State owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has plans to invest $123 million (Rs 530 crore) to improve the rural telecom infrastructure in West Bengal over the next year. The operator wants to double its current 1,600 cell sites.

Soumya Ray, chief general manager of BSNL, said, the company is planning to introduce Wimax technology at block level in rural Bengal by 2009. Rural parts don’t have enough landlines for wired broadband connections, and Wimax will ensure wider broadband connectivity, reports Business Standard.

Ray said 'We have equipment and facility for rolling out a total of one lakh broadband connections, which we should complete by end of this financial year. We have already deployed 25,000 broadband connections in West Bengal”.

The company is counting on educational institutions to help reach its broadband penetration goal, and has already teamed up with HCL Technologies for computers with built-in BSNL broadband facility. It is offering discounts on telephone bills to those who opt for broadband service.

BSNL, which has already been allotted 3G spectrum in each service area except Delhi and Mumbai, is banking on 3G spectrum for rolling out value added services in West Bengal. X