Free Wi-Fi internet now available at 19 locations in Kathmandu

November 5, Kathmandu: Free Wi-Fi internet services will now be available at 19 public locations across Kathmandu, thanks to initiatives led by Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel.

These services have been extended to various hospitals, the premises of Pashupatinath Temple, Tribhuvan International Airport, and other sensitive, important, and public service delivery areas.

According to the ministry, existing Wi-Fi services at previously covered locations have undergone maintenance, quality improvements, and capacity enhancements. Additionally, new installations have been completed at eight locations, including three under construction.

The ministry stated that new setups with capacity expansions are now operational at Kathmandu’s New Bus Park, Bhaktapur Hospital, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Kirtipur Hospital, and Tribhuvan International Airport.

Furthermore, installation and capacity enhancement works are underway at the Thulo Bharyang Transport Management Office in Kathmandu and the Transport Management Office in Ekantakuna, Lalitpur. A new installation is in progress at the Transport Management Office in Radheradhe, Bhaktpur, as per the ministry.

To ensure the continuity and sustainability of free Wi-Fi, relevant institutions have already signed agreements with service providers. Nepal Telecom, WorldLink, and Vianet have collaborated on establishing these free Wi-Fi internet services.

Under the special initiative of Communication Minister Kharel, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has coordinated with service providers to expand access to free Wi-Fi internet.

According to the authority, bandwidth at existing sites—including Bir Hospital, Paropkar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj, Teku Hospital, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Civil Hospital, National Trauma Centre, Patan Hospital, and Shahid Dharmabhakt Mathema National Treatment Centre, as well as the Pashupati Temple premises—has been upgraded from 10 Mbps to 150 Mbps. The data allowance per device in these areas has also increased from 100 MB to 500 MB.