TRAI to Seek Comments on Scalable Public Wi-Fi Networks till December 9

[Nandan Jha]

Re: TRAI bats for Neutral Wi-Fi Architecture to improve Digital Connectivity

The independent regulatory body TRAI has announced that it extended the deadline for comments on scalable public Wi-Fi networks to December 9, this year. The stakeholders are requested to submit their views and comments on or before December 9, 2016, in an electronic form.

Earlier on November 15, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) sought comments on neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure to facilitate broadband connectivity as a utility service in low-penetrated regions and bridge digital divide. November 25th was set as the deadline for the same.

In a statement, Mr. Sudhir Gupta, Secretary, TRAI, said, “Keeping in view the request of stakeholders for extension of time for sending their comments, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments up to 9th December, 2016.” He also added that no more requests would be entertained for the extension of submission of comments on the consultation paper.

TRAI Bats for Neutral Wi-Fi Infrastructure:

The TRAI has recommended deploying neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure to improve digital connectivity so that anyone irrespective of ISP can latch onto any Wi-Fi hotspot, pay and use the network accordingly. TRAI Chairman, Mr. R.S. Sharma, said that India with a mere 35,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots is lagging behind on a global scale. Incidentally, France is leading the internet world in terms of numbers of public Wi-Fi hotspots with 13 million.

The telecom services regulator is looking for the inputs on whether public Wi-Fi access providers should resell capacity and bandwidth to retail users and on the architecture it suggested for creating unified authentication and payment infrastructure.