Free WiFi at 415 stations to continue even after contract with Google ends: RailTel

RailTel, the Miniratna PSU, said that the free WiFi services at 415 stations will continue even after its contract period with Google expires in May 2020.

According to a release by RailTel, it had entered into a contract with Google for providing WiFi services for "415 A1, A, C category stations only. In this partnership, Google provided the Radio Access Network (RAN) and Technology support and RailTel provided the physical Infrastructure and Internet bandwidth."

"We entered into a 5 years contract with Google for supporting us with setting up Wi-Fi at 415 stations only and the contract is going to expire in May 2020. However, RailTel will continue to provide uninterrupted WiFi service, with the same speed and network quality, to passengers at these 415 stations after May 2020 as well," the release added.

The PSU, which comes under the Ministry of Railways, also thanked Google for help in the past five years.

RailTel added that it is providing free WiFi at "5190+ B, C, and D Category stations as well", apart from the aforementioned 415, which takes the total tally to 5600 plus stations around the country, with the help of a "number of partners."

Assuring passengers that they will not face any hardships post-May, 2020, RailTel added that it "will also continue to execute Wi-Fi connectivity at the balance stations.