Delhi: PWD pegs Wi-Fi project cost at Rs 566 crore

The public works department (PWD) has prepared a cost estimate of Rs 566 crore for the free Wi-Fi project, under which the AAP government aims to provide free internet at hotspots across the city by next March. The estimate covers the costs for installation, running and maintenance of the Wi-Fi facilities.

The AAP government has been struggling to get the project — a key promise during its assembly poll campaign —executed since 2015 due to technical challenges. The project, which was transferred from the IT department to PWD, was tried for three months on a pilot basis in Burari’s Sant Nagar market.

In its outcome budget, under which various departments have set targets for executing various schemes, the government had set the target to award the tender for the project by September, but it has missed the deadline.

A source said the cost estimate had been submitted to the government for consideration. After it’s reviewed and approved by the government, tenders will be floated for the project.

The project has been now put on fast-track as the opposition parties may question the government about its status during the Lok Sabha election campaign next year.

The government has already chosen the wireless internet hotspot model to provide free Wi-Fi. Public hotspots will be created throughout the city so that all residential areas and public places have free Wi-Fi. For a long time, the government was in doubt about the right model — wireless internet hotspots, fiber cables and internet vouchers. Despite offering the highest internet speed, fiber cable comes with its own limitations like the internet voucher model. Since it will be a free service at public places, the number of users are expected to be huge and the data traffic is likely to be heavy.

A source said 2,000 internet hotspots would be created in different locations in the first phase. The locations will be decided on the basis of a recent survey that has considered various parameters, including number of people, need for Wi-Fi internet and utility of installing facilities.

“As per the initial details, the Wi-Fi facility will be available within a 100-meter radius from the point where it would be created and at a time around 200 people will be able to use it,” the source said.