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Google is set to introduce free WiFi at railway stations across India in 2016 starting with Mumbai Central. So how’s it going to work and how will you be able to use the Internet?
Google has partnered with Railtel to provide fibre cable-powered Internet at railway stations in India and by the end of 2016, over 100 stations will be WiFi enabled. The service is available for free for one hour and Google claims the speed of the Internet will be higher than the average speeds in the country, ie, 512 kbps right now.
But after an hour, you won’t have to pay to keep using the Internet – you’ll just have to deal with slower speeds. Hopefully, Google will make sure the speeds aren’t too slow.
In a country like India, with its high-density population, network bandwidth may be an issue. But Google will make use of access points across the station area to make sure that Internet speeds remain consistent even when a large number of people are on the network.
In all likelihood, Google’s WiFi at railway stations will be active in the Tier-1 cities as part of the first phase. The next stage will involve targeting 16 zones in the country, wherein one station will be covered from each zone.
Here’s how Google plans to provide this Internet connectivity for free:
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