Bangalore may become wireless broadband city

BANGALORE: If things go as planned, Bangalore may emerge as India's first city with wireless broadband Internet connectivity in about two years.

Indications are that things are moving in that direction.

An empowered committee, headed by Prof Sadagopan of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, has been working on the venture for the last six months and it met here yesterday and shortlisted five companies for the project.

Karnataka's Principal Secretary, Information Technology (IT) Anup K Pujari said on Friday that the committee, whose members include those from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the industry, were given a presentation by the prospective companies.

"We are floating now the final request for proposals", Pujari said, adding that the State would bear no cost in the venture and it's role will only be of an "enabler".

"The companies will have their own revenue model. It (the venture) will be something which will be platform neutral", he said.

The idea is to provide broadband Internet access irrespective of the telecom service provider one gets service from. If one used the services on the move -- operating a palmtop or laptop -- service provider will charge interconnection charge, Pujari explained.

"Expectation is that consumer will pay less than what he is paying today (for wired internet broadband access)", he said.

While Pujari would not talk about the possible investment by these companies for the venture, and the time-line to get Bangalore "wireless broadband internet city", IT department officials talk about a two-year horizon.