Sam Pitroda , the man who initiated India’s telecom revolution through PCO booths, believes that broadband connectivity to villages will be a game-changer. Pitroda, who heads the high-level committee monitoring the Progress of the NOFN undertaking, spoke to Thomas K Thomas on the project’s status.

Are you happy with the progress of the NOFN project?

No, I am not happy. It is moving very slowly and is caught up in procedures. They are not able to finalise contracts and tenders for supply of equipment. It also has to do with the leadership at Bharat Broadband Network. The Government should appoint a strong management with the autonomy to execute. Currently, everyone is scared of taking decisions fearing authorities like the CAG.

Why are you not involving private companies?

Private companies are already involved. The cable, equipment, etc., are coming from private firms. Going forward, they can develop applications and use this network

In the pilots, many people do not know what to do…

Our focus is on building the infrastructure first. Usage of this network will come next and it will not happen overnight because it involves changing habits. We will have to educate people to use it. I reckon youngsters in villages will take the lead. Voice telephony took 20 years to reach where it is today. Internet is not seen as a ‘must do’ thing, therefore you will have to give 5-10 years before you start seeing people using it to its full potential.

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