The Hindu : Front Page : BSNL, MTNL broadband services from Jan.15

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

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Front Page

BSNL, MTNL broadband services from Jan.15

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 17. The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) would launch broadband services from January 15 next year, the Communications and IT Minister, Dayanidhi Maran, said here today. While the MTNL would launch the services in Delhi and Mumbai, the BSNL would introduce the "always on high speed Internet services" in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kolkata the same day, he told members of the Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry.

The Government is targeting around one crore broadband service users by 2007. Mr. Maran was confident that broadband would be another success like the mobile telephone services revolution. The present cost of a 256 kbps service is Rs. 3, 000 a month while the two telecom public sector undertakings have agreed to provide the same service at Rs. 500, which is "significantly low and that will make users more confident to use the broadband services." While very small aperture terminal (VSAT) dishes should also be used as small hubs, the Government is also allowing direct-to-home (DTH) operators to operate broadband Internet and uplink after fulfilling the licensing conditions. He further stated that the Government had relaxed the conditions for outdoor use of frequencies to promote Wi-MAX and Wi-Fi. Mr. Maran said the Broadband Policy was finalised after considering all relevant aspects, including the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on accelerating the growth of broadband and internet penetration. He assured the members that the Government would closely monitor and facilitate the spread of broadband and take corrective measures as and when required.

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