News: Indiawide broadband network mooted for 11th Plan

(PTI 10/01/2007) New Delhi - The Knowledge Commission on Wednesday said it has recommended connecting all the libraries, research centres and universities in the country with a broadband network. "The recommendation is for a 100-megabit network with 5,000 nodes," Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda said, adding that the approval from government would come soon and the scheme should be included in the 11th Plan. All the major telecom service providers should be roped in for building the broadband network, Pitroda said. Pitroda was speaking on the sidelines of the signing of a three-year MoU between industry body CII and American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) to promote healthcare sector in India. Broadband connectivity would facilitate telemedicine, which is one of the areas of cooperation in the agreement signed, Pitroda said. "Telemedicine will connect the health centres and district hospitals. It keeps electronic data of the patients and treatment given to them," AAPI President S Balasubramaniam said. "CII has committed to 100 Healthy Villages and the programme will be rolled out in 2007. Companies would adopt these villages. While Hero Honda will take charge of 20 villages, Bharti Airtel will take ten. Infosys and Hindustan Times too would chip in," Chairman of CII National Committee on Healthcare Naresh Trehan said. The 100 villages would be in the states of Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Trehan said the first pilot project would be set up in Patna