It's 21st century now, and we all are well aware of the potential the Internet holds for the world. Even though India has come a long way in terms of number of people online, it still has a long, long way to go before the power of the Internet is present in the hands of each and every citizen. But, one thing is for sure, whether it is the government or private companies, everyone is doing their bit for the cause.

Search engine giant Google's Railtel project is one such step in this very direction. The project, which entails providing high speed Wi-Fi network across Indian Railway Stations, hit a major milestone recently.

It was only last month that Google, under its Railtel project, had started a Wi-Fi network at four of India’s largest railway stations - Lucknow Jn, Sealdah, Lucknow and Gorakhpur Jn and now according to the tech giant, about 1.5 million Indians across 19 stations have been the beneficiaries of the high-speed broadband service.

Going by the pace of the project, Google's Railtel project might end up making a real difference in the country's highly visible digital divide and make high-speed broadband Wi-Fi network easily accessible to millions and millions of people crossing these stations.

It might be a little disheartening to know, but majority of Indians continue to surf the net on a narrow band network, which ultimately diminishes their Internet experience to basic online activities.

According to Google, through its this project, it aims to make broadband accessible to those Indians who’re still not online and enhance the experience of those using it in limited capacity.

Statistics shared by Google reveal how within a week of the launch of the network in Mumbai Central, about 100,000 users connected to the network, which is exceptional. Further, the subsequent launches saw the enthusiasm grow exponentially among the users.

According to observations made by Google, India's tier 2 cities were more excited about the network and grabbed the opportunity with more enthusiasm than any other. This is fascinating as accessing high speed broadband in these tier 2 cities is a major challenge. The stats reveal that the per capita consumption of data in tier 2 cities of India exceeds the consumption in tier 1 cities by a big margin. In fact, the Internet usage trends in Bhubaneshwar left Mumbai central's numbers behind within just a day of its launch. Similar patterns are visible in tier 2 cities like Vishakhapatnam, Patna and Jaipur.

Google reveals that despite being pre-occupied with catching their trains and marching towards to their destinations, the average consumption per user on its Wi-Fi network is almost 15 times more the data they would ordinarily consume on a 3G pack in 24 hours, which is currently the most dominant Internet accessing means in India.

Well, a change in India's internet consumption trends is definitely on the cards. Here's Indianweb2 wishing Google all the very best in its mission.
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