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Govt monopoly goes! Internet opened to private service providers

The government on Tuesday relinquished its monopoly over the Internet and threw it open to private service providers.

An official spokesman said anyone wishing to subscribe to Internet services would now be able to do so within two weeks through service providers in addition to government-run Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited.

To facilitate rapid introduction of the Internet, licence fees would be waived for a period of two years for private service providers, the spokesman said. Tariffs for both, Internet and other data service providers, would be reviewed and considered on a promotional basis, he added.

The decision of the government is expected to enable smooth implementation of plans to provide a national information infrastructure backbone to meet the growing demand for voice and data services.

According to the spokesman, the decision to open up the Internet to private service providers would greatly benefit the software industry and also give a boost to other industries which are dependent on fast and more efficient communication.

UNI