India Has To Liberalise Bandwidth, Says Expert

Intel's director, regional architecture programme, Asia Pacific, Dave Perks feels that India has no option but to liberalise bandwidth if it is to leapfrog into the world economy.

"Bandwidth has to increase significantly in the not too far future. India cannot afford to miss the opportunities ahead of it. India has lot of intelligent people, IT professionals and intellectual property and it has to go forward in the world economy," he said while making a presentation to media here on what Intel terms as the emerging "Internet Economy".

Dave is surprised that India had just 100 MB bandwidth for the whole country while one corporate entity, Intel, alone had 200 MB bandwidth. "It has to increase significantly", he says.

 

Intel Asia's national manager, business programs, G B Kumar already sees positive signs in that direction." Lease line charges have been brought down by 80 per cent. Cyberlaws are ready and are awaiting enactment by Parliament. The next step has necessarily to be towards liberalisation of bandwidths," he adds.

The Intel duo are here to hold some sort of a road show to impress on bureaucrats, senior corporate executives and others on how Internet is requiring virtually every government and business to reconsider the way it operates. Similar exercise has been conducted in Delhi and Mumbai. Dave does not agree that with the advent of alternative Internet access devices, " the PC is dead".

Kumar adds that Intel is already talking with cellphone, palm and other mobile device promoters on the role it can play in these areas. Dave says Intel is investing in products, application service providers, services and alliances in the Internet economy.