A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration, School of Management

Research Studies Project Report (M.B.A.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001

Telecommunication is the "infrastructure of infrastructures" and if India is able to make rapid strides in telecom, it is in unique position to ride the crest of an information revolution besides making a more balanced development of the country. Rapid technological advancement and the deregulated market conditions will fuel the present telecom revolution. It would be a great challenge for India to provide such an environment. And what a challenge: providing A3 telephone to ONE billion people, when there is a mere 26 Million of fixed line phone subscribers in 2000. India's tele-density remains low at around 2.7 per cent. So what are the costs and benefits of the implementation of Universal Service? The process of the implementation of affordable solutions will be compared in order to find the most suitable scenario for India in a not too long te1m. The content of this report represents my interpretation and analysis of information generally available to the public or released by responsible individuals in the related areas of technology, business or market telecommunications but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness.