Kalleda Village (AP) Gram-Phone Deployment

Gram-Phone (a modified party line) has been fully deployed in Kalleda Village with approximately 70% residential coverage. This is the first deployment village in India. There was an overwhelming response in the initial two-month period of the project itself, with as many as 352 households opting for the Gram-Phone. This village has population of 2566 as per 1991 census with a typical daily wage ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 60. (Click Here for Detailed Information)

Typical Gram-Phone subscriber house in Kalleda village, Warangal Dt, AP.


One of Gram-Phone woman subscribers in the Kalleda village.
Dalits have been one of the major beneficiaries.

Parvathagiri Mandal Area (AP) Gram-Phone Deployment
The Foundation plans to deploy a total of around 700 Gram-Phone access lines in the Parvathagiri Mandal Area. This deployment is in progress and is expected to be completed in Oct./Nov. 2002. Upon completion, the telephone subscriber base for the Parvathagiri Exchange is expected to grow five fold from around 300 subscribers in the year 2000 to around 1500 subscribers end of calendar year 2002.

Hoshagabad District (MP) Gram-Phone Deployment
The Chief Minister's office in Madhya Pradesh has taken special interest in deploying Gram-Phone throughout the district of Hoshangabad with zero subsidy from the state government. This deployment is in progress and is expected to be functional by end of calendar year 2002.

Rama Linga Foundation Collaboration in Coastal AP Districts
Rural Telecom Foundation in collaboration with Rama Linga Foundation is planning a collaborative deployment of Gram-Phones in coastal Andhra Pradesh. The deployment timetable and the scope of the project is currently being worked upon.

Pilot Micro-Franchises - Warangal District (AP)
The Foundation plans to seek permission for deployment of micro-franchises from BSNL and the Union Ministry of IT and Telecom. These Gram-Phone franchises would be along the lines of village-based cable TV enterprises.