Cheaper mobiles as poll sops

Sep 11, 2013

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New Delhi: Telecom Commission, the highest decision making body in telecom department on Tuesday gave conditional nod to a proposal to give 2.5 crore free mobile phones and 90 lakh tablets in rural areas, said sources.The scheme could cost the exchequer `10,000 core. The scheme is in series of various popular measures taken by the government recently including, passage of food security bill, before the general election next year.Free mobile and tablets scheme is expected to start after March 2014. The tabs will be given to students in 11th and 12th classes.The scheme is proposed to cover 25 lakh beneficiaries in first year, 50 lakh in second, 75 lakh in third and one crore in fourth year.The government is plans to charge `300 for a mobile phone which will be bundled with a monthly recharge of `30 for a period of two years.Tablet users will also get every month free talk time, sms and data facility. The mobile phones and tablet PCs will come with a warranty of three years.“Most of the points have been approved by the Telecom Commission. We will deliberate on some more issues soon and after that it will be sent to the cabinet for final approval,” said government sources.The ambitious project will be jointly funded by the telecom department and Universal Services Obligations Fund (USOF).

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