Beijing will take a big stride in expanding wireless internet service this year with its Wi-fi network expected to cover the entire urban area by the end of the year.
Wi-fi signals will cover more than 600 square kilometres within the capital's fifth ring road and major town centres in suburban areas, according to He Ning, general manager of Beijing Mobile, a China Mobile subsidiary operating in the capital.
The Beijing government news portal Qianlong.com quoted He as saying the number of hotspots, which enable wireless connections to the internet by users of laptops, phones and other portable communication devices, would be doubled or even tripled this year.
His remarks were made at a group discussion on the sidelines of the week-long annual meeting of the municipal people's congress, which opened on Sunday and is focusing on the capital's development blueprint for the next five years.
Analysts said the pledge, if realised, would be significant for Beijing's development, as it could give the capital a competitive edge both at home and abroad.
Beijing has vowed to become a liveable world-class metropolis in the coming decade with its Communist Party boss, Liu Qi, saying this month that he wanted it to become the country's best 'Wi-fi city'.
To achieve that ambitious goal, another 5,000 to 10,000 hotspots would be set up this year in addition to the existing 5,000-plus spots across the city in hotels, cafes and airports, Wu Chunyong, a Beijing-based internet analyst, said.