Public WiFi a pipedream in India with stakeholders at loggerheads

Kolkata: More than four years have elapsed since public WiFi became a buzzword of sorts, but a countrywide ubiquitous public WiFi network is still nowhere in sight.

Reason: Broadband service providers and telcos are sharply divided over the utility of the technology, and the telecom department and the regulator are also on different pages on the mechanism to deliver such services, a scenario that could continue to deprive millions of data-hungry consumers in India from enjoying top download speeds and quality video experience anywhere and at all times.

Telcos say there’s no business case for public WiFi, given the low data rates and security concerns. But broadband service providers reject this,