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Aekanet: One network unifying rural India

Aekanet One Network Unifying Rural India
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Aekanet One Network Unifying Rural India

It was on December 9, 2020 that the Union Cabinet approved the establishment of public Wi-Fi networks across the country known as the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The scheme aims to improve wireless internet access in the country by allowing normal people to set up public Wi-Fi hotspots without having to deal with the intricacies of licencing, AGR payments, and so on. These were provided through Public Data Offices (PDOs) and app providers. 

In remote places, internet connectivity has been an ongoing issue for many years. The situation was not different for many in a village called Kamila in Guthigar, Sullia. After the repeated request to Karnataka’s BSNL and to the officials, the provision of FTTH/Air fibre services was given to the people in this area. However, they were not accessible to the general public due to the high costs of connecting in every residence. The topography of the Western Ghats region too added to the problem of internet connectivity.

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However, the PM-WANI project taken up by the village has brought a ray of hope in the lives of many. Speaking to News Karnataka, Sai Ranjan Kalchar said, “Rural India suffers from poor connectivity. Though the situation with regard to internet connectivity has improved in recent years, in terms of 4G LTE connections, it is still not reliable or fast enough. As a result, I along with my friends, villagers, NGOs and rural co-operative societies explored the many possibilities available before settling on the rural Wi-Fi concept.”

The initiative is a for-profit social enterprise that aims to solve rural India’s connectivity problems. The villagers can now access the internet which provides high-speed connectivity of 100mb/s+.

When asked about the condition before the setup of rural Wi-Fi-hotspot, Kalchar explained that people used to climb trees, risking their lives, to get better connectivity. It also adversely affected essential post-Covid period activities such as online classes, work from home sessions, and so on. “To get connections to every property, people need to spend between Rs. 10,000 to Rs.15,000 all at once. A monthly price of Rs. 600, which includes BSNL FTTH basic plan of Rs. 499 and 18 per cent GST rounds up to Rs. 588.  As a result, a yearly recurring payment of Rs. 7,000 is required. Spending Rs. 7000 every year for a farmer’s daughter or son who consumes 30GB per month (1GB per day) for online education is a lot of money,” said Kalchar.

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After the installation of the Rural Wi-Fi, people can now connect to the network in the village’s common areas, which comes around 200 metres, such as the bus stop, temple, government offices, and panchayat buildings. “We have named the network as ‘Aekanet’, where Aeka means ‘One’ in Sanskrit or Kannada. It broadly means One network to unify Rural India,” he added.

He went on to say that the service has immensely helped the people of Kamila. “Students, in particular, no longer have to stand in the rain or sun or climb hills to attend their classes. Initially, we were testing the equipment and that’s when we got the help of Mahesh Puchhappady, who is an agriculturist and journalist. The Wi-Fi network in Kamila was up and running within 48 hours after receiving his message to assist the students. They can now receive internet without having to spend a large amount of money at a flat rate of Rs. 2 per GB. Thus, their monthly data spending will be between Rs. 50 and Rs. 60 and yearly they will have to pay approximately Rs. 720,” he added.

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Today, hundreds of people have internet access in Kamila, making their lives easier than ever before. “The journey of SELCO Solar in providing electricity to rural India has motivated us in initiating the Wi-Fi setup. For the residents of Kamila, Aekanet was a dream come true. The network is open for all and on a minimal per GB basis. It will soon be implemented in other villages such as Aranthodu, Thodikana and after that, we’ll expand it to include the entire taluk,” he concluded.

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Reshma B.

Reshma Babu, a young Postgraduate in Mass Communication and Journalism from St. Aloysius College, Mangalore University, utilises her considerable learned journalistic knowledge and inherent story writing and sub-editing abilities to add value to the company’s media brands and the editorial team. All dimensions of human interaction are her prime focus.

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