This round table discussion is titled “Telecommunications at the Crossroads in India”. It is oddly reminiscent of the story of the blues legend Robert Johnson reaching a pact with the devil at the crossroads, which, as the story goes, was the source of his marvellous talents. The crossroads referred to here have a more mundane origin. It suggests that the telecommunications industry in India has reached a point where it has to travel in a different direction. Nevertheless, we can allude to some satanic compulsions. The way forward can be captured in the old adage: the devil is in the details.
The success of the telecommunications industry, so far, has relied primarily on voice, the primal urge to talk to friends and relatives. There was a pent up demand for voice, which the state owned telecommunications operator, BSNL, MTNL, and VSNL was unable to fulfil. With the opening up of the telecommunications sector to private participation, this demand was met through innovative services such as pre-paid plans. The teledensity increased and in the last month the number of subscribers has gone beyond 1 billion.
There are still another 200 million odd customers to reach. How they will get connected is a challenge. In the meanwhile, mobile service providers have seen their revenues from voice stagnating. So they need a new source of revenue. Data seems to be a good alternative. Internet usage is also seen as a source of increased efficiency and innovation. So, the government is interested as well. Finally, we citizens and consumers want to get access to the net to access a whole host of services and to become netizens. How to get there is the big question.
