Key Points

Speaking at a special conference organised by the Broadband India Forum (BIF) on the occasion of World Wi-Fi Day 2025 here, Scindia announced that the government is taking bold steps to ensure nationwide Wi-Fi coverage -- both wide and deep -- which will help drive growth across sectors.

Highlighting the government’s major policy reform, the minister confirmed that the country is moving ahead with the delicensing of the 6GHz spectrum, a crucial move that will enable faster, more reliable internet.

“The relevant rules will be notified on or before Independence Day this year,” he said.

He emphasised that the government's role is evolving from being a regulator to a facilitator and that technology must be made available for all, without favouring any company or technology.

“This is a day to celebrate the freedom to connect, to create, and to rise. As adoption increases, costs decrease. Penetration is growing, even into rural heartlands,” the minister stated.

“We are already running 5G use cases across 13 villages, providing 10 essential services in each. Now, we want to ensure that every Indian has access to high-speed internet, whether they are at home, at work, or in remote areas,” Scindia added.

The event was also attended by leading policymakers, industry leaders, and technology experts.

BIF Chairperson Aruna Sundararajan, in her opening address, stressed that Wi-Fi will play a central role in achieving the government’s vision of connecting the 40 per cent of India’s population that still remains offline.

She pointed out that with over 80 per cent of internet use happening indoors, Wi-Fi networks -- especially with the 6GHz band -- are better suited than mobile networks in such environments.

“The delicensing of the 6GHz band will help India adopt modern technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. This will boost new areas like augmented reality, cloud gaming, and 8K video streaming. It's a big step toward better user experience and innovation,” Sundararajan said.

The BIF reiterated its commitment to supporting initiatives like PM-WANI and the delicensing of the 6GHz spectrum.

The forum believes these steps will help turn every Wi-Fi hotspot into a powerful node for data access and processing, enabling faster and more inclusive digital growth across the country.

Dr. R.S. Sharma, former TRAI Chairman, said "PM-WANI is a visionary public Wi-Fi framework designed to democratise broadband access, it is the veritable UPI of Telecom Sector".

"By creating an open, secure, and interoperable framework, PM-WANI hotspots act as digital doorways empowering local entrepreneurs and ensuring last-mile internet access at scale. With low-cost infrastructure, public Wi-Fi can serve as a digital equaliser -- to bridge the digital divide and empower every citizen," Sharma added.

- IANS