TRAI favours neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure and believes that it will bridge the digital divide

TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has said that the nation has very few Wi-Fi hotspots and has recommended that a neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure be deployed so as to bridge the digital divide.

“In regions like the US, UK, and France, there are millions of Wi-Fi hotspots but in India, it is just 35,000, which is a pity,” Trai chairman RS Sharma told ET,

"We are recommending that the government use a neutral Wi-Fi architecture so that anyone, irrespective of internet service provider, will be able to latch on to any hotspot, and use the network and pay accordingly,” he further added.

TRAI floated a consultation paper on the matter in July, with comments sought until August 24, and responded to them by September 7.it said that neutral Wi-Fi network, will avoid duplication of infrastructure. . Broadband connectivity, a cornerstone of the government's Digital India initiative, will depend on leveraging cable TV infrastructure, satellite bandwidth and executing BharatNet through the build-ownoperate-transfer (BOOT) model.

"The fundamental on which Digital India rests is a ubiquitous broadband connectivity or broadband as a utility service. Digital India is the most transformative project of the current government with a vision to change India into a knowledge economy,” Sharma told ET.

"We are providing appropriate recommendations to the government to solve broadband connectivity problem, as India does not have an impressive ranking. In some areas, the ranking is lower than countries like Sri Lanka and some African nations. Such measures taken jointly would lead to a substantial improvement in digital connectivity,” the TRAI chief said.

TRAI had suggested the government to opt for BOOT model for its BharatNet strategy with active participation from entrepreneurs to operate, use and market the network, besides utilising cable TV infrastructure for speedier broadband penetration.

"If 100 million cable TV homes carry 10 Mbps or more bandwidth, then we can have a reliable broadband infrastructure,” Sharma said,

He also said that the satellite-based communications would facilitate digital connectivity in remote areas but policy impediments were holding this back.
(Image: Indiatimes)