AI SummaryPM WANI Scheme 2026 is the central government framework for public Wi-Fi access in India. Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the PM Wi-Fi Access Network Interface on 9 December 2020. Under this framework, public data centres have been opened across the country and no licence, fee or registration is required to set up a public Wi-Fi hotspot. As per the PM-WANI Central Registry, India has over 4.09 lakh operational public Wi-Fi hotspots supported by 207 Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) and 113 App Providers as of 28 February 2026. The official website for PM WANI Scheme is pmwani.gov.in.
India PM WANI Scheme 2026
PM WANI stands for Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface. The scheme will promote growth of public Wi-Fi networks in the country. In this scheme, the government provides a public Wi-Fi service framework as decided by the Union Cabinet. PM Wi-Fi Access Network Interface has unleashed a massive Wi-Fi network in India. With this scheme, public data centres have been opened across the country. There will be no licence, fee or registration for PM WANI Scheme 2026. The Public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface is known as PM-WANI.
The scheme has now moved from early rollout to a bigger expansion phase. The network has served over 2.44 crore users with total data use crossing 58 petabytes. Recent changes by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and TRAI have made the scheme simpler and cheaper for small businesses and local shops that want to run a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Highlights of PM WANI Scheme 2026
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | PM WANI (Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) |
| Launched By | Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi |
| Approval Date | 9 December 2020 |
| Managing Department | Department of Telecommunications (DoT) |
| Beneficiaries | Citizens, small businesses, local entrepreneurs |
| Hotspots as of 28 Feb 2026 | 4,09,403 operational PDOs |
| Users Served | Over 2.44 crore |
| Registration Fee | No fee for PDO, PDOA or App Provider |
| Official Website | pmwani.gov.in |
How PM WANI Scheme 2026 Works
PM WANI ecosystem is operated by different players as described below:-
- Public Data Office (PDO): It establishes, maintains and operates only WANI compliant Wi-Fi Access Points and delivers broadband services to subscribers. Any person or shop can become a PDO without any registration with DoT.
- Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA): It is an aggregator of PDOs and performs the functions relating to Authorization and Accounting. PDOA must be a company registered under the Companies Act 2013.
- App Provider: It develops an App to register users and discover WANI compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in the nearby area and displays the same within the App for accessing the internet service. App Provider also needs to be a company registered under the Companies Act 2013.
- Central Registry: It maintains the details of App Providers, PDOAs and PDOs. To begin with, the Central Registry was maintained by C-DoT and is now available online at pmwani.gov.in.
PM WANI Scheme 2026 Registration for PDOA / App Provider
Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) and App Provider companies can apply for registration online through the Saral Sanchar Portal or the National Single Window System (NSWS). The application for PM WANI registration can also be submitted through the DoT eServices portal at eservices.dot.gov.in. DoT grants the registration within seven working days without any registration fee. PDOs do not need any registration with DoT at all.
The sample application form for Registration of Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) or App Provider in PM WANI Scheme can be downloaded from the PM-WANI Guidelines and Registration Form PDF on the official website. The current guidelines were updated by DoT on 22 May 2026 with new rules for QR based authentication and standardized naming of Wi-Fi hotspots.
The PM WANI Scheme Online Registration / Application Form will appear as shown below:-
Cabinet Approval for PM Wi-Fi Access Network Interface Scheme
Union Cabinet has given its approval for PM Wi-Fi Access Network Interface Scheme. Businesses can take services from Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio or any such internet service provider (ISP). Business can use their physical location to provide Wi-Fi to anyone who happens to be nearby. As per the official release, Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has given its approval for the proposal of DoT to setup public Wi-Fi networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs).
PDOAs provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across length and breadth of the country. This is helping spread of broadband internet services through public Wi-Fi network in the country. The growth of public Wi-Fi has created employment opportunities. Besides, this has also increased incomes in the hands of small and medium entrepreneurs and supporting GDP of the country.
Cabinet Approved Submarine Optical Fibre Cable
The Union Cabinet Committee has approved the provision of submarine optical fibre cable connectivity between the mainland (Kochi) and Lakshadweep Islands. Central govt. has approved laying of an undersea optical fibre cable to 11 Lakshadweep Islands to provide high-speed broadband internet connectivity.
This setting up of Submarine Optical Fibre Cables is on the lines of the one recently laid to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The cabinet committee has also approved setting up of 1 crore data centres.
Latest Update in PM WANI Scheme 2026
DoT issued Circular no. 1/PM-WANI/2026 on 22 May 2026 with updated PM WANI guidelines. The new rules allow QR based authentication on secondary devices such as laptops and standardize the SSID naming of PM-WANI hotspots as PMWANI_AAAAAAA. These changes make it simpler for users to connect and for shop owners to run compliant hotspots.
For more details, visit the official website at pmwani.gov.in.
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