From The Hindu Archives, April 3, 1976: Asian telecom. highway project

New Delhi, April 2: The Asian Telecom Highway, a 14-nation prestigious project, extending from Iran to Indonesia, is likely to be completed before 1977-78.

The immediate beneficiaries of the project would be the developing countries in the region. Its early completion is also expected to benefit directly the proposed non-aligned-pool of about 30 news agencies.

Another helpful development in this regard is the expected early adoption of the approved text of the constitution of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity, the parent body of the 530 million Asian Telecom Highway Project.

India has pledged its full support to the Asian Pacific Telecommunity and its constitution is expected later this year at a meeting of the Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP).

Experts in the Communications Ministry here envisage that the Asia Pacific Telecommunity would help in evolving reasonably low tariffs both for ordinary and press telegrams and cables within the area. The Telecommunity would eventually link the region with the world network.

Steps to ensure a reasonably viable transmission medium are considered to be a pre-requisite for the successful functioning of the proposed pool of non-aligned news agencies.