NEW DELHI, April 27: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on the “Proliferation of Public Wi-Fi Networks in India”, inviting stakeholder comments on measures to accelerate deployment and improve the viability of public Wi-Fi infrastructure across the country.
The paper undertakes a comprehensive review of the existing regulatory framework governing public Wi-Fi and flags key bottlenecks that have constrained large-scale expansion, despite rising data demand and the government’s broader digital inclusion push.
The Consultation Paper covers key areas including the overview of the Public Wi-Fi ecosystem in other countries and key takeaways from international experiences and global best practices, as well as the assessment of the current status of Public Wi-Fi in India, including deployment trends and demand patterns.
It also works on the identification of key issues and challenges affecting Public Wi-Fi proliferation in the country, an examining the roles of key stakeholders such as Central and State Governments, local bodies, TSPs/ISPs, and private entities for developing viable Public Wi-Fi models across rural areas, urban centres, and high-footfall locations.
Through the consultation paper, the authority also aims to examine issues relating to authorisation, authentication, roaming, and billing systems within the Indian Public Wi-Fi ecosystem.
Analysis of potential direct and indirect revenue models suitable for ensuring the sustainability of Public Wi-Fi in the Indian context.
The consultation paper examines the roles of multiple stakeholders-including central and state governments, urban local bodies, telecom service providers (TSPs), internet service providers (ISPs), and private players-in building scalable and sustainable public Wi-Fi ecosystems.
It seeks views on how coordinated policy support, infrastructure sharing, and public-private partnerships can drive deployment across high-footfall areas such as transport hubs, markets, and public institutions, as well as underserved rural regions.
Written comments on the consultation paper are invited from stakeholders by 25th May 2026 and counter-comments, if any, by 8th June 2026.
(UNI)
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