The Hindu Business Line : Sify makes Bangalore WiFi-enabled city

Mr George Zacharias (left), President and COO, Sify Ltd, and Mr D.B. Inamdar, IT Minister, Government of Karnataka, at the launch of `Sify WiFi Enables' in Bangalore on Tuesday. - G.R.N. Somashekar

Bangalore , Oct. 14

IF you are one among the laptop-wielding professional on the move and happen to be at certain places in Bangalore, you can now access broadband Internet without being wired. Thanks to Sify, which announced the launch of its WiFi services in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Wireless fidelity better known as "WiFi" offers connectivity between computer networks and Internet in an unwired environment. WiFi allows computers to send and receive data within a specified radius called "hotspots".

Sify has WiFi-enabled Bangalore by setting up such 120 hotspots, branded as `Sify Wi-Zone', across the city. These Wi-Zones are spread across locations such as Vidhana Soudha, the IIM Bangalore, hotels such as The Park, The Atria, The Grand Ashoka, the KGA Club House, Casa Picola chain of restaurants, the Java City chain of coffee shops, the iWay Cyber Cafes among others, making Bangalore India's first WiFi-enabled city.

Mr George Zacharias, President and COO, Sify, said the company chose Bangalore for launching its WiFi services because of its high laptop population, familiarity with working online as well as international visitors needing such services while moving around the city. It is estimated that Bangalore has over 15,000 laptop users.

"IT professionals and overseas visitors to Bangalore can now enjoy broadband WiFi access at any Sify iWay as well as other hotspots in Bangalore for Re 1 a minute," he said.

While Internet access through the traditional dial up costs Rs 30 per hour at cyber cafés, the broadband access costs about Rs 60 per hour at Sify Wi-Zone. It may cost about 2.5 times more that of dialup depending on which Wi-Zone a user chooses to browse from, Sify sources said, adding that speed of broadband access at hotspots is up to 384 kbps whereas the dialup speed is at 56 kbps. All that a user needs to do is to buy online prepaid cards and use it with WiFi-enabled laptop.

"In addition to the current 120 hotspots many more are being rolled out over the next few months, covering hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings, malls and corporate campuses in Bangalore," Mr Zacharias said, adding "the company expects to roll out WiFi services in other cities soon".

Sify does not expect any large revenues from this new initiative, Mr Zachariah said, adding the company has invested between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000 in setting up each of these hotspots.

Mr D.B. Inamdar, Karnataka's IT Minister, said with the launch of WiFi services, Bangalore now joins a select list of cities worldwide that enable professionals to stay connected while on the move.

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