With the new smartphones and tablets doing the rounds, the need of an Internet connection becomes mandatory. Reportedly, the state government of Gujarat has launched the e-Nagar project in the state, which will begin with setting up high-speed wireless hotspots at 8 locations in the state capital of Ahmedabad.
This project will expand to create a cover of Wi-Fi zones across 53 towns in the state of Gujarat. However, there are no confirmation on the timeline of the e-Nagar project or the technology partners involved. Narendra Modi, the state chief minister, said that the e-Nagar project is one of the first steps in the direction of digital India. The project is in accord with Modi’s promise in 2012, to setup state-wide wireless zones at public places and business centres. The e-Nagar project will ensure that five municipalities are linked together for better governance. The project will work to set up a central web-portal for all the information about the services that are being offered.
It will also allow real-time mapping of the BRTS buses. A mobile application is also under way and will soon be released, which will let people use these services through their handsets and even make tax payment easier. The ‘e-Ward’ initiative, which is currently operational at Rajkot Municipal Corporation is aimed to deliver digital signatures and birth certificates digitally.
Recently, Bihar announced the ‘world’s longest’ free Wi-Fi enabled zone of 20 km from NIT Patna to Danapur Town. The Indian government also announced that it will make all the village panchayats connected to the Internet, with an overall budget of Rs. 250,000 million, but no update has arrived on that so far.
Source: EFY Times
