Since 1990s, the Government has announced two New Telecom Policies, 1) New Telecom Policy 1994 and 2) New Telecom Policy 1999. Kapil Sibal, Communications Minister has announced a few weeks back that a third New Telecom Policy 2011 will be announced. What are the earlier NTPs and what is going to be the NTP 2011?

The New Telecom Policy 1994 (NTP 1994) was mainly intended to open the basic services to the private operators. This was after the licence for providing mobile services were granted to the private telecom companies in the four metros, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai for a meagre Licence Fee. For the first year, there was no licence fee, for the second year it was from Rs. one crore to three crore, for the second year Rs.two to six crore and the third year Rs. four to 12 crore. From the fourth year it was Rs. 6203 per subscribe per month till the 10th year of licence. The licence were allotted from 1994.

The New Telecom Policy 1999 (NTP 1999) brought by the NDA government brought new licence policies and also opened up the long distance ( STD & ISD) services to the private sector. The scams and irregularities during the NDA as well as UPA regimes are being exposed one after another now. In fact there was no open polciy. Every thing was being done to help the private companies at the same time for getting kick-backs also. The politicians, the bureacrats and the big business are all parties to these scams and cheating the nation.

Now Communications Minister Kapil Sibal has declared that a New Telecom Policy 2011 will be announced. There is not going to be much difference from the earlier ones if the many statements of Kail Sibal are gone through. It will be based only on the neo-liberal policies being continued with zeal by the Government.

What the common people and the workers want is an alternative policy which will help the nation and will benefit the people at large. The BSNL workers and their unions have the responsibility to prepare such an alternative policy and campaign for the same.