BANGALORE: For too long, mobile companies have ignored the Indian rural hinterland. Since 1995, when mobile telephony came into the country, all the mobile operators have been going hammer and tongs on the big metros.

After tapping the urban India with their operations, service providers are now looking at expanding connectivity in rural areas as a prime focus. The next big wave in the telecommunications industry is reaching the rural mass. The reason? Well, commerce again.

The big metros are saturated and there is more or less stagnant growth in terms of absolute volumes. Little wonder, service providers as well as infrastructure provider started taking bold initiatives to tap rural market.

A head start
Bharti Airtel has announced that it will collaborate with the Gujarat government in the prestigious eGRAM Connectivity Infrastructure Project. Under this project, Bharti Airtel will set up telecom infrastructure to connect 13,716 village panchayats and common service centers in the state.

Once connected, the panchayat offices/eGRAMs are expected to form a socio-economic network supporting information dissemination and facilitating e-Governance initiatives in the state.

Commenting on this significant partnership, Manoj Kohli, president & CEO, Bharti Airtel says, "It is a great opportunity to partner with the Gujarat government in the innovative and novel project of empowering its citizens. This partnership reiterates Airtel's endeavor to collaborate with the government's e-Governance plans and efforts to bridge the "digital divide" by providing connectivity to the rural masses. The e-enabling of the state is an important step as the country moves into the next phase of economic growth."