PM- WANI is the right tool to achieve the objectives of creating millions of inter-operable Wi-Fi Hotspots in India : Consumer Voice Advisor
It took almost seven years after the internet was first thrown open to the public in 1995 to reach 1 percent of India’s population, and another nine years for this figure to cross 10 percent.
Dec 18, 2020 10:29:50 IST
The Union Cabinet, on 9 December, approved the establishment of public Wi-Fi networks across the country. It was really heartening to see that most of the suggestions given (by the writer of this column) to the TRAI during the consultation process initiated in 2016, were heeded. Public WiFi will be provided through Public Data Offices (PDOs) via a Central government scheme called the Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI).
Updated Dec 16, 2020 | 15:04 IST
The next revolution in connectivity necessitates reliable and cheap internet for the masses so that India can leapfrog from the existing digital divide, which has social and economic implications. Representational image | Photo Credit: iStock Images
Key Highlights
It is anticipated that PM-WANI will be business-friendly and complement the government’s ease of doing business initiatives
Besides generating employment, such a public Wi-Fi network will boost disposable incomes of small and medium entrepreneurs
Crucially, there is no license fee for providing broadband internet services
Last week the Union cabinet approved a framework to usher in a “massive Wi-Fi revolution in the country”, in the words of Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, by accelerating the proliferation of broadband internet services via a public Wi-Fi network.
PM-WANI has the potential to revolutionise the way India accesses the internet
Without good execution, PM-WANI is merely an exciting concept on paper. However, if done right, PM-WANI will give a fillip to small businesses. Updated: December 16, 2020 9:23:25 am
There are two dimensions along which PM-WANI has broken away from the past regulatory and technology.
Build for a billion. That has been the vision behind India’s successful innovations, such as Aadhaar or UPI. These solutions had to be frugal, or the people could not afford them; interoperable, so competition could be harnessed to create value for the consumer; and easy to roll out, for the benefits to quickly reach our countrymen in the remotest areas.
From a digital India to a digital Bharat
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December 15, 2020 23:27 IST
The PM-WANI project seems to fit within the framework of an evolving decentralised concept to bridge the e-divide
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The PM-WANI project seems to fit within the framework of an evolving decentralised concept to bridge the e-divide
̥The term ‘game changer’ is sometimes used too freely in the context of conversations related to policy, especially when it comes to government policy initiatives. It is not always true, and can come across as hyperbole, and a marketing term to make the potential impact of certain initiatives seem larger than they actually are.
India s government has given its blessing to plans for a nationwide system of Wi-Fi hotspots.
The public Wi-Fi network will be set up by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs), which will provide Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs). Essentially, the PDO will establish and operate the Wi-Fi access point and deliver broadband services to the end-user.
In the meantime, the PDOA will take care of accounting and administrative tasks. Its new app will allow users to register their details and find nearby Wi-Fi hotspots. The model is similar to that of the Public Call Office (PCO), which unleashed a telecom revolution in India in the 1990s.