Bhubaneswar: The 'Bhubaneswar Me' Wi-Fi initiative, launched during the previous government’s tenure to provide internet access to citizens, has seen limited usage across most locations in the city despite heavy investment.

So far, 515 hotspots with 1,601 Wi-Fi access points have been installed in different parts of the capital, offering a browsing speed of up to 30 Mbps. Each user is entitled to 1 GB of free data per day.

According to official data, the project cost between ₹10 and ₹12 crore to roll out, while monthly maintenance and operational expenses amount to nearly ₹3 lakh. However, apart from select areas such as the Baramunda bus stand and the Santhakabi Bhimabhoi Library in Bapuji Nagar, the service has not witnessed much public engagement. The hotspots at Baramunda are largely used by commuters, while the library sees higher usage by students preparing for competitive examinations.

To boost effectiveness, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) is considering shifting underutilised hotspots to parks and crowded public areas. A senior BSCL official confirmed that work is also underway to extend Wi-Fi facilities to nine universities and colleges, including Utkal University, Rama Devi Women’s University, and BJB Autonomous College. Surveys in collaboration with BSNL have already been conducted in this regard.

Authorities have also noted disruptions to UPI services during exhibitions and fairs due to excessive mobile network usage. To address this, hotspots are being installed at venues like Unit-3 Exhibition Ground and Janata Maidan, enabling smoother digital transactions.

Usage statistics reveal that between August 15 and 31, as many as 27,420 people accessed the service, consuming a total of 6,801 GB of data. Of this, 5,966.64 GB was used for downloads and 834.02 GB for uploads. On average, around 1,600 users avail the service daily, consuming nearly 400 GB of data.