CONNECTING MORE PEOPLE
NEWS The Union Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM WANI) scheme, which aims to bridge that divide using wireless.
CONTEXT The proposed scheme seeks to set up Public Wi-Fi Networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs). There shall be no license fee for providing Broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks.
NEED OF THE SCHEME
The National Digital Communication Policy, 2018 has set the target of reaching the internet to 5 million people by 2020 and 10 million by 2022. India is way behind these targets. Therefore, it is essential to give a boost to the Wi-Fi programmes in the country.
BENEFITS
- Promote growth of Public Wi-Fi Networks in the country
- Accelerate proliferation of Broadband Internet
- Enhance income, employment and empowerment of people
- Provide options like e-commerce, entertainment, online education, telehealth, agriculture extension, etc.
- Greater accountability to government by boosting transparency and interactivity, as it will reduce the layers of bureaucracy and eliminate license and fees
- Low-cost option to reach unserved citizens
- Three years ago, TRAI, after its first pilot of a public wi-fi system on the WANI architecture, noted that a 10% rise in net penetration will lead to a 1.4% increase in GDP.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR RURAL INDIA
- A rapid scale-up of the Internet in rural India will be transformative, given the low level of penetration — 27.57 subscribers per 100 population in 2019.
- Since, the upcoming mobile technologies such as 5G involve high investment in new spectrum, connectivity equipment and regular subscriber fees, wi-fi linked to broadband fibre service is the fastest route to achieving goals of digital India.
WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SCHEME IMPLEMENTATION
- Government needs to ensure protection of data integrity, transparency on commercial use of data, and security against cyberattacks.
- Also there is a need to ensure true unbundling of hardware, software, apps and payment gateways in the WANI system, as advocated by TRAI, to prevent monopolies.
Executed properly, the public data offices (PDOs) of PM WANI can do what the PCOs did for phone calls, going well beyond ‘ease of doing business’ to genuinely empower citizens.
Reference:
- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/connecting-more-people-the-hindu-editorial-on-prime-minister-wi-fi-access-network-interface-pm-wani/article33309724.ece