Indian States Sign Up To WorldTel's Infrastructure Plan
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Indian States Sign Up To WorldTel's Infrastructure plan
By Uday Lal Pai
InternetNews India Correspondent
[July 22, 1999--MUMBAI] Major Indian states are partnering with WorldTel, the United Kingdom-based telecom giant, to set up Internet infrastructure facilities.
Once the proposal takes off, cyber community centers will mushroom in thousands just like public call offices in the country.
WorldTel has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four southern states to provide Internet services. In fact, WorldTel has been invited by major southern state Tamil Nadu to take a 74 percent stake in its joint venture project with Electronic Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot). The project envisages setting up state-wide internet community centers.
According to the chief minister of the state, M Karunanidhi : "This is a major step towards mass application of information technology and is an initiative to take Tamil Nadu into the 21st century." The centers would provide affordable access to information and communication facilities. "We will be networking hundreds of villages and towns in Tamil Nadu with each other and the rest of the world" Karunanidhi said.
WorldTel also plans to take part in the development of a broadband digital highway in Andhra Pradesh, the Cyber-state of India.
North-West Indian states like Gujarat also joined hand with WorldTel for setting up Internet infrastructure facilities. Couple of months back, WorldTel entered into a $100 million joint venture with the Gujarat state government for setting up comprehensive information communication network.
The state of Maharashtra, the commercial nerve central of India, may join hands with WorldTel soon. "The $100-million project, which would provide Internet backbone for local language and content, was proposed at a meeting with the state chief minister and other top officials" said Sam Pitroda, the CEO and Chairman of WorldTel.
Meanwhile, WorldTel is all set to usher in Internet boom in eastern regions too. It hopes to put in place a comprehensive network of Internet community centers (ICOs) across West Bengal. Initially, WorldTel proposes a minimums 500 such access centers throughout the state, initial investments are being envisaged in the region of $60-70 million.
WorldTel plans to float an independent company in the state for triggering the much-anticipated Internet boom in the region. It is likely to hold a majority stake in the proposed company, sources said.
Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have also evinced interest in WorldTel's concept of community centers. The investment in each state would be $50-100 millions spread over a three-year period.
Community centers will essentially be a public access center given on franchise. Each center will have two to 20 personal computers and will offer business services like fax, PCO, photocopying, email and e-commerce.
Explaining the concept of community Internet centers, Sam Pitroda said that the "American on-line model" wherein individuals owned PCs and had dedicated lines was not suited for developing countries. However, with Internet fast becoming "a basic service", it was important to create a model that factored in local considerations.
"The concept of Internet community center is quite simple. People would have access to the centers where community services would be offered at prices lower than the plush cyber cafes" pointed out Pitroda.
His dream mission is to clip together the rural grass-roots with fiber optic cables and facilitate the establishment of Internet community centers to help people access information at their doorsteps. In short, he wants to make wired villages a reality in India.
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