Crackdown on illegal public internet usage

Telcos asked to ensure traceable Wi-Fi user IDs

- JATIN GROVER

IN A CRACKDOWN on illegal use of the Internet, the government has asked telecom operators and Internet service providers (ISPS) to ensure traceability of people who use Wi-Fi hotspots, especially at places like hostels, reading rooms, study centres, libraries and staying facilities, etc.

The directive comes after the department of telecommunications (DOT) noticed that majority of study centres/hostel owners, etc, are using their personal broadband connections for commercial purposes. The data download at such facilities is huge and amounts to terabytes per month, DoT said in a letter to telcos and ISPs last week.