Firm plans Net kiosks at public places

Never mind if the next time you don't carry your laptop when out in Ahmedabad. And don't worry if you can't find a cyber cafe either. A city-based IT company, NetHotZone , is setting up kiosks at public places from where one can surf net free of cost.

The kiosks will have a 19-inch wide monitor with highspeed broadband connectivity

NetHotZone has tied up with another city-based software developing firm Ahem!, which has designed the software for the kiosks. Ahem! has also developed a similar system for a San Francisco-based firm.

Initially, the company will set up three kiosks, one each at HL College of Commerce, St Xaviers College and Gallops Mall. Each kiosk will have five computers with braodband connectivity.

The company claims that this will be the first time ever in India that a private company is offering such a facility for free.

"There are some premises in the country where we get free connectivity through wi-fi zones. However, there is no such concept where a company provides free connectivity alongwith hardware facility," said Ravin Vyas, CEO, NetHotZone.

The company will invest around Rs 275 crore in the next three years in the project. Each manned kiosk with five computers will cost around Rs 4.5 lakh.

"It's a novel idea and we are confident that it will click. We will have to pump in money in the initial three years but the income will increase over the period," he said adding the company was targeting revenues of Rs 200 in the next five years.

On the revenue model, Vyas said, "We will earn through online and offline advertisements and also from the corporate houses, which would come forward to sponsor the kiosks. We are in talks with companies like Rediff, Yahoo and Reebok. We will also approach corporate houses like Reliance."