Daily Briefing Current Affairs

BharatNet Should Become a Common Carrier for India's Public Wi-Fi

An opinion piece by former TRAI chairman R.S. Sharma revives the case for converging BharatNet with PM-WANI. It comes after TRAI's June 2025 tariff order capping broadband prices for Public Data Offices and with PM-WANI hotspots at about 4.27 lakh. Former TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma argues that the PM-WANI public Wi-Fi scheme has stalled due to exorbitant backhaul costs and incumbent telecom resistance, leaving India with only…