Adding to an increasing number of state sponsored WiFi projects, the Kerala government too unveiled a public WiFi project today. The state plans to set up Wi-Fi hotspots in 2,000 public places like government offices, bus stops, parks, tourist destinations, courts and public 'seva kendras', according to this PTI report. The WiFI service will provide free 300MB of usage to every user every day. Note that the announcement comes just days after BSNL said that it is setting up 1000 new WiFi hotspots in Kerala. Chief Minister Of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post that the state is currently identifying telecom operators who are willing to provide bandwidth for the project on a tender basis. The project will be implemented in three phases, and the plan is to complete installation and launch within 7 months, he added. The Kerala State IT Policy for 2017 (pdf) mentions that the WiFi project will be funded in three ways: Government sponsored: These hotspots will be installed in government owned buildings and spaces and will be fully funded by the state. Private-public partnership: There is also an option for private companies to set up hotspots in selected areas align with a provision for digital and offline advertising of their brands. NGO funded hotspots: In selected areas government will lease bandwidth to NGOs for setting up WiFi hotspots. Kerala State Optical Fiber Network Similar to the center government’s BharatNet and Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Arasu Cable’, the Kerala government too has an optical fiber…
