than megabytes if it. According to broadband policy of Bangladesh as we proposed, it still is 128 kpbs. We might argue all night but look at our internet penetration rate but the real question – how do we go from here?

While physical infrastructure is scarce for wired connectivity, let alone to every household; spectrum is believed to be godsend for countries like us. Mobile broadband is the blessing in disguise where we can leapfrog the technology we haven’t done so far, the physical infrastructures to be connect to.

Assume the rate of GPRS/EDGE take up in Bangladesh, which is phenomenal. You might get awfully low download speed; blame it on the operator who doesn’t subscribe required international bandwidth – not the technology. Assigning dedicated carriers to data services might do the trick, but how do you get more spectrum?

WiMAX and HSPA (3G) might even promise better broadband experience unless the operators upgrade their thin backhauls, which are still optimized/prioritized for voice. I do travel a lot to the countryside, sampling is my other bad habit.

Okay, it boils down to one single thing, you need huge spectrum to cover this 162 millions of people. Spectrum, making the most of a scarce resource, what can you do about it? I hear you ask.

There might be hundreds of ways I know of, let’s talk about freeing up unprecedented amount of spectrum from analogue terrestrial TV broadcasting band. What happens when only 10% of the frequencies allocated to TV broadcasting are being utilized and yes, could that be re-allocated to mobile communications, the mobile broadband industry could dramatically speed up the rollout of broadband connectivity?

Have you thought of the social impact when everyone gets almost a free ride on the Internet when USOF (Universal Services Obligation Fund) is in force?

Yes, operators or government fund for your internet if you either can’t afford or living in the under-served area when government works on promised Universal Access (UA).

Regulation is beauty knowing how much promise it holds!

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Online Education Leads to USO Fund …

Learning never stops!

It is getting even easier when Internet price is falling after a recent slash to 33%. Yes, you wouldn’t believe how the online classrooms are replacing the traditional one. It is a great experience that allows students much more flexibility than traditional learning on campus. It’s a different perception while you are on it. I must thank MIT’s OpenCourseWare to a great deal to catch up things when I started my Master’s in Communication Engineering when I’m turning 40!

But, then – when I wanted to have a kind of homeschooling on the forgotten algebra, let alone on laplace or fourier transform, I couldn’t make time with my job and maintaining a family. Then, thinkwell DVD lessons were real life saver! Haven’t seen that?

Let’s go back where it all started. This month, I’m attending this 3rd online course on Universal Service Policies and Practices. Who wants to spend on flying when you get a quality education ditching that carbon footprint calculator?

I had been hearing about this Universal service policies couple of years from now, but then it seems that we have missed whole lot of things empowering people who actually remained unconnected. The choice of the tagline by ITU “Communication has always been a human need. We believe it is also a human right” underlines the fact that ITU is committed to the principle that telecommunication is not a luxury, but a right.

The exact scope of Universal Service Obligation (USO) might vary from country to country but the essence is to provide basic connectivity to every household/everyone, rich or poor – similar to the government’s obligation on keeping rice price within affordable limit. USO is the obligation placed on designated universal service provider(s), the government with an aim to ensure that basic communication services are accessible to all people in a country. Who pays for that fund? Good question! Let’s say, in India, 5 percent charge on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) from all telecom operators goes to that fund, which is about Rs 15,000 crore!

It might sound wild, but then – how about providing handsets for free with one year’s top up to all VGF (Vulnerable Group Feeding) card holders? A recent survey reveals an increase of 10 mobile phones per 100 people boosts GDP growth by 0.6%.

I can’t wait to bring that up in greater details – next month! It can change Bangladesh, connecting the unconnected, it is!

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Part II

Hollywood never fails to make a sequel
For each and every movie that does well
Why can’t love be more like that
Where the best ones get a second chance

Year 2001, got in to ebay, haven’t thought of bidding much, but then ended up buying couple of CDs including this. I must have thought, this newly issued VISA card might not work. Curiosity killed the cat! I shopped my hearts out, 300$ on the same night including a lame domain name! What else can you do in those evenings in Augusta when you are not into clubbing?

And, yes, I might have bought that CD for “I Wish You’d Stay” only – which actually is a great song. Brad Paisley wrote this awesome song that captures the idea of getting back the loved one when (s)he was lost. Do you believe in second life? This soul-captivating song meant like having a second chance.

Yes, sometimes we all need a second chance.

I’d see you in part two
And we’d pick up where we left off
When I lost you
And we’d fall in love again
And change the way the story ends …

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