Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Gets Free In-Train WiFi Services

SUMMARY

Commuters can use the service on select Metro lines

Maxima Digital, Techno Sat Comm Consortium have partnered with Delhi Metro

24 Km of optical fibre cable laid along Metro lines with 44 base stations

New Delhi-based Maxima Digital and Techno Sat Comm Consortium in partnership with Russian telco MaximaTelecom have tied up with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to offer free high-speed internet services on Delhi Metro trains for the first time in India.

The free WiFi service will now be available for commuters travelling from the Airport Express Line that connects New Delhi Railway Station in the heart of the capital to T3 terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The commuters will have to log on to the WiFi network “METROWIFI_FREE” to avail free internet service. Initially, when the user login to the service, they will have to go through a quick identification process (OTP verification) via phone number.

Farhad Rustamov of Maxima Digital said that to provide uninterrupted internet experience to commuters travelling on Delhi Metro, the team has laid down 24 Km optical fibre with 44 base stations. Currently, it is available in Airport Express Line, but in the coming days, the partnered companies will be covering the entire Delhi Metro network with high-speed WiFi.

Apart from the in-train WiFi services, the Delhi Metro has collaborated with Rail Tel Corporation, where it provides free WiFi services at four metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Central Secretariat and Hauz Khas.

Free Public Internet In Delhi In 2020

After several delays and anticipation, in December 2019, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi finally announced the launch of the much-awaited free public WiFi scheme. The state government launched the programme at ITO bus stand and at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station. Through this initiative, more than 100 hotspots were installed.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told Mint that by mid 2020, Delhi will get 11K hotspots, where 4K hotspots will be installed at bus stops and 7,000 hotspots will be installed at various locations in the city. Each hotspot is said to cover a radius of 80 m. The user will be given a free data limit of 15 GB data per month, with a data limit of 1.5 GB data per day.

Similar to Delhi Metro, the public WiFi will ask the users to fill in KYC details and use the OTPs received on their phones to access free internet services.