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New Indian Metro Trains Show the Way in Adding Free WiFi
(02 Mar 2016, BWCS Staff)Good news for the estimated daily 50,000 would-be passengers on the soon-to-be-completed, brand new, Kochi Metro System in Kerala, India – free WiFi is to be made available on all trains.
The sometimes controversial and always ambitious plan to encircle the South-Western Indian city with a shiny new train service will see 25 Alstom-supplied trains running between 22 newly-created stations. It is due to go into service this June, at a cost of some 5,181 Crore (US$760 million) although some estimates say the investment will be much higher.
The announcement of free WiFi on all trains stations may go some way to placate the critics of the metro scheme which is likely to struggle to pay for itself and plunge the local government further into debt.
The body responsible for the new train service, the KMRL, said it is in talks with Indian telco BSNL to provide the on-board WiFi service. A spokesman for the train operator, quoted in the national Hindu newspaper, said “The BSNL has many schemes, but we are worried about technical issues since connectivity can be assured only at stations. We are striving to ensure seamless connectivity by overcoming technical challenges to provide connectivity in moving trains,”
The expanding market for on-board WiFi services as well as the problems of intermittent mobile coverage, proposed trackside solutions and other issues will all be covered in this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference hosted by BWCS. For more information on next year’s event please see www.Traincomms2016.com or contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com .
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