WiFi hotspots will require app, OTP to access, no provision for cash payment
December 16, 2020
Public WiFi hotspots will require users to install an app and authenticate themselves with a one-time password, according to guidelines issued by the Department of Telecommunications. Public WiFi hotspots have been held back by regulatory uncertainty and security conditions, some of which seem to be continuing with the DoT’s new guidelines. The WiFi Access Network Interface (WANI) system means that different hotspot providers could potentially require different apps, and users can’t just sign in to WiFi hotspots instantly.
While this requirement is less problematic than requiring Aadhaar numbers from users, as originally suggested, it still adds friction to the process that doesn’t exist for mobile data, which is cheaper than anywhere else in the world in India. What’s more, digital payment options are mandatory, which some users may not be in a position to use.
Updated Dec 16, 2020 | 15:04 IST
The next revolution in connectivity necessitates reliable and cheap internet for the masses so that India can leapfrog from the existing digital divide, which has social and economic implications. Representational image | Photo Credit: iStock Images
Key Highlights
It is anticipated that PM-WANI will be business-friendly and complement the government’s ease of doing business initiatives
Besides generating employment, such a public Wi-Fi network will boost disposable incomes of small and medium entrepreneurs
Crucially, there is no license fee for providing broadband internet services
Last week the Union cabinet approved a framework to usher in a “massive Wi-Fi revolution in the country”, in the words of Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, by accelerating the proliferation of broadband internet services via a public Wi-Fi network.
From a digital India to a digital Bharat
Updated:
Updated:
December 15, 2020 23:27 IST
The PM-WANI project seems to fit within the framework of an evolving decentralised concept to bridge the e-divide
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The PM-WANI project seems to fit within the framework of an evolving decentralised concept to bridge the e-divide
̥The term ‘game changer’ is sometimes used too freely in the context of conversations related to policy, especially when it comes to government policy initiatives. It is not always true, and can come across as hyperbole, and a marketing term to make the potential impact of certain initiatives seem larger than they actually are.
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Synopsis
The Kolkata-based internet service provider (ISP) which operates across 70 cities in India with a subscriber base of 150,000 users is targeting to add another 200,000 users (including 50,000 Android Box users) within a year of launch and expand the services outside Bengal.
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Meghbela’s pricing is the least among all players where the bundled offers are cheaper by almost Rs 500.
NEW DELHI: Meghbela Broadband is set to rollout voice, video, data and bundled subscription to 9 OTT apps through FTTH (Fiber-To-The-Home) in West Bengal competing with the likes of Jio Fiber,
Airtel Home and Tata Sky.
“We have partnered with the leading OTT platforms Amazon Prime, Zee5, Hungama, Hubhopper, ShemarooMe, Gaana along with Bengali players like Hoichoi, Addatimes and Bongo TV to provide premium content subscriptions,” Tapabrata Mukherjee, co-founder and director, Meghbela Broadband told ET.