Modi Government pursuing bold strategies, says expert

Washington: India is pursuing bold strategies to achieve the ambitious goal of universal Internet access by 2022, a top Indian American official has said, highlighting the challenges in building broadband networks in rural areas.

The Indian government is working to improve the online infrastructure and Internet connectivity through the 'Digital India' programme with a vision to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

"I commend Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the Indian government for their ambitious goals of universal Internet access by 2022 and fixed broadband access to 50 per cent of households by 2022," Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said at the India Ideas summit of US-India Business Council here on Wednesday.

"To meet these targets, they're pursuing bold strategies such as installing two million public Wi-Fi hotspots in rural areas and redesigning and expanding the Universal Service Obligation Fund," he said.

Pai said despite the good news, millions of Indians and Americans still live in rural areas where there is currently no case for the private sector alone to build broadband networks.

"As is the case in parts of Assam, Uttarakhand and Karnataka, we have communities in Alaska, Utah and Kansas that don't have access," he said.