White-Fi or television White-Space technology works like Wi-Fi on a bigger scale. "TV White-Space technology puts the unused spectrum in the TV channels to a good effect," Prashant Shukla, national technology officer at Microsoft India, told ET. "This technology has potential to provide free connectivity to large sections of the Indian population through wider coverage and economical deployment and licence-free access."
Microsoft argues that low density of population and low-income group segments remain unattractive to commercial telecom providers, and in such a scenario, White-Fi technology can be best suited to provide digital connectivity.
To make India truly digital, it is critical to extend broadband in rural India, which has little or no digital connectivity wherein innovative technologies such as TV White-Space can make a big difference and successfully help connect India's population, Shukla said.
Technology that can run on solar power, according to the company, can not only make use of existing infrastructure but also help in bridging the digital divide and bring the unconnected consumers to the mainstream.
Microsoft is working with the government to obtain necessary approvals to run pilots and make White-Fi a viable technology for India. "The business model that we are looking at ensures last mile connectivity, and can facilitate better delivery of citizen services in both urban and rural areas," Shukla added.
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