Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said the proposed National Optical Fibre Network should be used for societal good and not misused by private telecom operators for pushing their own products.

Speaking at the curtain raiser ceremony of India Telecom 2011, Mr. Sibal said the Department of Telecommunications would seek the Cabinet's approval to the Telecom Commission's recommendation to hive-off surplus land with Tata Communications (formerly VSNL).

Pointing towards the inherent dangers that technology can spawn and undermine individual privacy and security of the nation, Mr. Sibal called for devising systems that minimise such pitfalls and creating quality content in the language understood by the consumer. On the VSNL land issue, Mr. Sibal said: “A Cabinet note on VSNL land hive-off has been prepared and the matter will be sent to the Cabinet soon.” The Telecom Commission has already recommended that the government pick up a majority stake in the special purpose vehicle created to execute the sale of 773 acres of surplus land lying with VSNL (now Tata Communications)..........Read More

Source: The Hindu