Public WiFi is unlikely to be a viable way to boost Broadband penetration in an era of dirt cheap mobile data rates, nationwide 4G networks, generous data allowances and rising smartphone penetration, say industry executives and analysts. The public WiFi model, they said, had also lost much of its utility for telcos in tackling network congestion as the latter now have adequate spectrum to address the problem directly, with the situation likely improve with another airwaves sale likely in early-2021. Last week, the Union Cabinet cleared a proposal floated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to boost broadband penetration through the public WiFi route.
India’s data tariffs are the lowest worldwide and operators have nationwide 4G coverage and most smartphone users also have a daily allowance of 1-1.5GB/day in their bundled plans, which reduces the utility and viability of public WiFi, said Kunal Vora, senior telecom analyst at BNP Paribas. Ram Narain, ex-senior deputy director general in theDepartment of Telecommuniction agreed with the industry experts, especially with the low mobile data rates. But it (public WiFi) could become relevant if mobile data rates were to suddenly rise, given that telcos have been demanding a floor on grounds that current data rates are unsustainable.
Courtesyg: Google (photo)
