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In February this year, the Punjab government resumed the free Wi-Fi service in public places in several parts of Lahore and other cities of the Punjab. It did not give the launch date but stated the project’s objectives which included boosting connectivity and improving internet accessibility for the public. On April 26, the government had launched the service at 50-odd locations within the city, as a pilot project.
Hassan Ishaq, a banker on MM Alam Road, decided to try the service. Of the 50 spots listed in the pilot project, the one nearest to him was Mini Market, Gulberg. “At the [Mini Market] roundabout, there was no connectivity,” he says. “But as I started walking on MM Alam Road, CM Maryam Nawaz Free Wi-Fi appeared on the list of available networks on my phone.”
Ishaq says he was initially hesitant to connect to the network, but when he finally attempted it, he was alerted by a message that said, “Insecure Network.”
“I had heard about digital security, data theft and phone hacking. So, I felt vulnerable using the free internet facility,” he says.
Later, as he tried to reconnect, he received another message that read: “Open networks provide no security and expose all network traffic. If this is your Wi-Fi network, configure the router to use WPA2 (AES) or WPA3 security type.”
Lacking tech-savvy, Ishaq decided to quit trying. “Free Wi-Fi can cost you a bomb if it breaches your phone’s security settings. My phone is my bank in my pocket; it’s got all kinds of important data,” he says.
The Punjab Safe City Authority, which is executing the project, assures the users that the internet which originates from its routers and is fitted on pole tops in different parts of the city, is 100 percent safe to use.
Sohaib Sultan, the executive officer at Telecon, a private telecom company, is overseeing the project. He explains, “We have firewalls installed to ensure the internet stream is safe for users.”
About the insecure network warning, he says that open hotspots that do not require a password generate such notifications by default. That shouldn’t be taken to mean a cyber threat.
This isn’t the first time the Punjab government has attempted to digitally transform Lahore by allowing free connectivity to the general public. Previously, in the year 2015, the Punjab Information Technology Board had set up 200 hotspots for free Wi-Fi in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Murree. The hotspots were strategically located — at places most frequently visited — and included public sector educational institutions, hospitals, government buildings, parks, marketplaces, railway stations, airports and bus stations.
This time, however, the list of hotspots issued by the government has drawn criticism from various quarters. “It [the list] includes posh areas such as MM Alam Road; elite educational institutions such as LUMS and American School; and elite hospitals,” says Ishaq. “If the facility is for the common people, why don’t public places feature in the list?”
A spokesperson for the PSCA says that for the pilot phase, the Authority has made internet access open to the passersby wherever it was feasible, as it depended on infrastructure availability.
He says that on the launch day, 50 places were declared hotspots. “On May 3, we added another 50 places to the list. These include places where the public can enjoy free access to Wi-Fi 24/7.
“By the end of this month, the facility will be made available at 460 points in Lahore.”
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An interesting aspect of the project is that the PSCA has not installed any additional Wi-Fi routers. To quote Sultan, “The Authority is utilising its existing infrastructure. The routers have been installed [only] where the cameras were already installed. The idea is to ensure seamless streaming in case our fibre line gets disconnected.”
According to Sultan, the Wi-Fi router receives internet stream through the fibre line and LT wireless 4G. Each router covers a radius of 200 to 250 feet and is powered by a LESCO connection. In the event of a power failure, the routers are connected to a battery, which provides approximately an hour’s backup. He says old batteries are being replaced with new ones to increase backup time.
The PSCA says that free Wi-Fi is an emergency facility. To prevent misuse, the users are barred from accessing social media sites and enjoying video streaming. “Of all social media platforms, only WhatsApp works on free internet. There’s no bar on browsing on search engines, though.”
Sultan says that the PSCA is acquiring more bandwidth to meet the demand arising from the growing number of free hotspots.
How do you know a place has free Wi-Fi? Sultan admits that the PSCA hasn’t put up any flyers or billboards to announce that, but one can spot the poles with reflective stickers that indicate the free Wi-Fi hotspots.
For the uninitiated, the previous Free Wi-Fi Lahore programme, launched in 2015, was discontinued in 2021, reportedly due to its high cost and theft of some CPE devices. Just how sustainable is the model? Sultan replies, “First, the routers have been mounted on poles and fitted in anti-theft structures, which wasn’t the case earlier. Second, when all [460] points become operational, the government will have to bear a monthly bill of Rs 1.5 million for uninterrupted internet supply.”
Free Wi-Fi hotspots in Lahore city
Lahore American School
Government Muslim League High School
Degree College for Women
Minhaj University
LUMS (Entry/Exit)
Sharif Education Complex
Punjab University, Examination Centre
Astana Bazaar, Suay Wala Road
New Anarkali Bazaar
Main Bazaar, Chungi
Model Bazaar, Green Town
Food Street, Fort Road
Masti Gate
Lahore College for Women University
Gol Bagh Market, Shadbagh
Karim Block Market
Zaildar Road Market
A-Block Market
Masjid Sheikha Salaam Road
Main Market RO
Valencia Town Market
G1 Market, Johar Town
Bilal Daweoo
Bus Stop Al-Raheem Garden, Phase IV
Dhobi Ghaat Bus Stop, Daroghawala
Qurban Lines, Jail Road
Daras sBaray Mian
Naqsha Stop
Kotha Pind Stop
Jam e Shirin Park
Shalimar Hospital
Ittefaq Hospital
Opp HBL Bank
Siddiq Trade Centre
Mozang Adda
Sir Ganga Ram Chowk
General Hospital (Emergency)
MM Alam Road
Mini Market
Al-Razi Hospitals
Gaddafi Stadium RO
Hafeez Kardar Road
Shadman Chowk
Liberty
Hussain Chowk
Shalimar Medical College Chowk
Safanwala Chowk, Temple Road
Faisal Chowk (Assembly Hall)
Government Science College, Wahdat Road
Fast University, Faisal Town
St Anthony’s Church (Entry/Exit), near Railway HQ
Bhatti Chowk, near Data Darbar
Darbar Baba Shah Jamal
Qainchi Main Bazaar
Scheme Mor, Link Road
DHA, Sector-H Market, Phase 3
Barkat Market
Chauburji Chowk
Iqbal Park, P5-D1 (CPE)
Moon Market, Iqbal Town
Punjab University (Main Gate)
Grand Masjid BTL, Bahria Town
Akbari Gate (Entry/Exit)
Mochi Gate (Entry/Exit)
KFC Stop, Garden Town
C-Block Market, Model Town
Chandni Chowk
Koonj Pura Park, Sabzazar
Hospital Mian Munshi, Ring Road
Patoki Bus Stop, Raiwind
Sozo Water Park
Shadipura Stop, Band Road
Suraya Azeem Hospital, Bahawalpur Road
Masjid LDA Park, Gulberg
F-Block Bus Stop, Circular Road
Ek Minar Wali Masjid, GT Road
Bhobtian Chowk, Raiwind Road
LDA School, Sabzazar
Township Market
Masjid Valencia (Main)
Vegetable Market Bypass, Raiwind
Dubai Chowk RO
Lahore Press Club and Housing Scheme, Burki Road
Old Markaz, Raiwind
Beaconhouse National University (Entry/Exit)
DHA, Y-Block, Commercial Area, Phase 3
DPS Boys’ Senior Wing, Circular Road
Pace MT, Link Road
Wahdat Road, Muslim Town
Bhekewal Mor
Taxali Chowk
Pindal Outer Road, Raiwind
Jallo Park Access (Roundabout)
Istanbul Chowk
Payala Chowk, Expo Centre
— Ahsan Malik
The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship
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