PM-WANI scheme: All you need to know about the Centre’s nationwide public Wi-Fi network plan
The Prime Minister (PM) Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) is a Central government initiative announced by the Union Minister of Information Technology in August 2013. It was primarily planned to be implemented in partnership with state governments, but Ranjit Desai, then Minister of Communications and IT, announced that the project would be accessible to all Indian users for free.
As per the media reports, PM-WANI will provide free and unlimited internet connectivity to rural areas. The users will be able to use their mobile phones as internet connections to connect with remote locations like educational institutions, hospitals, colleges and government offices.
“It will also be a part of our Digital India mission,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday at a function organized by the CII in New Delhi.
“It is going to be a part of our Digital India mission.”
The PMWANI project can provide broadband connectivity to those who own mobile phones and everyone who is connected with the internet through their laptop or desktop computers. As per one report in The Economic Times, the government plans on using this project for 4 lakh schools across 1 lakh villages over two years. The state governments will be responsible for providing infrastructure that can support 4 lakh computers per school.
This ambitious project assumes significance due to its connection with Digital India, which aims to make India a digitally empowered nation by 2022 and focus on developing an information technology-enabled economy. Digital India has been described as an “innovative vision that hopes digital connectivity will allow millions more Indians access basic services such as banking, commerce, healthcare and education”. Modi also described it as “the single most important agenda of his tenure in office”.
The Prime Minister WiFi Access network interface (PM-WANI) project aims to enhance internet connectivity in the country, especially for low-income citizens. This project aims to provide a facility for internet connection in mobile phones and desktop computers based on the prime minister’s vision that ‘public will and infrastructure development go hand in hand.’ Working under the National Broadband Network (NBN), the PM-WANI project is expected to be completed by 2018.
The PM-WANI initiative is being implemented by the Department of Telecom (DoT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It has been channelized through the Centre’s Department of Telecommunications and is being implemented through Public Service Broadband Network Limited (PSBNL), a public sector undertaking that the Government of India set up as an inter-ministerial agency.
According to The Economic Times, according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman Rahul Khullar, it was decided that DoT would exclusively provide technology to build 11,000 3G base stations deployed across India. Under this scheme, 100 per cent coverage will be achieved for all government departments having a requirement for 4G LTE connectivity from 2015 onwards.
One of the key specifications in PM-WANI scheme is providing public WiFi hotspots at railway stations and airports across India. These wireless access points are known as “WiFi Link” hotspots which can be accessed through mobile Internet devices like smartphones or tablets. According to the DoT website, each WiFi Link hotspot has its own access point so that different users can access it directly from any device.
According to the TRAI website, each WiFi Hotspot has a unique identifier so that users can easily know if they are using WiFi hotspots or not; at any given time when they use their smartphones or tablets to browse the internet on their laptops or desktop computers.
According to the DoT website, each WiFI Link hotspot has its own ID, which is linked with an Aadhaar number so that whenever users log into their email on their smartphones or tablets, they will get an email with a unique identification number while they are using their mobile phones/tablets. This unique identification number will also help telecom operators track usage of these WiFI Link hotspots and monetize them by selling data usage rights for free services such as online games etc.
Prime Minister’s WiFi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) is an initiative of the Central Government, which aims to establish a national WiFi network and make this country the first in the world to achieve such a feature pack public WiFi.
The PM-WANI project is being implemented by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and has been developed on a cost-recovery basis with participation from the private sector, service providers, and public sector undertakings (PSUs). PM-WANI aims to facilitate access to public WiFi hotspots for people across India. With the introduction of PM-WANI, BSNL will provide connectivity to public WiFi hotspots across the country through its wireless access network.
PM-WANI scheme: All you need to know about the Centre’s nationwide public WiFi network plan With a few weeks remaining in the current fiscal year, we’re taking a look at how your government plans are shaping up. The PM-WANI project is designed to provide mobile Internet access at public WiFi hotspots in major cities across India. Though it isn’t only for users of smartphones and tablets, it will provide access to data and other services through Public WiFi networks that any one party or organization doesn’t control.
The PM-WANI project was launched on October 3rd, 2017, covering 1,053 cities across India. The project aims to cover all major cities in the country except Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata within five years.
On October 27th, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a scheme that promises wireless Internet access for everyone within “within five years”. We’ll be updating this post with more details about what exactly PM WANI means for citizens of India as we move closer to that goal.
The PM WANI project may be unique among all other projects proposed by different governments around the world; however, it isn’t completely new either, as it was previously mentioned before by another government agency back in 2016. The first step towards setting up such networks was taken by the Indian government itself back in 2008 when they came out with a policy that gave state governments authority over Internet service providers (ISPs). This policy allowed them to set up their own networks and charge individual users based on their usage rather than on subscription fees like most of us are used to today. These early plans were scrapped later in 2011 amid protests from activists who claimed that these measures violated Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech & expression.
With such concerns still lingering around this idea, several countries have decided not to implement this type of program, including Turkey, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, China & Malaysia. Despite this lack of support from other governments (like Turkey), some ISPs have voluntarily begun working towards creating their own network without any interference from authorities – a step forward for Indian citizens who want the same freedom they enjoy elsewhere around the world.
Prime Minister WiFi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) is a program to connect government offices, schools and hospitals with free wireless internet access. It aims at enhancing wireless internet connectivity in the country through an inter-agency framework of the central government.
The Prime Minister has already asked his ministers to establish a network of PM WiFi hotspots in each district for regular use by citizens.
The PM WIFI Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) program was launched in December 2016 after the Prime Minister announced that it would be implemented nationwide. At that time, there were no details about the cost or timeline for the PM WIFI hotspots project.
But now, the government has said that it plans to have wireless internet service by June 2017 at all government offices, schools and hospitals across India. A senior official from the Department of Telecommunications said that the PM WFI project would be rolled out in both rural & urban areas over a period of 3 years with an aim to provide affordable and high-quality internet access to citizens of India at affordable cost through their own homes or office locations. He also added that this scheme would cover around 100 lakh people during its initial phase, which would involve 25% of the total population across all states & union territories in India.
As per industry estimates, any country with a population exceeding 1 billion would need around 2 million hotspots per day to accommodate people who want to surf online while they are working or commuting on public transport. More than 40 million people in India do not have access to a high-speed mobile broadband provider like Airtel/Vodafone/Reliance Communications. In addition, about 20% of Indians don’t have access to any type of public WiFi network at all. Some European countries have more WiFi hotspots than India, even though their population is only halfway through its growth cycle! PM WIFI project will obviously increase digital connectivity among these people, but it is really important for us as users if we can benefit from it too!
The Government introduced PM-WANI on December 7, 2017. The project aims to provide low-cost, high-speed public WiFi connectivity to all Indian villages, towns and cities in a non-discriminatory and fair manner.
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Electronics & IT and supported by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), with a budget of Rs. 50 crore every year, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India campaign.
The PM-WANI is implemented in three phases:
Phase 1: November 2016 to December 2017
Phase 2: January 2018 to March 2018
Phase 3: April 2018 to June 2018
The project will be implemented in 15 states and Union territories across India, with more than 100 Public WiFi hotspots planned for each state and union territory.
Over 100 people have been trained on how to install public WiFi hotspots using Microsoft Azure Platform (Azure) or Microsoft Cognitive Services.
In addition, over 100 new machines have been purchased to implement the PM Wani Project, with an estimated cost of Rs. 2 Crores, which state governments will deploy for free.
As per the official website, around 19 million people are currently connected to public WiFi hotspots across India. The initiative aims at providing free access to internet services at affordable prices for almost 99% of Indians. It has also been claimed that over 4500 public WiFi hotspots will be provided for free if public WiFi hotspots are installed in all areas where there is no Internet connection. More than 19 million Indian households do not have access to the Internet, making up approximately 40% of Indian households. According to a report published in May 2015, as many as 80% of households do not have access to broadband internet service. The issue is particularly acute in rural areas as most households do not own fixed lines or mobile phones. People rely on mobile phone network operators and other Internet providers like Airtel, Vodafone etc.
PM Wani aims to provide low-cost, high-speed connectivity through Public WiFi Hotspots across India, which can be connected through any device without prior knowledge or technical skills about internet connectivity.
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