PICTURE SPEAK

"Citizens will have access to new web applications.": G. NARENDRA KUMAR, SECRETARY, IT

Internet surfers in Delhi-at least, in select parts of the city-will soon experience the administration's initial efforts towards creating a "Digital Delhi" in preparation for the 2010 mega event. The project will earmark select areas in the capital as Wi-Fi hotspots, the first in line being Connaught Place. Around February-March, Delhi's commercial and business hub will go wireless across a radius of about 2 km. This will be the pilot project and depending on its success, other areas, including malls, will be Wi-Fi-ed.

'Digitising' Delhi will require an investment of around Rs 60 crore over a period of three years. The it ministry has already approached private parties, many of whom were on board the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, to partner with them in Delhi.

A complete facelift in terms of technology is being envisioned. So much so that scrapping friends on Orkut while shopping for a pair of jeans could very much become the order of the day. And that's not all. A complete overhaul in the broadcasting system-the goal being to phase out any broadcasting analog by 2015-will ensure startling clarity and sharpness in picture free of pixilation. Focus would also be on setting up kiosks, digital display boards and GPRS-enabled vehicle-tracking systems. A similar model had been tested at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the Melbourne games. It will now be tried at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The endeavour would be to integrate technology into every aspect of a player's or visitor's trip from the very moment it is being planned. A comprehensive Delhi tourism website dedicated to the Games will assist individuals chalk out their itinerary and make hotel bookings. Yet another website would be dedicated to the Commonwealth Games, detailing its history, current schedules and offer ticketing facilities. Also, area-wise portals providing map-based directions will make zipping around the city easier.

Once in Delhi, information kiosks at various entry points-like airports, railway stations, bus stands, stadiums, the Games village, hotels and tourist spots-will guide the visitor. One such kiosk has been installed at the Delhi Tourism office on Baba Kharag Singh Marg. At the airports, Iris-based identification systems at the immigration counters will help speed up the check-out process. To tighten security, RFID and smart cards will be used for accreditation and to gain access to various facilities. Each wing at the Games Village will be equipped with computers enabled with different languages and wireless Internet facilities. To make participants feel at home, televisions will play channels of the home country in high-capacity buses and even hotels.

At the Games Village, Wi-Fi-compatible mobile phones will be provided to the participants. This facility was available at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and will also be employed at the Beijing Olympics.

The handset is expected to carry information in text, images and video formats about historic sites together with directions to locations of restaurants and hotels. The device will also be equipped with a language guide, showing phrases in English and Mandarin which can be deciphered aloud by the phone using a text-to-speech converter.

The 2010 Games are expected to bolster the growth of industry, tourism and infrastructure. Most significantly, however, even after the Games draw to a close on October 14, 2010, Delhi would have a world-class digital network at its disposal.

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