Bangalore to have wireless internet from BSNL

Bangalore, Oct 6 (UNI) Leading the country in broadband connections, this high tech city will have wireless internet connectivity delivered through the latest technology - WiMax by March 2007.

Validation work of the equipment was currently on and the service would be available from the next fiscal, BSNL, Bangalore, Principal General Manager S Ramalingam told newspersons here today.

He said the range of the system would be 20 km as against the existing WiFi internet links that have a limitation of less than 100 metres. Bangalore had already nine hotspots providing WiFi internet and 36 more would be added in near future.

WiMax was being set up as part of a national pilot scheme in which four other cities - Kolkata, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad - were also included.

With a broadband connection of over 100,000, Bangalore topped the country in maximum internet connections and an additional 100,000 would be added next year, Mr Ramalingam said, adding that there was a huge demand for broadband connectivity and the limitation was only availability of necessary equipment.

BSNL also planned to add 1.5 million mobile phone capacity next year. With 1.41 million mobile connections, BSNL had a 27 per cent market share in the State, with AirTel taking the top slot with 30 per cent. BSNL aimed at overtaking AirTel during the next fiscal.

BSNL proposed to make an investment of Rs 300 crore for infrastructure creation this year.

UNI VK GD SBA VC1800