Punab’s Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, announced the Punjab government has initiated a pilot project to provide free WiFi at 50 locations in Lahore.
The free wifi project, endorsed in a high-level meeting last month with officials from the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), is part of a broader effort to enhance connectivity and internet access across the city.
Chief Minister Sharif shared the news on her X account: “Free WiFi started at the following (50 spots) in Lahore. The rest of Lahore is being done, too. Alhamdulillah! We promise, we deliver.”
This initiative is not new; it revives a service introduced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in 2013. The succeeding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government discontinued it due to unpaid bills.
The Punjab Information Technology Board has now taken over the service management, previously handled by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), and is tasked with upgrading the existing infrastructure.
The chief minister has prioritised free WiFi at educational institutions, airports, railway stations, and bus stands. Eventually, the service will expand to 516 locations throughout Lahore, offering significant benefits such as improved internet availability in key public areas, enhanced overall connectivity, and facilitated communication.