DEHRADUN: In a development approach Internet-beaming balloons will soon give free Wi-Fi to remote villages in Uttarakhand as TOI reported. To provide internet access to rural areas, the hill state will use tethered aerostats.

This is the first kind of approach when such aerostat is launched at IT Park in Dehradun on Friday on a pilot basis. The chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was also present at this event.

It is noted that Hydrogen is used to lift the aerostat .It is fitted with cameras for observation, and a base transceiver antenna is connected to make calls and a Wi-Fi modem to give internet. The 6-metre-long aerostat can float in the air for 14 days, according to Amit Sinha, director of state’s Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) .He is leader of the project. The aerostat technology was established by IIT-Bombay.

The ITDA director in an interview told TOI that each aerostat costs Rs 50 lakh to set up. It can provide internet within a range of 7.5 km with download speed of 5 Mbps.

He further said that anyone in the range will be able to connect to the Wi-Fi .This will be free initially and anybody will be able to log in without a password.