The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a price structure for retail broadband connectivity of the Wi-Fi service providers or the so-called Public Data Offices (PDOs) in an attempt to promote the PM-WANI scheme to resolve issues that are disrupting public Wi-Fi hotspots development.
Telecom authority has concluded the Telecommunication Tariff (71st amendment) Order 2025 on the tariff of retail broadband connectivity of PDOs.
The order said, every service provider offering retail Fiber to the Home (FTTH) broadband services shall offer all its retail FTTH broadband plans up to 200Mbps to the PDOs under the PM-WANI scheme at the tariff not exceeding two times the tariff charged to the retail subscribers to the corresponding FTTH broadband plan of the bandwidth (capacity) offered.
Tariff structure
The mechanism behind the pricing has been structured to properly meet the interests of the various stakeholders, where small-scale PDOs will be able to afford, and at the same time giving reasonable payment to the personnel who is making the connection to the broadband.
The tariff structure, which was proposed, considers the existing market environment, the current rate of spreading PM-WANI services, and further projections, as possible.
In the relation to these factors, the “framework is designed to support the orderly, sustainable, and inclusive development of the public Wi-Fi ecosystem under the PM-WANI initiative,” added the TRAI.
On September 16, 2024, the Department of Communication (DoT) made alterations in PM-WANI framework provision, eliminating the need of PDOs to sign commercial agreements with TSPs to provide them access to the internet connection based on the amendment by DoT.
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