Nic Becomes India'S Second Direct Access Provider

The National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Union home ministry, has become a direct access provider (DAP) by linking eight exporters to international telecom circuits. NIC, thereby, becomes the country's second gateway access provider.

Until now, international access has been a monopoly of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), the country's international telecom carrier.

Sources said NIC has been mandated to provide international connectivity only to the exporter community through its gateway at Delhi.

Jaipur-based traders and software exporters are among those using NIC's international circuits.

Last month, the Union cabinet cleared a recommendation of the information technology task force to allow the government and authorised organisations to set up their own gateways for international connectivity for data and Internet services.

While doing so, the government took the decision to withdraw VSNL's monopoly over international gateway access for Internet services a step further.

Organisations like the department of electronics (DoE), under which software technology parks operate, the department of telecommunications (DoT), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, Power Grid Corporation and Indian Railways are likely to set up gateways.

Gateways comprise earth-stations and switching equipment connections to international telecom carriers.

Earlier in March, the government gave NIC permission to provide international connectivity to exporters and planned to mandate DoE as a provider for Internet gateway access.

The proposal is likely to be revived now by using earth stations in the country's seven STPs . The STPs have been formed as autonomous societies under DoE.

The seven STPs are located at Pune, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Noida (near Delhi), Gandhinagar and Thiruvanathapuram.

In effect, potential ISPs now have two DAPs _ and the possibility of more -- from which to buy international circuits.

According to the government, pivate ISPs will also be "allowed to provide such gateways after obtaining security clearances, for which the interface for private ISPs shall only be with DoT ".

In the long run, the presence of more DAPs is expected to improve the quality of the international link and reduce prices.