AAP in talks with IT cos for wi-fi in Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 13: The Aam Aadmi Party has already begun talks with companies, including Facebook, for setting up free wi-fi facility across Delhi, at a total cost of about Rs 150-200 crore, sources said.

The initial talks are being held by party volunteers, many of them holding senior positions in IT companies, to make the process easy for the bureaucrats once the new government starts implementing the promises made by AAP.

"We have had a round of talks with Facebook, which has installed such a service in Mumbai. Similarly, we are also holding talks with other companies and will try to get a better deal," said a party volunteer. The volunteers said that the free service will come with an advertisment for thrity seconds, a feature which they were not sure Kejriwal would agree to, and which would enable the government to earn around Rs 100 crore.

"We are not sure whether Arvind (Kejriwal) will agree with advertisments coming on a government launched programme even if it fetches revenue. We will brief him with all the aspects and let him take a call on this," they said. AAP leader Manish Siodia, who is tipped to be next deputy chief minister, had said that it will strive to implement 70 point programme.

The party, in its manifesto, has promised to give free wi-fi across the national capital for first 30 minutes, after which users have to pay for the services. The issue helped the party attract a lot of youth, considering the number of smartphone users in the national capital.

The party also intends to launch a mobile application for the security of women, who can press the button when in distress and seek police help. It also wants to make internet an important medium of governance and a free wi-fi service will help execute the party's plan.

PTI