AUSTIN, TX - March 24, 2008 - Wi-Fi technology adoption is on therise in India, and the world's most pervasive wireless local networkingtechnology is enabling social and economic development across the region,according to new research sponsored by the Wi-Fi Alliance and conducted byTonse Telecom. The report, titled "Wi-Fiin India: A Key Enabler of Economic, Social and Community Development," citesgrowing laptop sales, rising broadband penetration, and pervasive use of mobilephones for rich content transfer as key harbingers of widespread Wi-Fi useamong a growing segment of India's more than 1.1 billion citizens.
The studyforecasts that by 2011-2012, the market for Wi-Fi networking gear and services(excluding laptops, handsets, and chipsets) in India will top U.S. $890 million,marking a 36% compound annual growth rate from 2008. With real estate development exceeding 30%annual growth, deployment of Wi-Fi networks in new residential, retail andcorporate construction is cited as a key opportunity for Wi-Fi devicemanufacturers and service providers. Thepaper builds on previous research sponsored by the Wi-Fi Alliance and releasedin February 2007.
The reportprofiles the work of a non-profit organization, Byrraju Foundation, whichleverages Wi-Fi technology to connect rural farmers to experts in agriculture,remote patients to doctors, and young villagers to training and employmentopportunities. Also profiled in the report,startup venture O-Zone has set its sights on urban development, bringing Wi-Fiservice to consumers and mobile workers at home, in public places, and on thecorporate campus.
"We havenumerous members both within and outside of India who have engaged in thisexciting market, and clearly there is plenty of opportunity," said Wi-FiAlliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "Since Wi-Fi is a powerful, affordable, andproven technology, it is being used in innovative ways to aid the developmentof India'seconomy."
"Wi-Fi hasan important role to play in India'seconomic development," said Sridhar T. Pai, chief executive of TonseTelecom. "Wi-Fi brings high-throughput,easy-to-use last-mile connectivity to homes, offices, and public spaces and canenable communities and enterprises to grow and thrive."
Wi-Fiadoption patterns will be unique in India. According to the report, Wi-Fi adoption islikely to occur via handsets as well as notebook computers in India. India's more than 240 millioncellular subscribers increasingly use handsets for entertainment and socialnetworking applications. With Wi-Fi increasingly deployed as a feature on thehandset and the Wi-Fi hotspot footprint on the rise, many Indian residents arelikely to use Wi-Fi without ever owning a computer.
The paperis available for free registered download at www.wi-fi.org.
About theWi-Fi Alliance
TheWi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of morethan 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wirelessLocal Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience forwireless portable, mobile, and home entertainment devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance'stesting and certification programs help ensure the interoperability of WLANproducts based on the IEEE 802.11 specification. Since the introduction ofthe Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program in March 2000, morethan 4,000 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™,encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumerand enterprise markets.
Mediacontact: Edelmanfor Wi-Fi Alliance: Michael Diamond,michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1 650-429-2772.