Bridging Digital Divide in Baslambi Village

India is a diverse country, where the urban and rural sectors are heavily discerned by stark differences in amenities offered through the digital revolution. Moreover, here indeed, the broadband Internet is one of the most fundamental requirements to relish the digital benefits.

India has the world’s second-largest active Internet users and apparently stands Number 1 when it comes to consuming wireless data on the global forefront. Yet, nearly 50% of people in India are still unconnected.

A word about PM-WANI Scheme

PM-WANI is the Indian Government’s ambitious project that aims at connecting the entire population of the country by deploying millions of Wi-Fi hotspots across the length and breadth of India while proliferating connectivity. To ensure the success of this program, the Government has even waived off any licensing requirement, which otherwise was mandatory for anyone who intended to offer any kind of Internet services.

Under this scheme, new public Wi-Fi hotspots would be deployed; to estimate tens of millions of hotspots shall facilitate a connectivity ecosystem across the rural and urban areas.

With the PM-WANI model, it would be easy to deliver Wi-Fi services at the grassroots level, ensuring seamless broadband penetration across the areas, which are poorly connected. It brings opportunities for small or village-level entrepreneurs while propelling socio-economic development in rural India.

Earlier, ISPs or TSPs were bound to pay a substantial fee for obtaining and maintaining an ISP license, but now Government has ceded this requirement of the license, letting anyone offer the Internet services hassle-free. The Indian Government has recognized Wi-Fi technology as a chosen and low-cost method to provide Internet everywhere to embark on this revolution. Here, public hotspots are the best choice to carry the baton to provide Internet connectivity everywhere. 

Currently, there are above 300,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in India, which is a relatively low number for a population of more than 1.3 Billion.

How IO by HFCL closed the digital divide of Baslambi Village?

At HFCL, we are committed to offering robust, scalable, and interoperable Access Points to provide broadband access to every nook and corner. And to prove the effectiveness of the PM-WANI model, we identified Baslambi village, located in Farrukh Nagar Tehsil, Gurugram. This village is located in the vicinity of our manufacturing unit, and residents there never experienced seamless connectivity due to poor connection.

Baslambi village has been poorly connected, and to give residents a taste of high-performing broadband Internet leading to the ocean of opportunities, we joined hands with our service partners.

The rural communities suffer a yawning gap due to digital isolation, and in Baslambi, it was no exception. The digital revolution spiked in this village but with no broadband connectivity; hence building a connectivity carpet to identify the coverage spots was the first step. IO team of experts ascertained areas like schools, hospitals, choupals where people aggregate and make good use of the Internet.

The idea was to set up a high-speed P2P wireless link from the nearest ISP fiber PoP (6 km away) to provide backhaul connectivity to the entry point in the village. From this point, the connectivity was distributed over our P2P and P2mP links. Here, the IO team did a run-down exercise of a complete Wi-Fi coverage model for smooth functioning.

We offered an enticing Wi-Fi package for all users, where it could be accessed for 6 Hours from one mobile with no limit on data download. 

Challenges Faced

• Power supply availability has been a real concern at Baslambi village. We installed solar panels at many places to power our equipment. The highest level of power efficiency ensures 24 hours operation even if there is no grid power available

• Distribution of broadband Internet to the entire village and other access points was a hurdle. However, our team of experts at IO ensured to tackle the challenge with our P2P and P2mP radios

• To provide maximum coverage, all the equipment was to be deployed outdoors. Hence, our IP67 rated radios and Access points designed for rugged weather conditions were an ideal solution to such a deployment

Since our inception, we have been carving out a high-performing, flexible wireless system that can further help in embracing infinite possibilities. IO Networks brings you a multifaceted Wi-Fi networking approach that helps you meet your short and long-term goals. 

– Bhuvnesh Sachdeva- VP-Product Development

Outcome

After the execution of Wi-Fi Internet connectivity in Baslambi village, there was an iota of doubt about how far people would be willing to use it. 

Initially, the data consumption recorded was merely 2GB per day, but over a period of five months, the data consumption is >200 GB on an average per day, with over 1200 unique users utilizing the services daily.

That is a commendable job out there, which clearly indicates how fast Baslambi people have embraced opportunities plethora offered by broadband Internet. 

When spoken to the residents of Baslambi village, they confirmed they are mostly using the services for the purposes of:

Education – students are attending school from home, online classes & exams, teachers teaching from home, conducting seminars, etc.

Telemedicine – doctors providing remote consultation to villagers

Entertainment- Netflix, Hotstar & YouTube, etc. apps providing a plethora of means for family entertainment

What is NEXT?

IO aims to transform the way people experience Wi-Fi with significantly improved network efficiency. To continue with our endeavour at Baslambi, we initiated with 14 Access Points, and sooner we shall be deploying additional 14 Access Points to extend the coverage spectrum.

We are well aware; rural broadband Internet is a lifeline for remote communities. Hence, we would continue to deploy essential networks to ensure connectivity for all by setting up more model villages in different parts of India.

IO by HFCL; Connecting India with Infinite Possibilities

In the sprint of #connectivityforall, IO Networks is bridging the gaps and helping India explore the digital world’s full potential. We are a team of expert technocrats who invest in comprehending the ins and outs of building a robust Wi-Fi-connected system to support seamless and affordable connectivity.

In the sprint of #connectivityforall, IO Networks is bridging the gaps and helping India explore the digital world’s full potential. We are a team of expert technocrats who invest in comprehending the ins and outs of building a robust Wi-Fi-connected system to support seamless and affordable connectivity.

Get in touch with IO by HFCL to unfold the world of infinite possibilities!