BHUBANESWAR: Unable to find adequate users for its city Wi-Fi service implemented under Smart City Mission in the state capital, Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has upgraded the facility by offering higher speed and more download limit to citizens on a daily basis.
The agency has also started mapping daily users of different areas to improve accessibility in similar localities. The agency that had put the service on halt following the Covid-19 pandemic has resumed the service in a full-fledged manner at around 1,550 access points across 500 plus localities in the city.
An official said BSCL this time has also started offering Wi-Fi service with better speed and more download limit. “Users now will get a speed of 30mbps against the previous speed of 10 mbps. Besides, the free download limit per day will be 500 mbps against the previous limit of 50 mbps. This has come into effect since June,” he said.
BSCL sources said the high-speed service coupled with a higher download limit has started attracting more users. Following the move, the daily usage limit which used to be around 10 to 15 GB has now exceeded 100 GB. Similarly, the number of users that used to be in the range of 250 to 300 has multiplied to nearly 1,200 a day and the number is increasing, sources added.
As per the mapping of usage in recent times, eight to 10 high user points have been identified which include Lingaraj station, OUAT SBI branch, Satya Nagar, Ganga Nagar Square and Master Canteen. “In the coming days we have decided to activate 250 more Wi-Fi points at the identified locations to increase usage and offer seamless connectivity to the citizens,” the BSCL official said.
With BSCL offering a recharge facility following the consumption of free data limit to users, officials hope of earning revenue out of it. The recharge numbers at present, however, are negligible.