• Coverage: Before deciding on an operator, check the area covered by its services. It is better to go with an operator with multi-site presence. The location of the operator’s base station is important, since coverage depends a lot on the location and height of the tower/mast.
• Operator’s Business Spread and Efficiency: Though the multi-city presence of an operator does not matter at the moment, once intercity and PSTN connectivity is opened up, users can get a wide roaming area. Reliable services with quick access to a channel during emergencies and advanced features like dynamic regrouping should be checked before taking up the service. Also, the service provider should be able to remotely disable the radios in case they are stolen or lost.
• Capacity to Scale-up: An operator should always have means to ramp up its capacity depending on the demand. Scalability factor counts particularly in BPO sector which is expanding at an enormous pace.
• Value-adds and Data Services: Any value-add provided by an operator should always be welcomed. One value add would be to give data services over the existing networks. But this is not possible unless operators switch from analog to digital mode. The automatic vehicle location system with GPS is assumed to be there. But features like wireless security alarms, LCD displays for services like flight information, and updates for customers are value added services. Check out for services like group calls, subgroup calls, broadcast calls, late entry calls, priority calls, unanswered calls, call diversion and data calls.
• Price of Service and Handsets: The intense competition does not leave much scope for variation in price services. Typically, monthly rental varies from Rs 750–900 per user. Prices can be negotiated depending on the type and duration of the contract. Handsets being sold in the open market come without the operator’s subsidy and are hence costlier. Handset costs vary between Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000.
• Security: An operator usually assigns exclusive channels to a client, but even then privacy and confidentiality issues remain. It better for an organization with large requirements to go for captive systems but this requires huge investments in infrastructure. It is better to outsource and ensure that the security part is adequately taken care of.

Three Types of Handsets
Depending on technology and standards being used, there are three types of handsets available. Usually, the service provider provides subsidized handsets, but ambiguity on excluding the sales proceeds of instruments from adjusted gross revenue has been troubling operators.

l Portable Handsets: A compact small-sized handset which can be carried anywhere is being preferred by most of the operators and clients. These handsets come with the battery attached to it and needs to be charged regularly.

l Mobile Handsets: These are mostly used by organizations using vehicles for their businesses—call centers, transporters, radio-taxis, and cash vans. The sets are mounted on the vehicles itself and the power is supplied through the vehicle’s battery.

l Base Handsets: These are not for the use of people on the move. Such handsets are fixed and are placed in the control room of the whole system. The receiver-transmitter is powered by direct supply of current through an adapter.