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BSNL to invest Rs 6,000 cr for setting up 4k WiFi hotspots

Wifi at Taj Mahal would be free for first 30 minutes

BS Reporter New Delhi
BSNL plans to invest Rs 6,000 crore for setting up about 4,000 Wifi hotspots in the next three years. The tender for the project is likely to be floated by next month.

"BSNL will set up 40,000 wi-fi hot spots across the country and the project is likely to be completed by 2018," communications and information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while launching Wifi services by BSNL at Taj Mahal, Agra.

Also, another 2,500 Wifi hot spots will be set up this year at 250 locations at Rs 500 crore. BSNL CMD Anupam Srivastava said 200 such hot spots have been set up. Wifi at Taj Mahal would be free for first 30 minutes.

As part of the Digital India programme, the government is working towards enabling cities and tourist centres with Wifi hotspots.

ALSO READ: BSNL to provide Wi-Fi services at Puri

In February, BSNL launched Wifi at Varanasi’s Dashashwamedh and Shitala ghats. It plans to provide Wifi at Fatehpur Sikri, Khajuraho and Jagannath Puri by March 2016.

"BSNL has plans to invest more than Rs 1,200 crore in UP (West) sircle during 2015-16. Out of this about Rs 200 crore will be invested in upgrading and expanding mobile network," Prasad said.

BSNL is expanding 3G network in UP (W) circle by installing 596 new BTS sites. It is also installing 795 new 2G BTS sites to increase the network coverage. "This expansion will help in providing improved 3G services to existing BSNL subscribers as well as in 152 new cities/towns," the minister said.

About Rs 982 crore will be invested in National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) under Phase-I covering 14,474 village panchayats spread over 227 blocks of UP(W) Circle, he said.

 

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First Published: Jun 17 2015 | 12:21 AM IST

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