TRAI releases draft tariff order to rationalise broadband tariffs for PM-WANI hotspots
Broadband (FTTH) tariff for PDOs should not exceed twice the retail FTTH tariff.
Summary
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the Draft Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025 on 'Rationalization of Broadband Tariffs for PDOs under PM-WANI Scheme' on 15 January 2025. TRAI proposed that the broadband (FTTH) tariff for Public Data Offices (PDOs) under PM-WANI should not exceed twice the retail FTTH tariff of the same capacity. The Department of Telecommunications had said PM-WANI's spread was well below target, partly due to high backhaul costs. An earlier draft (70th Amendment) of 23 August 2024 had proposed aligning PDO tariffs with retail tariffs.
Key facts
- Released
- 15 January 2025, TRAI
- Order
- Draft Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025
- Proposal
- PDO broadband (FTTH) tariff ≤ 2× retail FTTH tariff
- Issue
- Low PM-WANI spread due to high backhaul cost
- Earlier draft
- 70th Amendment, 23 August 2024
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Under TRAI's draft tariff order of 15 January 2025, the broadband (FTTH) tariff for PDOs under PM-WANI should not exceed:
Show answer
Correct answer: C — Twice the retail FTTH tariff of corresponding capacity
PIB: TRAI proposed that the PDO tariff should not exceed twice the retail broadband (FTTH) tariff of corresponding capacity.
In the PM-WANI scheme, what does 'PDO' stand for?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Public Data Office
PIB: PDOs are Public Data Offices that set up public Wi-Fi access points under PM-WANI.