Bengaluru citizens to get free WiFi connectivity

Bengaluru, March 1: Citizens in India's tech hub would soon get free wireless connectivity to access internet in public places, as the city civic body plans to set up about 400 Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) hotspots, said an official on Wednesday.

"Free Wi-Fi will be provided to the people with the state government's assistance in setting up 400 hotspots across the city, our offices and bus stands," Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) tax and finance committee chairman M. Mahadev said citing the budget outlay for fiscal 2018-19 from April 1.

Presenting the civic budget for the ensuing fiscal, Mahadev told corporators of the 192 wards in the city that of the Rs 9,326-crore expenditure, Rs 5,126 crore would be spent on maintenance and development works, followed by Rs 1,069 crore on garbage disposal and storm water drainage modernisation, Rs 769 crore on welfare programmes, Rs 699 crore on salaries and pension and Rs 316 crore on horticulture, forest and lakes.