Hyderabad: The Broadband has started to become a basic necessity in our country. That, More and more people in our country have started to depend on the broadband for sharing of information, for communication, and for viewing of media content, including news channels. The UN has recently suggested that a country could increase its GDP by increasing its broadband penetration. The access to the Internet through PC, Laptop, Mobile, Smart TV, has now become an extremely important tool to bridge the gap between the privileged and underprivileged in our country and also it has become an important medium for the citizens, to exercise their rights, avail the basic services and obtain vital information. It has become the responsibility of the Government to ensure that internet access is universally available.
In the last twenty years saw an amazing growth in the mobile penetration, primarily for voice and then later for broadband. Conversely the wireless technologies are not able to compete with the increase in the demand for high speed broadband by the increasing subscriber base. Whereas the maximum speeds delivered over wireless are increasing incrementally. The demand for high speed broadband is growing exponentially. Hence, a reliable, secure, scalable wire-line solution such as optic fiber to every home is one of the most preferred choices for our country to deliver broadband, cable TV and voice to each and every home.
A countrywide implementation of a broadband network is complicated and is riddled with challenges, the most significant of which are a universal Right of Way and the last meter connectivity problems, both of which are mired in a labyrinth of rules and permissions from the Governments. These challenges can only be solved with active intervention and participation of the Government. Therefore, it has once again fallen upon the role of the Government, both Central and the State, to become a vital stakeholder in the implementation of broadband networks.
We applaud you for the BharatNet initiative undertaken by the Central Government. The following the State-led model, under BharatNet, the Telangana State has created Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation Limited to build a broadband network reaching each and every home, government office and institution. To do this, we are riding along Mission Bhagiratha program of our State which connects homes with the tap water connection. That recently held a Telecom Commission meeting has cleared TRAI’s recommendation that mandates every building plan to have a broadband cable duct, and a completion certificate to the building ought to only be given if it has integrated such duct in the building. We strongly support this recommendation and request you to ratify this to make it as the law of the land so that the last meter connectivity issues have been resolved.
We request for your intervention in directing the Ministry of Urban Development to give the similar directive to all the State Governments to implement and make broadband as a utility and to make it as a part of conduct for giving clearance /completion certificate for only those buildings having duct for broadband in place. We expect that the above categorization of the broadband service as a utility and mandating duct laying in the building will pave the way for an unprecedented and the exponential increase in the broadband penetration in our country.
