Broadband in India: Finally, TRAI urges Govt to boost broadband growth

New Delhi, Sept. 17 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday urged the Government to take urgent policy measures to boost broadband growth in the country including asking BSNL and MTNL to adopt a franchisee model whereby local players can use their copper lines to offer high speed Internet services.

In a draft recommendation for broadband growth, TRAI has expressed concern that the Government has not taken a decision on a number of suggestions the regulator had made earlier including allocating Wi-Max spectrum for wireless broadband services and making National Internet Exchange of India more effective.

“Only 0.47 million broadband subscribers have been added in first six months of 2007, which is far below the growth trend required to achieve broadband policy targets. This necessitated an analysis of regulatory & policy frameworks and to formulate new approach necessary for rapid rollout of broadband in the country,” the TRAI said.

At the end of March 2007, there are 40.57 million Internet users and just 2.34 million broadband subscribers. “Therefore the growth of Internet subscribers is satisfactory but we are seriously lagging behind on broadband front. The targets fixed for the Broadband Policy are unlikely to be achieved. There are critical issues inhibiting broadband expansion in urban as well as rural areas. They need to be addressed urgently to facilitate expansion of broadband services,” TRAI said.

TRAI has suggested that Government should increase the target fixed for BSNL and MTNL for provision of broadband connections in 2007-08. “The Government should ensure availability of more number of Ku band transponders to roll out broadband services through DTH platform and utilise Universal Service Obligation (USO) fund to provide subsidy for providing broadband services through satellite in remote and hilly areas,” TRAI said.

Hope All ISPs Offer New better plans :whistle:

Originally Posted by gregory house

TRAI and govt. Go on a vacation for a while. Use H.G. Wells' time machine if you want. Things will be so better when that happens.

TRAI got the competition heated up and thats lead to us having the cheapest telephone services any where in the world.
They have been pushing for greater powers and better deals for the customers in the past.
Sadly things are a little different now

D Maran,the ex GOVT minister was the guy who gave us 2MBPS to all MTNL/BSNL BB users.That became a prime reason why private players came up with better plans.3 years ago almost everyone on this forum was on dial up.
Sadly again things are a little different now

I agree things can be better..............In the past few years we have got used to so much more that YEH DIL MANGE MORE & MORE!!

But without TRAI and a sensible Govt things can only get worse

Originally Posted by vishalrao

Unfortunately, TRAI's narrowminded efforts are for increasing susbcriber numbers, not the quality/affordability of broadband.

Once the numbers increase,obviously there will be a bigger market and more people will start to put up shop seeing the potential.
Once more operators come in,competition causes prices to fall and quality to increase.
Its us who will benifit...................TRAI can only be a catalyst and create the necessary conditions that will lead to a change for the better.
TRAI is not MTNL or BSNL and it cant offer the services itself

Originally Posted by Praks

New Delhi, Sept. 17 The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday urged the Government to take urgent policy measures to boost broadband growth in the country including asking BSNL and MTNL to adopt a franchisee model whereby local players can use their copper lines to offer high speed Internet services.

Once the Last mile connectivity is shared...............even MTNL will provide instandt Triband connections(forget about the 6 month waiting period that noobies recently faced)
Coz if they dont,local players will plug the demand and MTNL will get unplugged.
The problem is Private players cant afford to lay copper,only a Govt behemoth can afford that kind of infrastructure
Private guys want to push wireless,but they dont ahve any spectrum coz defense services continue to hog it