For about $90 million, 21,000 villages in Andhra Pradesh, in southern India, have leapfrogged us in broadband.
Douglas Galbi at Purple Motes reports that the state government solicited bids, put up some of the capital, agreed to be the anchor customer, and provided right-of-way.
This is not socialism, either. Capacity is being re-sold through private companies:
The state-wide network is required to make available at the village
points-of-presence (POPs) wholesale video distribution, telephony, and
internet services at agreed prices. This makes the business plan for
village networks simple: bring the services available at the village
POPs to individual customers for a mark-up.
Randeep Sudan, now with the World Bank, provided Galbi with some of his slides.
But think of it.
Somewhere, in the remotest portion of one of India’s remotest and poorest provinces, a family is soon going to be surfing the Net faster than you, in a competitive market, for less money.
Still like the Bells?
