TRAI issues Tariff Order for Affordable Wi-Fi

• 17 Jun 2025
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The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has welcomed TRAI’s latest move to make public Wi-Fi more affordable and accessible. On 16 June 2025, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the 71st Amendment to its Telecommunication Tariff Order to direct that all retail FTTH broadband plans offering speeds up to 200 Mbps be made available to Public Data Offices (PDOs) at no more than twice the retail price offered to regular consumers.

This change may significantly lower the cost of internet backhaul for public Wi-Fi hotspots and potentially make it up to ten times more cost effective. It’s a major step toward expansion of access to affordable internet especially for underserved and rural communities.

The decision supports the vision of “Broadband for All” under the PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) initiative. Launched to improve public internet access and boost digital inclusion, PM-WANI continues to open new economic opportunities for small businesses and local entrepreneurs.

TRAI’s updated tariff order comes in response to a request from the DoT. It had raised concerns about internet connections' high cost and the burden of expensive leased line agreements. These challenges were preventing small businesses as well as shop owners from signing up as PDOs and slowed down the growth of the public Wi-Fi ecosystem.

In order to tackle these barriers, the DoT had earlier rolled out a set of key reforms on 16 September 2024. They were designed to make it easier and more profitable for individuals as well as small businesses to participate in the PM WANI framework.

Now, multiple Wi-Fi access points can operate using a single backhaul connection and allow for a broader coverage without additional infrastructure costs. People can add a public Wi-Fi network (SSID) alongside their existing private one and make it possible to earn money using the setup they already have.

Users can now move seamlessly between networks operated by different PDO Aggregators, supported by a unified payment system. PDOs can partner with telecom companies to ease mobile network congestion and earn additional income.

With user permission, targeted promotions and content can be offered through Wi-Fi apps and PDOs and create new ways to generate revenue. These efforts combined with TRAI’s new tariff cap are expected to lower entry barriers, encourage more small-scale PDOs and speed up the rollout of public Wi-Fi across India. This will help reconcile the digital divide and also give a boost to local entrepreneurship.

The DoT remains committed to working alongside TRAI, telecom providers, PDOs and other partners to ensure that high-speed internet reaches every part of the country in a way that is quick, reliable and affordable.

What is PM WANI?

PM WANI is short for Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface. The Union Cabinet approved it on 9 December 2020. The goal of PM WANI is to create a widespread network of public Wi-Fi hotspots across India and support the broader objectives of the National Digital Communications Policy 2018.

The framework includes several key players like Public Data Offices (PDOs), PDO Aggregators (PDOAs), App Providers and a Central Registry maintained by C-DOT. Importantly, there’s no license or registration fee required for PDOs or PDOAs, making it easy for anyone to join.

To use the service, people can simply download a mobile app, complete a quick authentication and connect to a nearby PM-WANI hotspot. As of now, there are 333,215 PM WANI hotspots in operation across India, supported by 205 PDO Aggregators and 111 App Providers and these numbers continue to grow.

Source: PIB