WiMax to lead Indian broadband growth: Intel
Monday, 19 April 2010, 15:20 IST
Printer Print Email Email
Taipei: With the Government setting target of achieving 100 million broadband subscribers by 2014 as against 8.59 million users by the end of February 2010, the wireless technologies such as WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) will drive the broadband growth in India, according to the chipmaker Intel, reports PTI. "India has over 8.5 million broadband customers as of now and the copper line infrastructure is limited. So going wireless is the only option for India and the growth will come from wireless technologies like WiMax," Intel Managing Director (WiMax programme office--APAC and META business development) Lil Mohan told PTI, adding over the next three-four years, majority of broadband connections would be on the wireless platform. WiMax is designed to provide high-speed access to the Internet with much faster data downloads. Expecting the bidding process for WiMax to be over by May, so that players would commence operations by this year-end, Mohan said, "The next few years are big for WiMax and one would see huge growth in numbers. High-speed data access is expected to bridge the urban-rural digital divide and help address concerns of delivering essential services like education, finance and healthcare." Also, about consumer pricing, Mohan said, "Pricing is going to be important as it has been for the telecom industry. It will provide people access to high-speed broadband, which will further bring in growth for the economy." A study by McKinsey projects that a country's GDP expands by 0.6 percent for every 10 percent increase in broadband penetration. The government has kept the reserve price at 1,750 crore for pan-India spectrum licence. Two blocks of 2.3 MHz spectrum in each circle will be put up for auction. Successful bidders are also expected to immediately launch services, providing the much needed thrust to increase broadband penetration

Digital Supply Chain Transformation – Winning the AI/ML Way