Emtel has released their new product, which they call the Emtel MIFI – Mobile Wifi.

You purchase the Huawei E5 modem which is a Wireless Access Point (AP) and pocket router that accepts a SIM card such as a fixed IP SIM, and you get to share mobile Internet with up to 5 WIFI-compatible devices at the same time.

Here’s a quick post about its features, and what I think about the device and the service which will enable access to popular sites like 겜블시티. Here’s the full advert that also appeared in newspapers:

Is it me, or do the 1st 3 people have really long arms?

The specs for the modem are:

• The modem is pocket-sized so you get to share WIFI access on the go. Teams who need Internet on the go will benefit from this. It’s easy to deploy a small wireless network with Internet access with this device.
• The speed: You get up to 7.2 Mbps downloads and 5.7 Mbps upload. It’s good speed, but remember you’ll be using a wireless network. Speed may vary greatly according to various factors: regions, weather, etc…
• 2 Power modes: Via USB or via Battery. The battery mode is good for say, devices that don’t have a USB port to charge from. Range will be affected, with a theoretical maximum 0f approximately 100 metres with USB and 20 metres with battery.
• A “password protected” WIFI network, which Emtel says is secure, but I’d not bet on that for highly secure transactions.
• It includes a MicroSD slot supporting up to 32GB cards. Storing files on the card allows devices connected to the AP to access the files.
• You can configure the AP via a web browser, just like a regular home router.
• You can also use this device to send SMS from a connected computer if you wish.

That was about the device. Let’s see about the packages:

There are 2 packages and prices don’t include VAT:

1. 1. Emtel Prepaid Web offers:
      • 500MB is Rs. 360
      • 1GB is Rs. 480.

      You have to use your quota in 30 days from the day you activate the package.

      The AP will cost Rs. 4999 VAT inc.

      Excess usage is priced at Rs. 0.003 / KB.

   2. Emtel Postpaid Web offers:
      • 1GB is Rs. 399
      • 2GB is Rs. 749
      • 5GB is Rs. 1499
      • 10GB is Rs. 2499

Monthly tariffs are as follows:

Excess usage is priced at Rs. 0.0022 / KB.

The AP will cost Rs. 4499 VAT inc.

Considering the prices, the Emtel MIFI service is definitely not made for people wishing to download things on the go, unless you’re willing to pay for the higher-end packages of 5GB and 10GB. For example, an excess of 1GB will cost you almost Rs. 3000 for the prepaid package. Businesses will likely be able to afford the cost and even then, they may not need to pay for expensive packages if their officers will only be checking their mails or accessing company websites.

If only there usages were higher, like say, 50GB for a fair price of around Rs. 1500 / month, and the AP priced at Rs. 2000 or so (or leased for a monthly fee), the Emtel MIFI would have been a really serious rival for the MyT packages due to its faster speed and portability. Too bad it’s not like that.

Overall the Emtel MIFI product is good for people, mainly business-people and business-teams needing Internet access on the go to check mails, news and such. It is not a good substitute for a full-time home connection considering the low usage limit and high excess prices, unless your daily usage is very business-like: No Youtube, no music, no gaming, just browsing a few sites, emails etc..

There are a some security concerns for system administrators with respect to this service. They will need to be weary about users sneaking that device in their offices to access disallowed sites (Facebook?) and possibly allowing people from the Internet behind their firewalls. Oh the headache…

Finally, if you want a review of the Huawei E5 modem, check this site.

That’s it for this (short) post on the Emtel MIFI. What do you think of the product? Let’s hear it in the comments section.