Sam Pitroda, the man behind India's telecom revolution, has said the country might see telecom companies offering free voice calls, while the next driver of growth would be data services as mobile phones turn into lifestyle managers.
Mr. Pitroda, who is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Adviser on infrastructure, innovation and information, also said the government was planning to set up innovative universities that would evolve a new concept of university education, while efforts are also being made to a national food bank to address the problem of hunger in the country by 2025.
“I think nobody (telecom companies) will charge for voice calls… the focus is fast shifting to data (services) that will be the key to second phase of telecom revolution,” Mr. Pitroda said at an interactive session with journalists at the Indian Women Press Corps. Interestingly, in India, call rates being offered by mobile companies are the cheapest in the world, while it is probably the only country where per second tariffs are being offered to subscribers.
“The first phase of telecom revolution has ended as we have achieved voice connectivity, while the second phase is now beginning where data will be growth driver. New strategies are being worked out in the field of connectivity,” he said. He also talked about the ambitious National Knowledge Network that would connect over 15,000 colleges and universities across India, followed by 2.5-lakh villages: “We plan to connect all important networks and resources to make it the mother of all networks.”
Referring to hunger and mismanagement of food resources, Mr. Pitroda said for the past two years he has been working with a US-based voluntary organisation, Global Food Banking Network, active in around 30 nations, to create a similar organisation in the country. “We will soon work out a programme and create India Food Banking Network to eliminate hunger and ensure better management of food,” he said.
