Soon, free Wi-Fi at Taj Mahal

Come June 16 and the visitors at the Taj Mahal will get free Wi-Fi internet facility across the sprawling campus for 30 minutes.

Any browsing or usage like downloading, surfing after this period would invite charges at Rs.30 an hour, a Bharatiya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) official said.

Chief General Manager of BSNL (UP-West) Pradeep Kumar told IANS that the trials have been completed and the service will be launched by union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Agra on June 16.

He informed that while bandwidth is being provided by BSNL, the system integrator - Quadgen, a Bengaluru based company - is providing the wireless support.

Due to security and other reasons, the ASI has only permitted the Wi-Fi availability in a radius of 30 metres from the main gate of the Taj Mahal, officials further said.

Millions of domestic and foreign tourists visit the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Officials said there were frequent complaints from tourists, specially foreigners about the lack of Wi-Fi facility.

Following this, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requested the BSNL to work on the project to start the facility in the complex.

Wi-Fi internet facility at public places in Agra is currently available only at the Agra Cantonment railway station.

If the trial at the Taj is successful, BSNL plans to extend the facility to Fatehpur Sikri as well.

The Taj Mahal a major draw for tourists the world over. In 2014, it attracted 60.72 lakh visitors.