"We expect the NLD guidelines to be put in place in a week's time," Union minister for communication Ram Vilas Pawan said while launching a telephone grievences redressal website by Webduniya.com. Paswan further said that the ministry was under tremendous pressure to open the international long distance market, thus breaking Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL)'s monopoly deadline before 2004.

"We are seriously looking at opening the international long distance market to other players before 2004 and expect the move to bring down ISD rates in the country considerably," he said. Since this would involve national security issues, the proposal would need a Cabinet approval, he said.

On the issue of providing free telephones to the MPs for Internet connectivity, Paswan clarified that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs would pay for these telephones to DOT. The Lok Sabha secretariat, in a letter dated May 22, had asked the communications ministry to provide the phone to MPs for Internet connectivity and had said that the dues would be paid up by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry to DOT, Paswan said.

"And hence although the MPs are getting the telephones free, the money for the same is being paid to us, thus increasing our revenues," Paswan said.He said that Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd's (MTNL's) proposal of increasing the telephone pulse rates to five minutes from the current three minutes, for Internet usage was under consideration.

On the issue of spectrum allocation, Paswan said that the bandwidth commitee under Shyamal Ghosh, secretary of DOT is currently looking into the matter."The committee would consider various demand and supply situation for bandwidth in the country and monitor the same," he added.

On the issue of divestment of MTNL and VSNL, he said that whether government holding would come below 51 per cent or not would entirely depend on the current efficiency of the state-owned companies.