DoT to finalise report for PMO on slow broadband by next week

The Department of Telecom is slated to finalise by next week a report on the issues pertaining to the slow broadband speed in the country.
DoT had made a presentation on the telecom sector to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said, adding that it was decided in the meeting to prepare a report on the reasons for slow speed of broadband.
"Presentation was made by Department of Telecom to Prime Minister... In matter related to slow broadband speeds, it was decided that DoT will submit a report in 4 weeks (July 21) on why broadband speeds are so slow in the country," an official source said.

The report may be submitted to the Prime Minister's Office once it is finalised, sources said.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recently notified that minimum speed of broadband should be 512 kbps.
For wireless high speed internet services, 3G operators promise mobile Internet speed in the range of 7.1 megabit per second (mbps) to 21 mbps. At 7.1 mbps speed, a mobile user should be able to download a full-length movie in around 12-14 minutes.

But invariably, it takes around 40 minutes to download a file size equivalent to that of a movie on the best network.
The minimum speed reported by operators to Trai lies in the range of 399 kbps to 2.48 mbps.

The regulator has noticed that minimum speed delivered by operators doesn't even qualify to be called broadband.
The wireless data services include mobile internet and broadband services like 2G, 3G and those offered using dongles.
With improvement in technology, quality of graphics and video has also increased which needs high broadband speed for easy access.
Besides broadband, during the presentation it was decided that DoT with Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) will work to make all universities wifi, leverage rural telephony and broadband highway program to increase domestic production of telecom equipments.
At the meeting with the Prime Minister, it was suggested that DoT work on a common design with railways and road network for quick roll out of optical fibre cable which are important for expanding broadband services in country.