Hyderabad City Wi‑Fi (Hy‑Fi) – Telangana

The Hyderabad City Wi‑Fi Project (Hy‑Fi) was launched in 2017 under the state government’s Digital Telangana initiative. It is sponsored by the Government of Telangana and powered by ACT Fibernet. Key details from multiple sources:

• Scale: Over 3,000 hotspots across Hyderabad, covering malls, hospitals, public parks, metro stations, public libraries, government schools, and more.
• Free access: Each guest user gets 25 Mbps for 45 minutes per day with a 1 GB data cap. After that, users can opt for a paid recharge.
• Seamless roaming: Users can log in once and roam across all 3,000+ hotspots without re‑authenticating for the rest of the day.
• Performance: On average, 2.4 lakh (240,000) citizens log in each month. The network uses 1 Gbps fiber backhaul to each hotspot.
• Authentication: Via OTP sent to the user’s mobile number on a secure HTTPS portal.
• Sustainability: More than 5 years after launch, almost all hotspots remain functional, supported by a dedicated team of over 50 engineers and technicians.

PM‑WANI Scheme at Railway Stations – Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

The Prime Minister Wi‑Fi Access Network Interface (PM‑WANI) scheme has been launched at railway stations under the South Central Railway (SCR) zone, which covers both states. According to a 2023 report:

• Stations: Five major stations – Hyderabad (HYB), Secunderabad (SC), Tenali Junction (TEL) in Andhra, Guntur Junction (GNT) in Andhra, and Vijayawada (BZA) in Andhra.
• Access method: An Android app called Wi‑Dot (developed with C‑DOT) provides one‑time KYC, eliminating the need for repeated OTP authentication.
• Context: RailTel has deployed WiFi at over 100 stations across India; the PM‑WANI implementation at these five SCR stations adds a new, more convenient access method.

Takeaways

• Telangana has one of India’s largest free public WiFi deployments through the Hy‑Fi project, which is fully operational and data‑driven.
• Andhra Pradesh benefits from PM‑WANI public WiFi at key railway stations, with a government‑backed framework enabling easier connectivity.
• Both projects demonstrate that large‑scale, open public WiFi is feasible in the region, often through public‑private partnerships.