INDIA'S WIFI GAP: THE MISSING LINK TO DIGITAL INDIA

India's public WiFi push must prioritise public good over vested interests to deliver on its promise of inclusive, affordable digital access by 2047.

- TV RAMACHANDRAN

As India marches toward its centenary of independence in 2047, the vision for a digitally empowered society is taking clearer shape. From semiconductor self-reliance to 5G rollouts and the pursuit of 6G, from data centres to AI ecosystems and content leadership, the digital landscape is buzzing with potential and ambition. Yet amid this great forward momentum, one crucial infrastructure element of digital inclusion remains sorely neglected: Public WiFi.

In a country where over 695 million people still remain unconnected or under-connected, and where affordability and accessibility continue to be challenges, public WiFi is not a luxury but a necessity. It represents a low-cost, high-impact digital commons, especially for those living at the margin, students, small traders, gig workers, migrant labourers, and rural citizens. And yet, it continues to be treated, unfortunately, as an afterthought in mainstream digital infrastructure planning.

It is time for India to give public WiFi its rightful place in the 2047 digital roadmap, not merely as a stopgap, but as a strategic pillar for inclusion, productivity, and innovation.

It is time for India to give public WiFi its rightful place in the 2047 digital roadmap as a strategic pillar for inclusion, productivity, and innovation.

While in many countries, public Wi-Fi is seen as part of essential infrastructure, just like roads and public lighting, India is significantly behind in this regard. The country's WiFi Deficit is a stark reality: 278,000 hotspots,translating to a minuscule ~20 hotspots per 1,00,000 people, which pales in comparison with other countries. For example, China is reported to have several million public WiFi hotspots; the number may vary in different reports, but all reports indicate extremely high proportion, compared to India.