Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. is now offering WiMax service in in the northern Indian state of Assam. The network services were launched at Chaygaon in the Kamrup district of Assam, providing rural areas with broadband speeds of 7 mbps.

WiMax allows for video conferencing, tele-medicine service and tele-education. The local government will be able to check meters, issues involving birth certificates, land records and online vehicle registrations. Fees in rural areas will be reasonable at only Rs.140 per month.

BSNL is also building a fiber optic cable network in the northeast part of India, including a 800km line in Assam to provide connectivity in the telecom sector. To increase the quality of the GSM network, BSNL will set up 843 mobile towers, delivering telephone and broadband services to the most remote parts of India.

Photo Courtesy of Rita Wallaert via Flickr