New Delhi, June 3: The Broadband India Forum (BIF), a policy think tank, welcomed the Indian Telecom Regulatory Authority’s (TRAI) recent acknowledgment of public Wi-Fi as a vital infrastructure for affordable and accessible broadband services.
In response to TRAI’s consultation paper on expanding public Wi-Fi networks, BIF emphasized that relying solely on mobile networks may not suffice to meet India’s future digital aspirations.
According to the forum, public Wi-Fi can make internet services more affordable, enhance indoor connectivity, improve spectrum efficiency, and alleviate the burden of increasing traffic on mobile networks.
BIF urged TRAI to recommend a comprehensive national strategy that includes infrastructure expansion, ecosystem development on a large scale, technological modernization, and increased user awareness and adoption.
The forum suggested integrating PM-WANI with BharatNet, state-level fiber networks, smart city projects, and other public digital assets to accelerate the establishment of Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide.
BIF recommended launching a nationwide awareness campaign to inform consumers, businesses, and local entrepreneurs about the affordability, security, reliability, and benefits of public Wi-Fi.
To strengthen PM-WANI, the forum called for the development of a robust ecosystem of major Super PDOAs (Public Data Office Aggregators), scalable PDOAs, and app providers. This would transform individual hotspots into a reliable, interoperable, and investment-friendly digital platform.
TV Ramachandran, President of the Broadband India Forum, stated that public Wi-Fi is one of the most crucial digital public infrastructures in the country, with the potential to bridge the digital divide.
He noted that PM-WANI has opened up India’s public Wi-Fi ecosystem by removing long-standing regulatory barriers and should be given a fair opportunity to reach a larger scale.
Ramachandran emphasized the need for an ecosystem where telecom service providers (TSPs) and internet service providers (ISPs) view public Wi-Fi not as a competitive service but as a complementary opportunity for broadband expansion.
The forum also recommended developing open interoperability standards for seamless roaming, authentication, and network discovery, making Wi-Fi usage as easy and intuitive as mobile broadband.
Additionally, a national roadmap for next-generation technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 was suggested. This includes ensuring the availability of affordable devices, promoting domestic manufacturing, and preparing buildings for technological readiness.
BIF stated that public funding could be utilized where market-based services are unavailable or insufficient, particularly focusing on expanding public Wi-Fi in remote and underdeveloped areas.
The forum also proposed that municipal bodies and local administrations should not limit their role to merely granting permissions but should actively participate in promoting digital infrastructure.
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