Telcos want PM-Wani public hotspots programme to be disbanded

The Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM Wani) programme and the concept of public Wi-Fi in general is no more relevant in the country given the spread of affordable 4G and 5G services, telecom operators have told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

The rollout of public Wi-Fi hotspots is moving at a slow pace, with fall in average data usage per Wi-Fi hotspot to a few MBs, even as telcos focus on expansion of wireless Internet services in rural areas.