Panaji: Measures like universal licensing and an ambitious project to modernise defence signalling equipment to make satellite spectrum at the complete disposal of telecom operators, were likely to change the face of the telecom sector in the next two years, Union Minister for Telecom, Disinvestment and IT Arun Shourie said today (Jan 6, 2004).

"In its recent meeting, the Group of Ministers took several decisions, like a Rs 1,400 crore project to modernize defence signalling equipment which currently took up a great chunk of the satellite spectrum. After upgradation of the equipment, the telecom companies would get a much larger chunk of the spectrum, that would change the face of the industry," Shourie told reporters.

Dismissing allegation that the Government was "using" Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to retain its monopoly over the telecom sector, Shourie said while there was no attempt to monopolise the market, services like broadband on fixed line, which are the "future in India", would ensure that it remained at the top in the market.

"Today we have 47 lakh subscribers, and are the second largest operator in the country. It is the reduced rates of BSNL that have forced other operators to bring down their rates as well," he said, adding the Government had in fact given up its monopoly in the sector by scrapping licence for basic operators.

Lauding Goa for "being a fine example", he said the State could utilise its high literacy and computer literacy rate as well as its organic farming to become a hub for bio-informatics as also organic foods, which he said was one of the potential markets in the world.