MC mulls free Wi-fi in Lower Bazaar

Going a step further with its aim of making the city "digital", Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will soon roll out free Wi-Fi in the Lower Bazaar area, one of the most populated areas of the city

Going a step further with its aim of making the city "digital", Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) will soon roll out free Wi-Fi in the Lower Bazaar area, one of the most populated areas of the city.

Earlier during the Shimla Summer Festival in the first week of June, the MC had provided free Wi-Fi in the core areas of Shimla, including the Ridge, Scandal Point and some portion of the Mall for a week. The initiative received an overwhelming response with an average number of 9,000 smartphones being linked with the facility.

However, unlike the two-hour service then, the free connection at Lower Bazaar will be provided for only 30 minutes, any time of the day.

MC deputy mayor Tikender Singh Panwar said, "The pilot project at Lower Bazaar area is being taken up following an Expression of Interest (EOI) by a company. Further modalities are being worked out."

Stating that the project would involve multiple stakeholders, Panwar said the project would also help the cash-strapped civic body earn some revenue by renting out civic infrastructure to roll out the service.

The facility that will bring cheer to locals and tourists alike has also elicited the interest of the local police who want to link the surveillance CCTV cameras with the free Wi -fi hotspots to maintain law and order.