Indian telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is expanding its rural broadband access in partnership with Nokia Siemens Networks (News - Alert). Expanded service will begin commercial operation in July.

Nokia Siemens will deploy BSNL broadband access in 20 circles (administrative country subdivisions) in India. This will give an additional 25,000 Indian villages access to digital-age services like high-speed Internet and virtual private networks (VPNs).

 

The new network will also enable BSNL to provide connectivity to CSCs (Community Service Centres) and other e-governance locations.

India today has approximately 3.4 million broadband connections, of which 1.7 million connections are provided by BSNL.

 

“BSNL is a pioneer in providing affordable high-quality communications services to its customers and this mega broadband expansion initiative is another step in that direction. Partnering with Nokia Siemens Networks would give BSNL an edge over other broadband services providers as it would be the first to cover rural areas on such a wide scale,” said Kuldeep Goyal, chairman and managing director at BSNL, in a statement.

 

Goyal added: “With high speed Internet service of BSNL, the rural broadband project is suitably poised to bridge digital divide and connect more than 25,000 villages in India by delivering high speed broadband services.”

BSNL is operated by the India government, and can be identified as the incumbent (and largest) telecom provider in the country. It has more than 80 million subscribers covering representing 69 million phone connections. The corporation is an integrated telecommunications service provider with presence in the fixed line, cellular mobile, long distance and data segment. It boasts more than 35 million fixed line, 34.5 million cellular mobile and 5 million Internet subscribers including 1.7 million broadband customers.

 

“With a population of 700 million, rural India, without a doubt holds the key to the future growth of the telecommunication industry and the long term economic and social development of the country,” said Michael Kuehner, who heads up Nokia Siemens’ sub India region division, in a statement.

 

“BSNL is at the forefront of taking world class broadband services to the masses and Nokia Siemens Networks is proud to partner with it in its efforts. This fourth broadband access tender placed by BSNL shows our longstanding partnership in offering end to end solutions customized to varying requirements,” Kuehner added.

As part of the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks is deploying its Gigabit Ethernet-capable IP DSLAMs SURPASS hiX5625 (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers) and chassis based access switch (SURPASS hiD6615).