How Sri Lanka is set to Embrace ‘Public Wi-Fi’ access

When it is all about connecting the unconnected – Wi-Fi is spearheading a lot of initiatives and in Sri Lanka, very soon, Wi-Fi is going to drive public access for internet at more than 1000 locations.

Speaking during the recently held CommunicAsia 2015 exposition in Singapore, Chanuka Wattegama, Director from Sri Lanka’s ICTA (Information and Communication Technology Agency) informed that the Island nation is set to roll out ‘Free Wi-Fi’ project in association with the Telco community in Sri Lanka.

“Telcos agree to offer 100 MB per month free of charge at 1000 public places in Sri Lanka. This can act as a catalyst for the market and open up new 1000 Wi-Fi hotspots otherwise not commercially viable. This can bring down broadband prices, improve broadband usage, enable new age demand generation for smart devices and move back the market from mobile to fixed sector,” he explained.

Powered by Carrier-Grade Wi-Fi deployment from the telco side, public Wi-Fi projects are fast becoming the basis for stretching broadband access for the common public in a number of countries including India, Singapore. Usually, the operators charge a minimum fee for accessing the public Wi-Fi once the free usage is consumed.