The metropolis will go WiFi in a few months from now if a public-private partnership initiated by the BMC fructifies. WiFi or Wireless Fidelity enables anyone with a PC or a laptop to access internet without having to plug in. Someone travelling in a car or a train could use it as well.
However, wireless access to the worldwide web will come at a fee although the BMC promises that it will be much cheaper than the present charges.
The Rs 50-crore project proposal is still in its nascent stage and tenders will be invited within a month. The civic body will take up the responsibility of erecting towers, while the service providers will pool in the funds. To get WiFi-enabled, towers will be erected throughout the city. While some will be in the city, others will be in the suburbs and the fringes. The pre-requisites such as roadmap detailing, the licensing, positioning of hotspots, hardware and software requirements and survey of the city for setting up the towers will soon be spelled out.
