"There is lot of importance attached to rural telephony. One view which is given below is slightly outclassed and out of box, which is not generally appreciated by one and all. Fundamental issue is that Government of India,Department of Telecom says it wants to promote rural telephony and sets targets for rural penetration. My take is that what is that Government of India gives other than a statement. Some issues:

• When it comes to giving license, the investor has to apply for all the State, even though he may be interested to provide service in one or two rural areas. Leave aside for some time the question of investment, profitability, viability, interconnection etc., the fact is it is not possible to get license for a smaller area.
• When it comes to right of way, then rural telephony is as good as urban. No difference. Same set of rules, same set of fees by each interested body. No special provision for rural telephony.
• When it comes to spectrum, then auction and that too for the entire State. If Government is interested for rural telephony, then why think of fetching best price in auction?
• When it comes to quality of service, again at par with urban areas. No difference.
• When it comes to providing integrated solution combining with rural development, electricity, roads, health care etc., there is no coordination between these bodies in spite of several years being passed. There are several schemes of Government of India to provide financial assistance of one or other type for development of rural areas, but we have failed in last more than fifty years to bring them together.

The fact is that a telecom provider has to look at providing service independently making provision of everything including diesel set, solar panels without any help from any other department.

• When it comes to sale of access terminals to rural areas, again same terms as that of urban. No difference whatsoever in any taxes, duties.
• Imagine a technocrat in India or abroad has come out with a innovative economical technology or product best suited for rural areas. The process of technology transfer, manufacturing, approvals, royalty payments is exactly same as that of urban areas. No difference.
• When it comes to compliance to various Government rules, regulations, Acts, once again at par with urban areas. No respite, exemption or solution to any problem of Inspector Raj or submissions of returns.
• Let's talk of investment from Banks and Financial Institutions. Here again at par with urban areas, because it is not practical to differentiate the requirement of the service provider when he is putting up network for the entire network. When it is question of acquisition of land, tower space, once again no preferential treatment.
• Irony even a rural telephony provider has to pay for USO fund, even though he is actually providing service in rural areas

In fact there is another dilemma, if an innovator wants to put up trial for his rural solution at his cost and risk, the Government is in no position to help as of now and the innovator has to knock the door of a telecom operator whether private or public, where there is hardly any policy guidelines available in this behalf.

• Think of interconnection with PSTN. Is there any differnciation for urban or rural areas? No
• When it comes to task of providing contents for rural folks, once again it is left to wisdom of investor/entrepreneur with hardly any off stock help available from Government.
• In fact it is task of telecom service providers whether it is Wireless, Fixed, ISP and VAS to plan for rural strategy. The Government will do justice in making policy or statement claim its role, if it is in real sense contributing to something much lot than a statement or a policy.
• Everybody talks of broadband at higher speed as a necessity growth for engine. Just imagine, if a villager or a school or Panchayat in a remote location wish to apply for 2 Mb Broadband( and it is available), then he will have to shell out all what is required to apply for same in urban areas. No difference.
• If not telcos, then it should be task of Municipal Corporations, Rural regulatory bodies, Panchayats etc. to discuss and decide for rural penetration or broadband and then they can prescribe a set of incentives to anyone who is willing to come to their areas for providing service.
• And finally even though everything is built up and service provider and technology provider, it is left finally to the wisdom of a subscriber to apply for a phone connection, which he may or may not apply.

Can we say in the light of above that Government is serious when it talks of rural penetration for telecom service? That is why in the beginning itself I called my views outclass and out of box.