Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan today said all policy-related problems in the telecommunications industry would be sorted within a few weeks.

Describing the recent controversy among telecom operators on the interconnectivity issue as a "little telecom war", Mahajan said there would soon be peace in the sector.

Addressing a special plenary session organised by the India IT Forumon the sidelines of Gitex Hyderabad-2003, a global infotech exhibition jointly organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government, the minister said with the decision of the central government to allow mobile phones in Jammu, Kashmir and Vaishnodevi from April 13, the state would join the telecommunication revolution in the country.

The minister said that by the year 2020,  telecom tariffs will come down to such an extent where the metering would be considered as a costly affair. "We have 10 million mobile phones at present and going to add 20-25 million this year. The total number of mobile phones will go up to 60-65 million by 2004 and 100 million by 2005. By 2020, every other Indian will have a mobile phone," the minister hoped.

Pramod Mahajan said that telephone was no longer a voice carrying machine. "World Cup match may come live on your mobile phone screen. This is possible with the convergence of technologies."