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Government unlikely to meet broadband target for 2007

Indiantelevision.com Team

(23 August 2007 8:00 pm)

NEW DELHI: With just about 2.5 million broadband connections provided in more than 1,000 towns in the country by the end of June this year, it seems that the Government is unlikely to meet the target of giving nine million connections within 2007 which has been declared as the 'Year of the Broadband'.

However, Communication and Information Technology ministry officials say that several steps have been taken to speed up the process of providing broadband connections, and are confident that the target for this year and also the target of 20 million connections by 2010 would be met.

The attempt is to provide the connections through various technologies like optical fibre, digital subscriber lines on copper loop, satellite media, terrestrial wireless, cable television network and future technologies.

An inter-ministerial group is working out the requirements of various user departments/ministries for planning the roll out of broadband infrastructure in rural areas with support from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The group comprises the Health, Home, Human Resource Development, Panchayati Raj and Information Technology ministries.

The USOF is also implementing a scheme for supporting shared infrastructure for mobile services in rural and remote areas not covered by wireless signal.