BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), one of India's state-owned telecom operators, announced on August 14 that the company has planned to deploy WiMAX base stations in 1,000 rural population blocks of India and start providing services by fiscal 2008 ending on March 31, 2009, Hindu Business Line of India reported.

Currently BSNL is engaging in discussions with WiMAX base station vendors over equipment supply and, according to local reports, the pilot project is already underway. BSNL expects to provide WiMAX-enabled high-speed Internet connection to 25,000 Indian villages via CSCs (Common Service Centers), telecom kiosks equipped with necessary infrastructure to be set up in the villages. US-based SOMA Networks is BSNL's main WiMAX equipment supplier at present.