The inter-ministerial panel is likely to discuss a project proposed to provide wi-fi connectivity in rural areas at an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 crore.
The Department of Telecom and the Ministry of Rural Development are jointly considering extending wi-fi services in rural areas using the National Optical Fibre Network, which is being laid to connect 2.5 lakh villages with a high speed broadband network by 2015, sources said.This facility will allow rural consumers to connect to the Internet wirelessly without using mobile data services. Devices such as tablet computers that have only wi-fi connectivity are cheaper than those that can also use cellular data services.
The other issues proposed to be placed before the Telecom Commission are strengthening the communication network in the North East, status of the National Optical Fibre Network and various telecom development works.