Sachetise internet bandwidth to up rural usage

Small-ticket data plans under PM-WANI can enable flexible, affordable internet access for lower-income households

- Sharad Sharma, Nilesh Gupta and Saurabh Chakraborty

The Union Budget over the past few years has maintained a laser-sharp focus on the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). In the Interim Budget of 2024, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned that DPI was a new factor of production in the 21st century, instrumental in the formalisation of the economy. In Budget 2024, the finance minister reiterated the fact that we have used technology to successfully improve productivity and bridging inequality in our economy during the past 10 years.

A DPI which has a huge role to play in reducing inequality of access, particularly in rural areas, is the Pradhan Mantri WiFi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI). Unfortunately, this DPI has not received commensurate attention. This DPI is particularly important given its potential to completely transform the ease of access of information in rural areas, leading to productivity increases and new income sources.

Internet connectivity in India has transformed over the past two decades. India is one of the largest mobile markets in the world, with over 1.15 billion mobile subscribers as of 2023. The availability of affordable mobile phones, competitive pricing for telecom services, and the launch of 3G/4G services have made high-speed internet accessible to millions.