Nokia Siemens Networks to provide broadband to 7000 villages in India

Nokia Siemens Networks announced that it has won a contract from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s largest telecoms service provider, to deploy broadband access across 7000 Indian villages. The new access network’s high bandwidth will allow BSNL to deliver high data and triple play intensive services such as Video on Demand, Video Multi cast, IPTV, Video Conferencing and VPN among others to its customers. The network will also enable BSNL to provide connectivity to CSCs (Community Service Centres) and other e-governance locations.

As part of the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will also supply end-user devices that will enable BSNL to provide speeds of up to 24Mbps for ADSL2+ subscribers over its existing copper infrastructure. The first phase of new lines deployment will be completed by Q1 of 2008.

“As the largest broadband service provider, BSNL is suitably poised to usher in the next phase of the telecom revolution in India by delivering high speed broadband services to the consumer doorstep. The BSNL rural broadband project will bridge digital divide and connect 20,000 villages in India,” said Kuldeep Goyal, Chairman & Managing Director, BSNL.

This is the second rural broadband access tender BSNL has awarded to Nokia Siemens Networks. The company is also in parallel deploying the urban broadband access for BSNL across 15 circles. First phase of that roll-out is in advance stages of completion for 800,000 ports.

BSNL, a government-owned corporation, is the largest telecom provider in India with a network of over 60 mln subscribers in 5000 towns with over 35 mln telephone connections.