Digital city: corporation council sets the ball rolling

To call for Expression of Interest to provide Wi-Fi, 4G services

In connection with the Digital Kerala project, Kozhikode is aiming to become the first digital city in the State.

Setting the wheels in motion, the city corporation council at its meeting here on Thursday decided to call for Expression of Interest (EOI) to provide facilities such as Wi-Fi, 4G services and surveillance cameras, and install multi-purpose high-mast poles for LED lights. The facilities would improve network in areas where mobile data coverage is poor. The height of the multi-purpose high-mast pole will be 25 metres.

The Finance Standing Committee had on July 11 approved the proposal. Mayor Thottathil Raveendran chaired the council session.

The Digital Kerala initiative has achieved remarkable success and helped better governance.

As per the EOI, the contractor should obtain the telecom infrastructure provider licence of the Centre, and certificates of Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cell, and Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA) to install each mast. Uninterrupted free Wi-Fi should also be made available from these masts.

A major rider is that high masts will not be shared among other companies. Besides, each mast will not have more than three GSM antennas. LED lights having 100 megawatts will light up the city from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

High-resolution cameras having night vision facilities will be mounted on the masts. Town planning engineers will decided the location of these masts without causing inconvenience to motorists and general public. The contract will be for five years. The District Telecom Committee will look into the complaints from the public.

The city council meeting also witnessed heated debates between the ruling Left Democratic Front and the opposition United Democratic Front on several issues particularly on an agenda to recover the 101.32 square metre of land at Kuttichira that comprised a park and radio house in memory of freedom fighter Hassan Koya Mulla, and was leased to CIESCO in 1977. The contentious issue was put to vote and passed as 47 councillors supported the agenda while 19 members opposed.

Taking part in the discussions, leader of the opposition in the council P.M. Suresh Babu requested the Mayor to postpone the agenda for the next council session. However, the Mayor said that ruling members insisted on passing the agenda so as to set up a club for senior citizens, and a recreational park.