BSNL to connect the unconnected in rural areas

NEW DELHI,INDIA: Moving a step forward in its effort to connect the unconnected in rural and remote areas, state owned telecom operator BSNL would procure 93 million lines to extend coverage of GSM mobile services to all the villages in the country having more than 1000 population.

Through this expansion, BSNL will also introduce value-added services like mobile TV, mobile broadband, MMS, location based services etc, announced Union Communications and IT Minister A Raja while addressing the members of the consultative committee of Parliament attached to his Ministry in New Delhi today.

The procurement of the lines will be done in a phased manner through zonal competitive tendering process.

The Minister said BSNL is also planning to launch value-added services like mobile banking, mobile advertisement, tele-education and lost mobile tracking system during the current year. It would provide wireless broadband services through Wi-Max technology via the franchisee route.

Raja informed that BSNL’s mobile network is being upgraded to 3G levels and it has also planned to provide high-speed data service (up to 2.4 Mbps) on CDMA WLL network.

The PSU telecom provider would commercially launch prepaid services on WLL from this month. On the wire line segment, BSNL is upgrading its technology to create a pole less network.