Entire B'lore to be Wi-Fi zone in six months

 Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister S R Patil on Friday said Bangalore would be a complete Wi-Fi zone in the next six months.

Speaking at the KPCC office, Patil said the government had received expressions of interest from six companies. The department will shortlist the companies eligible to compete during the tender process. He said Wi-Fi had been already activated in certain locations in the City and in Bagalkot. “We will expand the services to entire Bangalore and other district headquarters,” he said.

The minister said Karnataka had exported software to the tune of Rs 1.65 lakh crore in 2013-14. IT companies outside Bangalore, which have set up shop in Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and other places, have generated exports to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore. “In the current year, the exports are worth Rs 2 lakh crore. We are looking to increase the share of exports from the Tier II cities to Rs 5,000 crore this year,” he said.

Patil said that at present as many as 10 lakh direct jobs had been created in the IT-BT sector, with another 30 lakh indirect jobs. He said the department intended to create 20 lakh direct jobs by the year 2020, with exports up to Rs four lakh crore during the same period.