The government is planning to spend Rs 180 billion over the next three years to lay a 500,000 km optic fibre cable network across the country.

The government is planning to spend Rs 180 billion over the next three years to lay a 500,000 km optic fibre cable network across the country. A committee on broadband connectivity has been formed with officials from six ministries –? telecom, HRD, rural development, economic affairs, panchayati raj and information technologyand the Planning Commission. An infrastructure company will be carved out of BSNL to implement this project, in association with other PSUs such as the Power Grid Corporation of India and RailTel. The Universal Service Obligation Fund will provide financial support. The government is also considering the formation of a group of ministers to monitor and review the implementation of this initiative. However, the role of the private sector and the focus on wireless technology have not been defined by the committee so far.