Mumbai, August 28: As a part of its e-governance drive, the Central Government plans to provide broadband connectivity to around 50 per cent of panchayats across the country within two years, a Central Government Minister said.
“Half of the panchayats in the country will get broadband connection in two years,” Minister of State for Information Technology and Communication, Gurudas Kamat, told reporters here today.
The Government’s aim is to focus on rural India and ensure that the rural population gets benefited from the information technology revolution, Kamat said.
The state-run telecom operators, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), are planning to provide third-generation (3G) mobile services to all cities in the country, he said.
“The first phase of the roll-out will be completed by 2010-11. MTNL has already started services in Mumbai and New Delhi,” he said.
3G services will enable high-end services like video telephony, high-speed mobile broadband, mobile TV and a number of other value-added services.
“The telecom industry will expand further with the auction of 3G spectrum in the coming days,” Kamat said
People understand the value of mobility and information, business and its timeliness, he said.
—Agencies