TELECOMMUNICATION OWNERSHIP AND USER PREFERENCES IN KUMAUN REGION OF UTTARAKHAND - IMPLICATIONS FOR UNIVERSAL SERVICE

Rajeev Kandpal; N.S. Bisht

Rajeev Kandpal Director (DoT), Doctoral Research Scholar, Kumaon University, Nainital (Uttarakhand)
N.S. Bisht Professor, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, Kumaon University, Nainital (Uttara

Keywords: Universal Service Obligation, Telecommunication, Subsidies, Landline, Mobile

Abstract

This paper uses survey conducted upon 2026 individuals in four districts of Uttarakhand, India to study
the ownership patterns and user preferences in telecommunication technology. Results reveal that nonownership
(ownership of neither personal mobile nor landline telephone) is more prevalent amongst
females, lower income segments, rural areas, uneducated and higher age groups. Even at the same income
levels, the probability that a respondent has neither a landline nor a mobile is much higher in rural areas
than in urban areas. Users who subscribe to only one form of communication show a strong preference
for the mobile phone. Mobile phone only is the most popular form of ownership, and is much more
prevalent in the rural and lower income segments. The results suggest the necessity to review the current
approach to universal service which predominantly employs the rural-urban divide as the sole segmentation
criteria. Further, even though mobile telephony has thrown open access to areas previously un-served
by landline telephony, the present Universal policy provides for direct subsidy only on landlines. In the
name of increasing penetration, the policy may be subsidizing usage of a technology (landline) which
is no more in demand.