Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications, Government of India, provided an update in the Lok Sabha about the progress of free WiFi services being offered in cities under the Smart Cities Mission. According to the minister, 39 out of 100 cities selected for the mission have successfully implemented free WiFi services as part of their Smart City projects.

Data Consumption Patterns in Smart Cities
The data consumption associated with these WiFi services varies widely depending on several factors such as the location of WiFi hotspots, the population density of the city, the quality of the service provided, and the accessibility of the network. On average, data consumption in these cities ranges from zero to 15 GB per day. This range suggests that the level of service and usage can differ greatly from one hotspot to another, influencing both the overall network demand and the user experience.

Full Compliance with WiFi Service Agreements
In 33 of the 39 cities that provide free WiFi services, the service providers have met their contractual obligations by ensuring that WiFi is available in the required number of hotspots. These cities have successfully rolled out their services in the designated locations, fulfilling the terms of their agreements.

Incomplete Service Delivery in Six Cities
However, in six cities—Bareilly, Gandhinagar, Kanpur, Karimnagar, Panaji, and Raipur—the service providers have not fully met the terms of their contracts. While these cities do offer free WiFi, the number of locations covered by WiFi hotspots falls short of the agreed-upon requirements. Below is a breakdown of each city's service status:

Bareilly
Service Provider: Aruba Networks (owned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise)
Contracted Locations: 10
Locations Covered: 9
Details: In Bareilly, Aruba Networks was contracted to provide free WiFi in 10 locations but has only covered 9 of these areas, falling short by one hotspot.

Gandhinagar
Service Provider: Amnex Infotechnologies
Contracted Locations: 49
Locations Covered: 44
Details: In Gandhinagar, Amnex Infotechnologies has managed to provide WiFi in 44 of the 49 required locations, leaving 5 spots uncovered.

Kanpur
Service Provider: Reliance Communications
Contracted Locations: 66
Locations Covered: 59
Details: Reliance Communications has installed WiFi in 59 of the 66 locations specified in Kanpur’s contract, with 7 locations not receiving the service as planned.

Karimnagar
Service Provider: D-Atum Vilcom
Contracted Locations: 22
Locations Covered: 21
Details: D-Atum Vilcom has almost met its target in Karimnagar, with only one location (out of 22) not covered by the free WiFi service.

Panaji
Service Provider: Reliance Jio
Contracted Locations: 98
Locations Covered: 95
Details: Reliance Jio has provided free WiFi in 95 of the 98 required locations in Panaji, with only 3 locations missing out on the service.

Raipur
Service Provider: Airtel
Contracted Locations: 20
Locations Covered: 19
Details: Airtel has provided free WiFi in 19 out of 20 contracted locations in Raipur, leaving just one hotspot uncovered.

The rollout of free WiFi services under the Smart Cities Mission has been largely successful, with the majority of cities fulfilling their contractual obligations. However, in six cities, service providers have not fully met the required number of hotspots, indicating room for improvement in these areas. Despite these shortfalls, the overall initiative is helping improve digital accessibility across urban areas, making significant progress in achieving the goals of the Smart Cities Mission.