Hyderabad: Public call offices that were swept away by the cellphone revolution more than a decade ago could make a comeback.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority (Trai) of India is planning to introduce Wi-Fi hotspot PCOs for data users in all cities.
The TRAI decision to be announced in a week will enable smartphone users to access public Wi-Fi hotspots cutting across mobile networks.
A source from Trai-Hyderabad said that almost all mobile operators and some internet service providers had set up hotspots, but these could be accessed only by their customers. Mobile users of one network cannot use the Wi-Fi hotspot of another network except for BSNL.
The new system of Wi-Fi hotspot PCOs will enable a smartphone user to access hotspots across other networks and ISPs, the source said.
The source said that PCOs with Wi-Fi will reduce data charges by 10 times compared to mobile-data. “We are planning to introduce the PCO system in all major cities by August. Once Trai releases guidelines for mobile operators, the network companies will fix the tariff,” the source said.
An official from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd the sharing of Wi-Fi between telecom operators was a good decision, but there may be problems like sharing of infrastructure and tariff. “A common portal is required for bringing the hotspots of all mobile operators under one roof,” he said.
He said BSNL had Wi-Fi connectivity across Hyderabad and major cities. “We plan to recharge vouchers for accessing Wi-Fi. Users of other networks can also utilise our hotspots by purchasing the recharge vouchers,” he said.
