Broadband for 2.5 l villages by 2012: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that 2.5 lakh village panchayats would be connected with broadband by the end of 2012. He said that the country should double its tele-density in next three years.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that 2.5 lakh village panchayats would be connected with broadband by the end of 2012. He said that the country should double its tele-density in next three years.

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He was addressing a telecom conference organised by FICCI. India has a rural tele-density of 20 per cent, while towns and cities have over 100 per cent tele-density.

“We expect that access to broadband in rural areas will have multiple, long-term positive effects,” said Manmohan Singh.

“It will make a real difference to the lives of farmers, by enabling them to discover prices for their produce in nearby mandis and markets.”

He said that slow growth in the telecom manufacturing sector is an area of concern.