Intel Corporation chief operating officer Paul Otellini on Monday advised Indian CEOs in the information technology industry to accelerate Wi-Fi (wireless networking) adoption in order to continue its growth in a technology savvy global economy.

Addressing a gathering of business and technology leaders in Mumbai, he said the benefits of wireless computing and communication would enable India to develop as a leader in the global IT economy.

The visiting Intel COO said that India has among the lowest level of 'hotspottz (high speed wireless Internet) deployment' in Asia Pacific, with less than 10 per cent of the number found in China and just 1 per cent the 'hotspottz deployment' in Korea.

Otellini who explained as to how to keep abreast with the changes in technology adoption, said that wireless technologies enabled a new paradigm in terms of cheaper and faster mode of communication with over 27,000 new access points of Wi-Fi being deployed everyday worldwide.

By 2010, there will be 1.5 billion high bandwidth connected PCs and 2.5 billion handsets.

According to Otellini, Wi-Fi is to network computing what mobile phones are to the telecommunications industry.

He said, India's software and back office success needs to be coupled with wireless to take the country to the next stage of technology application which targets the best IT infrastructure to support global aspirations in an economy that is both wired and unwired.

India could potentially loss momentum in its IT growth if adequate attention is not given on high tariff and taxation rates on technology products and low PC penetration, he added.

UNI