Indian telecoms policy boosts convergence

A draft new telecoms policy in India aims to converge mobile telephony, multimedia and broadcast services to customers in the region, Zee News reports.

The convergence would cover services, networks and devices.

India telecoms minister, Kapil Sibal says: “We want to reposition the mobile phone from a mere communication device to an instrument of empowerment that combines communication with proof of identity, fully secure financial and other transaction capabilities, multilingual services, and a whole range of other capabilities that ride on them and transcend the literacy barrier.”

ZDnet states the 2011 national telecoms policy hopes to increase broadband penetration and strengthen the nation's mobile connectivity.

Emphasis on indigenous telecoms equipment is a key area for the government, according to the policy. The government hopes that 80% of India's telecoms equipment is manufactured in India.

The Hindu Business Line says the policy will also grant operators a single unified licence, giving them the freedom to offer any type of service across India.

Licensing, in turn, will be de-linked from spectrum allocation, which is to be done entirely on market-based pricing principles, as opposed to the controversial first-come, first-served basis.