Public Wi-Fi expansion under the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface, or PM-WANI, has gathered pace across India. The scheme aims to strengthen broadband access through a decentralised, market-driven model in which local entrepreneurs operate public Wi-Fi hotspots. The government’s role is mainly policy support, while service delivery is handled by public data offices and related ecosystem partners.
PM-WANI Network Growth
As on 28 February 2026, 4,09,403 Public Data Offices, or PDOs, were operational under the PM-WANI framework across States and Union Territories. The scheme also had 207 Public Data Office Aggregators, or PDOAs, and 113 App Providers registered. States such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have emerged as major contributors in hotspot deployment.
User Adoption and Data Usage
The number of internet users who accessed PM-WANI hotspots till 28 February 2026 stood at 2,44,67,896. This indicates rising public use of shared Wi-Fi access points. Total data consumed through PM-WANI hotspots has reached about 58.64 petabytes since the launch of the scheme, showing growing dependence on public broadband access.
Policy Measures To Support Expansion
To improve viability, the government has allowed PDOs to use Fibre-to-the-Home connections and to aggregate multiple access points to a single backhaul. PDOs can also offer mobile data offloading services to telecom operators. In addition, PDOAs and App Providers may deliver promotional and branded content with user consent. Existing home and business Wi-Fi networks can now be integrated into the PM-WANI ecosystem, and roaming among PDOAs has been enabled for seamless access.
TRAI Tariff Order And Rural Focus
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued a tariff order on 16 June 2025 requiring Internet Service Providers to offer retail FTTH broadband plans up to 200 Mbps to PDOs at tariffs not exceeding twice the corresponding consumer broadband tariff. This is intended to improve affordability and support wider PM-WANI deployment, especially in rural and remote areas.
Last Modified: April 28, 2026