Lok Sabha Question No. 261 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Status of PM-WANI in the North-Eastern Region
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 261 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH  NOVEMBER, 2024

## STATUS OF PM-WANI IN THE NORTH-EASTERN REGION

## 261 SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details regarding the number of Public Data Offices (PDOs) that have been set up under Prime Minister's WiFi Access Interface (PM-WANI) since its inception and the number of hotspots that the Government had targeted to be set up by 2022 and 2030 respectively;
- (b) the details regarding the number of PDOs that have been set up in the North-Eastern Region (NER) since the scheme's inception and the target set for these, State-wise;
- (c) the average yearly cost charged on PDOs by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in the NER and the all India average cost charged on PDOs; and
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any studies or surveys examining the challenges associated with providing broadband Wi-Fi services in rural areas of the NER?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) The  Prime  Minister's  Wi-Fi  Access  Network  Interface  (PM-WANI)  framework  aims  to accelerate proliferation of internet services by setting up public Wi-Fi Access points in the country with the objective of building digital India and consequential benefits thereon. The total number of Prime Minister's Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) hotspots installed in the country as on 21.11.2024 are 246993. The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 aimed deployment of 10 million public Wi-Fi Hotspots by 2022.
- (b) Public  Data  Office  Aggregators  (PDOAs)  registered  under  the  PM  -  WANI  framework provide internet service through their Public Data Offices (PDOs) based on their techno commercial considerations.  Number  of  PDOs  set  up  under  the  PM-WANI  scheme  since  inception  in  North Eastern Region, state-wise, as on 21.11.2024, are as follows:

| Serial Number   | Name of State     |   No. of Wi-Fi hotspots |
|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------------|
| 1.              | Arunachal Pradesh |                    1017 |
| 2.              | Manipur           |                      19 |
| 3.              | Meghalaya         |                     256 |
| 4.              | Mizoram           |                      03 |
| 5.              | Nagaland          |                      78 |
| 6.              | Tripura           |                     309 |
|                 | TOTAL             |                    1682 |

(c) The average yearly cost charged on PDOs by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Telecom Service  Providers  (TSPs)  in  the  NER  and  the  all  India  average  cost  charged  on  PDOs  is  not maintained.

(d) No  such  study  or  survey  has  been  conducted  by  the  Department.  However,  a  slew  of interventions in the existing PM-WANI Framework and Guidelines for Registrations has been issued on 16.09.2024 to address the issues relating to the proliferation of Public Wi-Fi Hotspots. The details are available on https://dot.gov.in.

*****