The Indian government's new broadband policy is expected to encourage a rapid revamp of the country's telecom infrastructure. The two incumbent fixed-line operators, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), will be looking to squeeze extra bandwidth out of their extensive copper networks, which reach 98 percent of India's 40 million fixed-line subscribers. And mobile operators Bharti, TATA and Reliance have made plans to roll out new access networks capable of handling high-end broadband services

P. Balaji, vice president of Ericsson India, says that, during the next few years, these operators will be embracing advanced technologies such as ADSL2+ and Ethernet to deliver broadband speeds. "Both the incumbents and the greenfield operators view wireline DSL/Ethernet as key for connecting to homes and enterprises," Balaji says. "This is because the widespread deployment of copper in the last mile makes DSL/Ethernet the easiest way for them to meet the aggressive targets set by the government."

Providers choosing DSL/Ethernet have a number of choices as to exactly how and to what extent they deploy the technology. For example, they may look to a wireless solution such as Wi-Fi for the primary access mode, using DSL/Ethernet wireline for the broadband pipes coming into individual hotspots. Or they may choose to invest in copper only for in-building solutions. Whichever way operators decide to move, DSL/Ethernet technology is certain to play a significant role in driving broadband growth across the country.

As if to affirm this point, MTNL has chosen Ericsson's Ethernet DSL solution as a broadband-access network for both Mumbai and Delhi. The solution will allow MTNL to offer bandwidth-consuming services such as broadcast TV, on-demand video and high-speed internet. Notably, Ericsson was awarded the contact amid stiff competition from a host of European and Chinese vendors, achieving an edge over them by presenting its successful Ethernet DSL deployments in other parts of the world.

Balaji says Ericsson's Ethernet DSL solution was chosen because the company was able to demonstrate advanced services over it, and because it showed itself to be very price competitive. "As a result of its strong commercial and technical value, Ericsson Ethernet DSL was selected by MTNL. Now, we intend to prove our abilities to MTNL and the other operators in India by rolling out the network in a short period of time," he says. "In general, Ericsson's DSL solution has been well accepted by the operators in India, and hence I can conclude that we will be a leading DSL supplier in the country."