Shillong, Jan 20: Telecom connectivity constitutes an integral part India and BSNL which is the primary service provider in the state aims to upgrade the rural infrastructure.
To improve the rural telephonic infrastructure, BSNL have provided over 5132 village public telephones and also to provide broadband facilities to many of these villages wimax technology has been provided to reach remote part of this Meghalaya state.
Telecommunications, as a means of sharing information, is not simply a connection between people, but a link in the chain of the development process itself.
In order to provide Information and communications technology in education bring about a positive changes in the rural schools. In this regard the Government aims at providing VPN (Virtual Private Network) services in the schools of Meghalaya. Around 220 schools have been targeted of which the project was implemented in around 160 schools.
BSNL General Manager John Chrisostom said “ICT facilities to many of the schools in rural area as a prove of concept the Government of India has asked us to provide VPN on broadband for about 220 schools spread across the state of Meghalaya and we have already provided for 160 schools under this project .”
Apart from this, BSNL aims to provide atleast 10 MBPS broadband facilities to the villages of Meghalaya so that it can be used in various developmental initiatives at the village level. To reach inaccessible rural areas in the state, about over 500 digital satellite phone terminus also placed so that it can help to develop the rural sector.
Chrisostom said, “Each village of gram panchayat Meghalaya will get 10 mbps broad band facilities for that National optical fiber network is in place and work is in progress. Within one year this will be implemented in the villages of Meghalaya so that they can use this for the various developmental activities.”
The strengthening of rural communication services is an important ingredient for the welfare and development of rural India. As telephone gets cheaper and widely accessible across the country, the real life of rural people of the country has undergone a tremendous transformation, providing the needed impetus for development. Telecommunications has become especially important because of the enormous growth of IT and its potential effect on the economy. (SP News)
