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National Internet backbone node to be commissioned by July

A national Internet backbone node will be commissioned in the Calcutta telephone system, along with five other cities of the country in July, Calcutta Telephones chief general manager K S Ramanujam said.

Ramanujam said that the service heralding a new era in the country's telecommunication history, would also be introduced simultaneously in Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Bangalore and Pune.

According to the plans which were in an advanced stage, 'Internet dhabas,' would be set up in the block headquarters at a cost at par with Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, or VSNL.

He, however, said at present there was no plan to make the service toll-free, but certain schemes were being mooted to make it attractive to the users.

To a question, he said that the proposed cellular phone service by the Department of Telecommunication would be launched in Calcutta in October-November envisaging allotment of 5,000 phone lines in the first year. Telephone Regulatory Authority of India, or TRAI, he said, was formulating the rate for the service.

Among other plans for immediate future, Ramanujam said, were projects included launching of ATM switched broadband data services by July, wireless local phone having a radius of five km by October, calling line ID display facility on any phone line of Calcutta Telephones, phone directory on CD by June, and direct access to directory inquiry system using pone subscriber's PC by August.

He also announced revival of the scheme of accepting new phone applications with initial deposit of Rs 1,000 in non-OYT general category for a 15-day period beginning from tomorrow coinciding with the World Telecom Day.

The measure, he said, had been taken to give a boost to demand that came down recently to between 5,000 and 6,000 per month from an average figure of 9,000 per month.

The instalment payment scheme for new telephone subscribers had proved to be popular drawing 125,000 applications in just three months from November 1, 1999 to January 31, 2000, Ramanujam said.

UNI

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