Communication Technologies for Good Governance

The foundation of a strong, prosperous nation is built on the quality of governance that it provides to its citizens. Information and Communications Technology is an important tool through which Good Governance can be structured. The power of Information Technology can be harnessed to deliver a wide range of services to citizens at their doorstep. The vision of Digital India is to employ its strengths in the I.T. field through its youth to lead India towards an era of Good Governance. Today, while celebrating Good Governance Day, the Minister of Communications & IT Shri Ravi Shanker Prasad renewed the commitment of the Department of Telecommunications to deliver good governance through the vision of Digital India. He launched new products and technologies by different agencies of Department of Telecommunications such as Gyansetu – an internet based real time Information and Communications Technology (ICT) system designed by C-DoT primarily to provide e-services to the under-privileged rural population of India, C-DOT‘s Next Generation Solution “MAX-NG”- a cost effective and smooth migration path to Internet Protocol Multimedia Systems (IMS), and new plans of MTNL for its customers. MAX NG will enable smooth transition from Plain Old Telephone System to Voice over Internet protocol, enabling consumers to enjoy voice, data and video services on existing landlines at affordable cost. The focus of the Department of Telecommunications is to create the communication infrastructure for enabling e-services like e-banking, e-commerce, e-education, e-governance, e-entertainment, e-health etc. across the country which is expected to give a new fillip to the inclusive growth of Indian economy. Presently, the telecom sector’s growth is on the upswing. This growth has to be carried forward with renewed vigour in a sustainable way. Government is committed to improve tele-density, voice and broadband penetration and ensure quality of services to both rural and urban areas to achieve the vision of Digital India. To bridge the rural coverage gap both for voice and broadband penetration, Government has planned to make significant investment for establishing the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) and Government User Network (GUN) to overlay NOFN. The project will connect 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats with 100 mbps speed, provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats, primary schools and health centres and provide community Wi-Fi services at Gram Panchayat level. NOFN will support e-governance services, telemedicine, tele-education, financial services, e-commerce and e-entertainment. Tenders for trenching and pipe laying have been finalized in more than 25% Blocks and Gram Panchayats. About 4,300 Gram Panchayats have been connected and the pace of implementation has been accelerated in recent months. Government has planned to cover about 55,669 villages as yet uncovered by mobile connectivity all over India in a phased manner by March 2019. The major focus of the new Government is to reach remote areas such as North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, Border States and Islands and more importantly the Left Wing Extremism affected Areas in the country. A comprehensive plan to provide mobile connectivity in the North Eastern Region has been approved by the Government on 10th September, 2014 at a cost of Rs.5336.18 crore. Government has also decided to install and operate 2199 mobile towers to connect key locations in the States affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) with voice connectivity, at a project cost of Rs.3567.58 crore by September 2015. Provision of secure, reliable, robust, and affordable telecom facilities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) and Lakshadweep is of utmost importance for the people living in these islands and from a strategic point of view to the whole country. Telecom Commission has given ‘in principle’ approval on 07.11.2014 for Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands with the total estimated investment of Rs. 221.05 crore. Government is committed to expeditiously facilitate provision of Wi-Fi hotspots in all the cities with a population of more than 1 million, important tourist and pilgrimage places in the country. While Government is making efforts to bridge the urban rural divide for broadband penetration, it is conscious of the low penetration and poor quality of services of broadband in the urban areas as well and is also taking a comprehensive review of regulatory aspects to take care of these concerns. Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) play an important role in the growth of telecom sector since their outreach is to the remotest areas across the length and breadth of the country. Conscious of the strategic national importance of BSNL, Government is committed to the revival of BSNL and is drawing a plan for its revival that would aim to restore its position as a national telecommunications solutions provider in the years ahead. Similarly, the financial position of MTNL has suffered in recent years impinging on its capacity to invest and consequent impact on quality of service delivered. Government is committed to improving the financial position of MTNL and is taking several steps for its revival. Government has decided to extend mobile number portability across States. Service providers has been given time till Apr-May 2015 to implement Full Mobile Number Portability, which will benefit the consumers of telecom services by allowing them freedom to change their operator without changing their mobile numbers throughout the length and breadth of the country. To create a level playing field for the domestic manufacturers, who suffer severe disability due to poor infrastructure and inverted duty structure and to give fillip to domestic telecom electronic manufacturing, the Government has imposed a basic Customs Duty of 10% on these products which are not covered under Information Technology Agreement-1 (ITA-1) of World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the Union Budget 2014-15. Government is considering several policy initiatives in the telecommunications sector with the aim of creating a stable, growth-oriented policy structure. The Government is confident that these initiatives will lead to transformation of India as a modern technology driven nation through Good Governance initiatives.