diff --git a/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.17.0.txt b/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.17.0.txt
index 13764543ec665..fac04552fdb42 100644
--- a/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.17.0.txt
+++ b/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.17.0.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ users upgrade to this version.
 
    pandas >= 0.17.0 will no longer support compatibility with Python version 3.2 (:issue:`9118`)
 
+.. warning::
+
+   The ``pandas.io.data`` package is deprecated and will be replaced by the `pandas-datareader package <https://github.com/pydata/pandas-datareader>`_. This will allow the data modules to be independently updated to your pandas installation. The API for ``pandas-datareader v0.1.1`` is the same as in ``pandas v0.17.0``. (:issue:`8961`, :issue:`10861`)
+
 Highlights include:
 
 - Release the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) on some cython operations, see :ref:`here <whatsnew_0170.gil>`
diff --git a/pandas/io/data.py b/pandas/io/data.py
index 1556f6b00e981..f24dc134b4cbd 100644
--- a/pandas/io/data.py
+++ b/pandas/io/data.py
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@
 from pandas.util.testing import _network_error_classes
 from pandas.io.html import read_html
 
+warnings.warn("\n"
+              "The pandas.io.data module is deprecated and will be "
+              "removed in a future version.\nThis is being replaced by the "
+              "pandas-datareader package, found here: https://github.com/pydata/pandas-datareader",
+              FutureWarning)
+
 class SymbolWarning(UserWarning):
     pass