Google now runs free Wi-Fi access across 9 major railway stations in
the country since the second week of April, 2016. The company has been
charting plans to provide access to high-speed fiber optic internet
across the country, and expects to have access portals across 100 major
railway stations by the end of 2016.Mr.
Pichai announced that the company would make public Wi-Fi available
across 400 rail stations in the country. This is expected to be achieved
over the next few years.Google’s
public Wi-Fi is available at Mumbai Central, Bhubaneswar, Ernakulam Jn,
Kacheguda, Pune, Vijayawada, Raipur, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam rail
stations.In-line
with the United Nations charter for Global Sustainable Development by
2030, India has upped its game to increase technological literacy. At
the helm of it all is our country’s President- Mr. Narendra Modi, who is
working with Google to improve internet-access across the country.With
a population of over 1.3 billion in India, Google’s free internet
access will allow millions to learn, browse and leap forward over the
next few years. Of the total population, only 19% have internet access
which Google is set to change shortly. In 2015, India saw 100 million
users connect to the internet for the very first time and these figures
are expected to go up to 400 million in 2018.Google
has currently tied up with RailTel that owns approximately 45000kms of
fiber optic lines across the Indian Railways in the country. With
internet access currently available only at rail stations, Google also
plans to expand coverage with access points fitted above moving trains.
In true, terms, Google does seem to want to provide India with ‘internet
on-the-go’.
With
the required infrastructure in place, as well as the right
associations, it won’t be long before Google offers fiber optic
connections to households as well as public Wi-Fi access in populated
areas. An apt example would be the Google Loon project, where the
company looks to float balloons that will help boost internet
connectivity over a larger area, each balloon lasting about 100 days.
Google
started to provide free internet access to developing states in the USA
in 2015 and now some months later, is looking to provide the local
public with paid subscriptions for internet access with speeds up to
1Gbps. According to sources from Google, the 1Gbps plan would be made
available to customers at a price of Rs. 4645 per month approximately
while a 100Mbps line could be leased at Rs. 3,320.
While
prices for high-speed internet lines continue to remain steep in our
country, if and when Google Fiber is indeed offered in India, it will
ruffle the feathers of high-priced service providers. Where we currently
pay about Rs. 4000 a month for a 16 Mbps line you’d see a drastic
improvement in speed even if it doesn’t soar to 100 Mbps.
google has also developed there own wifi product named network+box
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