​​What exactly is the PM WANI scheme?

On December 11, 2020, the PM WANI scheme was launched to set up wireless access points in India. Under this plan, anyone who meets the requirements can set up a WIFI access point.

Simply put, the PM WANI Scheme, or as it is more commonly known, the PM WANI WIFI Scheme, is a way for anyone to connect to the Internet wirelessly at any time. The point of this plan is:

 1. Make public WIFI networks faster for internet services.

 2. Looking for hotspots and setting up access points for WANI

 3. Letting people sign up at these locations so they can get on the Internet

 4. Letting broadband providers give people access to the internet without having to pay a license fee

 5. Using KYC so that people can use the internet in a smart way To put it simply, users would have to sign up for PM WANI WIFI before they could use the internet.

What parts does the PM WANI scheme have?

The following parts make up the PM WANI WIFI scheme:

 1. The Public Data Officer will be in charge of setting up, managing, and running WANI access points.

 2. Public Data Office Aggregator: It keeps track of multiple Public Data Offices and offers authorization and accounting services.

 3.App Provider: People who want to use the Internet would have to download an app in order to do so. An app provider is the person who makes this app possible.

 4. Central Register: It keeps track of the PDOs, the PDO aggregator, and the app providers.

 5. WANI stands for Wireless Access Network Interface. Users can use WANI-compliant hotspots to connect to the Internet.

What does each part of the PM WANI framework do?

Officer of Public Data (PDO)

 1. A public data officer can only set up, maintain, and run WIFI access points that comply with WANI.

 2. A PDO can only connect its WIFI Access Point (WAP) to the Internet through licensed service providers in that area.

 3. A PDO can set up more than one WAP and connect them to different PDO aggregators' captive portals in a logical way. Any PDO aggregator, though, must have a WIFI access point that is logically linked to a captive portal.

 4. According to the WANI framework, PDOs that want to connect to the internet must have a commercial agreement with a licensed telecom service provider (TSP) or internet service provider (ISP). Also, PDOs and PDOAs must agree on gathering, authorizing, accounting, and other similar tasks.

Aggregator of Public Data Office (PDOA)

 1. A public data office aggregator must sign up with the central registry using its public certificate to verify the signature. It must also register the WIFI access points, SSIDs, and locations of the PDOs with which it is linked.

 2. A PDOA must bring together multiple WAPs with WANI that are run by different PDOs and give subscribers permission to use internet services after they have been verified by the app provider.

 3. For payment transactions, the PDOA must connect the captive portal to digital payment service providers like UPI, e-wallets, credit and debit cards, online banking, etc.

 4. A PDOA must tell subscribers how much it costs and keep track of how much each subscriber uses.

 5. The PDOA will keep track of how each subscriber uses the internet, but internet traffic will go straight from the PDO WIFI Access Point to the network of licensed service providers.

 6. It's okay for any two PDOAs to make a roaming agreement. If they agree to this, their customers will be able to access the Internet from any WIFI access point that they both own.

 7. The Department of Telecommunications sometimes tells the PDOA to handle complaints from users.

Provider of apps

An app provider builds and maintains a software application and its back-end authentication infrastructure so that users can sign up and find WANI-compliant WIFI hotspots. They can also connect with just one click from inside the app.

 1. An app provider signs up with the Central Registry by using the public certificate to verify the signature.

 2. The WANI app lets users make profiles and use OTP to verify their mobile phones.

 3. The app provider also verifies each subscriber every so often based on a set of rules.

provider of a central registry

 1. The Central Registry keeps track of information about app providers, PDOAs, and PDOs. This is in line with the WANI framework.

 2. The Central Registry makes sure that the PM WANI-compliant WIFI Access Points, the Captive Portal of PDOA, and the App can all work together.

Within 10 working days, the Central Registry Provider certifies the App Provider's or PDOA's systems and software applications based on the checklist provided by the WANI architecture and specifications. If the Central Registry Provider tells the App Provider or the PDOA in writing that they are not following the rules, they must do so within 20 business days. Also, they have to send a new application for certification to the Central Registry Provider.

 3. The DoT can tell the Central Registry Provider to delete information about app providers, PDOAs, or PDOs.

The Rules in General

 1. The entities in the PM WANI WIFI framework can't offer switched telephony services.

 2. The WIFI Access Point, the Captive Portal, the App Provider's App, and the Central Registry must all follow the WANI Framework's architecture and rules.

 3. A WANI-compliant WAP can be used to connect to the Internet by any customer who has been verified by an app provider.

 4. Any disagreement about service delivery is between the person who is upset and the app provider, the PDOA, or both. Before they provide the service, they must give proper notice to everyone. And the DoT will never be responsible for anything related to this. So, the app provider and PDOA must keep the DoT safe from any claims, costs, charges, or damages.

 5. The app provider, the PDOA, and the central registry provider must follow all of the rules that the DoT sets up from time to time.

The people who broke the rules are the app provider, PDOA, and central registry, as well as their employees.

The correctness of the information is up to the app provider, the PDOA, and the central registry.

 6. The PDOAs must do everything they can to use technology that was made and designed in India. Also, they have to set up the Made in India WIFI Hotspot Access Point equipment, which lets them offer broadband internet services under the WANI framework.

 7. The DoT has the right to cancel a person's registration if they don't follow the rules, even if they aren't breaking them.

​​Conditions and Terms

 1. A PDO can be any kind of thing. A public data officer does not have to register with the DoT. With the help of a PDOA, a PDO can set up a WANI-compliant WIFI access point infrastructure.

 2. A public data office aggregate can be any company that is registered under the Companies Act of 2013. The FDI rules for the telecommunications sector must be followed by a PDOA. A PDOA can be registered with the DoT without having to pay a fee.

 3. An app provider can be any company that is registered under the Companies Act of 2013. The app provider needs to follow the FDI rules for the telecommunications industry. You don't have to pay anything to register as an app provider with the DoT.

 4. A company that wants to be registered as a PDOA or app provider can do so through the SARALSANCHAR (Simplified Application for Registration and Licenses) portal. During registration, the company that wants to join must give its Corporate Identity Number (CIN).

 5. Until the "SARALSANCHAR" portal is connected to the master database kept by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the applicant company must upload a copy of the company registration issued by the Registrar of Companies that they have signed and stamped themselves (ROC).

 6. Within seven business days, DoT will register PDOAs and app providers. After seven business days, the registration certificate will be generated automatically.

The PDOA and the app provider registration must allow for operations all over India.

 1. A PDOA can give up its registration by giving the Department of Transportation (DoT) 60 days' notice and the PDOs it works with 30 days' notice.

 2. The registration will depend on the laws that are relevant and in effect.

 3. To make data available for WANI, the PDOA must give the DoT and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) documents and information when they ask for them.

The DoT is able to stop the WAP from working at any time if it is necessary or makes sense to do so for the security of the state.

Safety provisions

In order to comply with the law, the registered PDOA must make sure that user data is stored for a year.

App providers and PDOAs must protect the privacy of user data. All user data and usage logs must be kept in India.

The app provider, PDOA, and central registry provider must take all necessary steps to protect the privacy and confidentiality of any information about a third party to whom they provide a service.

​​Documents Required for PM WANI Registration

Here are the things you need to set up the PM WANI access point:

 1. Certificate of Organization

 2. Proof of the business location's address

 3. Information about the person who submits your PM WANI application on your behalf.

 4. A copy of the board's decision

 5. FDI approval if more than 49 percent of your company is made up of FDI.

​​ The Registration Procedure for PM WANI

Apply online for PM WANI.

The steps to sign up for the PM WANI WIFI scheme are as follows:

 1. Documentation

 2. Putting in an application

 3. Evaluation of the application

 4. Registration of the PM WANI scheme

How to get a WANI wireless access point

Here is a flowchart of how to set up the PM WANI access point:

First, a user must get the PM-WANI app from the app store and install it on their mobile device.

Then, the user has to make a profile in the app and sign up with the app provider. The app provider will send the user a one-time password (OTP) to verify their mobile number.

 1. To use the Internet service, the user must open the app in which they have already signed up.

 2. The app will find WANI-compliant WIFI access points nearby and show them in the app.

3. The user will pick one WIFI access point to connect to the Internet.

The chosen WIFI access point will ask for authorization from the PDOA captive portal.

 4. The captive portal will then use the token sent by the app to start user authentication with the back-end infrastructure of the app provider.

 5. The app provider will send the PDOA a signed token for the user's profile.

If the user is a new PDOA customer, the PDOA will show the user the data packs and tariff plans that are available. The user will choose the data pack they want. The user's payment request will be sent through the PDOA's payment gateway.

 1. The user has to finish paying.

 2. When PDOA gets paid, it will sign the user up as a subscriber, turn on the user's data pack, and let the user connect to the Internet session.

Users can now connect to the Internet.

​​How can we assist ?

Certpedia assists with the registration of the PM WANI WIFI scheme. Our services include putting together the documents and talking to the department on your behalf. Contact us if you want to know more.