Delhi will get full wi-fi coverage in two years and around 700 wi-fi hotspots will be set up by February 2016, state government’s Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of IT, Adarsh Shastri said on Thursday. “We will get budgetary allocation in June and issue tender for wi-fi by July. First phase comprising 600-700 wi-fi hotspots will be rolled by February 2016. Wi-fi coverage in entire Delhi shall be done in two years,” Shastri said, while speaking at an event organised by telecom news portal TeleAnalysis.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party had promised free wi-fi service in Delhi during its election campaigning. Speaking at the event, industry players, however, questioned the business model adopted by Delhi government for the sustainability of wi-fi operations in the state. Shastri said Delhi government has various programmes that need Internet connectivity, for which the state government will pay.
Besides, there are a number of sites of Delhi government where telecom companies can install their equipment and in lieu provide free access to public. “If these sites are given out for advertisements, it will fetch government revenue of Rs 20 crore per month. At any given point you can have 4 million smartphones connected to wi-fi. This can bring huge revenue model for companies. I have nowhere seen such big scale as in Delhi,” Shastri said.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party had promised free wi-fi service in Delhi during its election campaigning. Speaking at the event, industry players, however, questioned the business model adopted by Delhi government for the sustainability of wi-fi operations in the state. Shastri said Delhi government has various programmes that need Internet connectivity, for which the state government will pay.
Besides, there are a number of sites of Delhi government where telecom companies can install their equipment and in lieu provide free access to public. “If these sites are given out for advertisements, it will fetch government revenue of Rs 20 crore per month. At any given point you can have 4 million smartphones connected to wi-fi. This can bring huge revenue model for companies. I have nowhere seen such big scale as in Delhi,” Shastri said.