USTDA to fund study to take broadband connectivity to 30mn in rural India

United States Trade and Development Agency will provide a grant to an internet service provider to conduct a study to take broadband connectivity to over 30 mn people in rural and peri-urban India

The United States Trade and Development Agency will provide a grant to an internet service provider to conduct a feasibility study to take broadband connectivity to over 30 million people in rural and peri-urban communities across India, an official release said.

The amount of the grant, however, was not disclosed.

The USTDA on Wednesday said projects such as this can transform communities and stimulate more inclusive economic growth.

It said the grant would be used to conduct a feasibility study to help expand broadband connectivity to more than 30 million people in rural and peri-urban communities across India.

The internet service provider, AirJaldi, selected Georgia-based Vernonburg Group LLC to conduct the study, the release said.

"Projects such as this can transform communities and stimulate more inclusive economic growth. AirJaldi's vision to provide reliable and affordable internet access to the underserved is one that USTDA is proud to share," said USTDA director Enoh T. Ebong.

"This project also reflects USTDA's commitment to bridge India's digital divide through partnerships with the US industry," he said.

According to USTDA, the study will evaluate the technical and economic viability of expanding AirJaldi's broadband network to new rural and peri-urban areas, as well as modelling sustainable business cases and scenarios for delivering affordable connectivity and value-added digital services for customers in these markets.

The study will identify and prioritise infrastructure investments for AirJaldi to expand broadband connectivity across 16 Indian states, design network architecture, evaluate technology options, provide a financing plan and assess other critical areas that will be necessary for the project's implementation.

"The provision of fast and reliable connectivity to underserved yet well-deserving communities in rural and semi-rural areas in India remains a challenge despite the great progress made in the past few years by multiple providers and partners across India, us included," said AirJaldi director Michael Ginguld.

"Maintaining the drive to realise universal access to fast, stable and economically and socially beneficial connectivity throughout the country requires considerable financial and human resources," he said.

The project advances the priorities of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework with the goal of developing, expanding, and deploying secure digital infrastructure to power economic growth and facilitate open digital societies, the release said.