President’s Estate becomes Wi-Fi zone

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday <g data-gr-id="19">inaugurated</g> 24 ‘hot spots’ with 30 wireless access points, making the President’s Estate a Wi-Fi zone. Around 1,000 households located within the sprawling 330 acres of the President’s Estate will now be able to enjoy 100 per cent wireless Internet facility.

Mukherjee called upon the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of infrastructure for Internet and information and communication technology-enabled services across the country. 

Stressing that India ranks third in the number of Internet users across the world, he said Wi-Fi services could be rolled out in public places – both in urban and rural areas. However, he was quick 

to add that only 20 <g data-gr-id="22">per cent</g> of the country’s population has access to the Internet.

The President said the government had launched a number of programmes for the benefit of citizens. Substantial investment in terms of money and effort go into the framing of policies and schemes aimed at eradicating poverty and other socio-economic ills. Yet, in the absence or poor presence of an effective communication strategy, a large segment of the intended beneficiary population remains unaware of the various benefits they are entitled to. Many a time, it becomes difficult to ensure if government policies and programmes are reaching the public in various parts of the country. The idea of bringing information to the doorsteps of citizens through a network is a revolutionary step to transform the country into ‘Digital India’.

Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad was also present.