BENGALURU: It looks like Modi’s dream project to build 100 smart cities is getting quite recognition at the international level, as global tech giants like HP, Google, Facebook and Microsoft are betting big for a slice of the digital pie, reports firstbiz.
In a boost to India's 100 smart city programme, Modi has also initiated steps for a "Digital India," with allocations for components such as smart cities, virtual classrooms, and technology startups. Also a budget of $1.2 billion was completely set aside for cities alone.
In terms of who’s providing what, Google is willing to provide inexpensive internet access across India through a network of helium-filled baloons, while Facebook too is keen on being a partner in the National Optical Fiber Network programme. This programme also aims to connect 2.5 lakh village panchayats through high-speed broadband by 2017.
Another tech giant Microsoft too wants to join the bandwagon as it plans to contribute by using “white space” unused spectrum between two TV channels, in order to provide Internet connectivity in remote areas of India. White space is actually the frequencies allotted to a broadcasting service but is unused and is considered to have potential for providing wireless broadband Internet access in rural areas.
According to an Economic Times report, it is said that Microsoft has already submitted a proposal to the Wireless Planning & Coordination wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Following this race, Cisco and IBM too have joined the bid and have gone on to submit proposals to local governments for projects and collaborate with real estate developers to build greenfield digital cities. This ET report says HP too is keen to invest in smart cities.
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