+
TRAI Caps PM-WANI Tariffs to Boost Affordable Public Wi-Fi
ECONOMY & POLICY

TRAI Caps PM-WANI Tariffs to Boost Affordable Public Wi-Fi

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has welcomed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025 (PR 46/2025), issued on 16 June 2025. This amendment mandates that all retail FTTH broadband plans up to 200 Mbps must be offered to Public Data Offices (PDOs) at prices not exceeding twice the consumer broadband rate. This ceiling is expected to significantly reduce the backhaul costs for public Wi-Fi hotspots—by as much as tenfold. 
 
Introduced under the Prime Minister’s “Broadband for All” initiative, the PM-WANI scheme continues to improve public internet access, foster digital inclusion, and generate economic prospects across both urban centres and underserved areas. 
 
This revised tariff order follows a request from the DoT to TRAI, urging a review of backhaul tariffs under the PM-WANI scheme. The reference pointed out that high broadband costs and the requirement for costly leased line contracts were deterring local shopkeepers and small businesses from becoming PDOs, thus slowing the programme’s expansion. 
Previously, on 16 September 2024, the DoT announced a range of reforms within the PM-WANI framework aimed at resolving existing barriers to public Wi-Fi growth. Notable measures included: 

Backhaul Aggregation: Allowing multiple access points to share a single backhaul connection, enabling wider coverage without added cost. 
 
Dual-SSID Home/Business Integration: Permitting private Wi-Fi access points to host public SSIDs, opening up new revenue streams using existing infrastructure. 
 
Roaming Across PDOAs: Enabling seamless user movement across different PDO Aggregator networks, supported by a unified payment system. 
 
Mobile Data Offload Tie-ups: Allowing PDOs to collaborate with telecom service providers to ease spectrum load and boost income. 
 
Ad-Push Capabilities: With user consent, PDO Aggregators and App Providers can deliver tailored promotions and content, creating new monetisation options. 
 
These combined efforts—TRAI’s pricing cap and DoT’s structural reforms—are set to enhance affordability for small PDO operators, encourage grassroots participation, and drive the expansion of public Wi-Fi access, narrowing the digital divide and supporting local enterprise. 
 
The DoT reiterated its dedication to working closely with TRAI, telecom providers, PDOs, and stakeholders to ensure swift rollout, dependable service, and inclusive connectivity nationwide. 

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has welcomed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025 (PR 46/2025), issued on 16 June 2025. This amendment mandates that all retail FTTH broadband plans up to 200 Mbps must be offered to Public Data Offices (PDOs) at prices not exceeding twice the consumer broadband rate. This ceiling is expected to significantly reduce the backhaul costs for public Wi-Fi hotspots—by as much as tenfold.  Introduced under the Prime Minister’s “Broadband for All” initiative, the PM-WANI scheme continues to improve public internet access, foster digital inclusion, and generate economic prospects across both urban centres and underserved areas.  This revised tariff order follows a request from the DoT to TRAI, urging a review of backhaul tariffs under the PM-WANI scheme. The reference pointed out that high broadband costs and the requirement for costly leased line contracts were deterring local shopkeepers and small businesses from becoming PDOs, thus slowing the programme’s expansion. Previously, on 16 September 2024, the DoT announced a range of reforms within the PM-WANI framework aimed at resolving existing barriers to public Wi-Fi growth. Notable measures included: Backhaul Aggregation: Allowing multiple access points to share a single backhaul connection, enabling wider coverage without added cost.  Dual-SSID Home/Business Integration: Permitting private Wi-Fi access points to host public SSIDs, opening up new revenue streams using existing infrastructure.  Roaming Across PDOAs: Enabling seamless user movement across different PDO Aggregator networks, supported by a unified payment system.  Mobile Data Offload Tie-ups: Allowing PDOs to collaborate with telecom service providers to ease spectrum load and boost income.  Ad-Push Capabilities: With user consent, PDO Aggregators and App Providers can deliver tailored promotions and content, creating new monetisation options.  These combined efforts—TRAI’s pricing cap and DoT’s structural reforms—are set to enhance affordability for small PDO operators, encourage grassroots participation, and drive the expansion of public Wi-Fi access, narrowing the digital divide and supporting local enterprise.  The DoT reiterated its dedication to working closely with TRAI, telecom providers, PDOs, and stakeholders to ensure swift rollout, dependable service, and inclusive connectivity nationwide. 

Next Story
Real Estate

No glass boxes!

India is moving away from the ‘glass box’ syndrome, all-glass façades that were widely used in commercial buildings in the last two decades but came at a significant environmental cost given the country’s predominantly hot and humid climate. Poor thermal performance, excessive heat gain and dependency on mechanical cooling systems made buildings with glass façades energy guzzlers and significantly increased their carbon footprint.That said, it’s important to be aware that “glass is not the enemy,” points out Heena Bhargava, Architect, Architecture Discipline. “How it ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Why do pavements fail?

India’s highways continue to expand at a healthy pace. But conversations on the surface quality of highways are growing louder because major deficiencies and black spots continue to be identified, and they are cause for concern.“Road surface roughness causes vehicle vibrations that, in turn, can affect the performance of drivers,” explains Dr V K Gahlot, Road Safety Auditor, Centre for Research and Sustainable Development (CfRSD). “Continuous exposure may induce fatigue, a contributory factor to road accidents. Road surface roughness also affects the vehicle operating cost...

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

APAC Logistics Rents Fall for First Time Since 2020

Logistics rents across the Asia-Pacific region declined 0.4% year-on-year in H1 2025, marking the first annual drop since 2020, according to Knight Frank’s Logistics Highlights H1 2025 report. Despite global trade tensions and cautious occupier sentiment, India emerged as a standout performer, driven by robust manufacturing momentum and supply chain recalibration.Regional Trends and DivergenceWhile rents largely remained stable across most markets, regional differences became more pronounced:Mainland China continued to see rental declines, though the pace of decline moderated to 12.8% YoY, s..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?