CALCUTTA, DECEMBER 16: DepartmentEPARTMENT of Telecommunication (DoT) has chalked out the masterplan of a National Internet Backbone (NIB) facility linking 45 cities across the country to provide cheap and easy internet access to far flung areas.The cities including Calcutta, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore under the A1 category and the rest under A2, B and C, will be able to avail state-of-the-art information technology services by the end of 2000, chief general manager of the West Bengal Telecom circle S P Chakravarty said at an interactive workshop of telecom officials here today.NIB will provide facilities like internet browsing, e-mailing, corporate channels, e-commerce and web hosting at cheaper rates, Chakravarty said.The services will be provided on dedicated private channels making the access much faster, he said.Among new services to be provided by the WB circle in 2000 are a 60 per cent growth of telecom network, end to end digital connectivity, directory enquiry on internet and integrated services digital network (ISDN) services extension to all district headquarters.Work on internet PCOs and cyber clubs in all district headquarters is already in progress and a single window corporate customer centre at Calcutta for easy tariff requirements and billing systems was also on the anvil, Chakravarty said.
