All govt hr sec schools to get broadband by 2012

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) All government higher secondary schools across the country will get boradband connectivity by 2012.

Announcing this here today, Communications and IT Minister A Raja said the scheme will be implemented to spread education through internet under rural broadband project.

Inaugurating a national roundtable conference on telecom sector in education development, he said Universal Service Organisation (USO) funds of Department of Telecom are being extensively deployed to increase broadband connectivity at each block and village level for development of content in local language, development of talent pool and availability of adequate trained manpower.

He said government is also planning to launch bundled schemes of broadband along with customer premises equipments, including personal computers, with subsidy support from USO fund.

He lauded Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for development of mobile compatible content for students, which makes India one of the first countries after South Korea to use mobile phones for education. Mr Raja said concept of quality education on ''anytime anywhere'' basis to any part of the country can easily be extended by IGNOU with the help of broadband facilities.

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