TRAI releases draft tariff order for PM-WANI scheme to enhance public Wi-Fi

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released a draft Telecommunication Tariff (70th Amendment) Order, 2024 on “Regulatory framework for PM-WANI scheme”.

The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 under ‘Connect India’ mission had set the goal to enable deployment of 10 million public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2022 for creating a robust digital communication infrastructure. Further, the Bharat 6G Vision also sets the goal of 10 million public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2022 and 50 million by 2030 for Digital India 2030 mobile and broadband policy objectives. However, PM-Wani hotspot numbers presently are much below the targeted numbers, as envisaged in NDCP, 2018 document and in Bharat 6G vision document.

In November 2022, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in its communication to TRAI stated that the proliferation of the PM-WANI scheme is quite limited and far below the targets due to extremely high cost of backhaul internet connectivity charged by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from Public Data Offices (PDOs). Further, DoT has opined that in the name of commercial agreements, TSPs/ISPs often insist on PDOs to connect public Wi-Fi Access Points using expensive Internet Leased Lines (ILL) instead of regular Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband connections.

The Authority has analyzed this issue and is of the view that it is necessary to rationalize the cost of broadband connectivity to PDOs to pace up the proliferation of PM-WANI scheme. Accordingly, the Authority proposes that for the purpose of providing PM-WANI scheme, tariff for Public Data Office under PM-Wani scheme shall be same as is applicable for retail broadband (FTTH) connections.

BCS Bureau