NTP 2018 to ensure Internet access for 1.3 billion Indians

The new Telecom Policy (NTP 2018) expected before March 2018, will focus on providing affordable internet access to 1.3 billion Indians and facilitate domestic manufacturing to curb dependence on imports, Manoj Sinha, Minister of Telecom, Government Of India said.

The new telecom policy will address sector issues and make them future-proof with the onset of disruptive technologies such as fifth-generation (5G) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The policy will also focus on 5G technology ecosystem, data security and privacy. Secondly, Internet to all will be the basic principle and to give a boost to telecom manufacturing would be a key factor of the new telecom policy, Sinha said.
 

The new policy will be forward-looking and current challenges of new technologies such as Internet of Things(IoT) and Artificial Intelligence will be taken care of. He further added on the quality of services has improved substantially with reduced call drops.

To improve the country’s digital profile, Sinha said the telecom department has allowed the communication arm of the Indian Railways to provide data connectivity across 200 rural railway stations initially via Wi-Fi using the Universal Service Obligation funds, which are derived from a 5% levy on adjusted gross revenue of telecom companies. The minister rejected a proposal to allot frequencies in the 700 MHz band, which is ideal for 4G services, to state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., saying, “As per policy, we can’t give spectrum to BSNL administratively.

“Telecom service providers have upgraded their network and there is a substantial improvement in call drops and service quality,” Sinha said, adding that the government expects operators to continue to upgrade their infrastructure to ensure better quality. A recent telecom department survey showed an 8% improvement in consumer satisfaction over call drops and an additional 8% improvement target has been set for telcos to be achieved by December.

Sinha said the Telecom Commission would soon take a decision on improving the sector’s health taking into consideration the recommendations of the inter-ministerial group (IMG).

With the News Telecom Policy (NTP 2018), it will be generating 10-15 million jobs in India through adoption of IoT in the next few years and expressed government’s activeness on the issue of 5G.

Tags: NTP 2018, new telecom policy 2018, manoj sinha telecom minister, government of india, new telecom policy, 5g, ai, Artificial Intelligence, 5G technology, varindia