99 mn Broadband connections by 2007-end

New Delhi, Aug 23: The Broadband policy of the Government intends to provide nine million broadband connections this year and provide connectivity to all secondary and higher secondary schools, public healthcare centres during 2008.

Answering Mrs Shobhana Bhartiya and Mrs Supriya Sule in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of state for Communications Shakeel Ahmed said public sector BSNL is expected to play a significant role in the effort. The target for the year 2010 was 20 million connections by using technologies like optic fibre technologies, digital subscriber lines on copper loop, satellite media, terrestrial wireless, cable tv network and future technologies.

Currently 2.5 million connections were provided in over 1000 towns.

The minister conceded that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had recommended for reducing FDI for internet service providers to 74 per cent from 100 per cent.

To a question of Mr Khabiruddin Ahmed, the minister said BSNL had added 3,44,072 new subscribers in July and 2,20,097 in June 2007 and the position was looking up since then. The figure was 50,348 for the month of May.

He conceded to Mr K B Shanappa that there was a proposal to set up a Software Technology Park of India Centre in Gulbarga in Karnataka. The proposal had been approved by Governing Council of the STPI and the state government had identified land for the Centre.

UNI