{"id":253415,"date":"2023-07-25T20:32:33","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T15:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=253415"},"modified":"2023-08-31T10:40:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T05:10:58","slug":"wi-fi-hotspot-pouches-internet-from-a-sachet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wi-fi-hotspot-pouches-internet-from-a-sachet\/","title":{"rendered":"Wi-fi hotspot pouches: Internet from a sachet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Source:<\/strong> The post is based on the article \u201cWi-fi hotspot pouches: Internet from a sachet<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201cThe Indian express\u201d on 25th July 2023.<\/p>\n

Syllabus:<\/strong> GS 3- Infrastructure ( Digital ) & Awareness in the fields of IT<\/p>\n

News:<\/strong> In this article author is talking about PM-WANI, a system in India that allows people to access the internet using local Wi-Fi hotspots. The system is cheaper and helps those who can’t afford normal internet rates. This can improve internet access in rural and poor areas of India.<\/p>\n

About digital infrastructure transformation in India <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Connectivity Boom<\/strong>: India has over a billion mobile connections and 4G coverage. Data cost has dropped from Rs 300 per GB to Rs 7 per GB.<\/p>\n

Digital Transactions Rise:<\/strong> Due to policies like Net Neutrality and UPI, digital transactions are increasing.<\/p>\n

Data Demand Surges:<\/strong> India’s monthly data consumption is 19.5 GB per person. There’s a gap between demand and supply, especially in rural areas.<\/p>\n

Low home broadband penetration:<\/strong> Currently, India\u2019s home broadband penetration stands at one of the lowest in the world, hovering at around 10 per cent.<\/p>\n

What is PM WANI?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) is a concept introduced by TRAI in 2017 to create interoperable public Wi-Fi hotspots. The vision was to offer connectivity via local providers known as Public Data Offices (PDOs). Building on the success of the WANI pilot, the Indian government introduced PM-WANI, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2020 to implement the WANI vision on a broader scale.<\/p>\n

Benefits of PM-WANI:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Affordable Connectivity:<\/strong> With PM-WANI, over a million people are accessing unlimited Internet daily by paying just Rs 5 to 10. For comparison, students are now opting for this “sachet internet” over chips or soft drinks.<\/p>\n

Boosting Local Economy:<\/strong> Local shops and households can become PDOs, setting up Wi-Fi hotspots. This not only promotes affordable internet usage but also augments their earnings.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure Utilization:<\/strong> Existing infrastructure by companies like RailTel and GAIL, which is currently underused, can be effectively tapped into for PM-WANI.<\/p>\n

Benefits for ISPs and Telcos<\/strong>: These major providers can sell more bandwidth by transforming their customers into retailers.<\/p>\n

Bridging the Digital Divide:<\/strong> With a low home broadband penetration of around 10% in India, PM-WANI offers an opportunity to improve internet access, especially in underserved areas.<\/p>\n

What should be done?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Promote PM-WANI:<\/strong> Given the successful pilot of WANI and the subsequent approval of PM-WANI in December 2020, there’s a need to actively promote this initiative. Over 1.5 lakh hotspots have been set up, benefiting millions.<\/p>\n

Engage Stakeholders:<\/strong> Governments, startups, and civil society should collaborate to enhance the reach of this Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).<\/p>\n

Capitalize on Underutilized Infrastructure:<\/strong> Infrastructure from companies like RailTel and GAIL should be tapped into more effectively, boosting PM-WANI’s potential in underserved areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: The post is based on the article \u201cWi-fi hotspot pouches: Internet from a sachet\u201d published in \u201cThe Indian express\u201d on 25th July 2023. Syllabus: GS 3- Infrastructure ( Digital ) & Awareness in the fields of IT News: In this article author is talking about PM-WANI, a system in India that allows people to… Continue reading Wi-fi hotspot pouches: Internet from a sachet<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,9],"tags":[216,10500,242],"class_list":["post-253415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-public","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-indian-express","tag-science-and-technology","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1700189119},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253415\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}