India ranks 125th in the world for fixed broadband penetration with only 1.2 per 100 inhabitants and the global average is 9.4 per 100 inhabitants.
This rating puts India behind Sri Lanka and Bhutan. TRAI (Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India) has issued a statement that all required measures will have to be taken to address the critical situation immediately.
1.The Wire-less and Mobile-broad-band sector seems to be little better. India is ranked in the 113th position. In this sector too, the penetration level is very low. It is as dismal as 3.2%. In terms of household penetration within developing countries, India is ranked 75th with a penetration of 13%.
2.TRAI has made several recommendations in order to increase the connectivity and reacheability to more number of people, especially in the rural-sectors.
- License-fee exemption is recommended for income earned from installed fixed-lines.
- The complex structure of decision making bodies in the Telecom-sector is to be made simpler.
- Wire-less-Planning-Commission to be given independent-decision taking authority on matters of expansion and administration.
- Right now the commission is working under Department-of-tele-Communications.
- The national-Optic-Fiber-Network is planning to cover more than 2.5-lakh Village-panchayats by 2016-end. This sort of advancement and developments can be achieved and sustained only when the body can function independently, says TRAI (Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India)
- The authority has also expressed its concerns regarding the delays in solving the 2-G and 3-G spectrum cases.
