Induction of Private Sector in Basic Telecom Services

Basic Telecom Services Prabir Purkayastha Indian telecom reforms have taken a direction very different from that of those taking place in the advanced countries and have been, besides, vitiated by a lack of transparency and suspicions of crony capitalism. The reforms may result in a better service for business users but are unlikely to benefit the majority of users or lead to any major expansion of the telecom network. The high fees quoted in the tenders for basic service are illusory and are tracers that the Department of Telecommunications is making out of its own revenue to private operators. The tariffs for the majority of consumers are bound to go up sharply as a result of such transfers.