Bhubaneswar, May 19: Come Thursday, visitors at the 13th century Sun temple can enjoy Wi-Fi service.

The monument, also known as the "black pagoda" of the East, is among the five major heritage monuments in the country being Wi-Fi enabled by the government-owned BSNL, which has promised speeds of up to 10mbps.

"We may increase the bandwidth or reduce it according to the use and footfall at the heritage site. We won't charge people for the Wi-Fi connection now, but we could charge them later at prevailing rates," said general manager, Odisha Telecom Circle, A.K. Pahi.

The project has been executed by BSNL's Nimapara sub-division under the Puri telecom district.

Earlier in the year, the Centre had declared that 25 monuments in the Adarsh Smarak (model monument) category would be provided with state-of-the art tourist-friendly services. Konark is the only monument from Odisha to be included in the category.

Superintending archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar Circle, A.K. Patel said: "The entire campus of the Sun temple - 26.25 acres - will come under the Wi-Fi connectivity. We are only concerned about the facility. BSNL will look after the technicalities. Konark will be among the first five monuments of the ASI to become Wi-Fi ready."

City-based tour operator Sarat Acharya said: "Wi-Fi service at Konark will definitely make the visit to the historic site a better experience for tourists who can stay connected with the world."

While Biju Patnaik International Airport is also trying to have Wi-Fi connectivity by the first week of June, sources said the state government has prepared a detailed project proposal to bring the entire city of Bhubaneswar within a Wi-Fi network.

If it materialises, Odisha will be the first state in the country to have a Wi-Fi network in an entire city.

Besides the Wi-Fi service the Sun temple will also have other tourist-friendly provisions under the Adarsh Smarak scheme. There will be Braille signage and information boards for visually challenged persons and wheelchairs for physically challenged ones.

An auditorium will also be constructed to screen films on the historic importance of the Sun temple. The ASI museum near the heritage site will also be upgraded with an international quality washroom complex.

The Indian Oil Foundation of the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas is also developing a tourist interpretation centre-cum-beautification plan for Rs 29 crore.