are located close to the highway comprised one group and 10 villages that are located in the remote tribal areas comprised the second group. The 4-P model is being validated in the two groups to test the model's viability, scalability, replicability and adoption in different village contexts.
The first step in the validation process has been to look at the traffic data of all 25 villages. The network went live in October 2017. Initial analysis of the traffic data from all the villages suggests that connectivity is being used by the people. Data from October 2017 to March 2018 (as illustrated in Figure 3) show an increase in number of users and in data usage. This can be viewed as a satisfactory service in terms of internet availability and speed.
Figure 3. Data usage and number of users from traffic data
Data on monthly uploads and downloads by the internet users in these villages shows that there are more downloads than uploads. From October 2017 to March 2018, downloads increased from 96 GB to 154 GB. While uploads account for less data usage than downloads they are also increasing, from 6 GB to 15 GB. This is in line with consumer patterns where downloads are more than uploads.
The traffic data of the 25 villages also gives a broad overview of the utilisation of bandwidth by the users in the form of websites most visited. As shown in Figure 4, 40% of the bandwidth has been used for Windows updates, followed by YouTube, Hotstar  and visits to Microsoft.com. In the case of Windows updates, this is likely to be the result of automatic updates by the software vendor. Due to the high illiteracy levels (60% in these villages), users say that they are unable to do keyword searches. As a result they prefer sites like YouTube and Hotstar.
Figure 4. Websites most visited by the users
Revenue generation as part of the 4-P model
In the 15 villages cluster (the first group), the revenue model is through the local ISP. The local ISP has enabled 2 Mbps bandwidth at each Gram Panchayat office and gets directly paid by the Gram Panchayat. The local ISP further sells the bandwidth inside the village as part of its marketing strategy and generates revenue from the connectivity. The Gram Panchayat office pays a fixed price of INR 1,000 (USD 14) for 2 Mbps of bandwidth. This cost includes the bandwidth cost, operation and maintenance of the link and device cost if the device needs replacement due to damage. However, as the Gram Panchayat office does not use the entire bandwidth, the unused bandwidth is sold to the villagers in the form of “pay as you use” daily coupons of a duration of one hour each costing INR 10 (USD 0.14). This connectivity is accessed at the Gram Panchayat office. It has been observed that an average of five to 10 people use the internet at the Gram Panchayat office per day, which totals INR 50 to INR 100 (USD 0.70 to USD 1.40) per day and results in a monthly income of INR 1500 to INR 3000 (USD 21 to USD 42). This contributes to the monthly revenue of the Gram Panchayat. Out of this amount, INR 1,000 (USD 14) is paid to the local ISP, as noted above. The Gram Panchayat office plans to use the accumulated amount for development activities within the village.
The second set of 10 villages has a VLE-focused revenue model, where CSC Wi-Fi Choupal has acquired 30 Mbps bandwidth from a local ISP and distributes the same to different villages depending on internet use and number of customers in each village. The VLEs maintain the network in these villages and sell bandwidth to the villagers in the form of coupons based on the fixed pricing plan. The monthly customer base of the VLEs includes new customers as well as returning customers. The revenue plan of the VLEs has been devised in a way that it maximises profit for the VLE, thereby providing incentive to perform. It has been observed that of the coupons sold per month, 40% of the coupons are of INR 10 (USD 0.14) in value, which gives 500 Mb of data for 10 days. The next most popular coupon amount, accounting for 22% of purchases, is INR 100 (USD 1.40), which is valid fo