(a) the bandwidth available for Internet in terms of 303 Mbps in the country at present;
(b) whether due to low bandwidth Internet Access in the country, India is losing software
export business;
(
(c) if so, the details thereof alongwith the losses suffered as a result thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR)
(a) Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) has recently commissioned 3 streams of 155 Mbps each
(455 Mbps). Together with the earlier available bandwidth of 395 Mbps makes a total of around 855 Mbps of already commissioned capacity by VSNL. In addition, another Mbps is being commissioned in the next one month. Also, Software Technology Park of India (STPI) is providing reliable data communication facility like point to point International Private Lease Circuit (IPLC) and Internet to the software exporters across the country from its 17 International Gateways. Currently, the total International Internet bandwidth backbone being made available to the Software export Industry by STPI is around 100 Mbps. STPI have received no feed back regarding any difficulty being faced by software exporters in getting Internet bandwidth from STPI.
(b) & (c) Does not arise in view of (a) above.
(d) The steps taken by the Government to ensure adequate bandwidth for Internet are as
follows:
(i) Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been permitted to take bandwidth directly from the foreign satellites that are co-ordinated over India, for setting up of International Gateways for Internet. As on date 50 ISPs have been given in principle clearance for setting up 220 International Gateways for Internet.
(ii) ISPs have been permitted to set up Submarine cable Landing Stations for International Gateways for Internet.
(iii) Under the National Long Distance policy, infrastructure providers have been permitted to provide assets such as dark fibers, right of way, duct space etc. and also end to end bandwidth.
(iv) A Bandwidth Advisory Committee consisting of eminent personalities of IT and Telecom industry has been set up to advise Department of Telecommunications (DOT) on the steps to be taken to ensure that bandwidth is available on demand.