Telecom Commission approves free mobile phones and tablet PCs
Posted on: 11/Sep/2013 3:41:42 PM
The Telecom Commission (TC), the highest decision making body in the Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved an ambitious scheme to provide free mobile handsets to each family in the villages and tablet PCs to 90 lakh students across government schools under a plan that could cost the exchequer nearly Rs 10,000 Crore. Now the proposal will go the cabinet for clearance.
The proposed free mobile phone scheme is expected to benefit 2.5 Crore individuals in rural households while the free tablet program would cover students in 11th and 12th classes.
Apart from the devices, the plan is to offer free recharge of Rs 360 every year for the mobile phones for two years. This will include talk-time of 30 minutes, 30 SMSs and 30 MB for possible Internet usage.
Similarly, the tablet PC is proposed to come with bundled SIM, Internet usage of up to 500 MB, talk-time of Rs 75 and 75 SMSs for a specified period.
Both schemes, if approved by the authorities concerned, are expected to start after March 2014. General elections are due to be conducted before May.
