THE POLICY

India is allowing fixed-line telecoms to offer limited mobile services for less than 1 cents per minute.THE GOVERNMENT SAYS

The policy will open up the mobile market, making it one of the most competitive in Asia and by 2005, boosting telephone penetration from 2.5 people per 1,000 to the global average of 15 per 1,000.MOBILE CARRIERS SAY

The policy is aimed at protecting state-owned telecom monopolies by allowing them to offer services that are one-fifth the price that existing cellular players can afford to charge.