Karnataka govt to launch Wi-Fi services in all gram panchayats, aid rural entrepreneurs

The Karnataka government has kicked-off a project to install WiFi facilities in all gram panchayats across the state. The project will initially start with 2,650 gram panchayats.

In November last year, a pilot project was launched in 11 villages. With more than 90% of the state’s villages covered under the Bharatnet programme of the state-owned BSNL, this project seems to be applicable in the given time frame.

The Wi-Fi services will be provided up to a range of 1 kilometer from the Gram Panchayat office. Villagers can browse the internet at high speeds for the first 100 MB after which there would be a speed reduction or a fee. Keonics is the implementing partner for this service.

Also Read: Govt launches BharatNet phase II, plans 7 lakh Wi-Fi hotspots to connect rural India

Karnataka, which accounts for 44% of the total investment intentions in the country in 2017 is taking this initiative a few months before it is set to go to the polls in 2018.

The state, which is also furthering the cause of startups, is looking to give a stronger push to the ecosystem. New-age incubation network centres have been set up in a few colleges across the state, with the aim of encouraging young minds to innovate and invent and become entrepreneurs, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said at Bengaluru Tech Summit 2017, reported ET.

Siddaramaiah said Karnataka continues to strengthen the Information Technology sector by investments in a series of proposed projects such as Hardware Park at Devanahalli, Information Technology Special Economic Zone at Mangaluru, Arya Bhatta Park at Hubballi and several Incubators on a Public-Private Partnership model.

Also Read: Startups can bid for govt projects in Karnataka, to get Rs 35 Cr in funding

"In a nutshell, a total of 921 acres of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land is available in the newly developed clusters across these areas," he added.

According to the report, centres of excellence have been set up in areas such as aerospace and defence and the Internet of Things (IoT), which would support other emerging technologies such as data science and artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics, cyber security.