Broadband to reach in every corner of India

The government plans to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in the next three years and expects to reach 40 percent rural tele-density in the next five years.

The initiative is part of its ambitious target to drastically improve infrastructure in the villages under its Bharat Nirman (Build India) programme.

Announcing the government's plans at a joint sitting of the new parliament, President Pratibha Patil Thursday said: "The rural telecommunication target will be set at reaching 40 percent rural tele-density in the next five years."

She added that the government envisaged "expanding broadband coverage to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in three years."

Patil said: "The scheme for common service centres or e-kiosks will be suitably repositioned to be a network of panchayat-level Bharat Nirman Common Service Centres to provide government services to citizens in rural areas."

Going by the new targets, as many as 1.20 crore (12 million) rural houses would be built in the next five years and this is double the target of six million units that was met by the previous government.

The government also expects to complete its rural water supply programme in the next two years and hand it over to the panchayats to manage them.

The president also said new targets would be set up for rural electrification, irrigation projects and road connectivity in the rural areas.

Great Opportunities for Broadband in India and South Asia

India and South Asia's operators are very much in the news this week, with broadband launches announced by some of the most dynamic players in the region: Indian operator Bharti Airtel has launched its 16 Mbps broadband service in India (delivered through a fibre backbone carrier ethernet network with last mile delivery on copper using ADSL2+ technology), Indian mobile operator Reliance Communications has launched its CDMA-based mobile broadband service in Kolkata, and Pakistani wireless service provider Wi-Tribe announced a contract for the deployment of its IP backbone, to fulfill its objective of launching WiMAX services in Pakistan this year.

Broadband access is one of the most talked-about topics in the region, as a great tool to launch new services (including high-revenue content), and to boost access to communications in under-served areas. It is therefore fitting that it will be a major topic of discussion at the forthcoming India & South Asia Com, just a month away from now. The congress is the annual meeting place for the region's operators (GSM, CDMA, fixed-line, wireless), regulators, suppliers and all other stakeholders in the booming telecommunications market.

Over two days, leaders from the sector and expert speakers will discuss market strategies, investment, broadband technologies, rural markets, content and entertainment services, cost-effective network and commercial strategies. Among the key speakers will be Kuldeep Goyal (Chairman of India's incumbent BSNL), Sanjeev Aga (Managing Director of Indian GSM operator Idea Cellular), Sugato Barnge (Chief Marketing Officer of aforementioned Bharti Airtel), Anand Dalal (Addl Vice President of Tata Teleservices Ltd, India), Anoja Obeyesekere (Chief Executive Officer, Dialog Global, Sri Lanka), Sandeep Keshkar (DGM(NSS) Mobile Services, MTNL Mumbai), Sanjeev Chachondia (Director & CEO, BPL Mobile Communications), and representatives of Grameenphone, Vodafone Group, Banglalink, Reliance, Zong (China Mobile Pakistan), Virgin Mobile India and more. In addition, partner association COAI is strongly supporting the event and confirming official addresses by senior representatives of India's Department of Telecommunications, to give updates on the latest policy decisions in the region's largest markets, and one of the world's fastest-growing.

Airtel launches 16 Mbps broadband in India

Bharti Airtel, has pioneered 16 Mbps broadband - the fastest wireline broadband on DSL in the country. This service, powered by Airtel's Carrier Ethernet Network, will be initially available in the cities of Delhi NCR, Chennai and Bangalore with phased roll-out to additional cities of Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Announcing the launch of the service, Mr. K Srinivas, Joint President, Telemedia Services, Bharti Airtel said, "Airtel has constantly strived to innovate and deliver high quality products to its broadband customers. We are the leading private broadband service provider in the country and pioneered 8 Mbps broadband.

Airtel delivers its broadband service to customers through a fibre backbone of Carrier Ethernet Network with last mile delivery on copper using ADSL2+ technology. This technology enables ultra high-speed broadband which is scalable and affordable. Airtel is the leading private broadband service provider in the country offering its services across 95 cities in the country with approximately 9.92 lakh broadband customers as on December 31, 2008.

Customers can gain access to 16 Mbps broadband by choosing from 2 Tariff Plans -

-- Speed Combo 2999 - receive 16 Mbps broadband speed with monthly data transfer limit of 20 GB along with a fixed line connection at Rs. 2999 per month

-- Speed Combo 4999 - receive 16 Mbps broadband speed with monthly data transfer limit of 50 GB along with a fixed line connection at Rs. 4999 per month