TRAI issues recommendations on National Broadband Plan 2010

By Team Digit | Updated on 26-Dec-2010

26-Dec-2010

After deeming the current broadband penetration in the country to be in adequate, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made some ambitious recommendations to rectify the situation. Prime among these is the establishment of a National Broadband Network, This network will be an open access optical fibre network connecting all habitation with population of 500 and above. This Network will be established in two 2 phases. The first phase covering all cities, urban areas and Gram Panchayats will be completed by the year 2012. Phase II will see the extension of the network to all the habitations having a population more than 500, to be completed by the year 2013.

A National Optical Fibre Agency (NOFA) will be set up to establish this broadband network. NOFA is proposed to be a 100% Central Government owned holding company. All this is going to be set up at a staggering cost of about Rs 60000 crore which will financed by USO fund and the loan given/ guaranteed by Central Government. The National broadband Plan envisages provision of 75 million broadband connections (17 million DSL, 30 million cable and 28 million wireless broadband) by the year 2012 and 160 million broadband connections (22 million DSL, 78 million cable and 60 million wireless broadband) by the year 2014.

Now here comes the most interesting part. The optical fibre network is slated to support the following bandwidths:
> 10 Mbps download speed per household in 63 Metro and large cities (covered under JNURM) for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
> 4 Mbps download speed per household in 352 cities for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
> 2 Mbps download speed per household in towns /villages for every wireline connection by the year 2014.

Sounds like a dream come true doesn’t it?

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