While I remain dubious about the management of EGIL, there are surprisingly positive signs. For starters, the product has a very valid market position, it works, and consumers seem to like it (see amazon.co.uk for customer reviews). If EGIL can swing decent distribution (as DataWind have succeeded in doing in the UK), then EGIL has a fighting chance of making it a success.
Cost is still higher in US. EGIL should look at becoming a virtual network provider to improve the cost / benefit (much in the same way that Virgin Mobile doesn't have it's own network in the US, they piggyback on Sprint). In the UK, Datawind units ship with no monthly service charge for the first year and with either an O2 or T-Mobile SIM card (Datawind's choice, not the customers - for whom the choice is transparent, as it should be).
Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year - you guys deserve it.