BSNL, India’s largest telecom company, has committed its efforts to accelerate broadband internet in India to help bridge the digital divide. To this end, Intel and BSNL have announced a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will jointly propagate broadband internet across the country along with wireless solutions such as WiMAX to enable inclusive economic growth in India. At appropriate times Cisco and BSNL will jointly promote the business and technology advantages of WiMAX to corporations and enterprises.

Intel and BSNL will work together to evolve a set of basic standards for building WiMax rollout and applications in India and develop a pilot WiMax solution specifically for rural markets. Intel will provide help set up a proof of concept lab for Wimax and other wireless broadband technologies and include BSNL in any certification/verification programs. Intel and BSNL will also jointly undertake co-marketing programs to promote BSNL’s connectivity and content services.

Industry Effort to drive broadband and Internet connectivity

As India makes significant economic strides, the Internet is fast emerging as a defining step in education, communication, business and entertainment. However while Indians comprise almost a fifth of the world’s population only a miniscule section are connected to the Internet.  The ‘Connected Indians’ movement is an ambitious multi-year effort to change that. Intel is working with a number of industry partners to make this dream a reality. A website www.connectedindians.com has also been launched where people can log on and support the movement.

Various industry bodies such as The Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and the WiMax Forum have endorsed this movement.

 NIIT will lend support to this movement through its reach to proliferate the benefits of Internet education to citizens through a special course on Internet education and PC fundamentals which will be made accessible at NIIT centres throughout the country. NIIT will also open up its centres across India to allow people to walk in and go through an introductory module on eLearning and the Power of the Internet. The first 10,000 citizens can avail of this eLearning module for free. NIIT’s faculty is committed to this initiative to impart Internet education and facilitate an introductory Internet experience.

Tata Communications and Tata Teleservices will collaborate with Intel in a strategic co-marketing program to make broadband and Internet solutions pervasive. They will, through their range of connectivity solutions also work with Intel to create awareness amongst citizens on the benefits of the Internet and what it can enable. This joint initiative will cover approximately 100 cities and towns across the length and breadth of the nation over the next few months. This program will cover the entire spectrum of connectivity solutions and range of devices based on Intel processors including the new Intel Atom Processor based Netbooks and Nettops.

Google, Reliance Communications, Croma and Tata Indicom have also pledged their support to this cause.

Going forward the ‘Connected Indians’ movement will continue to build momentum with more and more partners joining the cause to accelerate broadband adoption, a series of public outreach activities and more affordable devices for the consumer.