DoT to provide subsidy for Broadband in 60,000 villages

To call for tenders for rural wireless broadband

PTI | March 16, 2011



The government will soon invite bids from telecom firms to provide broadband services in rural areas of the country under which the service providers get subsidy from the Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund.

"Department will come out with tender for rural wireless broadband through USO Fund by the end of this month and is likely to cover 60,000 without giving the timeframe to achieve the target," sources in the Department of Telecom (DoT) said.

USO Funds was set-up in 2002 in order to provide mobile services and broadband connectivity in rural and remote areas of the country. As on December 31, 2010, the fund has a total of Rs 13,789.28 crore.

The resources for implementation of USO are raised through a Universal Service Levy (USL) which at present has been fixed at 5 per cent of the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of all Telecom Service Providers except the pure value added service providers like Internet, Voice Mall, E-Mail service providers etc.

Under the 'Rural Wireline Broadband' scheme of USOF, a total of 2,61,413 broadband connections and 2,506 kiosks have been provided till January 31, 2011 in the rural and remote areas of the country against a target of 8,88,832 connections and 28,762 kiosks by 2014.

Last week, President Pratibha Patil had launched DoT-USOF's pilot project Sanchar Shakti, which aims to provide useful information to women, about health, social issues and government schemes over their mobile phones.

The scheme, which is funded by DoT's USOF, is for mobile value-added services and information and communication technologies (ICT) related livelihood skills for Women's Self Help Groups.

In the Budget for 2011-12, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee finalised a plan to provide Rural Broadband Connectivity to all 2,50,000 Panchayats in the country in three years.

As per the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), rural broadband connectivity will cost around Rs 18,000 crore.

Comments

 

Other News

How the mind can help the body heal itself

Why do some people recover from illness against all odds? Can our beliefs, emotions and consciousness influence the body’s ability to heal? Drawing on over three decades of experience in medicine, research and medical innovation, internationally trained ophthalmologist and author Dr Dinesh Verma ex

1,364 anti-cancer formulations to cost less from today

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has capped trade margins on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of 137 anti-cancer drugs. This was based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee constitute

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter