Broadband should be broadened

The mid-term review (MTA) of the Tenth Plan has outlined the need for "greater ambition from the government towards making broadband connectivity easily accessible, affordable and useful to the masses".

The envisaged roll-out plan for broadband connectivity should include guidelines for mandatory interconnection for all broadband services on any platform with a national backbone, encourage mass usage through appropriate pricing, attractive rentals and a viable business model, the review said.

It called for making the rural telecom grid effective by using technological platforms like Wi-Fi and Wi-Max to make broadband available to all villages.

Also, "the traditional model of fixed line voice telephony must be augmented by wireless technology" as the present policy of fixed-line voice telephony-based rural connectivity had proved to be unviable, the MTA said.

In the future, plans for broadband services in rural areas should have a judicious mix of the various technologies depending upon stability and financial sustainability, the Plan panel suggested.

Amongst policy issues and policy interventions, the MTA envisages permitting full triple play (voice telephony, data interchange and entertainment) to all rural broadband services and providing appropriate spectrum by delicensing the required band for Ghz and Wi-Max technologies.

According to the review, a separate set of rural service providers was needed as the basic service providers did not have the requisite orientation and skill sets to create a successful business model and run a viable franchisee operation in rural areas.

On the universal service obligation Fund (USO), it said the mechanism for passing on the funds to the USO administrator was ad hoc in nature.

"The USO administration has received only Rs 1,700 crore from the finance ministry against the accrual of about Rs 6,695 crore into the Consolidated Fund of India on account of USO levy."

"If the broadband-for-all vision has to be achieved, it will be necessary to ensure steady flow of USO funds, through the Plan process for setting up a suitable backbone infrastructure for last- mile wireless connectivity in rural areas," the review said.