Business

Data Communications
Arunabha Mukhopadhayay

Aims
to provide knowledge of effective use of data
communication tools to facilitate in operational
excellence and strategic decision making for an
organization.
In todays context telecommunication technologies
(such as video-conferencing and VOIP) are the lifeline
for any business operating across multiple locations.
we also identify the various stakeholders of the teleco
eco-system and try to understand the complex
relationship they have amongst each other.

Ecosystem

undersea cable providers (SEA-WE-MEA consortium),

incumbent operators (BSNL,MTNL)
competitive operators(Airtel, Reliance, NTTDocomo),
device providers (Nokia),
chip manufacturers (Qualcomm, Intel),
software providers (Google),
content providers, content aggregators,
content delivery networks (Akamai),
internet service providers,
OTT providers (Whatsapp, Skype),
p2p providers (BitTorrent, Kazza)
regulators (TRAI, FCC).

Biz models
disruptive innovations (OTT, Android ) aims to shake
the telecom industry.
delves into the seven OSI network layers and tries to
map each layer to a successful biz models used by an
organization.
traces the evolution of biz models for wireless
telephony such as 1G, 2G (GSM, CMDA), 3G, 4G (Wimax,
LTE) and 5G.
also looks into
Indian telecom regulation (NTP 94, NTP 99, NTP 2014, National
Broad band Policy),
pricing models (TELRIC, LRIC),
interconnect charges spectrum auctions and managed services
(Airtel- IBM).

Social Applications
socially relevant applications of BDC:
tele-medicine
poverty eradication for rural regions.

issues like relevance of net neutrality.

IT security issues :
IT Sec regulation (HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
post disaster business continuity (BC)
disaster recovery (DR) strategies.

Objective

 What is the telecom value chain like?

Who owns the customers along the telecom value chain?
Which are the potential markets that a Telco should
venture in to?
Should Telcos outsource their networks and IT
infrastructure to the likes of IBM and Nokia- Ericson?
Should Telcos diversify to supplement their Average
revenue per user (ARPU)?

1. Using analytical models

interconnect charges.

to

price

services,

2. How are 3G networks auctioned?

3. How does Linkedin and Akamai use two-sided
market strategies to price their customers?
4. How does Telemedicine piggyback on wireless
and wired networks to reach out to remote
locations?

1. How does chip majors sustain their revenues in the

Telecom market?
2. How does disruptive innovations tend to shake the
telco market?
3. What are the implications of the local loop unbundling
(LLU) to incumbents and local exchange carriers?
4. How should an organization respond post a security
breach?
5. How should network capacity be planned?

Evaluation
:
Project
Qz/Assg/Case-studies:
:
Class Participation
Midterm:
End-term:

20%
40%

25%
10%
5%
40%
60%

Project deliverables
Stage 1: A brief outline of the project
Stage 2: Final Project document
Stage 3: Presentation

Project topics
Theme 1 : Web 2.0/Web 3.0 and its business
implications
Theme 2: How to use DCN techniques to improve
business ?
Enterprise mobility
Network capacity planning for an organization
Security techno/policy for an organization
Privacy and trust issues in business communication
Piracy
Critical evaluation of business models for online
organizations
Telemedicine
Financial networks
etc etc

Project topics
Theme 3 : Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) for development
Theme 4: e-governance and ICT
Theme 5: Developing intelligent networks
Theme 6 : Spectrum pricing in India
Theme 7: National broadband policy
Theme 8: Telecom regulations in India

Project topics

Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme
Theme

9 : Spectrum pricing in India

10: National broadband policy of India
11: Telecom regulations in India
12: Over the top (OTT) players in India
13: MVNOs in India
14: Disruptive Innovations (Skype, Whats up)
15: Who owns the customers?
16: Femto cells
17: NGN Convergence
18 : Internet of things
19: Net Neutrality

Methodology

Review existing literature

Use secondary data or
Use primary data (if possible)
State your recommendations for
improvement