Delhi government to provide 15 GB free data per month for residents, says Arvind Kejriwal
The chief minister said that 100 of these networks will be launched on December 16 under the Delhi government’s free WiFi scheme.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday declared that residents of the national Capital will get 15 gigabytes of data every month through hotspot networks that will be set up across the city. The chief minister said that 100 of these networks will be launched on December 16 under the Delhi government’s free WiFi scheme.
“With this, the Aam Aadmi Party has fulfilled all the promises made in its manifesto for 2015 Assembly polls,” Kejriwal said in a press conference. “Work on setting up 11,000 hotspots will be carried out in the next six months.”
Kejriwal said that 4,000 hotspot networks will be set up at bus stands, and 7,000 in other areas of the city, such as markets and RWAs [Resident Welfare Association]. To avail the 15 GB free data, an app will be launched, where users will have to upload their know your customer details, the chief minister added.
The first 100 networks will come up at Mandi House bus stand, ITO bus stand, Kashmere Gate Metro station, and Indraprastha Metro station, among other areas. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 100 crore, Kejriwal said, according to PTI.
The chief minister said that minimum data usage is a basic need for the public, adding that it will help students and be beneficial for the health and education sectors.
“The speed will be on [an] average 100 mbps to 150 mbps with maximum 200 mbps in some areas,” the chief minister claimed. The networks can provide internet services inside a 100-metre radius, and may be availed by 50 to 200 people at the same time. The whole network will accommodate nearly 22 lakh users at a time, Kejriwal said.
The scheme is based on a rent model and the Delhi government will pay a rental per month for each hotspot network to the company that handles the project.
The announcements came ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections slated for early next year. The chief minister had on October 29 announced free travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation and cluster buses. In August, Kejriwal had declared 100% waiver of late-payment charges on water bills in the national Capital till November 30.
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