The quest of transforming Pune into a smart-city has taken a turn for the better and the project now involves several major names. Internet behemoth Google has bagged its first Wi-Fi deal from Pune Smart City Development Corporation (PSCSCL), in collaboration with other giants like IBM, Larsen and Turbo(L&T) and RailTel.
The entire, contract including capital expenditure, operating expenditure and revenue sharing elements has a value of around Rs 150 crore.
Kunal Kumar, Pune Municipal Commissioner told ET:
The work order was given on January 6 this year…15-20 percent revenue generated through this citywide Wi-Fi network will be shared with the authority.
As a part of the contract, Google will set-up its Google Station Platform, which is capable of Wi-Fi network management and comes with monetization to make the service self-sustained. At the same time, RailTel will set up the fiber connectivity ensuring high speed Internet for the 200 strategic hotspot locations across the city.
Kumar adds;
The plan is to integrate all public places on a single platform to aggregate Wi-Fi hotspots that will allow access with one time authentication.
Other companies also have an important role to play in the project that aims to set Pune up as a model city. Larsen and Turbo for example, is the master system integrator of the project and will help bringing every thing together.
Srinivasan Ramamurthy, Lead -Smart World And Communication Business – Larsen & Toubro said that in addition to this, his company will also install emergency call boxes and public address system, environmental sensors, variable messaging displays, network connectivity and video analytics integration.
We are working with RailTel for connectivity and Google for putting advertisements. Google will help us in monetization through advertisements.
With its Google Station Platform, the Internet titan will extend its Wi-Fi range beyond railway stations, to the areas frequently visited by the mass, such as cafes, malls, universities and market places.
The company has previously stated that it will be collaborating with other big organizations, network operators, fiber providers, system integrators and infrastructure firms for providing Wi-Fi in the city areas.
