Exclusive: ACT Fibernet Eyeing More Partnerships For Hy-Fi Project; CEO Bala Malladi

After launching public Wi-Fi hotspots in Hyderabad, ACT Fibernet wants to collaborate with other governments to bring similar services. Notably, the internet service provider has partnered with the Telangana government to launch more than 3,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots in Hyderabad under the Hy-Fi project.

"We are looking forward to collaborating with other governments where we can add value in bridging the digital divide and help build Smart cities," ACT Fibernet CEO Bala Malladi told Gizbot in an interaction.

Challenges Faced During The Hy-Fi Project

He asserted that identifying appropriate places, developing infrastructure for the installation of hotspot devices, and ensure the continued operation was very challenging.

Bala added, "This will enable local government bodies to establish smart policing, smart traffic management, and enhanced surveillance through connected CCTV cameras to make cities more secure."

For the unaware, all Wi-Fi hotspots in Hyderabad are powered by the company's SmartFiber technology, which is expected to offer internet for making calls, streaming, and more. However, to access the services users have to visit the ACT Free Hy-Fi portal. After that, users can only access the services for 45 minutes with 1GB of data and 25 Mbps speed.

Additionally, the company offers top-up services, where users can access 2GB and 4GB of data at 25 Mbps speed; however, for that users have to spend Rs. 25 and Rs. 50 for three hours of services. The existing ACT subscribers can access their current home broadband speed by logging into the hotspot with their ACT log-in details.

The company has already installed these hotspots in public libraries, metro stations, educations institutions, malls, hospitals, public parks, metro stations, public libraries, and metro stations so that users can access the internet easily at these locations.

It is important to note that the ongoing pandemic has increased the demand for the internet and these 3,000 Wi-Fi hotspots will allow users to use services at a nominal fee. In fact, Hyderabad has become the first city, where people are getting Wi-Fi services or networks on such a large scale, which is why we suggest that the same model should be adopted by more states.