Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the state-owned telecommunications company, has announced that it has signed up a partnership deal with Goa Industrial Development Corporation (Goa-IDC) to deploy wireless broadband network (WiMAX) across Goa-IDC's 19 industrial estates.

Under this deal, BSNL's technology partner for Mobile WiMAX, US-based SOMA Networks, will set up its FlexMAX System, which will provide a high speed wireless DSL quality broadband. The broadband service will work with a simple plug-and-play indoor device called the Customer Premise Equipment (CPE).

Mr. G R Ravi, GM, BSNL Goa has said that Goa had been emerging as an industrial hub and investment destination. It had been a pleasure for them that Goa would use high speed wireless broadband connectivity provided by BSNL.

BSNL with its technology partner SOMA Networks, has planned to distribute over 4,000 broadband connections in the coming 12 months in Goa-IDC, which include 19 industrial estates: Corlim, Margao, Sancoale, Mapusa, Tivim, Bichotim, Kakoda, Honda, Bethora, Canacona, Kundaim, Tuem, Verna, Cuncotim, Pilerne, Marcaim, Pissurtem, Colvale, Shiroda and Sanguem.

SOMA networks has also committed to launch a host of broadband-enabled, value-added services in the coming months, which will support e-commerce, different forms of communication and virtualised application hosting using cloud computing.

Mr. Mayur Tanna, VP, Enterprise Services, SOMA Networks has said that their wireless broadband technology had facilitated them to provide connectivity to any underserved area, particularly in locations with poor or no wired infrastructure.