Facebook to provide public wi-fi hotspots in Bengaluru, multiple cities in Punjab

Facebook India on Tuesday announced partnerships with internet service providers D-Vois and Netplus to launch public wi-fi hotspots in India as part of its internet expansion plan.  

The two ISPs will use Facebook Connectivity’s ‘Express wi-fi’ program to launch public wi-fi hotspots in Bengaluru and multiple cities in Punjab.

Facebook, in a statement, said that the partnerships with Facebook’s internet expansion wing, called Connectivity, will indirectly help spur economic opportunities and enable better connectivity in local economies.

Express wi-fi is Facebook’s proprietary software platform through which mobile operators, satellite operators and internet service providers can build and monetize their wi-fi businesses. The platform is already being utilized in over 30 countries.

In India, 12 states currently provide wi-fi services through eight partners using Facebook’s express wi-fi services. These partners were also utilized to provide Covid related information to micro communities here.    

Bengaluru based D-VoiS provides its services to 60 cities in India and is commonly known under the brand name ION. The company will deploy 1000 access points in India’s Silicon Valley through the partnership.

On the other hand, Netplus Broadband, part of the Fastway group, is an ISP through the FTTH platform catering to SMEs in the northern regions of Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and others. The company claims to possesses an optic fiber network spread over 25000 kilometres.  

“From Dharavi in Mumbai to Shillong, Aizawl, Vadodara, Rajkot, and many other towns and cities, the Express Wi-Fi platform is helping expand internet connectivity in the country,” Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India, said.