Govt clears Internet privatisation policy

NEW DELHI, November 5: The government has cleared the Internet privatisation policy, aimed at increasing the internet users netizens in the country from 40,000 to 1.5 to two million by the turn of the century.

There will be no limit on the number of private internet service providers PISP, for whom port charges and leased line charges will be fixed at promotional rates8217;.

8220;Market forces will be allowed to determine the access fee which the PISP will chrage from their respective users,8221; an official release said here today. The Railways, Power Grid Corporation and State Electricity Boards have been permitted to lease out their excess capacity to PISPs, who have also been given the freedom to choose the gateway to be used, subject to the approval for the Inter-ministerial Implementation Committee headed by the Telecom secretary.