GREATER NOIDA: Residents looking forward to getting free Wi-Fi service in Greater Noida will have to wait a little longer.
With representatives of the private companies that were interested in setting up Wi-Fi hubs across 15 places in the city refusing to provide the service for free, citing availability of cheap data plans in the market, the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has now decided to redesign its strategy. The officials will now come up with a business model that would cover the operational cost and then float tenders again.
Although, the original plan was to let the telecom companies generate revenues by offering subscription plans to people and through advertisements on login pages, the companies have now expressed their helplessness in executing the project due to lack of profits in such models.
“Since mobile data plans have become extremely cheap, the companies were not confident about how many people would apply for broadband connections. Also, the revenues they make through advertisements also seem insufficient. We would work on the terms and conditions and see how we can implement the project with minimum investment. Senior executives have been asked to suggest some models and the work will begin on the fresh tender by March 24,” said the chief executive officer of GNIDA, Narendra Bhooshan.
The authority will contemplate about adopting other models, like giving rights to put up digital or electronic display boards in the 15 locations.
According to the earlier timeline, the free Wi-Fi facility was supposed to be available in the city by August-September this year. But with the new development, officials are unable to say when the scheme would be launched.
Residents have expressed their disappointment over the delay. A resident of Sector 16 B, Sarthak Sinha, said: “I do not get good Internet in my flat. I was thinking of creating an offline library through free Wi-Fi. I just hope that the authority officials rework the plans quickly.”
With representatives of the private companies that were interested in setting up Wi-Fi hubs across 15 places in the city refusing to provide the service for free, citing availability of cheap data plans in the market, the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has now decided to redesign its strategy. The officials will now come up with a business model that would cover the operational cost and then float tenders again.
Although, the original plan was to let the telecom companies generate revenues by offering subscription plans to people and through advertisements on login pages, the companies have now expressed their helplessness in executing the project due to lack of profits in such models.
“Since mobile data plans have become extremely cheap, the companies were not confident about how many people would apply for broadband connections. Also, the revenues they make through advertisements also seem insufficient. We would work on the terms and conditions and see how we can implement the project with minimum investment. Senior executives have been asked to suggest some models and the work will begin on the fresh tender by March 24,” said the chief executive officer of GNIDA, Narendra Bhooshan.
The authority will contemplate about adopting other models, like giving rights to put up digital or electronic display boards in the 15 locations.
According to the earlier timeline, the free Wi-Fi facility was supposed to be available in the city by August-September this year. But with the new development, officials are unable to say when the scheme would be launched.
Residents have expressed their disappointment over the delay. A resident of Sector 16 B, Sarthak Sinha, said: “I do not get good Internet in my flat. I was thinking of creating an offline library through free Wi-Fi. I just hope that the authority officials rework the plans quickly.”
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