CHENNAI: Residents living within 200-metre radius of ration shops across TN may soon get Wi-Fi connection to access internet at nominal rates as the Department of Cooperation has asked its Joint Registrars of Cooperative Societies (JRCS) to conduct a feasibility study for converting them into data offices.Ration shops are proposed to be converted into Public Data Offices under Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme to provide affordable internet connection for mobile phones, laptops, smart TVs and other gadgets.
The feasibility study aims to evaluate availability of space in fair price shops, ownership of the building, location of shops (terrain), quality of the current internet service at the shops and a few other details.“We have not received technical specifications and tariff details for the Wi-Fi services from the Union government. We have asked JRCSs to check the feasibility of implementing the scheme and intimate the office,” said a top official from the cooperation department.
Tamil Nadu has 35,323 fair price shops, of which 10,279 are part-time shops. As many as 6,978 shops are functioning in rental buildings across the State. Each shop typically serves people residing within two or three km radius of the shop. Even remote, inaccessible and hilly regions of the State have ration shops.
According to the Union government guidelines, earnings generated through Wi-Fi hotspot will be credited to the ration shop or cooperative society to which the shop is attached. Residents in remote villages, hilly regions, and inaccessible locations can use the ration shops as internet hubs for personal and business use. Sources pointed out that a large chunk of mobile users in the State use internet services with speed ranging from 50kbps to 90 kbps.
A senior government official said the State has already set up Tamil Nadu Fibernet Corporation Ltd (TANFINET) to provide internet services to village panchayats and schools under Bharat Net Project, another Union government initiative.“Only after seeing the technical specification of the scheme and internet speed, we can project the patronage. The modalities for implementing the scheme are yet to be decided. After getting the reports from JRCS, a decision will be taken,” the official said.