Citizen can enjoy the service at four other locations in city

Visitors to M G Road, Brigade Road and four other locations in the city will be able to enjoy free wireless Internet connectivity from Friday. Called ‘Namma Wifi’, it is stated to be the first such service in the country. It will be formally launched near Metro station on M.G. Road.

To access free wifi in the hotspots, users will have to open their browser, which will take them to the “Namma Wifi” page. They have to key in their mobile phone number to which a password would be sent. Once the password is keyed in, the user can browse the net free for 30 minutes in 24 hours. Users can expect internet speeds of about 512 kbps, sources said. There will, however, be restrictions on accessing certain websites.

The service will also be available at Traffic and Transmit Management Centres (TTMCs) at Shanthinagar, Yeshwanthpur and Koramangala, besides CMH Road in Indiranagar, sources in the IT department said.

The launch will fulfil a promise made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his last budget speech. The government has tied up with D-VoiS, a private internet service provider, to execute the project. Namma Wifi will, in due course, be extended to 10 more places in Bangalore, the sources said.

Plans are also afoot to provide similar service in Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and some other towns in north Karnataka in the coming months.