Nashik first city in country to get Wi-Fi cover

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, July 5

Nashik will soon be the first city in the country to be fully covered with Wi-Fi internet service.

According to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the first of several Wi-Fi hotspots had become operational in the town on Saturday. Wi-Fi hotspots have been rolled out in eight places — four in Nashik city and four in Trimbakeshwar.

“The service will be available free for the first 20 minutes after which the user will have to buy recharge vouchers from BSNL,” said NK Gupta, director, Consumer Fixed Access.

More Wi-Fi hotspots will be rolled out across Nashik in the coming days. “Nashik has been chosen as the first city to be connected by Wi-Fi due to the upcoming Kumbh Mela,” a BSNL official said. The company said Puri in Orrisa would be the next city to be covered with Wi-Fi hotspots.

In the next six months, BSNL plans to roll out 2,500 hot spots. The number will go up to 40,000 in two years so that most parts of the country are covered under the Wi-Fi umbrella.

Gupta said BSNL was installing 3G Base Transceiver stations to ensure continuous data sessions.