Impact of Availability of 4G Networks on Online Web Conferencing Industry of India

In May 2012, Bharti Airtel became the first telecom company of India to roll out 4G network in India and was soon followed by Reliance Telecommunications. The advent of 4G LTE networks in India holds the potential to completely transform the world of conferencing in the nation, which is considered to have immense potential for growth of this sector. Mobility is one of the key factors that professionals look for while opting for a web conferencing solution in the country and the arrival of 4G connectivity in India has just made it easier. The main purpose of a 4G connection is to make data transfer faster by increasing the Internet speed on a mobile device. This will quell the demand for a communication medium that allows professionals who work on the move to liaise seamlessly with their peers and business associates. Devices that support 3G networks had come to India in 2011 itself and the following year saw the official launch of 4G enabled devices, such as HTC One X, Apple iPhone 4S and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III. However, the final roll out of 4G means that people residing and working in metropolitans like Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi will be able to enjoy faster web conferencing than ever before. However, the question of the implications of 4G in Indian online conferencing sector still remains. It is a well known fact that a smooth online meeting experience attracts users while the opposite keeps them at bay. Now that true high speed data transfer is possible, professionals who access web based online meetings using a handheld gadget, such as iPad, iPhone, Android Smartphones and tablet computers, Windows Phone 7 Smartphones and Blackberries. Such professionals can join an ongoing event or set up a new one at a single touch, though the overall experience of the meeting will completely rely on the network speeds. With 4G connections, users can transfer files worth several megabytes in a few seconds or access the desktop of the group members without any lag, which is one of the main reasons behind a bad web conferencing experience. Moreover, it is not just file sharing that takes a huge leap with high speed Internet on mobile devices. Hosting PowerPoint presentations, conducting keynote speeches, speaker introductions and demonstrations all require huge amount of bandwidth. Therefore a online conference powered by a reliable 4G network can become the chief difference between the increase and decrease in the rate of web conferencing in the corporate sector.