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Panchkula gets first free WiFi zone at Sector 3 stadium
As part of the Digital India movement, 13 other places in Panchkula will get free WiFi zones under the municipal corporation’s initiative.
Panchkula became the first district in the state to provide residents free public Wi-Fi, with local MLA Gian Chand Gupta inaugurating the first public Wi-Fi zone at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sector 3, on Wednesday.
As part of the Digital India movement, 13 other places in Panchkula will get free WiFi zones under the municipal corporation’s initiative.
On the occasion, Gupta said Panchkula was ahead of other districts in the state in almost every aspect.
MC commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “Panchkula has become the first city in the state to get free public Wi-Fi. The service will soon be introduced at other spots as well. With this, we have also started the service of Swachh Map app and Harpath app to enable residents to report insanitation and road issues.”
Swachh Map allows the user to map garbage dumps and dirty sites and track them with colour coding on Google Maps. A user can tap the red button to report a dirty site and the green button when it gets clean.
The Harpath app is an official mobile app of Haryana government. It enables citizens to report road conditions, like damaged roads and accident blackspots, along with the location and photograph.
Mayor Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia, MC commissioner Rajesh Jogpal and deputy mayor Sunil Talwar were also present at the inauguration ceremony.
Zirakpur firm providing free service
MC has roped in a Zirakpur-based broadband firm, Esto Internet Private Limited, to provide the free internet services for three years.
Earlier, MC had planned to strike a deal with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), that would have charged ₹62 lakh per year for the same service.
The other free Wi-Fi zones will be at markets of Sectors 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 20, 25 and Sector 26; Yavanika Park and Nirjhar Vatika Garden, both in Sector 5; Yadavindra Gardens in Pinjore; Kalka bus stand and Nada Sahib gurdwara.
1 GB data per day per mobile number
The broadband firm will lay underground optical fibre cables at the shortlisted spots for providing Wi-Fi services. Rahul Makhija, chief technical officer, Esto Internet, said, “We will provide 1 gbps (gigabits per second) broadband speed at every spot. Users will be allowed 1 GB data per day per mobile number.”
He said a user will first have to submit his or her mobile number where a one time password (OTP) will be sent to use the free internet.
