Wireless Internet in city by Feb 2007

Wireless Internet in city by Feb 2007
This project will mean a move towards round-the-clock connectivity for all those who need to stay logged in. Bangalore will be the first city in the country to get the Wimax technology.
The Times of India

Imagine getting connected to the Internet from your laptop or cellphone on your way to work, without a phone line or even a Wi-Fi connection. Imagine logging onto the info highway with your own log-in registration directly from the service provider. And, finally, imagine a world without any wires or plug-ins.
The Information Technology & Biotechnology Department of the State Government is on an overdrive towards making the Silicon Capital a wire-free one in a few months' time on the wings of the latest Wimax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access) technology with its own satellite stations atop the city's highest buildings, beaming waves to a radius of 40 km. This will make Bangalore the first city in India to be modelled on this futuristic module.
Objectives
According to Jeetendra Singh, officer on special duty, Department of IT & Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, the concept took shape during a series of industry interactions in 2005. "We agreed on three main objectives during these publicprivate meetings," says Singh. "One, with Bangalore being the IT hub, it should be made the first city in the country to have the wireless technology. Two, we found that Internet penetration within the urban agglomerate were hampered by interruptions and download slowdown. Since our State had recently introduced e-governance in certain civic bodies, we found the need to make Internet speed accessible to all citizens regardless of the industry. Three, in the present context, to introduce and make the Wimax expertise available on tap and turn it into a profitable venture," he explained.
The project took more time to take off as the government had no budget earmarked and the IT Department wanted to implement it on a profit module considering the high cost of the global technology.
Pilot project
To test waters, the IT Department implemented the new technology on a pilot basis at the recent BangaloreIT.in, the information technology fair hosted in the city. "We asked the internet service providers (ISPs) to provide a wireless facility spanning a 5-km radius at the venue, free of cost to all the participants and visitors at the fair," said Singh. "Not only that, from October 22 till November 5 this superior, top speed Wimax facility was provided free of cost to all government officials at the Vidhana Soudha, M S Buildings and other government offices in the 5-km range and was found to be extremely successful," he says.
Project status
The IT Department has constituted a special technical committee to execute this ambitious project and all parameters based on the Transparency Act have been adhered to. "We called for an Expression of Interest (EoI) in June 2006 and received proposals from 16 service providers. After thorough screening by the technical committee, two companies, AirCell and Microsense proved their technical competence in Wimax technology and have been short-listed as ISPs. Once the technical committee gives the report on the project, we shall present it to the Chief Minister for a final nod," Singh adds. "This ambitious project should hit the airwaves by February 2007.
What is Wimax?
The Wimax specification provides symmetrical bandwidth over many kilometers and range with stronger encryption and typically less interference. (Wi-Fi is a short range one, approximately 10s of metres, and is prone to interference especially in metropolitan areas where there are many users - as in most cyber cafes).
Wimax is a superior broadband wireless technology that entails a central base station beaming waves around a 40 km radius in the city. In Bangalore, there will be two base stations - one situated atop the Visveswaraya Tower and the other, tentatively, on Public Utility Building on M G Road. "These two stations will cater to the connectivity requirements of all Bangaloreans and do away with the mushrooming of several towers by ISPs," says Singh.
According to the prerequisites governing this pathbreaking technology, each subscriber who registers with the ISP will be given a Simple Access Code through which he can directly log on to the Internet. This means, the subscriber does not need a landline. The technology is also 3G compliant.
Benefits to all sectors
The Wimax concept is a revolutionary one slated to encompass every facet of human existence that is governed by information technology - from hospitality and healthcare to transportation and logistics, and all sectors where staying connected all the time is vital. This 'unwired' cognizance will virtually make Bangalore the future hub of all information technology.