Moscow to install public WiFi…in cemeteries

Moscow plans to expand its number of public WiFi networks by installing additional hotspots in the city’s cemeteries. The hotspots will be free to use, and are set to go live next year in the Novodevichy, Vagankovo, and Troyekurovo cemeteries. The selected cemeteries are each notable for the well-known individuals buried in them, making them so-called “open-air museums.” The networks will, hopefully, help visitors learn more about the people buried there.

The cemeteries are home to the likes of Boris Yeltsin, the first Russian president, Anton Chekhov, an author, and more. With WiFi, those visiting the cemeteries will be able to learn more about these individuals, making them educational destinations.

The WiFi will join already existing GPS systems installed in some of the cemeteries for locating graves of popular individuals. Moscow officials will monitor whether the cemeteries’ WiFi proves popular; if it does, the service may expand into other cemeteries in the city, as well.

There are 133 cemeteries in Moscow alone with 8 million or so graves across them all. According to a spokesperson for Ritual, the city’s funeral service, “People often come and find themselves standing in front of a grave and want to know more about the person lying there.”

SOURCE: The Guardian

Image via SRAS