97% of PM-WANI Hotspots Still Haven't Adopted the PMWANI_ Network Name
DoT gave PM-WANI operators eight weeks to rename every hotspot to PMWANI_ followed by an operator code. We read the whole Central Registry on 8 October 2026. Fewer than 3 in 100 hotspots have done it.
On 22 May 2026 the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) told every PM-WANI operator to give its hotspots a standard network name beginning with PMWANI_, and to finish the job within eight weeks. We downloaded the full PM-WANI Central Registry on 8 October 2026, 83 days after that deadline, and checked the network name (SSID) recorded for every hotspot in it.
The short answer: of 422,481 registered hotspots, only 11,472 (2.72%) have an SSID that begins with “PMWANI” in any form. Only 3,888 (0.92%) use the exact PMWANI_ format the circular specifies. 96 of the 177 aggregators that run hotspots have not renamed a single one. Assam is the only state where most hotspots carry the new name.
What DoT asked for
DoT’s Circular 1/PM-WANI/2026, dated 22 May 2026, amends the WANI Framework and Guidelines for Registration. Its Annexure-B now says:
“The nomenclature of SSIDs used at PDO end is standardised as follows: PMWANI_AAAAAAA”
Here AAAAAAA is seven alphanumeric characters chosen by the PDOA (Public Data Office Aggregator) to identify itself. A router that broadcasts separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks uses one such name for each band. The circular says each PDOA “will streamline the nomenclature of all PDOs accordingly under its domain and update the same in the Central Registry”, and directs all stakeholders to implement the change “within eight weeks of issuance of this Circular”. That makes the deadline 17 July 2026.
The same circular adds QR-code login for second devices such as laptops. A companion circular, 2/PM-WANI/2026, encourages 15-, 30- and 60-minute data plans. Our PM-WANI explainer covers what the scheme is and how a venue joins it.
The numbers
| Measure (Central Registry, 8 Oct 2026) | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspots registered | 422,481 | 100% |
| Hotspots marked active | 389,500 | 92.2% |
| SSID begins with “PMWANI” in any form | 11,472 | 2.72% |
SSID in the exact PMWANI_ format |
3,888 | 0.92% |
| Aggregators (PDOAs) with at least one hotspot | 177 | |
| PDOAs with no hotspot renamed | 96 | 54% |
| PDOAs with at least 90% of hotspots renamed | 34 | 19% |
Two counts are shown on purpose. The circular asks for PMWANI_ followed by an operator code. Many operators have used PMWANI-, PMWANI with no separator, or the band in place of an operator code. We counted those as an attempt rather than a miss, which is why the headline figure is the more generous 2.72%. Even on that reading, roughly 97 in every 100 registered hotspots still carry an old name.
The market is concentrated. The ten largest aggregators run 97.3% of all registered hotspots, so the overall figure mostly reflects what a handful of large operators have, or have not, done.
State by state
Delhi alone accounts for 218,416 hotspots, more than half the national registry, and only 0.17% of them carry a PMWANI name. Assam is the clear outlier at 78%.
| State | Registered hotspots | Exact PMWANI_ |
Any PMWANI prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 218,416 | 0.05% | 0.17% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 52,297 | 0.21% | 0.96% |
| Maharashtra | 35,181 | 0.01% | 4.24% |
| Karnataka | 21,845 | 0.04% | 15.05% |
| Haryana | 18,509 | 0.02% | 0.30% |
| Gujarat | 11,889 | 0.48% | 1.35% |
| Madhya Pradesh | 7,598 | 0.21% | 7.95% |
| Tamil Nadu | 7,506 | 0.05% | 3.77% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 6,084 | 0.07% | 0.33% |
| Kerala | 5,003 | 1.12% | 1.42% |
| Assam | 4,461 | 77.20% | 78.14% |
| Telangana | 4,288 | 0.00% | 1.07% |
All 35 states and union territories in the registry are in the downloadable CSV.
Why the name matters
The point of a standard name is recognition. A traveller who sees PMWANI_ in their WiFi list knows the network belongs to the government-backed scheme and works with any PM-WANI app. A name like “VILLAGE WIFI” or an operator’s brand tells them nothing about which app to open, or whether the network is part of the scheme at all. The QR login for laptops added by the same circular depends on the user trusting the network they are joining. Until the names change, that trust signal does not exist for most of the network.
Method and limits
- Source. The public PM-WANI Central Registry at pmwani.gov.in, the same data that drives the registry’s own hotspot map, downloaded on 8 October 2026. The registry’s summary counts (422,481 access points deployed, 389,500 active, 32,981 suspended) match the hotspot records we analysed.
- What we measured. The SSID recorded in the registry for each hotspot. The circular requires PDOAs to update the registry after renaming, so the registry is the official record. It is possible that some operators renamed equipment without updating the registry; the circular counts that as incomplete too.
- What we did not measure. Whether hotspots support the new QR login, how many are online on a given day, or the quality of service. Every hotspot in the registry shows the same default rating, so ratings were not usable.
- No operator is named. This is an aggregate picture. Operators who want to check their own figures can do so from the same public registry.
We will repeat this count. If you report on it, please cite “Wyfy Guest analysis of the PM-WANI Central Registry, 8 October 2026” and link to this page.
