WiFi performance continues to improve and it’s one of the easiest to install, simple to use and economical too. WiFi Access Points are now set up at home and in public hotspots, giving convenient internet access to everything from laptops to smartphones. Encryption technologies make WiFi secure, keeping out unwanted intruders from these wireless communications.

Globally there is 1 WiFi hotspot for every 150 people. As per a TAIPA report there are 31518 WiFi hotspots as of 31st March 2016. This includes the deployments in Hotels and Cafes. It is projected that Mobile Data Traffic will reach 1.7 Exabytes by 2020 (12 fold increase from 2015). WiFi shall carry a major share of this traffic generated in Public Hotpots and Mobile Data offload.

WiFi is at the core of Digital India initiative of the Government of India. Free Public hotspots can be a security hazard specially with the proliferation of Smart devices and confidential information residing on such smart devices. Challenges faced at the local level of Right of Way/ Licenses etc need to be sorted out in order to have a faster roll out of Public WiFi hotspots as well as increase Broadband penetration to the hinterland.

With this as the background Bharat Exhibitions is pleased to organize the WiFi India Summit 2018 on 21st February at Shangri-La, New Delhi. The objective of the summit is to highlight & discuss several technical and deployment related challenges that need to be addressed before such high speed connectivity can be provided ubiquitously through Wi-Fi hotspots. These challenges include authentication, security, coverage, network management, billing, and interoperability. The continuing rollout of hotspot deployment is being fuelled by the growing requirement for high-speed connectivity in public areas such as airports, shopping malls, conference venues, hotels, and so on. However, a successful and viable hotspot business model will depend on the extent that it can provide value for all its stakeholders – the end user, the network service provider, and the building and premise owners. In particular, for the end user to benefit, the system has to provide a mechanism that is easy to use, economically attractive, and provides fast access in a transparent, device independent, and access-technology independent manner.