Lok Sabha Question No. 2910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-03
Subject: PM WANI
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Bhavana Gawali (Patil), Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar, Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2910 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD  AUGUST, 2022

## PM WANI

| †2910.       | SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI: SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI: SHRIOMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH alias PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRIMAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:                       |
|--------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (a) scheme;  | the salient features of Prime Minister's Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI)                                                                                                 |
| (b) in       | whether public Wi-Fi network is likely to be set up in every part of the country particularly Osmanabad Parliamentary constituency of Maharashtra and if so, the details thereof; |
| (c)          | the time by which the said Wi-Fi network is likely to be set-up in every part of the country;                                                                                     |
| (d)          | whether the Government has fixed any time limit in this regard and if so, the details thereof;                                                                                    |
| (e)          | the State-wise number of the said Wi-Fi network set up so far;                                                                                                                    |
| (f)          | the district-wise and area-wise details of the said Wi-Fi network set up in Dadra & Nagar Haveli/Daman &Diu and Maharashtra;                                                      |
| (g) are      | whether the Government is formulating any scheme to ensure data security of users who using the said Wi-Fi networks and if so, the details thereof;                               |
| (h)          | the details of the issues faced till now and the steps taken to address them; and                                                                                                 |
| (i) measures | the measures undertaken to curb security and privacy risks in this regard and the other proposed to be taken to improve digital access in the country?                            |

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

- (a) Prime  Minister's  Wi-Fi  Access  Network  Interface  (PM-WANI)  framework  enables provision  of  broadband  through  a  distributed  architecture  and  unbundling  of  functions. Main entities under this framework are:

- (i) Application  (App)  Providers  -  to  register  users  and  discover  WANI  compliant  Wi-Fi hotspots in the nearby area and display the same within the App for accessing the internet service.
- (ii) Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) - to act as aggregator of Public Data Offices (PDOs) and to perform the functions relating to Authorization and Accounting.
- (iii) Public Data Offices (PDOs) - to establish, maintain, and operate PM WANI compliant WiFi Access Points and deliver broadband services to subscribers.
- (iv) Central Registry - to maintain the details of App Providers, PDOAs, and PDOs.

These entities are neither required to take any license nor pay any fee to the Government. The details of the said framework are available at website https://pmwani.gov.in .

(b) to (d) Entities registered under the PM WANI framework set up Public Wi-Fi Access Points purely on commercial considerations. Government has not mandated them to set up Public Wi-Fi Access Points in any specific area of the country, under this framework.

- (e) Information is enclosed as Annexure-A.
- (f) Information is enclosed as Annexure-B.

(g) to (i) As  regards  data  security  and  privacy  of  users,  PM-WANI  framework  and guidelines, inter-alia, state thus:

- (i) Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) shall make necessary provisions for storage of user data for one year to ensure compliance with legal provisions, as required.
- (ii) The  user  data  privacy  will  be  ensured  by  Application  Providers  (App  Providers)  and PDOAs. Complete user data and usage logs will be stored within India.
- (iii) Subject to terms and conditions of the Registration, the App Provider, PDOA and Central Registry Provider will take all necessary steps to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of any information about a third party to whom it provides the service.

To bridge the digital divide and provide affordable broadband for all, the department has launched National Broadband Mission (NBM) on 17th December 2019. PM-WANI framework also  enables  provision  of  broadband  services  in  the  country  through  Public  Wi-Fi  (Wireless Fidelity).

State / Union Territory wise number of PM WANI Hotspots

| Serial Number   | State / Union Territory   |   Number of Hotspots |
|-----------------|---------------------------|----------------------|
| 1               | Andaman &Nicobar          |                    8 |
| 2               | Andhra Pradesh            |                 5145 |
| 3               | Arunachal Pradesh         |                  584 |
| 4               | Assam                     |                  569 |
| 5               | Bihar                     |                 2646 |
| 6               | Chandigarh                |                  254 |
| 7               | Chhattisgarh              |                 2535 |
| 8               | Delhi                     |                12165 |
| 9               | Dadra and Nagar Haveli    |                    0 |
| 10              | Daman and Diu             |                    0 |
| 11              | Goa                       |                  378 |
| 12              | Gujarat                   |                 3038 |
| 13              | Himachal Pradesh          |                  501 |
| 14              | Haryana                   |                 2986 |
| 15              | Jharkhand                 |                  827 |
| 16              | Jammu &Kashmir            |                 1292 |
| 17              | Karnataka                 |                16806 |
| 18              | Kerala                    |                 3692 |
| 19              | Ladakh                    |                  343 |
| 20              | Lakshadweep               |                    1 |
| 21              | Maharashtra               |                12969 |
| 22              | Meghalaya                 |                  140 |
| 23              | Manipur                   |                    7 |
| 24              | Madhya Pradesh            |                 6177 |
| 25              | Mizoram                   |                    1 |
| 26              | Nagaland                  |                   29 |
| 27              | Odisha                    |                 1937 |
| 28              | Punjab                    |                 3353 |
| 29              | Puducherry                |                   63 |
| 30              | Rajasthan                 |                 1918 |
| 31              | Sikkim                    |                    7 |
| 32              | Telangana                 |                 3571 |
| 33              | Tamil Nadu                |                 6242 |
| 34              | Tripura                   |                  297 |
| 35              | Uttarakhand               |                  671 |
| 36              | Uttar Pradesh             |                 6411 |
| 37              | West Bengal               |                 2830 |
| TOTAL           | TOTAL                     |               100393 |

## District wise PM WANI Hotspots in Dadra & Nagar Haveli,  Daman & Diu and Maharashtra

| Maharashtra         | Maharashtra         | Maharashtra        |
|---------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
| Serial Number       | District            | Number of Hotspots |
| 1                   | AHMEDNAGAR          | 735                |
| 2                   | AKOLA               | 278                |
| 3                   | AMRAVATI            | 233                |
| 4                   | AURANGABAD          | 217                |
| 5                   | BEED                | 221                |
| 6                   | BHANDARA            | 180                |
| 7                   | BULDHANA            | 223                |
| 8                   | CHANDRAPUR          | 249                |
| 9                   | DHULE               | 160                |
| 10                  | GADCHIROLI          | 159                |
| 11                  | GONDIA              | 227                |
| 12                  | HINGOLI             | 11                 |
| 13                  | JALGAON             | 482                |
| 14                  | JALNA               | 99                 |
| 15                  | KOLHAPUR            | 515                |
| 16                  | LATUR               | 246                |
| 17                  | MUMBAI CITY         | 1360               |
| 18                  | MUMBAI SUBURBAN     | 590                |
| 19                  | NAGPUR              | 367                |
| 20                  | NANDED              | 234                |
| 21                  | NANDURBAR           | 68                 |
| 22                  | NASHIK              | 729                |
| 23                  | OSMANABAD           | 192                |
| 24                  | PALGHAR             | 245                |
| 25                  | PARBHANI            | 132                |
| 26                  | PUNE                | 1860               |
| 27                  | RAIGAD              | 316                |
| 28                  | RATNAGIRI           | 350                |
| 29                  | SANGLI              | 541                |
| 30                  | SATARA              | 395                |
| 31                  | SINDHUDURG          | 233                |
| 32                  | SOLAPUR             | 385                |
| 33                  | THANE               | 356                |
| 34                  | WARDHA              | 152                |
| 35                  | WASHIM              | 66                 |
| 36                  | YAVATMAL            | 163                |
| Total               | Total               | 12969              |
| Dadra &Nagar Haveli | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | Nil                |
| Daman &Diu          | Daman &Diu          | Nil                |

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