WANI offers potential for over 20 million employment, entrepreneurship opportunities: BIF

Industry body BIF on Thursday slammed “misinformed concerns” over viability of WANI public Wi-Fi model, saying the new framework holds the potential for over 20 million job and entrepreneurship opportunities, besides offering a cost-effective means of mass connectivity through Wi-fi hotspots at a time when mobile data tariffs are rising.

Despite being an affordable option, mobile data tariffs are “rising continuously” with reports in certain sections indicating a further 30-40 per cent possible rise in the near future, said TV Ramachandran, President of Broadband India Forum (BIF), an industry think-tank.

Countering “misinformed concerns” in certain sections over the viability of Public Wi-Fi model, BIF argued that numerous proofs of concept have been performed by the government for several years.