Free
wireless internet services are expected to commence in the commercial
heart of India's technology capital starting next month. Mahatma Gandhi
Road and Brigade Road, two of the best-known shopping destinations, will
have free Wi-Fi access as part of a plan to make Bangalore the first
city to have such a service available at public spots.
The
idea is the brainchild of a government-appointed panel headed by
Mohandas Pai, a former director at Infosys. The pilot service will be
available for at least six months, after which the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) panel will evaluate the network and
announce possible expansion plans.
"A
smartphone revolution is happening in India, but connectivity is still
an issue here. We wanted to provide seamless internet access to people,"
said Pai, who is also the chairman of the Manipal Global Education.
The
decision to offer free wireless broadband access was taken last year
and the recommendations of the ICT group were sent to Karnataka's chief
minister in January. Bangalore-based internet service provider D-VoiS
has been assigned to implement the pilot free of charge. "Once the pilot
finishes, we will talk to other private ISPs and figure out a
revenue-sharing model," Pai said.
Access to
broadband internet free of charge at public spots will benefit hundreds
of thousands of people who browse the web through mobile phones, laptops
and tablets. The Internet and Mobile Association of India expects the
country to have about 165 million mobile internet users by 2015.
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