A recent report suggests that the Indian government plans to make 2.5 crore mobile phones available in rural areas and it also intends on giving away 90 lakh tablets for free. To do so, a sum of Rs 10,000 crore has been estimated and by the looks of things, these actions seem to have something to do with the state and national elections closing in.
These details have surfaced courtesy of Economic Times that has managed to get its hands on internal government documents. The 2.5 crore mobile phones are specifically targeted towards rural areas where they will be available at subsidized rates. According to the report, each unit will cost buyers Rs 300. To top it off, various perks have been bundled for purchases. Buyers will get a Rs 30 recharge which is valid for 30 days, each month, and for a period of 2 years. The top-up will entitle them to 30 minutes of talktime, 30 text messages (no mention of local or national) and ‘30Mbps’ data usage.
A second document highlights that the 90 lakh free tablets will be provided to class XI and XII students, but limited to government schools only. Each slate will arrive with 75 minutes of talktime, 75 messages and 500MB of data each month. Usage beyond these provisions will result in charges. Funds for carrying out both projects are being acquired via the USOF – An accumulation of fees paid by operators annually.
The mobile phone project will be carried out over a period of 4 years, while the tablet scheme will go on for two years, both being operated by BSNL.