FEBRUARY 22: Videsh Sanchar Nigam will soon establish earth stations in the districts with a potential for high volume of international telecom traffic and Internet usage. Communication Minister Ram Vilas Paswan made this announcement here on Tuesday in response to a member's demand to increase earth stations in the country at the meeting of the Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Communications.Significantly, the minister also asked VSNL to evolve an effective advertising and marketing policy to increase its subscriber base, especially in the context of an emerging competitive environment.
VSNL has already introduced roaming facilities for Internet customers and will shortly provide facilities to open Internet accounts instantly using credit cards in other cities of the country. Currently, the facility is offered only in Mumbai.
The minister also outlined some of the steps taken by VSNL to boost its Internet business. These include off-the-shelf opening of new Internet accounts and the renewal of existing Internet accounts, revamping the help desk facilities with assurance of assistance to customers round-the-clock and payment facilities for the customers in various banks for Internet connections.
Paswan said that VSNL could face stiff competition once the ISPs were allowed to set up their own gateways and the broadcasters their own uplinking facilities. Hence, the company has chalked out plans for the development of infrastructure, IT systems and human resources during the 9th Five Year Plan.
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