Masala Today

India would become the third largest country in terms of Internet users across the globe, according to a forecast by Forrester. The report takes into account an average growth of 10-20% in online users in India. The report also forecasts the total number of Internet users worldwide would touch 2.2 billion by2013. Currently the estimates for total online population in India ranges anywhere between 50 million to 80 million users. China currently has 300 million+ online users, it recently overtook US in terms of online user strength. Is it really possible? Indian telecom growth was just recently seen breaking records even after a stupendous growth seen in recent years and a decade of wireless services availability. The growth would largely be for the online sector in India as Telecos to garner more revenues would focus more on providing other telemedia services than just telephony. The availability of superior telecom infrastructure would thus form the backbone of broadband growth in In

If you need any proof of the government’s commitment to the cause of inclusive growth, this is it. The communications ministry has nvited bids to set up some 28,000 wireline broadband exchanges and 6,000 satellite sites in an effort to boost internet penetration in the country, especially rural India. The project will be funded from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), to which all telecom operators contribute 5% of their annual revenues. USOF helps unviable rural telephony projects. The unutilised amount in the USOF is currently estimated to be over INR 20,000 crore. The last Union Budget had allocated INR 2,400 crore from the USOF to subsidise unviable mobile, Internet and landline operations in rural India. Both private and state-owned telcos will be eligible to bid for these 34,000 exchanges, and successful bidders will have to share the infrastructure with other operators for a fee. The subsidy from the USOF will be granted in a phased manner and will be determined by the