Canadian firm plans Surfer Box for connecting hinterlands with IT

Canada-based telecom firm Datawind Corporation aims to collaborate with the state governments in various parts of India to reach out the hinterland of the country.

The company envisages to connect the small towns and villages through information technology at an affordable cost.

"Surfer Box", a product developed by the company, can connect the television to the mobile telephone to provide a range of information to the subscribers.

According to Harjinder Singh, chief executive officer of Datawind Corporation (India Operations), the cost of a surfer box would be around Rs 1,225 and a recurring cost of Rs 100-150 per month depending upon the volume of business.

The surfer box would be connected to the bluetooth enabled mobile phone that would function as a modem on one side and to the television on the other side that would act as a screen.

Singh apprised that the Punjab government evinced a keen interest in the project that would cost about Rs 300 crore.

He added that out of the total expenditure of Rs 300 crore, Rs 100 crore would be contributed by Datawind Corporation and an equal amount would be funded by international agencies -- World Bank, IMF and Canada-based financial institution CIDA.

The government (it can be either state or central government) will have to provide the remaining Rs 100 crore. Singh told that international agencies would fund the project under illiteracy elimination programme.

"We will earn the way private portals earn, through advertisement," he said.

The pilot project would be started with 1,000 devices in the state where we get approval first. Schools and panchayats can be explored for the pilot project. We are in advance stage of negotiations with the West Bengal government and contemplating of initiating with the government of Karnataka.

He added that the surfer box would be assembled in India. The components would be purchased from the local market and if not available would be imported.

We would need three to six month time to execute the model once we seek permission from the state government.