FIBRE FIRST: RETHINKING INDIA'S BROADBAND BACKBONE

India must treat FWA as a stopgap and prioritise fibre as the core of its digital infrastructure to enable inclusive, high-performance growth.

- TV RAMACHANDRAN

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has emerged as a key instrument in India's efforts to extend last-mile connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.

It enables relatively rapid deployment and circumvents right-of-way and trenching barriers that often delay wired infrastructure projects. In recent years, it has allowed operators to plug coverage gaps in semi-rural zones and deliver basic broadband services. However, the global experience is instructive—FWA is a transitional tool, not a long-term solution. For a country with India's digital ambitions, economic scale, and population density, the focus must shift decisively toward fibre.

The real test of digital infrastructure lies not in reach alone, but in capacity, sustainability, and readiness for next-generation applications. Fibre to the Home (FTTH) excels on all these fronts. India must treat FWA as a tactical measure and embrace fibre as the strategic backbone of its digital economy.

INDIA'S DIGITAL GAP IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

India's fixed broadband story reveals a paradox: while mobile Internet has proliferated, fixed-line broadband remains underdeveloped. According to international estimates, India has just over three fixed broadband connections per 100 people, far behind global digital leaders. France and Germany have penetration rates above 45%, China and the UK above 40%, and even countries such as Brazil and Russia exceed India's numbers several times over.

This disparity reflects a longstanding mobile-first growth model. While it helped extend basic connectivity, it falls short in supporting applications requiring ultra-low latency, high throughput, or symmetrical upload and download speeds.