In Meghalaya, the Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot, today inaugurated the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) services at Barapani, near state capital Shillong. The inauguration was done through video conferencing from Kolkata. WiMAX will provide high-speed internet services to people living in remote areas of the state, who otherwise do not have access to conventional broadband internet connection due to lack of physical telephonic infrastructure. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pilot said that all efforts should be made to complete rest of the WiMAX projects on time so that people are able to avail the facilities at the earliest. He was referring to 26 more under construction WiMAX BTS’s, which are to be commissioned before 31st March 2012.These WiMAX BTS’s have range of 15 kilometers. He also directed officials of public sector telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), to make all efforts to engage schools, colleges and government offices to popularise the use of internet so that the technology yields overall benefit, especially to the people of rural areas. After the completion of 32 WiMAX BTS’s, overall penetration of high-speed internet will increase to 70 per cent geographical area of Meghalaya.