The good news, however, is that till a local node is not set up, the DoT is making alternative arrangements to allow existing Internet subscribers to access Internet service providers in the nearest city at local call rates.

The bad news, in detail. A recent circular issued by the Department of Telecom in New Delhi to the Vadodara district telecom office announced the Ministry's decision to centralise purchase of all internet hardware while entrusting the respective DoT Circle Offices with the responsibility of procuring cabling material.

As against the regular procedure of each regional office concerned floating its tender for the required equipment, 40-odd tenders will now be floated by the Central Department of Telecom.

All this, officials at the Vadodara DoT office say, effectively means that the process of commencing the internet service will be delayed.

One department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: ``While we were hoping to invite subscriptions this month, we have been forced to wait''.

``Obviously, with such large purchases to be made, much time will be lost in fixing deals, let alone acquiring the hardware. In such a case, it could take anywhere between six months to a year for the facility to be made available to the targeted masses,'' he added.

DoT General Manager Rakesh Babu, while refusing to comment on the Central intimation, said, ``We haven't called for subscribers because we are the awaiting the finalisation of deals regarding the equipment. As of now we have received offers from some vendors but they haven't given us a suitable time frame''.

However, he said that till the local node was set up, the DoT would provide existing Internet subscribers access to Net services in the nearest city at local call rates. ``For instance, we have many Net users in the city accessing VSNL, Ahmedabad using STD facilities. Under the new plan, internet users here will be able to dial an access code given to them by the DoT followed by the code of the service provider and connect at local call charges,'' he explained.

Asked when this facility would be started, Babu said an access code number `172' had been allotted to Net users here. He added, though, that an equivalent arrangement needs to be made at Ahmedabad for the facility to become operational. Information on that front was not yet available, he said.

As expected, the prospect of a delay in setting up the Internet node in Vadodara has disappointed the city's Net surfers. Said Jaspinder Singh, Web Master of Planet Internet, ``If Vadodara had its own internet node, we could have acquired on-line connectivity at 1/4th the cost we are paying today. "As against the Rs 4 lakh per annum we are paying to get the required bandwidth from Ahmedabad, a local node would have made the same possible at Rs 1 lakh per annum. This in turn would help us reduce our cost in providing services''.

Singh also expressed doubts as to the viability of the direct-dialling alternative planned by the DoT. ``To Planet Internet, direct dialling will be of little consequence as we have to be on-line for all 24 hours. Even for individual subscribers, one is uncertain how smooth an access this facility will provide, given that it would mean an addition of traffic on an already crammed line,'' he said.

Chaitanya Buch of the recently formed Vadodara Internet Promotion (VIP), however, feels that Internet is not as distant a dream for the city as it appears to be. ``We have met the DOT GM and going by our discussions can promise the Web at least by January 1999 if not this year. While Babu has admitted to a delay due to certain policy matters, once the direct dialling facility is implemented, Barodians could surf the net with no difficulty,'' he said.