Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120454090400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Half of India will use mobiles by 2010: Raja

Special Correspondent

A Raja

HYDERABAD: Half the population of India will have mobile phones by 2010, while just over a third of Indians (30 crore) are already having them, with 80 lakh people buying a mobile connection every month, according to A. Raja, Union Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Inaugurating the UN-sponsored Internet Governance Forum (IGF) here on Wednesday, Mr. Raja said that the government targeted two crore broadband connections by 2010.

The bidding process for WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), a technology used for broadband internet, would be completed by January.

Mr. Raja said that the 3G spectrum would be rolled out through MTNL during this month and through BSNL in January with a view to encouraging public sector undertakings. It would be auctioned wherever available, instead of restricting it only to metro cities. At least three to four slots of 3G would be auctioned and some operators were ready to offer the services, as soon as they won the bids.

On the extension of the concessions to software companies under the STPI (software technology parks of India) sunset clause, he indicated that it might be taken up in the vote-on-account budget.

Nitin Desai, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, said multilingualism on the internet was discussed threadbare. Markus Kummer, executive secretary of IGF, said that emphasis was laid on enhancing access to the physically-challenged during the deliberations.