There are two different developments on the cash rich USO Fund A/C. BL reports that USO Administrator has launched a scheme to reach rural India by means of Wireline Broadband. USO has signed a deal with BSNL for providing 0.86 mn broadband lines in rural areas. Further, the administrator is keen on funding anybody with the license and optical fiber backbone. The notice said,
Providers with valid licence from DoT for basic services or unified access services are eligible to apply for the scheme. Such service providers shall have outdoor copper cable network from their existing serving exchange in the rural and remote areas with back-haul and backbone connectivity on optic fibre cable.
In another development, the Indian Cellular Association – ICA has come out with a proposal to finance and server below poverty line familes in the rural area with wireless service. ICA is lobbying for $1 bn of USO funds with which they will provide free handsets, VAS applications and ofcourse free usage for the first 2 years 🙂 Not a bad idea at all as and once the folks get used to the convenience, they have to start paying 🙂 Any other thoughts to link the rural diversity ?