Bangalore gets free Wi-Fi at five locations in the city

Tech-savvy Karnataka government is offering free Wi-Fi to citizens of the state capital to access Internet and stay connected with their near and dear ones on social media.

Touted to be the first of its kind in the country, the facility - Namma Wi-Fi - will allow citizens to use smartphones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices to connect to Internet seamlessly when they are around M.G. Road and Brigade Road in downtown, or at Shantinagar or Yeshwantpur bus terminals, and at upscale Indiranagar in the city's eastern suburb.

"The facility is a first step to make Bangalore a smart and connected city," Internet and Wi-Fi service provider D-VoiS Broadband Ltd managing director Ramesh Satya told IANS in Bangalore.

Initiated by the state IT department and the state government's ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) group, the facility will be extended to 10 other hotspots across the city later this year.

To use the service, a user will need to have an authentication password, which will be sent to his or her mobile number after registering on the network.

"When a mobile user is present in any of the five hotspots, he will be able to connect by configuring his device to our ION service and access Internet after registering and getting the password," Satya said.

As the facility is being offered at the state's initiative, all government services such as Sakala, a time-bound service delivery are available on the home page.

"With a speed of up to 512kbps, a user will have connectivity within the coverage area. Usage, however, will be limited to three hours a day or up to 50 MB data," Satya clarified.

The facility is expected to benefit thousands of people visiting the five hotspots located in commercial areas.