According to the Chongqing Evening News, a public bathroom in the Chinese city of Chongqing is equipped with free WiFi internet connection, which changes the meaning of using a public toilet.
In addition to the free WiFi, it also features mobile charging stations, a microwave, a fridge, a free water dispenser, and some emergency first aid supplies and medicine on its lobby area. It is said that the entire equipment is solar powered, so that means, China has proved that luxuries can be provided at a low cost.
This move of having free high speed WiFi on public toilets is said to be a part of federal government's plan. The government wants to start bringing China the highest point of Internet Plus era this year. After the success of Beijing City with its posh that has an ATM, a lounge with vending machines, a machine for paying utility bills and even an electric-car charging station, this is a step towards creating five star rated public toilets.
Even though luxurious, these toilets also boasted of using eco-friendly measures like low consumption of toilet paper, having separate waste baskets for paper as well as plastic bottles, using dirty water for flushing to save precious resource of water. China hopes to combine the Internet Plus with modern toilets, funding them with investment from e-commerce service providers who could use them as centres to lure people to get products online.
It remains to be seen if the common man will have a similar WiFi internet speed in his home, else it will just result in public using the toilets more often for business purpose in order to avoid frustration of low internet speed at home. This will be one of the main concerns that the Chinese government will face, unless they are quick to come up with an equivalent speed for WiFi and internet users at homes.
Also, an added benefit for this public toilet will be additional employment opportunities will be created to maintain such hitech public restrooms.
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