Mumbai: The State government will soon launch a mobile application called ‘Apale Sarkar Mumbai WiFi’, which will provide users a list of WiFi hotspots. The application is likely to be launched on Maharashtra Day (May 1), when the city is set to get 1,200 hotspots.
The State Information Technology (IT) Department has already rolled out 510 WiFi hotspots at public places across the city on January 6. The department had initially proposed to levy a charge on users after a trial period of three months. However, as all the hotspots have not been activated as of now, the department has postponed the plan till April 30.
Speaking to The Hindu , a senior official from the IT department said, “The application will be free of cost, and users will be able to download it. It will show the list of WiFi connections and also show the path to the nearest connection.”
Sources in the department said tourists who have come from aboard to Mumbai will have to register themselves with an Indian mobile number to avail of the services.
He said the decision was to minimise the risk of data hacking. “The possibility of breach of security cannot be fully eliminated. But ensuring that an Indian number is being used to avail of the services will make it easy to track the culprit in case a crime is committed,” he said. Despite the security concerns, the department is also working on the possibility of providing WiFi services to foreigners on their original numbers.
The tariff for the WiFi services has not been fixed, but is likely to be announced in coming weeks. Officials from the IT department are studying the tariff plans used for similar services in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Jaipur, along with the rate of Common Service Centre – Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC-SPV), which runs e-choupal for the country.
The official said, “From May 1, the WiFi will be provided free of cost for the first 30 minutes, after which charges will be levied.”
