USO
Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)
USO: Universal Service Obligation is an obligation of the Govt. to provide access to basic telecommunication service to people in rural and remote areas at affordable and reasonable price. It was felt that subsidizing only fixed services is not sufficient to increase the teledensity in rural areas, hence it was decided to provide subsidy for Mobile, Broadband service.
‘Basic’ is prescribed differently by various regulators in the world. In India it is basically availability of access to voice communication.
USOF: Universal Service Obligation Fund is a non lapsable fund. The fund is to be utilized exclusively for meeting the universal service obligation. Transfers from Consolidated Fund to USOF through Parliamentary approvals.
www.usof.gov.in> Activities>Silent features of Schemes> Closed Schemes Ongoing Schemes.
Closed Schemes:-
1.Wire Line Broadband
2.Amarnath
3.Pilot Sanchar Shakti
4. Operation and Maintenance of VPTs.
5.VPTS MARR-A
6.VPTS MARR-B
7.Mobile Infrastructure