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Nod for bill on subsidy to mobile operators

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill enabling cellular mobile service providers to get subsidy from the Universal Service Obligation Fund for setting up infrastructure in remote areas.

Replying to a short debate on the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Bill, 2006 in the Rajya Sabha, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said the bill was aimed at offering subsidy to operators creating 8,000 mobile towers in villages, with a population of over 2,000, in 22 States. The subsidy would be offered to operators to set up towers on a shared basis in areas where no operator or public sector Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited had ventured into. Till now, operators were setting up towers on an individual basis in rural areas.

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Nod for bill on subsidy to mobile operators

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