ISPAI to help people in small towns to set up telecom networks

Amid huge push for spreading broadband services by the government in the country, Internet industry body ISPAI today said that it along with other associations will run workshops in small towns and cities to train people on setting up telecom and data networks business.
"Government is laying out national optical fibre network across all 2.5 lakh panchayats. ISPAI with other industry bodies will start INOG programme to train people in smalls towns and cities on setting up telecom network. They can use NOFN to start their business," Internet Service Provider Association Of India (ISPAI) President Rajesh Chharia told reporters here.

He said Indian Networks Operator Group (INOG) is based on concept of non-profit organisation South Asian Networks Operator Group (SANOG) whose nine days workshop to educate people about technologies and methods required for setting up telecom and data networks is starting from August 1.
"Government has to have 600 million broadband connections by 2020 which should provide minimum download speed of 2 mbps. To achieve this target we need to create multiple networks and huge number of entrepreneurs. INOG will be a step in this direction," Chharia said.
INOG will be customised to train people at district and panchayat level, Chharia said.

On financial help to people in smalls towns for setting up telecom networks, NGN Forum Secretary General SN Gupta said that government under National Telecom Policy 2012 had envisaged setting up of Telecom Finance Corporation with initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore to encourage entrepreneurship in the country.

"This is the right time to for government to operationalise TFC to encourage entrepreneurship in rural area and INOG can help in this venture," Gupta said.
CMAI Association of India's President N K Goyal said that his association along with Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council endorses INOG and the association will approach the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises for addressing financial issues of rural entrepreneurs.

ISPAI and the government managed National Internet Exchange of India are hosting SANOG.
"We have received about 200 registrations for SANOG and expect overall event to have around 500 participants," Chharia said.
Along with SANOG, international discussions on policies around Internet through Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APRIGF) and Youth Internet Governance Forum.
India is hosting APRIGF event for the first time.