Current Context : According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), only 2,07,642 PM-Wani Wi-Fi hotspots had been deployed across the country as of 22 July. This falls well short of the target of 50 lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2020 and 1 crore by December 2022.

ABOUT PRIME MINISTER’S WI-FI ACCESS NETWORK INTERFACE (PM-WANI)

• It is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at expanding and enhancing public Wi-Fi access across the country.
• It is part of the broader Digital India program.
• Aim : to provide free or low-cost public Wi-Fi access across India, especially in rural and underserved areas.
• Launched on 09 December 2020 by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• This includes installing Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas such as parks, bus stations, railway stations, and more.