New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today approved the setting up of public WiFi networks across the country in a bid to strengthen the public WiFi service.
This Wi-Fi access network interface will be known as PM-WANI and there will be no licence fee for providing broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks.
This would be done by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) which will provide public WiFi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across the country.
Addressing media, the Information Technology (IT) Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Cabinet has taken a decision to launch PM- Wi-fi Access Network Interface-to unleash a massive Wi-Fi network in the country.”
With this, the government expects to accelerate the proliferation of broadband internet services through public WiFi networks in the country.
Public Data Office (PDO) will establish, maintain and operate Wi-Fi Access Points and deliver broadband services to subscribers, while Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) will act as an aggregator of PDOs and perform the functions relating to authorisation and accounting.
App provider will be responsible for developing application 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.
A Central Registry will maintain the details of app providers, PDOAs, and PDOs.
No registration would be required for PDOs, while PDOAs and app providers will get themselves registered with the telecom department through the online registration portal without paying any fee. The registration will be granted within seven days of applying.
-CHK`1
