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Tag: Arbind Prasad

  • “Private sector needs to own network to connect India seamlessly via wireless broadband:” Rajeev Chandrasekhar

    “Private sector needs to own network to connect India seamlessly via wireless broadband:” Rajeev Chandrasekhar

    NEW DELHI: Member of Parliament and technology entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar today underlined the need for making high quality Wi-Fi available and accessible across the country. He said that it was imperative for the Government to partner with States and private service providers in the space. 

     

    Chandrasekhar also recommended that while the government could own the fundamental policy making but the network owner should be from the private sector to make the initiative a success.  

     

    While delivering the inaugural address on ‘India, Wi-Fi and Smart City Development’ at the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum, Chandrasekhar said that it would be appropriate to provide Wi-Fi access free of cost to a selected faction who deserves it rather than making it free for all. He added that any programme started with the aim of providing free service suffers from suboptimal facilities and poor quality.

     

    The forum was organised by FICCI in collaboration with Global Wi-Fi Broadband Alliance to advance the policy objectives of the Digital India programme. 

     

    Chandrasekhar said Digital India has tangible benefits and can have a multiplier effect on the country’s productivity and GDP. He added that India’s internet penetration stands at a low level today, hence it provides a huge opportunity for the government and private sector to make India connected via internet.

     

    Delhi Government’s Delhi Dialogue Commission vice chairman Ashish Khetan, who gave his keynote on ‘Delhi Wi-Fi – A Smart City Perspective from India’, said it was one of the biggest challenges for the city Government to draft a policy for providing seamless access and quality service of Wi-Fi at an affordable cost. 

     

    He added that within a few weeks the Request for Proposal (RFP) would be finalised and placed in the public domain.

     

    Khetan also said that the government proposes to provide speed of 1 Mbps and 1GB data download free for the citizens of Delhi. In the first phase of the programme, all Delhi colleges, including government and private, would be enabled with public Wi-Fi. Subsequently, in the second phase, all villages in Delhi would have Wi-Fi facility and in the third phase the focus would be on connecting unauthorized colonies of Delhi. 

     

    Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) CEO Shrikant Shenwai said these were exciting times for Wi-Fi operators, Wi-Fi equipment vendors and above all Wi-Fi users. The potential of Wi-Fi worldwide is vast and growing. The WBA was committed to helping Wi-Fi fulfill that potential.

     

    He said end-user focus for next generation Wi-Fi experience means making it easier for users to find and access hotspot service locations; offering a user experience that is simple and consistently better; and allowing seamless interoperability, across devices, operators & networks and WBA aims to achieve this by bringing the stakeholders on the same platform.

     

    FICCI Communications & Digital Economy Committee chairman Virat Bhatia said that to advance the policy objectives of the Digital India programme, the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum facilitated a thought-provoking dialogue that explored the opportunities and challenges associated with delivering transformational connectivity for the Government of India’s 100 Smart Cities Program. The forum presented an opportunity to meet with global experts from Singapore, San Jose and Seoul and leading Indian policy makers, government officials, operators and ecosystem players in this space.

     

    FICCI DG Arbind Prasad said that the Wireless Broadband Vision Forum is an initiative to promote the Government of India’s programs of Digital India, Make in India and Smart City. He added that FICCI is partnering with WBA to promote Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the country as wireless is the future of internet and India deserves a revolution in this sector as well on the lines of the one witnessed in the telecom space.

  • Chinese fond of Indian films and television, says Chinese Minister

    Chinese fond of Indian films and television, says Chinese Minister

    NEW DELHI: Chinese Assistant Minister of Culture Liu Yuzhu has said he looks forward to laying a strong foundation of cultural partnership with India as “the Chinese are great lovers of Indian films and television, art and crafts, and cuisine.”

     

    He said Indian culture has had a very strong influence on China. “Given the fact that both countries have over a billion mobile phone users it is only natural that both cultures should connect through mutual synergies.”

     

    Yuzhu, who was heading a large delegation from his country, was speaking at a reception given by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here.

     

    He invited Indian cultural stakeholders to China and also mentioned that Chinese cultural enterprises would welcome Indian markets opening up to them.

     

    FICCI DG Arbind Prasad said, “Our two nations are both in possession of a vibrant and rich cultural heritage – we are buoyed by our indigenous wealth of visual arts, exquisite crafts, tapestries of colourful regional events based on ancient traditions of history and folklore. For FICCI, it would be of utmost importance if our two countries can come together and mutually add to our heritage and make commerce through culture first on our partnership agenda.”

     

    The session was moderated by Teamwork Arts founder Sanjoy Roy who is also an important cultural stakeholder. He said that India and China will go furthest if they travel together. He said India is the country of focus at the forthcoming Shanghai Arts Festival.