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TRAI Pushes Public Wi-Fi Expansion in India

  • 28 Apr 2026

On 27th April 2026, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on the “Proliferation of Public Wi-Fi Networks in India”.

Key Points

  • Broadband as Core Infrastructure: TRAI emphasised that broadband is now as essential as electricity and transport, powering sectors such as education, healthcare, governance, and financial services.
  • Focus on Public Wi-Fi Growth: The consultation aims to strengthen public Wi-Fi as a complementary technology to mobile broadband for meeting rising internet demand.
  • Affordable Internet Access: Public Wi-Fi offers significantly lower per-GB data costs compared to mobile broadband, making it especially important for low-income users.
  • High-Density Usage Areas: TRAI highlighted railway stations, airports, markets, schools, and other high-footfall locations as ideal hubs for Wi-Fi deployment.
  • Network Congestion Reduction: Public Wi-Fi can offload mobile network traffic, improving service quality and reducing congestion in dense urban areas.
  • PM-WANI Review: Despite the PM-WANI framework launched in 2020, public Wi-Fi expansion has not met expected national targets.
  • Key Challenges Identified: Limited commercial viability for Public Data Offices (PDOs), underutilised hotspots, privacy and security concerns, and weak participation from state/local governments remain major barriers.
  • Global Best Practices: TRAI cited countries like South Korea, the US, and EU nations, where coordinated policies, public-private partnerships, and strong infrastructure have boosted Wi-Fi ecosystems.
  • Digital Public Infrastructure Support: Expanded Wi-Fi networks can strengthen platforms such as UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, IoT, AI, and cloud services.