New Delhi: The state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has plans to set up over 1 lakh Wi-Fi hotspots across the country by March 2019, the telecom operator said on August 28.

“We have plans to set up 1 lakh Wi-Fi connections by March 2019, which include 25,000 for rural areas. The USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund) will provide financial support for rural Wi-Fi hotspots, revealed Anupam Shrivastava, Chairman and Managing Director, BSNL, well known for injecting fresh impetus to development.

The overall cost of managing the project will include three years of operation and maintenance for setting up 25,000 hotspots.

In addition to the numbers mentioned above, another 5,000 hotspots will be set up and the revenue will be shared between the vendor and the telecom operator, Shrivastava informed.

Slowly but gradually, Wi-Fi availability is increasing in India. Earlier this month, Delhi Metro started offering free Wi-Fi to commuters, without charging them for using the internet.