The rapid strides made by the telecom sector in India continue to amaze us. It gives me great joy to see a young boy in Kashmir strike a spontaneous conversation with someone in Kerala. To see fishermen bargain for the best price on their catch while they are still on water, or a farmer in Punjab accessing commodity rates in various mandis at the push of a button, is equally inspiring. India has very quickly transformed from an era of snail mail, scarcity in phones and occasional long distance phone calls to an era of having the sixth-largest telecom network in the world. At the core of all this and many more similar milestones is the wireless revolution.

A world without borders and boundaries-a world restricted only by your imagination-this is the world of wireless technology.

In Vienna, you can pay for parking with the mobile phone. In China, mobile phones translate English SMS messages into Chinese. The BBC uses text messaging to teach English to Chinese cell phone users. In Australia, you can get up-to-the-minute real-estate listings through SMS. In Japan, you can activate the global positioning system on your mobile; punch in the phone number for a café, bookshop, etc., and you instantly get a detailed guide map appearing on the cell phone. Users of BlackBerry in India and worldwide already access a range of applications on their mobiles, including instant e-mail mobile, phone, corporate data, internet, SMS and a bouquet of personal information management (PIM) features. Studies have demonstrated an average productivity gain of 54 minutes per day for BlackBerry users. The world is watching TV on the mobile, navigating city streets, downloading music, transmitting home movies, scanning bar-coded information, getting e-coupons for discounts on food and entertainment, and paying bills. Restaurants advertise immediate discounts when they have a slow night, offering price cuts of as much as 15 per cent to fill seats with cell phone bargain hunters. If this is not enough, 3G and WCDMA will have more.

Very soon, we should be able to print from our mobile phones, access the full Heavenly Jukebox and, perhaps, even the wireless distribution of music products. Even the iPod may get absorbed into the mobile device.

The value of the mobile phone is not so much in its computing power as in its virtues of flexibility, design and value. It is something of an enabling, democratising element.

The mobile phone has zoomed ahead of televisions, stereos and personal computers (PCs). There are over 1.5 billion mobile phone users in the world today, more than three times the number of PCs. No longer are people interested in finding out: 'What next on the mobile?' The question today is: 'How soon will today's laptop become tomorrow's cellphone?'

Future developments in this area will revolve not around technology, but will be determined by how we leverage it. The idea is to develop all-pervasive devices. Eventually, all consumers will want to communicate while on the move, while most will want to conduct their lives and businesses anytime, anywhere, quite seamlessly.

The value of the mobile phone is not so much in its computing power as in its virtues of flexibility, design and value. It is something of an enabling, democratising element

The impact of the wireless revolution is being felt not just in economic activity and economic growth, but also in rapidly-changing consumer attitudes and behaviour. A recent study indicates that eight out of 10 people under the age of 25 are more likely to send text messages than make a voice call. Wireless telephone subscribers in the United States now spend, on an average, more minutes talking on their mobile phones than they do on their fixed-line phones. In certain cases, 70 per cent of teens use the internet for instant messaging, real-time message exchange or chat. The number jumps to 83 per cent for older teens.

Many young people today view their cell phones as extensions of themselves. On subways and trains throughout some of the most developed cities in the world, it is a common sight to see cell phone users, oblivious to the world around them, furiously typing SMSs and e-mails. It is believed that the Japanese have grown so skilled at writing e-mails on cell phones that many now find it simpler than using computer keyboards.

A world with very few wires is not difficult to envision. Wi-Fi hot spots will increasingly populate airports, coffee shops, corporate campuses, public transportation, even homes. It is estimated that there are about 50,000 Wi-Fi locations worldwide, of which India has about 250. These numbers, as per IDA, are likely to shoot up to 5,00,000 by 2010, opening up new opportunities for India to turn the corner.

With enhanced wireless capabilities and increased convergence between telecom and it, I can also envision technology being taken to rural areas for far more effective deliveries. Facilities like e-health and e-education, video and teleconferencing, e-commerce, telemedicine, distance learning, new job opportunities, skill development, etc., will all be realities. Initiatives like the Gyandoot Project can be spread all over the country to help farmers reap the rewards of knowledge.

Today, about 60 million mails are sent on the internet everyday. Applications such as distance education and telemedicine are being implemented. Classrooms across the country are connected through the electronic-photonic system. Vidya Vahini connects 5,000 high schools in seven districts. It provides real time audio and video interactivity-lectures can be conducted in 5,000 schools simultaneously. Similarly, the linking of hundreds of hospitals is taking the benefit of specialist doctors from cities to small towns. All these developments are transforming the nature and process of business, commerce, governance and education in India.

An efficient and rapid flow of information is a catalyst for economic and social development. Vision 2020 conceives of India evolving into an information society and knowledge economy. Telecommunications and it will be the springboard.

I have always believed that as we spread our wings to expand our capabilities and explore new horizons, the fundamental focus will remain unchanged-seek out the best technology in the world and put it at the service of our ultimate user: the customer. If we can work together in partnership with one another, we will achieve our dream and vision of building a globally powerful India.