New Delhi: State-run BSNL will set up 30,000 broadband kiosks in rural and remote areas in the next two years on a franchisee basis.
"The aim is to build a network of around 30,000 broadband kiosks across India within a period of two years. We will set up the kiosks through franchisee in rural areas," a senior BSNL official said here on Monday.
These kiosks would extend broadband connectivity to those
who have no alternative access to the facility, and to those
who have little to spend on such services. The rural people
shall pay a small fees to access the services, the official
said.
BSNL is the largest broadband Internet service provider
in the country with a subscriber base of 3.9 million. The PSU
telecom company also plans to introduce broadband service on
wireless access this year.
The company intends to set up a 3-tier business model to
make the broadband enabled services available to the rural
population.
The BSNL network is divided into four zones (East, North,
West, South) and a partner will be selected for each zone.
Each Kiosk is expected to turn into a self sustaining model
over a period of three years, the official said.
The company is currently in the process of setting up
broadband access equipment in all rural exchanges from where
the wireline connectivity will be extended.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, November 02, 2009, 20:32