The secretary of telecom, Aruna Sundararajan has informed that the government is in collaboration with telecom operators as well as TRAI to deploy an interoperable Wi-Fi ecosystem.
Speaking with the audience at an event organised by Broadband India Forum (BIF), Sundararajan said stated that an ecosystem like this will conclude in cheaper high-speed data and propel demand for low-cost services
“Indian manufacturers can take advantage of this and in the process also create the potential for 1-2 million jobs in the sector. Public Wi-Fi has the potential to add up to $20 billion to India’s GDP in a relatively short period of time,” said Sundarajan.
‘’The release of 605 megahertz (Mhz) of spectrum constitutes the largest release of delicensed spectrum in the world, greater than even the US and the European Union,’’ added telecom secretary.
As per Sundarajan, the move will lead to a trickle-down effect on the telecom ecosystem including handset vendors, Internet Service Providers as well as other stakeholders as a large chunk of Indians will have access to high-quality bandwidth at extremely affordable prices.
“Being one of the most price-sensitive markets globally, India’s need for an additional, license-exempt 605 MHz in the 5 GHz (gigahertz) band cannot be underestimated. In fact, the need is going to be for much more Wi-Fi spectrum from other bands in the future,’’ said TV Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum
