Survey to identify telecom technologies for rural areas

BANGALORE: The recently set up Telecom Group on Rural Services (TGRS) under the Minister of State for Communications Tapan Sikdar has ordered a detailed survey to identify specific telecom technologies for different rural areas depending upon prevailing conditions. The technologies could range from landlines to wireless in local loop (WLL), C-DOT and satellite-based telephony.

The group, which held its first meeting on Tuesday, discussed strategies to achieve the current year's targeting of installing 45,136 village public telephones and also cover the remaining 2.20 lakh plus villages of the country by March 2002. It was observed that lack of reliable commercial power was one of the major hurdles in the development of a modern telecom infrastructure in rural areas.

The TGRS was set up at the direction of the union minister of communications, Ram Vilas Paswan, to suggest various strategies to achieve government targets with respect to rural telephony. The group comprises senior officials from the Department of Telecom Services and the Department of Telecommunications. It is expected to submit its recommendations within a month.