Delhi State chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the city’s residents will get free public Wi-Fi in the coming days.
The city’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party government had promised to provide free WiFi services in the city during its election campaign five years ago. And as the city is set to State assembly elections in three months, posters have come up asking what happened to that free WiFi promise.
Nearly 11,000 Wi-Fi hotspots will be set up across state in public places such as bus stops and markets, the first 100 of which 100 will be inaugurated on 16 December.
The day is the seventh anniversary of the notorious 2012 rape and murder of a woman on a bus. She later died of injuries evoking nationwide outrage over women's security in public places.
The city government has repeatedly reiterated its determination to ensure the safety of women with measures including the installation of CCTVs across the city.
However, concerns are being raised that the $13-million project may not serve its purpose of digital progress and better connectivity.
According to a study conducted by anti-virus software specialists Norton, one in three Indians surveyed has admitted to having used free public Wi-Fi to watch adult content.
Delhi is not the only city to have free WiFi services. The Information and Technology Department of Maharashtra state showed that 30,000 of the 300,000 people that use free WiFi in 510 spots in Mumbai city, take advantage of the connectivity to browse pornographic material. The number of pornography watchers in India was the highest in the survey, which also included Japan, Mexico and the US.