Broadband
Govt launches National Broadband Mission; to cover all villages by 2022
MUMBAI: The Minister for Communications, Law & Justice and Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the National Broadband Mission (NBM) which will aim to cover all Indian villages by 2022. The aim is to “fulfil all aspirations of the people and enable fast track growth of digital communication infrastructure”.
The vision of the NBM is to fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide, facilitate digital empowerment and inclusion and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all. Some of the objectives of the mission which is structured with a strong emphasis on the three principles of universality, affordability and quality are:
· Broadband access to all villages by 2022
· Facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services for across the country and especially in rural and remote areas
· Laying of incremental 30 lakh route km of Optical Fiber Cable and increase in tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024
· Significantly improve quality of services for mobile and internet
· Develop innovative implementation models for Right of Way (RoW) and to work with States/UTs for having consistent policies pertaining to expansion of digital infrastructure including for RoW approvals required for laying of OFC
· Develop a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) to measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT.
· Creation of a digital fibre map of the Digital Communications network and infrastructure, including Optical Fiber Cables and Towers, across the country
· Investment from stakeholders of USD 100 billion (Rs 7 lakh crore) including Rs 70,000 crore from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)
· Address policy and regulatory changes required to accelerate the expansion and creation of digital infrastructure and services
· Work with all stakeholders including the concerned Ministries / Departments/ Agencies, and Ministry of Finance, for enabling investments for the Mission
Snapshot of growth in Telecom Parameters
|
Year |
2014 |
2019 |
|
Mobile Subscribers (in millions) 30% Growth |
907.42 |
1173.75 |
|
Internet Subscribers(in millions) 165% Growth |
251.59
|
665.31 |
|
Broadband Subscribers(in millions) 530% Growth |
99.2 |
625.42 |
|
Tele-density (%) 20% Growth |
75.23 % |
90.52 % |
|
Rural Tele-density (%) 31% Growth |
44.01 % |
57.59 % |
|
Data Consumption (in GB per subscriber per month) 1120% Growth |
Less than 0.80 GB |
9.77 GB |
Broadband
ACT Fibernet elevates Aditya Singh to chief customer experience officer
Former senior vp to drive service, retention and delivery revamp
BENGALURU: ACT Fibernet has elevated Aditya Singh to chief customer experience officer, effective 1 January, 2026, as the broadband provider seeks to tighten its grip on service quality in an increasingly competitive market.
Singh, who previously served as senior vice-president – customer experience and loyalty at group level, will now join the executive committee and lead the company’s end-to-end customer transformation agenda.
The move gives him oversight of customer service, customer retention and service delivery, alongside a broader mandate to strengthen network resilience and field operations. The company said the reshuffle underlines its intent to deliver a “consistent, seamless and superior” experience to its 2.3m subscribers across more than 30 cities.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, ACT Fibernet, the consumer-facing brand of Atria Convergence Technologies Limited, is one of India’s largest wired internet service providers. It has built its pitch on high-speed connectivity and responsive customer support, at a time when fibre roll-outs and price wars are redrawing the broadband map.
In a statement, Singh said he was “deeply honoured” to take on the expanded brief and join the executive committee as the company sharpens its focus on simplifying customer touchpoints and turning subscribers into brand advocates.
The elevation signals a clear priority: in a crowded fibre market, customer experience is fast becoming the decisive battleground.
