DOT:Rs 2,00,000 Cr direct investment in optical fibre to the last mile

January 16, 2013

Potential of INR 2,00,000 lakh crore direct investment in implementation of optical fibre to the last mile: R. Chandrashekhar, Secretary – Dept. of Telecommunications
New Delhi, January 16, 2013: Speaking at the 7th Indian Digital Summit organized by Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), R. Chandrashekhar, Secretary – Telecommunications, reiterated that broadband is the third wave of telecom revolution in India. Harping on last mile connectivity, he said, “The National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) lay out is on target and we hope to achieve the same by end of the calendar year. However, this depends on the effective implementation by the States.” He further said, “We are running a pilot in 60 of the 20,000 panchayats and by March end the pilots will have full blown connectivity with applications. There is a potential of around INR 2,00,000 crore direct investment in NOFN. We have already committed INR 20,000 crore and there is likely investment of other ministries and private players. Once the broadband connectivity is implemented, India will witness exponential development and in particular rural India with proximity to education and healthcare at the click of a button.” While cyber security remains an area of concern, the Secretary is hopeful of combating the same with involvement of government and private bodies.
Earlier during the day, inaugurating the 7th India Digital Summit, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman – Planning Commission, said, “To a large extent, the internet and mobile industry of India is still untapped. There has to be a concerted effort to make people aware of the size, scale and scalability of the industry.” Commenting on e-entrepreneurship, Dr. Ahluwalia mentioned that internet and mobile is an industry which has a phenomenal spread of access and should “encourage risk taking young talent and inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship” to expand the footprint. He further added, “There should be minimal possible restrictions for the industry to flourish. For the 12th 5 Year Plan, we at Planning Commission welcome detailed suggestion from the industry so that we can incorporate the same in our plan.”