RailTel: PM-WANI Based Wi-Fi Access at 100 Stations

The “Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI)” scheme has been recently launched by RailTel. Through this scheme access to RailTel’s free and fast public WiFi services will be provided in 100 Indian Railways stations across the country having 2,384 WiFi hotspots.

What is PM-WANI?

PM-WANI is the Department of Telecom’s program that helps facilitate the use and proliferates broadband usage across the country. The framework of the PM-WANI has been developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). Through the PM-WANI last-mile internet access is being provided across the country.

The stations are spread over how many states?

The 100 railway stations are spread across 22 states of the nation and include:

• 71 Category A1 railway stations
• 29 railway stations that are of other categories.

Who launched this PM-WANI-based WiFi access?

The chairman and managing director of RailTel Puneet Chawla launched this WiFi access scheme.

How can a user access the WiFi network?

An individual can access the WiFi network via an android based mobile app named ‘Wi-DOT’which is available on the Google Play Store. This mobile app has been developed in association with the C-DOT. This method will be an addition to the already existing method that allows WiFi access at these stations by selecting RailWire Service Set Identifier. The PM-WANI will be facilitating the ease of use via a Know Your Customer (KYC) so as to avoid One Time Password (OTP) based authentication every time an individual tries to access the networks.

PM-WANI-based access will be spread across all stations by which year?

The government has plans of extending this PM-WANI-based WiFI access to all the 6102 railway stations having a Wi-Fi facility in a phased manner by June 2022’s end.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2022

Category: Government Schemes Current Affairs