Bridging the Digital Divide: How HFCL Connected Baidabettu & Baslambi Villages

For decades, the rural villages of Baidabettu in Karnataka and Baslambi in Haryana faced a stark digital gap. Patchy mobile coverage meant residents had to walk kilometers to nearby towns just to access the internet for education, banking, or work. Connectivity wasn’t just a challenge, it was a barrier to progress.

HFCL changed that reality. Partnering with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) and local ISP i2e1, HFCL deployed India’s first PM-WANI-based public Wi-Fi networks, powered by TIP OpenWiFi Access Points, point-to-point radios, and solar-powered infrastructure. The result was affordable, always-on connectivity that transformed daily life, enabling telemedicine, online learning, financial inclusion, and even new local job opportunities.

• How HFCL overcame rural connectivity challenges with open, interoperable technology.
• Why solar-powered Wi-Fi became the backbone of India’s first PM-WANI deployments.
• The social and economic impact of bringing high-speed internet to underserved communities.

Listen in to explore how HFCL is bridging India’s digital divide—one village at a time.