Govt targets 500 mn telephone connections by 2010
With the target of 250 million phones looking achievable ahead of this year's December deadline, the government is planning to have 500 million connections by 2010, besides nine million broadband lines by 2007-end.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: With the target of 250 million phones looking achievable ahead of this year's December deadline, the government is planning to have 500 million connections by 2010, besides nine million broadband lines by 2007-end.
"Broadband is a priority area for us. We have set a target of nine million broadband connections this year, out of which BSNL and MTNL will do 7 million while the remaining will be done by the private operators", Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran told news agencies in an interaction on Wednesday.
He said although telecom penetration is happening in urban areas, the picture in rural areas is bad and out of the targeted 500 million phones by 2010, he wants one-fifth of it or 100 million phones to be in rural areas.
Maran said by the end of this year, rural telecom connections could touch 50 million and the remaining 50 million over the next two years.
To make this possible, 8,000 towers would come up under the infrastructure sharing programme and by 2009-10, he said another 10,000 towers would be in these areas to support the rural telecom connections.
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As of now there are 2.7 million broadband connections in the country, he said, adding that from next month government will start massive roll out campaign for this target.The Minister said demand for BSNL and MTNL’s broadband services were overwhelming and to the extent that the two PSU companies were unable to meet it.
At present, BSNL is present in 800 cities, where it offers broadband services.
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