Facilitating free internet access to its denizens, Kurudanpalayam, a village panchayat near Thudiyalur, has set an example by extending WiFi facility to its residents.

Said to be the first of its kind in Coimbatore district, the facility was launched at Arunanagar, in Kurudampalayam panchayat in Periyanaickenpalayam panchayat union limits, for the benefit of large number of students.

“The panchayat has launched the WiFi hot spot facility primarily for the benefit of the students,” the panchayat president, D. Ravi, said.

Airworld, an internet service provider has been roped in for the purpose. “The free internet access is being extended to the villagers at 4 Mbps bandwidth. The panchyat has launched this facility with the income generated from SLRM (Solid and Liquid Resource Management) that is being successfully implemented in the village with the help of self-help groups,” Ravi added.

“After obtaining a password from the supervisor, appointed for this purpose, any resident of the village panchayat can access the net free of cost. We have plans to extend the facility to other areas in the village in a phased manner, as this step would serve to bridge the digital divide gap in our panchayat,” he said.