Hyderabad: Microsoft is gearing up to provide Wi-Fi access through television spectrum in the Srikakulam district of AP. But a similar project conceived by researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad is languishing due to the apathy of the Centre.

IIT-Hyderabad had requested the Centre to allocate unused bands of the spectrum owned by Doordarshan to it for experimentation, but till today has not received any reply.

Scientists from IIT-Hyderabad planned to provide free, fast Internet to villages through TV towers like Wi-Fi.

The range of Wi-Fi is limited but when TV spectrum is employed, television towers can broadcast them to about 10 km.

IIT-Hyderabad researchers led by electrical and electronics department head, Prof. Mohammad Zafar Ali Khan, have the equipment but don’t have access to the spectrum of frequencies.

“Even now there is no response from the Centre,” a professor said asking not to be named. The researchers decided to use the Doordarshan owned spectrum since it is otherwise unused but needs government permission.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is collaborating with the Andhra Pradesh government and the latter has even claimed that this is the first time that the technology is being employed in this country.