Rural India gets subsidized wireline broadband

Rural India gets subsidized wireline broadband

BSNL to provide 8,61,459 connections through rural and remote exchanges by 2014 backed by USOF

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Backed by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), state-owned telecom company BSNL has started rolling out wireline broadband connectivity to rural and remote areas.

The DoT has signed an agreement with BSNL to provide 8,61,459 connections to individual users and government institutions through rural and remote exchanges over a period of five years, i.e, by 2014, an official press release said.

This USOF scheme has an estimated subsidy flow of Rs.. 1500 crore. The subsidy disbursement is for broadband connections, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), computer/computing devices and setting up of kiosks for public access to broadband services.

The financial assistance is to ensure broadband connections at substantially reduced rates to the end customers both in terms of connectivity cost, customer premises equipment cost and computer/computing devices, the release said.

The connectivity is being planned by leveraging the existing rural exchanges infrastructure and copper wire-line network.

The objective is to make the rural and remote areas broadband enabled by facilitating the service providers in creating Broadband infrastructure.

The rural broadband connectivity will cover institutional users such as Common Service Centres (CSCs), being set up by the Department of Information Technology, Gram Panchayats, higher secondary schools and public health centres, as well as individual users.

This scheme has been undertaken on BOO (build, operate and own) basis. The speed of each of the broadband connections shall be at least 512 kbps always on, with the capability to deliver data, voice and video services in the fixed mode.

The service providers, with valid license from DoT are eligible to apply for the scheme. Such service providers shall have outdoor copper cable network from their existing serving exchange in the rural and remote areas.

USOF has already invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from the service providers in this regard and details are available on the website.

©CyberMedia News

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MANSURI ILIYAS said on 10/7/2009 11:51:26 PM:
Ruler broadbank connection scheme may started early as possible as well as rate should be less than market all grampanchayat are to be connected with each city. progress wiil be done never can be stopped

to MANSURI ILIYAS