Google and RailTel have expanded its Wi-Fi project in India to 9 more stations, continuing its onward march towards covering 100 stations and 10 million people by the end of the year. The additions will now allow over 1.5 million daily travelers to access the brand’s internet platform.
The 9 new locations include Bhopal, Vishakhapatnam, Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Kacheguda, Ernakulam Jn, Raipur, Vijayawada and Ranchi. In a blog post, Google claims that nearly 100000 consumers are currently logging into its high-speed Wi-Fi service at Mumbai Central station every week.
To recall, Mumbai Central was the first station to get Google Wi-Fi back in January. The initiative’s long-term goal is to reach 400 stations all over India. It’s partnered with RailTel for the project, taking advantage of the firm’s pan-India optic fiber network which has been laid down across 45000km.
As per PTI, Jaipur, Ujjain and Allahabad are set to be next in line to start getting the high-speed service. Gulzar Azad, Google India’s Head of Access Projects, says the company is planning to scale up its efforts to roll out the service at a rapid pace to smaller stations where connectivity is inadequate.
Also Read: Google Maps now offers traffic alerts in India
Note that the initiative offers Wi-Fi access for free right now but plans to phase to a paid plan in order to sustain long-term growth. Azad hopes the project sets new benchmarks in supplying reliable and consistent internet access in India.
Other than this collaboration with RailTel, Google is also looking to deliver online access via Project Loon, its balloon-powered initiative. The enterprise has hit several roadblocks since its announcement though, with the latest one forcing it to re-submit its proposal for the scheme.