From a Digital India to a Digital Bharat

Context: Recently launched The Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) project seems to fit within the framework of an evolving decentralised concept to bridge the e-divide.

India’s Digital Divide:

• Accessibility: About 54% of India’s population has access to the Internet (TRAI Report).
• Digital Literacy: only 20% of the population has the ability to use the Internet (75th round of National Statistical Organisation survey)
• Digital Divide: Rural India has half the Internet penetration as urban, and twice as many users who access the Internet less than once a week (India Internet 2019 report)
• Lack of access to quality internet: 99% of all users in India access the Internet on mobile, and about 88% are connected on the 4G network, resulting in overloading of a limited network.

PM-WANI: Bridging e-divide

• About PM-WANI:
  • Provides for Public Wi-Fi Networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) spread across the country to accelerate the proliferation of Broadband Internet services.
  • Three important actors:

1. 1. 1. PDOs: can be anyone and will not require registration of any kind.
      2. PDOA: Will buy bandwidth from the Internet Service Provider (ISPs) and telecom companies and sell it to PDOs, while also accounting for data used by all PDOs.
      3. App provider: create an app through which users can access & discover Wi-Fi access points.

• • Two pillars as a baseline for Public Wi-Fi (TRAI)

1. 1. 1. Interoperability: user will be required to login only once & stay connected across access points.
      2. Multiple payment options: allowing the user to pay both online and offline.

• Expected outcomes:
  • Can help to bridge the increasing digital divide in India.
  • Help in exploiting the economic potential of digital technology, expected to be USD 1 trillion by 2025 (as per NITI Aayog).
• Eliminating digital poverty by bridging digital divide:
  • • Example: Ability to access and utilise the Umang App (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) enhances an individual’s capabilities to benefit from services entitled to them.
  • Expected to be a source of employment and revenue for individuals and small shopkeepers.
  • Bharat Net envisions broadband connectivity in all villages in India.
  • PM-WANI will help achieve the aims of Bharat Net by promoting digital literacy and accessibility.
• Associated concerns: Date security and privacy issues.
  • Misuse of public internet: the threat of leaking of private information
  • TRAI recommendation of ‘community interest’ data be stored locally: raises questions about data protection with no data protection law in place.

Conclusion: With the PM-WANI, the state is expanding the reach of digital transformation to those who have been excluded till now. It has the potential to move Digital India to Digital Bharat.