The federal government will start providing public Wi-Fi hotspots in select parks and along metro routes in Islamabad this year, Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima told the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology today.
Responding to a query during the committee meeting, the minister said no citywide public Wi-Fi plan is under consideration yet for Islamabad, but targeted connectivity initiatives are being launched. Funds have already been released, and implementation is set to begin this year.
Shaza Fatima said the Ministry of IT is using its budget to provide Wi-Fi in government schools and hospitals. She revealed that 100 schools in Islamabad currently lack internet access, and the plan aims to fiberize schools, hospitals, and police stations to support online education and e-health services. Coordination with the Ministry of Health is also underway to enable online healthcare delivery.
The minister said underground fiber optic cables are also being laid to improve connectivity in these key government buildings.
She added that work is also in progress on the “Smart Islamabad” project.