The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications reportedly launched free public wifi hotspots at 75 locations in Goa on Wednesday. It is learnt that there are 46 free Wi-Fi spots in North Goa and 29 in South Goa. Eleven fully installed and operational 4G BSNL towers were also inaugurated.
Free WiFi has several advantages. It provides easy internet access to tourists. It allows people to access the internet without a wired connection or cellular data plan. It can help people save money on data plans. Free WiFi can provide access to educational resources. It can be useful in emergencies. In the cities free WiFi connection is provided in coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, etc. This is not the case in the villages. However establishing a dependable internet connection in rural areas can be challenging due to a lack of network coverage, physical barriers, and erratic electricity supplies. It may be recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic students had to go to climb up the hills to get proper connectivity in order to follow online classes.
In order to give rural people access, it is imperative that fiber internet connectivity be extended to these areas. Incidentally Satellite Internet is one of the most popular options for rural areas. It uses satellite dishes to connect to the internet, allowing access to high-speed internet even in remote locations.
