Broadband rates may fall this week

Leased line rates in the country may be cut later this week, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Chairman Pradip Baijal said during a panel discussion on "Enabling a regulatory framework for the digital age" at FICCI-FRAMES today.

Baijal also emphasised the need for lower broadband rates. According to him, while developed countries like South Korea had broadband rates as low as $1 (Rs 43.79) a month, India currently pays $4 per subscriber on a monthly basis for a 100 kbps broadband connection.

He said Trai was in consultations with the government to lower the rates to $1 a month. He highlighted the role of private players in the development of telecom infrastructure and said they had been responsible for the increase in tele density to 2.11 per cent in 2004 alone.