POKHARA, Sept 5: Pokhara-Lekhnath Metropolitan City will be offering free Wi-Fi services at 10 public spots in the tourist city of Pokhara.
The metropolitan city has signed an agreement with internet service provider WorldLink Communications to provide free Wi-Fi services in public places including the Bindhabasini Temple, Mahdenra Pul, Manipal Teaching Hospital, Comagane Hospital, Davis Fall, Sishuwa Hospital, Mandare Park of Begnas Lake, and Lions Hospital.
Worldlink’s CEO Keshab Nepal said that the internet service provider was providing free Wi-Fi services as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
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“We have decided to offer free Wi-Fi services after identifying those public places where there is huge flow or congregation of people,” he said. “The aim is to provide easy and free access of internet to the people visiting such places,” he added.
According to Nepal, tourists, members of the general public, patients, and hospital visitors will benefit from the free Wi-Fi services.
Mayor of Pokhara-Lekhnath Metropolitan City, Maan Bahadur GC, said that providing free Wi-Fi services to the public was part of the local body’s efforts to make Pokhara a smart city. “We had already declared that we will make Pokhara a smart city. For that, we need many infrastructures,” said GC. “Among them, internet is also a pre-requisite. We cannot imagine a smart city without internet,” he said, adding that they will gradually expand the free Wi-Fi service to other areas of the city.
According to Yusuf Shrestha, chief of WorldLink’s Pokhara branch, the free Wi-Fi service in 10 public places will be available within a month. WorldLink is already providing free Wi-Fi services at Paschimanchal Regional Hospital and Pokhara Airport.
The new Wi-Fi services will be available for a certain number of users at a certain time. According to Shrestha, a user can use free Wi-Fi from a device for an hour in a day. “One user can use free Wi-Fi at one public place for one hour. The same user can get another hour only at another place,” he said.
WorldLink also plans to place a display board in the free Wi-Fi zones to inform users about it. In the first stage, maximum 50 users can use the free Wi-Fi at a time, according to Shrestha.
“If there is demand for more users, we also plan to expand the capacity,” he added.
According to the 3-year agreement, the metropolitan city will make provide electricity to the internet service provider.
