IN:Rural Telecommunications Development Project

The objective of the proposed project is to accelerate the development of the rural telecommunications connectivity, where improved performance is a priority for the Government. The project will focus primarily on accelerating rural connectivity in India through assistance in regulatory policy reforms, spectrum management reforms, targeted subsidies for rural expansion and improved standardization and certification. The expected benefits of the project include:â?¢ Wider availability of and access to telephony and broadband services in ruraland peri-urban India. This will facilitate better communications and increase access to information for rural populations in India and extend opportunities for rural India to share in economic growth;â?¢ as a result of improved policies and regulatory framework, greater private participation and increased investments in the sector, resulting in the availability of high quality telecommunications infrastructure and services;â?¢ improvements in the management of the radio spectrum, a valuable national resource, leading to increased and efficient use of new wireless technologies for communications; andâ?¢ Increase in efficiency and speed of standardization of telecommunications equipment, leading to faster deployment of networks and introduction of new technologies for communications.