Darjeeling gets free Wi-Fi service at the Chowrasta

The free Wi-Fi service has been launched at the Chowrasta, which is also called the Mall, by the Tourism department of the Gorkha Territorial Administration.

"Now a tourist will be able to buy a ticket online or read emails sitting at the Mall while enjoying the beauty of the mountains," said GTA Chief Executive and GJM president Bimal Gurung in a Facebook post.

It would also help students of Darjeeling in their education, he added.

Back in January, the Karnataka government offered free Wi-Fi to citizens of the state capital, Bangalore, to access Internet and stay connected with their near and dear ones on social media.

Touted to be the first of its kind in the country, the facility - Namma Wi-Fi - will allow citizens to use smartphones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices to connect to Internet seamlessly when they are around M.G. Road and Brigade Road in downtown, or at Shantinagar or Yeshwantpur bus terminals, and at upscale Indiranagar in the city's eastern suburb.

"The facility is a first step to make Bangalore a smart and connected city," Internet and Wi-Fi service provider D-VoiS Broadband Ltd managing director Ramesh Satya told IANS in Bangalore.

Initiated by the state IT department and the state government's ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) group, the facility will be extended to 10 other hotspots across the city later this year.

To use the service, a user will need to have an authentication password, which will be sent to his or her mobile number after registering on the network.