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Lower bandwidth costs would help broadband: Trai chief
NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Pradip Baijal today called for further reduction in tariffs to enable broadband penetration into rural areas to make “each village into a BPO or info centre”.
“Rural connectivity should be seen as an opportunity rather than an obligation” Baijal said, hinting that the regulator would come out with further reduction in telecom tariffs, bandwidth costs and access deficit charges (ADC)..
Delivering the inaugural address at a seminar on Broadband Tech 2004, organised by Bharat Exhibitions here today, Baijal compared the Indian and Chinese bandwidth and broadband charges and asserted there was enough space for the sharp reductions here.
The Trai chairman also made it clear that the regulator would recommend removal of restrictions on voice over Internet protocol. The Authority is about to come out with recommendations on this and other subjects like bandwidth costs soon.
Pointing out that with urban teledensity at 21 per cent and rural at just 1.7 per cent, the divide has widened. He suggested country’s biggest telecom company in terms of reach and coverage, the state-controlled Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, look for a business model with far lower connectivity charges in rural areas so that the six lakh km optical fibre it had set up across the country “does not remain (in the) dark (under the ground)”.
“Fibre with BSNL is a gold mine. Leverage it,” he told the gathering, especially Dr. SD Saxena, BSNL’s director (finance), who had made a presentation on the occasion highlighting his organisation’s achievements in the arena of broadband. The Trai chief saw an opportunity in broadband connectivity to villages taking off from this fibre network.
According to him, broadband costs for the consumer had to come down from $ 15 per 100 kilobits per second to $ 3
to enable the rural connectivity revolution that was waiting to happen.
BSNL’s huge network of 600,000 fibre, 60,000 exchanges and for over 40 million subscribers, covering the entire country, was available for “anyone” to provide connectivity for broadband, according to the public sector corporation’s Saxena.
Discussing the different broadband models adopted by Korea, Japan and Europe, Saxena cautioned against trying to implement such models wholesale as experience proved that each country had to develop its own model.
Mahanagar Telecom Nigam LTD (MTNL), Metalink, Midas Communications, BayPackets, Juniper Networks, PWCooper, ministry of IT, 3Com, Bharti Infotel, Loral Skynet are among the many participants at the conference.
The conference also discussed issue related to content for broadband networks with many broadcasters and content makers like Audiocodes Grus Media Works, Shaf Broadcast and Sahara TV participating.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
