New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday reassured the telecom industry of the Government's full commitment for the growth of the sector which has been facing the heat following the 2G spectrum allocation scandal and has also been seeking early resolution of a dispute over 3G roaming.
The Prime Minister assured the telecom companies that he would look into their concerns and formulate forward-looking policies to sustain the sector's growth.
"I am aware of some concerns of the telecom industry regarding government policy in the telecom sector. I wish to reassure the industry of the government's full commitment to sustainable growth, creativity and enterprise in this vitally important sector of our economy," he said.
His statement comes in the backdrop of a recent meeting of the CEOs of top telecom firms, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Communications, seeking his intervention to sort out differences between them and the Telecom Ministry over issues ranging from one-time spectrum charges to 3G roaming and a uniform licence fee.
"Our telecom tariffs are amongst the lowest in the world. Broadband connectivity is a powerful tool for growth and knowledge. The aim of the Government is to provide high speed broadband connectivity through optic fiber connectivity to all panchayats in the country by year 2014," said Singh while emphasising that the National Telecom Policy 2011 will list special emphasis on effective and affordable technology to the rural sector.
He added that there is a need to promote domestic telecom equipment manufacturing facilities in the wake of strategic and security needs of the country.
The India Telecom Summit is organised jointly by the Telecom Ministry and industry chamber Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
(With additional information from PTI)
Comments
0 comment