3i Infotech Unveils NuRe Bharat Network for Free WiFi Monetizing Project Awarded by RailTel

• NuRe Bharat Network will be launching an advertising platform targeting passengers of the Indian Railways
• NuRe Bharat Network is a 3i Infotech-led consortium with FISST and Yellow Inc. that has signed India’s first multi-year commercial agreement to monetize captive customers of free public WiFi network powered by RailTel, in 6,108 + railway stations
• Free captive WiFi network is one of its kind which connects every region of urban India and semi-urban & rural Bharat
• Every day over 1.8 million users connect to the free WiFi captive portal

3i Infotech Limited (BSE: 532628, NSE: 3IINFOTECH), a global Information Technology company unveiled the consortium entity NuRe Bharat Network, in a partnership with RailTel Corporation of India’s WiFi monetization project as the lead consortium partner. The other members of the consortium are Forensics Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies Private Limited (FISST) and Yellow Integrated Content & Communication LLP (Yellow Inc).

 

NuRe Bharat Network aims to connect all urban, semi-urban, and rural regions, further connecting India and Bharat to the digital medium by offering free captive WiFi solutions across the Indian Railway network. NuRe Bharat Network will completely change the dynamics of reaching through to the world’s second-largest digital consumer in a simplified manner.

The launch comes at the back of a recent announcement made by the company for bagging a 5-year WiFi monetization deal from RailTel, with Rs 1000 crore revenue potential. At the virtual launch, 3i Infotech also revealed the interface and functioning of the captive portal and mobile app that will help the advertisers leverage their services to connect with the 1.8 million users per day across 6,108+ railway networks in the country by providing free WiFi service to the users.

Speaking on the momentous occasion, Mr Sax Krishna, Head of NuRe Bharat Network said, “We are excited to be a part of such an impactful partnership with RailTel as it gives us a platform to service India & Bharat through the means of providing socially applicable and commercially viable products and services. The captive portal and application will open the space for advertisers to connect with the growing India, primarily rural Bharat demographics, thereby utilizing a huge untapped opportunity.”

“The partnership model will also be a major proof point for us to exhibit and demonstrate our capabilities across the Edge ecosystem including Edge Space, Computing and Analytics through the combination and convergence of edge with the WiFi network, we will be able to deploy our fundamental design with the engines of growth in a much better way that we have put together in the form of a company,” he further added.

At the launch of NuRe Bharat Network, Mr Manoj Tandon, Director of Project, Operations and Maintenance, RailTel Corporation of India Limited (RCIL) shared his happiness and wished all success to the new Joint Venture formed for the WiFi monetisation project.

Ramu Bodathula, Head of Technology, NuRe Bharat Network presented the technology stack walk-through of the application and expressed, “We want to go beyond the captive portal and hence, we will soon be launching the mobile app, which will provide beyond `Free Internet’. It will also allow the advertisers to provide travel, infotainment, education, and e-commerce-based services.”

The WiFi captive portal will allow a user to access free WiFi for the first thirty minutes at railway stations across India, after which, the user may or may not extend the free service by watching advertisements. Then, the portal will switch to the paid medium. To access free WiFi, users need to connect to the WiFi network and provide login credentials. This platform will be available in multiple Indian languages apart from English.

The platform will unlock opportunities for advertisers to reach out to the digital consumer via smart advertising solutions and data insights. Thus, the NuRe Bharat Network will be a pivotal contributor in the digital and e-commerce sector, poised to cross US$350 billion by 2030 and become a key advertising platform for larger national brands, upcoming MSMEs and local businesses.

About 3i Infotech

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, since its inception in 1993, 3i Infotech has been committed to driving business value across multiple industry verticals. 3i Infotech has emerged as a leading name in propelling the current wave of digital transformation initiatives, with deep domain expertise across BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, Retail and Government sectors. The company has over 5600 employees in 30 offices, 15 countries, and 4 continents. With a digital and cloud-first approach, and a range of IT services and solutions encompassing 5G in Edge Computing, Cognitive AI/ML, Data Science and Analytics and Blockchain, 3i Infotech have successfully transformed business operations of 1,200+ customers across 50 countries. The company has a very strong foothold and client base in geographies like North America, India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Website: https://www.3i-infotech.com/,

Uttar Pradesh Govt To Provide Free Wi-Fi in 217 Cities from August 15

The Uttar Pradesh government will provide free Wi-Fi facility across the state from August 15. Under this initiative by the Yogi government, people especially the youth will be able to avail free WiFi facility across all 75 districts, offices, municipal councils, 17 municipal corporations, and 217 public places in the state.

The places in which these free Wi-Fi facilities are to be installed are public places, as revealed by the Government. For example, places like bus stands, court, railway station, block and registrar offices will have this Wi-Fi facility.

On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the urban development department officials are now busy with the campaign to provide free Wi-Fi facility to the people. Divisional Commissioners, District Magistrates and Municipal Commissioners have been instructed to provide the facility at major public places.

They have been instructed to make sure the hotspots for Wi-Fi services are identified so that from August 15, people in the state can get the free facility at every bus station, places near the railway stations, tehsils, courts, block offices, registrar offices and main markets in each city of Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh had promised to provide free Wi-Fi facility to the people of the state in its poll manifesto. After it came to power, free Wi-Fi facility was provided at Lucknow and major places in various cities.

For this purpose, hotspots were set up in Hazratganj area of Lucknow to provide Wi-Fi facility to the people.

Some of the cities where Wi-Fi would be set up are Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Meerut, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan and Firozabad.

Now on similar lines, CM Yogi Adityanath has decided to extend this scheme to major public places in every district headquarters, municipal councils and 17 municipal corporations.

According to officials, the facility will be available at two places in major cities (municipal corporations) and at one place in small cities. Under this scheme the state government will provide this facility in cities with municipal corporations like Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Meerut, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan and Firozabad as well as municipal council cities.

Civic officials will tie up with Internet companies for the free WiFi facility. Special care will be taken about Internet speed.

Municipal commissioners and executive officers have been instructed that smart city projects or urban bodies will bear the cost of providing this service.

US Providers Offer Free Wi-Fi for 60 Days

US internet and wireless providers have announced temporary measures to make getting online less expensive and onerous as enforced social distancing due to the new coronavirus forces more human interaction online.

Most notable is Comcast's free public Wi-Fi for all for 60 days, effective Saturday. Major metropolitan areas are thick with Comcast's Xfinity-branded hotspots.

"I don't get to say this often: Bravo Comcast!" tweeted Alex Stamos, a Stanford University internet security expert.Home-based Xfinity hotspots are not included, said Comcast spokesman Joel Shadle, but Wi-Fi access points in public locations and at small businesses are.

AT&T and Charter Communications also announced free public Wi-Fi for 60 days, with Charter offering free broadband for households with students through college age who don't already have a subscription.

Verizon was among the many providers to also announce a moratorium on late fees and disconnections.

T-Mobile announced that it would provide unlimited smartphone data to all current subscribers and increase the data allowance to schools and students using their digital learning programs.

Cox said it would increase speeds on low-cost broadband plans and Sprint said it would give subscribers unlimited data for 60 days, among other changes. Comcast and AT&T also temporarily lifted data caps.

The announcements followed a plea Thursday to internet providers by Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and 17 other colleagues in the Senate. (AP)

How A VPN Router Can Protect Your Physical Store Visitors

Offering customers free Wi-Fi is the current norm. Have you considered your customers’ online security when they log onto your free Wi-Fi network? You want your customers to feel safe when they are in your store, and this includes when they use your free Wi-Fi.

Some of the risks associated with using free Wi-Fi

1. Opening yourself up to hackers

Free Wi-Fi requires no authentication to establish a Wi-Fi network. Hackers can, therefore, gain unlimited access to unsecured devices on the Wi-Fi network.

2. Hackers can interrupt a Wi-Fi connection point

It means that instead of connecting directly to the Wi-Fi network, customer data will first pass through the hacker then onto the Wi-Fi network.

Hackers position themselves between the Wi-Fi network and unsecured devices to access user data first. In this way, they can steal vital information such as passwords or credit card information.

3. Probably the worst risk is how easily hackers can spread malware

Allowing file sharing across a network, will enable hackers to infect files with malicious software which can later install itself on your computer. Some hackers have managed to hack the Wi-Fi connection points and have installed their pop-up windows that appear when customers log onto the Wi-Fi network. When users click on the window, malware is installed.

You can see from the above list that free Wi-Fi can be a hacker’s hotspot.

How can you use a VPN to protect your customers from falling victim to hackers who infiltrate Wi-Fi networks?

A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that lets users access the worldwide web privately and safely by routing the internet connection through a server and hiding the user’s online footprint. Simply put, VPN’s act as cyber bodyguards that protects (through the encryption process) all data being exchanged over an internet connection.

How Does A VPN Work?

1. User’s install VPN software, such as Pure VPN, on their devices.
2. The VPN software must first be started or running for it to protect your data.
3. The VPN software will then encrypt your data before sending it to the Wi-Fi network.
4. The online website that you browse will see that your data is being sent form a VPN server. The location of the server will be shown and NOT the location of your device and its IP address.

Users must run VPN software separately for every device they own.

As a business owner, can you get customers to use a VPN especially if they are unaware of the risks of using Wi-Fi networks without a VPN?

Can you, as a business owner, protect your customers from falling victim to cyber-crime as a result of ignorance?

Yes, you can.

VPN Routers

VPN routers protect numerous devices at the same time while these devices are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Since the Wi-Fi router is also a VPN router, users are automatically protected.

Although VPN routers are expensive, buying one is a long-term investment. Although the VPN router itself is costly, monthly subscriptions to VPN services for VPN software that is running continuously is quite cheap.

Benefits of using a VPN router

1. Multiple devices are protected at once. These include TV’s, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, smart watches, and many more.
2. It is convenient since users do not have to run VPN software on every device before using it to connect to free Wi-Fi. Since the VPN service is continuously running, users are always protected.
3. VPN routers offer superior compatibility. The VPN router provides an encryption service to any device that can connect to Wi-Fi over the VPN router.
4. VPN routers are incredibly reliable. The VPN router will always connect to the internet via a VPN service. It means that users don’t have to worry about forgetting to connect to a VPN service every time they use your free Wi-Fi.

4. VPN routers offer security to non-native devices. Non-native devices include Apple TV and Play Station 3 which does not typically support VPN services.
5. VPN routers unblock restricted applications and content. VPN routers allow users to access applications or content that Governments may block by enabling users to bypass restrictions and connecting to the internet through an encrypted VPN tunnel that disguises the user’s actual physical location.
6. VPN routers take a few minutes to set up allowing users to enjoy encrypted browsing.

With so much to offer, what is the downside of using a VPN router?

Users may experience limited bandwidth. The more devices are connected to the VPN router, the slower the connection. Not all VPN services are slow, so the speed will depend on who the VPN service provider is.

Choosing a VPN router for your business

When hoping around for a VPN router remember that not all routers have a pre-installed VPN. Also, not all routers support a VPN service or run VPN software. ISP modems are not compatible with VPN routers. ISP modems consist of a modem and router device.

A few available options for VPN routers include

1. Pre-Flashed Routers

Although pre-flashed routers are more expensive than other VPN routers, it saves you the hassle of installing VPN software and is one of the most convenient VPN router options. This router comes with additional benefits including encrypted plug and play.

2. Ready-To-Use VPN compatible routers

VPN compatible routers come ready to use out of the box, pre-installed with VPN software that also supports OpenVPN protocol which allows users to use a VPN service provider of their choice.

3. Flash Router with new VPN firmware

This is the most complicated process. You will have to install new VPN software onto the operating system of your router. This success of flashing new firmware will depend on the limitations of the router and its operating system. This process involves:

1. a) First, download VPN firmware.
2. b) Connect your router.
3. c) Flash your router.

Additional steps include:

1. a) Disconnecting the VPN from the internet
2. b) Change the location of the VPN
3. c) Check all recently used devices you want to be protected by the VPN.
4. d) Change the SSID password.

The easiest, hassle-free option is to use a pre-flashed router to ensure that your customers are protected when they use your free store Wi-Fi.

Haryana To Have Wi-Fi Zone for All Its 6,078 Gram Panchayats Within 2 Years

In a progressive step towards making the dream of Digital India come alive, the state of Haryana has decided to create one Wi-Fi zone in all 6,078 gram panchayats within two years and provide 4G services in every village in the next three years. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held today, which was presided over by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Under the Haryana Information Technology (IT) and Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Policy-2017 that the cabinet gave a green signal to today, the state government plans on providing broadband connectivity to every household and Wi-Fi zone at all important public places in all towns and cities.

Earlier in the year, the Indian state of Kerala had also declared that it is working on providing free WiFi to the entire population of the state. Announcing the news, the state had said that the access to internet is as basic as the access to food or water.

In addition to providing Wi-Fi facilities, the five-year goal of the draft policy also includes generating employment for 15 lakh persons in the IT-ESDM sector by 2020, increasing the sector’s contribution to Haryana's GDP from 9.4 per cent to 15 per cent, and making Haryana a renowned name in India's research and development for ESDM by producing 1,000 patents.

According to a statement given by a government official to Hindustan Times, it is after the year 2000 that targeted policy for IT and ESDM sector is being launched.

The cabinet also took time to approve Haryana's very own startup policy, which aims towards developing the state as a resourceful and inventive startup hub by supporting and assisting the new-age innovators and entrepreneurial talents.

In May, we had reported how Delhi’s neighboring state Haryana had taken a progressive step and carved out its own draft policy aimed towards transforming the state into a startup hub by providing support to entrepreneurial talents and new-age innovators present in the state. This was followed by us reporting in August that the state government has finally converted the draft into a legit startup policy, which would soon be officially announced during the Digital Haryana Summit to held on 15th September.

This development was first reported in Hindustan Times.

Haryana To Have Wi-Fi Zone for All Its 6,078 Gram Panchayats Within 2 Years

In a progressive step towards making the dream of Digital India come alive, the state of Haryana has decided to create one Wi-Fi zone in all 6,078 gram panchayats within two years and provide 4G services in every village in the next three years. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held today, which was presided over by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Under the Haryana Information Technology (IT) and Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Policy-2017 that the cabinet gave a green signal to today, the state government plans on providing broadband connectivity to every household and Wi-Fi zone at all important public places in all towns and cities.

Earlier in the year, the Indian state of Kerala had also declared that it is working on providing free WiFi to the entire population of the state. Announcing the news, the state had said that the access to internet is as basic as the access to food or water.

In addition to providing Wi-Fi facilities, the five-year goal of the draft policy also includes generating employment for 15 lakh persons in the IT-ESDM sector by 2020, increasing the sector’s contribution to Haryana's GDP from 9.4 per cent to 15 per cent, and making Haryana a renowned name in India's research and development for ESDM by producing 1,000 patents.

According to a statement given by a government official to Hindustan Times, it is after the year 2000 that targeted policy for IT and ESDM sector is being launched.

The cabinet also took time to approve Haryana's very own startup policy, which aims towards developing the state as a resourceful and inventive startup hub by supporting and assisting the new-age innovators and entrepreneurial talents.

In May, we had reported how Delhi’s neighboring state Haryana had taken a progressive step and carved out its own draft policy aimed towards transforming the state into a startup hub by providing support to entrepreneurial talents and new-age innovators present in the state. This was followed by us reporting in August that the state government has finally converted the draft into a legit startup policy, which would soon be officially announced during the Digital Haryana Summit to held on 15th September.

This development was first reported in Hindustan Times.

Kerala Announces Free WiFi To Its 30 Million People; Calls It Equivalent To Food, Water

The Indian state of Kerala just declared that access to internet is as basic as the access to food or water, and is working on a plan to provide free WiFi to everyone in the state. Notably, Kerala has a population of more than 34 million and has one of the highest literacy rates in India.

Finance Minister Thomas Issac made the announcement and declared WiFi as a basic human right. In turn, the state council announced that it will move towards providing WiFi for free to two million citizens from low-income communities; the other 32.8 million would receive the service at a low rate.

The project has been named K-Fon (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) and plans have been made to lay optical fibre cables parallel to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) lines.

The move is line with the direction provided by the UN, which believes all people must be able to access the internet to exercise their right to freedom of expression and opinion.

"Internet will now become a right for the people and within 18 months the internet gateway would be set up through the K phone network at a cost of INR 1,000 crore ($151,291,000)," Thomas said.

Notably, Kerala also has high internet penetration, covering about 20% of households through broadband and another 15% through mobile.

In 2015, Eraviperoor village gram panchayat of Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala had announced that it will offer free WiFi to its residents and with this Eraviperoor had become the first grama panchayat in India to facilitate free Wi-Fi to the general public.

Now in the recent financial budget of Kerala, the state government plans to extend broadband connectivity to every house in the state and have WiFi hotspots at a range of public places.

The experts however says that the K-FON project would take 10 years to break even as the project includes setting up a massive wide area network (WAN) connecting all government offices and schools in Kerala. K-Fon will be a joint venture executed by Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd KSITIL and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

[Top Image - Shutterstock]

Introducing 'Google Station', A Free High-Speed Wi-Fi Service Across The Globe

Exactly a year after Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company will provide high-speed Wi-Fi service to 400 train stations across India, Google today announced 'Google Station' -- a free and fast Wi-Fi service across the world.

At its Google for India event in New Delhi today, the company launched a host of products especially for India including Google station under which it plans to bring wifi facilities to malls, bus stops, city centers, and cafes all around the world through which millions more people will be able to learn, play, chat, work, and find the information they need.

Interested partners, including venues, organizations and network operators, can sign up on this page to learn more.

Google Station will give partners an easy set of tools to roll-out Wi-Fi hotspots in public places. Google Station will provide software and guidance on hardware to turn fiber connections into fast, reliable and safe Wi-Fi zones. Users will get a fast Wi-Fi experience with a simple and unified login, while making it much easier for venues to manage their networks.

"After connecting 32 cities and 50 railway stations and 3.5 million railwire wifi users, we are bringing in Google station. We don't want to stop at wi-fi in railway stations. We want to give fast wifi for everyone," said Caeser Sengupta, vice-president of product management and oversees product strategy for Google.

Sengupta who is also VP of Google's Next Billion Plan said the company is opening the platform to anyone and everyone who has a good internet connection.

The inspiration for Google Station came from the success of Google's partnership with RailTel and Indian Railways to provide free Wi-Fi services at railway stations in India. Currently, Google claims, the service is live in 52 stations and over 3.5 million users use it every month. Google also reckons that 15,000 Indians access the internet for the first time using the free Wi-Fi service every day.

Google is keen to help the next billion people experience the Web as more internet users means more people accessing the Google’s products and services.

After Google, Facebook To Offer Free Wi-Fi at Indian Railway Stations and Villages

Mark Zuckerberg is a man of his word. Even after the debacle of his much ambitious internet.org in India, Facebook's founder hasn't forgotten about his mission to bring the entire world closer through the power of Internet. He is now back in the arena with another project called OpenCellular, an open source wireless platform that desires to improve the wireless connectivity in remote areas. In fact, the social networking giant is also very soon expected to announce about its plans to bring internet connectivity across Indian railway stations, via Wi-Fi hotspots.

Facebook has been doing some rigorous research work on its this initiative lately, and has even done a pilot across 125 rural locations for the same. It has even begun its negotiations with a number of internet firms in the effort to expand its Wi-Fi service in India.

According to the latest update on the news, Facebook is now in the midst of locking in a tie up deal with Indian Railways so as to deliver good-quality Wi-Fi access across the Indian railway stations.

While Facebook has neither confirmed the news, nor denied it, RailTel's chairman RK Bahuguna has confirmed that RailTel was recently approached by the social networking giant for the Wi-Fi initiative.

According to him, Facebook is contemplating expanding its Wi-Fi coverage beyond railway stations to nearby villages as well, and that RailTel is very much positive about the initiative. The project could bring data services up to a 10km radius from a connected railway station, and this range could further be expanded up to a good 25km via additional access points, said Bahuguna.

While Facebook's initiative is for sure very progressive, it is still not a fresh idea. Tech giant Google had already announced a similar initiative last year during the much-hyped Narendra Modi's visit to the Silicon Valley. Google had pledged to launch free Wi-Fi services in 400 railway stations by the year 2017, in partnership with RailTel. In fact, the service is already functional in some 19 Indian railways station and is being accessed by more than 1.5 million people.

In a country with 1.3 billion people, of which only about 300 million people have access to internet, such initiatives from Google and Facebook are most welcome, in fact much needed.

Paytm To Launch Free Public Wi-Fi Service, Starting With Noida

Along the lines of food and oxygen, we have a new entrant to the list of things people cannot live without. Internet or Wifi is the new thing people absolutely need at all times. These days we live half our lives on the internet and are heavily dependent on technology, right from WhatsApp to stay in touch to google maps to find our way.

Many companies have already started offering a free Wifi service at various public places. This trend is especially popular in Delhi and NCR.  Vodafone has hooked up Khan Market and Tata Docomo has bagged Khan Market and CP as well. This trend was probably started by coffee shops offering free wifi to its customers and has caught on since then.

Paytm has announced that it is going to make an entry into this arena and provide Wifi at public places via its platform. They have already started this service at the sector 18 Noida metro station, which is one of the most crowded station in Noida. The details of this deal are still not public and people are just speculating the asterisk that will come along with the new service. Details like the login procedure, the data speed, and the free limit are yet to be announced. One thing that we know is that they will be starting this service with metro stations and will later move on the popular hangout places.

This free wifi service has all the companies and now even politicians by their collars. The AAP has announced in the pre-poll agenda that they will be hooking up entire Delhi to wifi, once in power again. Paytm announced this on twitter with the CEO tweeting "Coming Soon. Paytm Wi-Fi to #PaytmKaro for everyone, even without an Internet connection."

Coming soon, Paytm WiFi to #PaytmKaro for everyone, even without an Internet connection. pic.twitter.com/AuQw07KSWL

— Vijay Shekhar (@vijayshekhar) April 15, 2016

Paytm To Launch Free Public Wi-Fi Service, Starting With Noida

Along the lines of food and oxygen, we have a new entrant to the list of things people cannot live without. Internet or Wifi is the new thing people absolutely need at all times. These days we live half our lives on the internet and are heavily dependent on technology, right from WhatsApp to stay in touch to google maps to find our way.

Many companies have already started offering a free Wifi service at various public places. This trend is especially popular in Delhi and NCR.  Vodafone has hooked up Khan Market and Tata Docomo has bagged Khan Market and CP as well. This trend was probably started by coffee shops offering free wifi to its customers and has caught on since then.

Paytm has announced that it is going to make an entry into this arena and provide Wifi at public places via its platform. They have already started this service at the sector 18 Noida metro station, which is one of the most crowded station in Noida. The details of this deal are still not public and people are just speculating the asterisk that will come along with the new service. Details like the login procedure, the data speed, and the free limit are yet to be announced. One thing that we know is that they will be starting this service with metro stations and will later move on the popular hangout places.

This free wifi service has all the companies and now even politicians by their collars. The AAP has announced in the pre-poll agenda that they will be hooking up entire Delhi to wifi, once in power again. Paytm announced this on twitter with the CEO tweeting "Coming Soon. Paytm Wi-Fi to #PaytmKaro for everyone, even without an Internet connection."

Coming soon, Paytm WiFi to #PaytmKaro for everyone, even without an Internet connection. pic.twitter.com/AuQw07KSWL

— Vijay Shekhar (@vijayshekhar) April 15, 2016

Ola Brings Free ‘Auto-Connect Wi-Fi’ Experience to Its Customers

Ola, India's most popular mobile app for transportation, today announced the launch of Ola Wi-Fi, a proprietary experience from the company’s innovation labs, that allows users to auto connect to Wi-Fi in an Ola cab without having to enter credentials every single time. Users with a one-time authentication on their phones, can use Ola Wi-Fi on their devices without having to key in login credentials and passwords in subsequent rides, staying connected with Ola’s secure network whenever they take a ride. Auto-Connect Wi-Fi is currently available for free on Ola Prime and will soon be available across all categories including Micro, Mini and Auto-rickshaws available on the Ola app.

If you are an Android user, update the Ola app and you can find your Wi-fi credentials on the app. This will be available on Windows and iOs shortly.

1. As soon as your Prime ride starts, tap on “Wi-Fi” on the “Track Your Ride” screen
   
   
   



2. You will find your unique Wi-Fi access point name and password.
   
   
   


3. Go to your Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Ola Wi-Fi Network with your unique password.


4. You have completed the one-time authentication. You will now be auto-connected to the Wi-Fi in all your future rides.

Wi-Fi hotspots that are available publicly today, are cumbersome to use with login credentials and unique passwords to be input every single time, making for a broken connectivity experience on the move. Also, the need for seamless connectivity is extremely important in a local market like India which is seeing a massive growth in the user base of smartphones that is upward of 40% year on year. Over 200TB of data was consumed on a monthly basis by users of Ola Prime, which was earlier making available high speed Wi-Fi in-cab with a standard authentication process. 65% customers who chose Ola Prime, connected to the in-cab Wi-Fi. With auto-connect Wi-Fi innovation, Ola foresees a massive surge in adoption, given the unmatched customer experience for users while on the move.

Raghuvesh Sarup, Head of Categories & Chief Marketing Officer said, “Ola Wi-Fi addresses the need for consumers to be connected to the internet while on the go, without the hassles of having to use unique credentials every single time. With over 40 minutes spent on an average cab ride in Indian cities, an auto-connect Wi-Fi experience can make every Ola, the ‘third place’ for consumers, beyond their home and workplace. We are ushering in a digital revolution in the country that has the potential to transform the experience of mobility for a billion Indians in the time to come."

The Auto-Connect Wi-Fi experience from Ola is built on the foundations of key Government initiatives including Digital India and Smart Cities. Globally respected technology companies like Google, have also come forward to set up innovative projects that can connect public spaces. This first of its kind innovation for India, can in the long run, help connect large communities of users, improving the quality of time spent while on the move.

Ankit Bhati, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer at Ola added, “We are thrilled to bring our proprietary Ola Wi-Fi experience to users, changing the way they will stay connected on the move. As part of Ola’s Innovation Labs, this first of its kind experience is in line with the Government’s initiatives of Digital India and owes inspiration to large projects like free Wi-Fi in railway stations. We also see this as the beginning of connected cities, with hundreds of thousands of vehicles connecting millions of users on the go!"

Ola’s Innovation Labs have constantly built technology that solves for local market and consumer needs that the company is in a unique position to understand. In the past, Ola has enabled 2G optimization for its app, allowing for a lightning fast experience for users even on slower networks; a problem that is commonly encountered in many parts of the country. Ola has also made available its app for auto-rickshaw drivers in over 9 local languages and enabled turn by turn navigation features for driver-partners registered on the Ola app.

Ola Brings Free ‘Auto-Connect Wi-Fi’ Experience to Its Customers

Ola, India's most popular mobile app for transportation, today announced the launch of Ola Wi-Fi, a proprietary experience from the company’s innovation labs, that allows users to auto connect to Wi-Fi in an Ola cab without having to enter credentials every single time. Users with a one-time authentication on their phones, can use Ola Wi-Fi on their devices without having to key in login credentials and passwords in subsequent rides, staying connected with Ola’s secure network whenever they take a ride. Auto-Connect Wi-Fi is currently available for free on Ola Prime and will soon be available across all categories including Micro, Mini and Auto-rickshaws available on the Ola app.

If you are an Android user, update the Ola app and you can find your Wi-fi credentials on the app. This will be available on Windows and iOs shortly.

1. As soon as your Prime ride starts, tap on “Wi-Fi” on the “Track Your Ride” screen
   
   
   



2. You will find your unique Wi-Fi access point name and password.
   
   
   


3. Go to your Wi-Fi settings and connect to the Ola Wi-Fi Network with your unique password.


4. You have completed the one-time authentication. You will now be auto-connected to the Wi-Fi in all your future rides.

Wi-Fi hotspots that are available publicly today, are cumbersome to use with login credentials and unique passwords to be input every single time, making for a broken connectivity experience on the move. Also, the need for seamless connectivity is extremely important in a local market like India which is seeing a massive growth in the user base of smartphones that is upward of 40% year on year. Over 200TB of data was consumed on a monthly basis by users of Ola Prime, which was earlier making available high speed Wi-Fi in-cab with a standard authentication process. 65% customers who chose Ola Prime, connected to the in-cab Wi-Fi. With auto-connect Wi-Fi innovation, Ola foresees a massive surge in adoption, given the unmatched customer experience for users while on the move.

Raghuvesh Sarup, Head of Categories & Chief Marketing Officer said, “Ola Wi-Fi addresses the need for consumers to be connected to the internet while on the go, without the hassles of having to use unique credentials every single time. With over 40 minutes spent on an average cab ride in Indian cities, an auto-connect Wi-Fi experience can make every Ola, the ‘third place’ for consumers, beyond their home and workplace. We are ushering in a digital revolution in the country that has the potential to transform the experience of mobility for a billion Indians in the time to come."

The Auto-Connect Wi-Fi experience from Ola is built on the foundations of key Government initiatives including Digital India and Smart Cities. Globally respected technology companies like Google, have also come forward to set up innovative projects that can connect public spaces. This first of its kind innovation for India, can in the long run, help connect large communities of users, improving the quality of time spent while on the move.

Ankit Bhati, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer at Ola added, “We are thrilled to bring our proprietary Ola Wi-Fi experience to users, changing the way they will stay connected on the move. As part of Ola’s Innovation Labs, this first of its kind experience is in line with the Government’s initiatives of Digital India and owes inspiration to large projects like free Wi-Fi in railway stations. We also see this as the beginning of connected cities, with hundreds of thousands of vehicles connecting millions of users on the go!"

Ola’s Innovation Labs have constantly built technology that solves for local market and consumer needs that the company is in a unique position to understand. In the past, Ola has enabled 2G optimization for its app, allowing for a lightning fast experience for users even on slower networks; a problem that is commonly encountered in many parts of the country. Ola has also made available its app for auto-rickshaw drivers in over 9 local languages and enabled turn by turn navigation features for driver-partners registered on the Ola app.

Four Young Engineers Bring Free Wi-Fi in Indian villages

While the country is still debating the 'free' in Facebook's Free Basics platform, four young engineers from India, Shakeel Anjum, Tushar Bharthare, Bhanu Yadav and Abhishek Bharthare, have managed to attain what seemed to be a distant dream for the rural areas of the country for ages now. The magnificent four have been able to connect the Indian villages by providing them unrestricted Internet access for free.

The four young IT engineers have been successful in setting up and starting a free Wi-Fi service in a village in their home district Rajgarh in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India.

According to the four, it was the Narendra Modi's government's Digital India initiative that inspired them to do something for their village in the direction of providing digital access to it.

They started by developing Wi-Fi in Shivnathpura village in August last year. Having no financial help from the local government or private organisations in the area, they pooled in their resources in order to set up a 80-foot-high tower with a high-frequency device. Since the village also faced a problem of long power cuts, they also decided to set up an inverter to ensure uninterrupted Internet access.



The service was finally started in October and extended to the gram panchayat Bawdikheda jagir in November. The service was then officially launched in January this year.

On the whole, the project has costed them around Rs 2 lakhs but according to them, it is a small amount to pay for the immediate impact the Wi-Fi have had on the lives of the villagers.

According to the founders, setting up of free Wi-Fi has led to more and more villagers buying smartphones. Further, school children have now started using apps and e-books in order to help themselves in their studies. Not only this, a Bank of India kiosk which was already set up in the village can now work much more efficiently in opening new bank accounts because of uninterrupted Internet service it would get all thanks to the free Wi-Fu service set up. In order to make sure that each villager is able to reap in the benefits of free Wi-Fi, the four youngsters have tied up with a local NGO called Rajgarh Computer Seva Sanstha. The sanstha teaches the villagers on how they could use the Internet to make their everyday lives easier and more efficient.

Bearing monthly expenses amounting to Rs 8,000 for the free Wi-Fi, the four IT engineers are hopeful of getting help from the local government in the near future. They also plan on extending the low-cost Wi-Fi service to surrounding villages in Rajgarh within a 15 km-radius through the same tower.

Notably, last year, Google announced to set up free Wi-Fi in 100 railway stations and also plans to bring low-cost Internet connectivity to country's villages through Project Loon.

Four Young Engineers Bring Free Wi-Fi in Indian villages

While the country is still debating the 'free' in Facebook's Free Basics platform, four young engineers from India, Shakeel Anjum, Tushar Bharthare, Bhanu Yadav and Abhishek Bharthare, have managed to attain what seemed to be a distant dream for the rural areas of the country for ages now. The magnificent four have been able to connect the Indian villages by providing them unrestricted Internet access for free.

The four young IT engineers have been successful in setting up and starting a free Wi-Fi service in a village in their home district Rajgarh in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India.

According to the four, it was the Narendra Modi's government's Digital India initiative that inspired them to do something for their village in the direction of providing digital access to it.

They started by developing Wi-Fi in Shivnathpura village in August last year. Having no financial help from the local government or private organisations in the area, they pooled in their resources in order to set up a 80-foot-high tower with a high-frequency device. Since the village also faced a problem of long power cuts, they also decided to set up an inverter to ensure uninterrupted Internet access.



The service was finally started in October and extended to the gram panchayat Bawdikheda jagir in November. The service was then officially launched in January this year.

On the whole, the project has costed them around Rs 2 lakhs but according to them, it is a small amount to pay for the immediate impact the Wi-Fi have had on the lives of the villagers.

According to the founders, setting up of free Wi-Fi has led to more and more villagers buying smartphones. Further, school children have now started using apps and e-books in order to help themselves in their studies. Not only this, a Bank of India kiosk which was already set up in the village can now work much more efficiently in opening new bank accounts because of uninterrupted Internet service it would get all thanks to the free Wi-Fu service set up. In order to make sure that each villager is able to reap in the benefits of free Wi-Fi, the four youngsters have tied up with a local NGO called Rajgarh Computer Seva Sanstha. The sanstha teaches the villagers on how they could use the Internet to make their everyday lives easier and more efficient.

Bearing monthly expenses amounting to Rs 8,000 for the free Wi-Fi, the four IT engineers are hopeful of getting help from the local government in the near future. They also plan on extending the low-cost Wi-Fi service to surrounding villages in Rajgarh within a 15 km-radius through the same tower.

Notably, last year, Google announced to set up free Wi-Fi in 100 railway stations and also plans to bring low-cost Internet connectivity to country's villages through Project Loon.

List of First 100 Train Stations Which’ll Get Google’s WiFi

Last month, when Indian PM Narendra Modi visited Google’s headquarter in US and met its CEO Sundar Pichai, Google announced that it will provide high-speed public Wi-Fi in 400 train stations across India before the end of 2016.

Pichai in his company’s official blog post also posted a map of India depicting locations where Google will be deploying its high speed public Wi-fi. The map however doesn’t clearly points the exact location/cities.

Using the same map released by Google, we did little research and figured out the locations/cities which will get Google’s WiFi by cross-verifying this map with map of Indian rail network and finally come out with 95 cities where Google could deploy its high speed public Wi-fi.

Disclaimer – The cities listed below is unofficial and a guess work where locations/cities were figured out using ‘first 100 WiFi train station map‘ released by Google and India railway network schematic map.

Here’s a state-wise list of first 100 Railway Stations to get Google high-speed WiFi:

Delhi

1. New Delhi Station
2. Delhi Junction
3. Hazrat Nizamuddin

Andhra Pradesh

4. Bibi Nagar
5. Hyderabad
6. Secunderabad
7. Tirupati
8. Vijayawada
9. Visakhapatnam

Assam

10. Guwahati

Bihar

11. Bhagalpur
12. Hazipur
13. Patna
14. Samastipur
15. Gaya

Chattisgarh

16. Bhilai
17. Bilaspur

Gujarat

18. Ahmedabad
19. Anand
20. Bhavnagar
21. Gandhinagar
22. Rajkot
23. Surat
24. Vadodra
25. Valsad
26. Waghal

Haryana

27. Kurukshetra
28. Paninpat

Himachal Pradesh

29. Shimla

Jammu

30. Jammu Tawi

Jharkhand

31. Ranchi
32. Tatanagar

Karnataka

33. Bangalore
34. Chikballapur
35. Mysore

Kerala

36. Calicut
37. Cochin
38. Ernakulam
39. Trivandrum
40. Trichur

Madhya Pradesh

41. Bhopal
42. Gwalior
43. Indore
44. Jabalpur
45. Jhansi
46. Khajuraho
47. Ujjain
48. Jabalpur

Maharashtra

49. Bhusawal
50. Mumbai Central
51. Mumbai CST
52. Dadar-Mumbai
53. Bandra – Mumbai
54. Lokmanya Tilak – Mumbai
55. Nagpur
56. Pune
57. Solapur

Orrisa

58. Puri
59. Bubhneshwar

Punjab

60. Ambala
61. Amritsar
62. Chandigarh
63. Ludhiana
64. Patiala

Rajasthan

65. Jaipur
66. Ajmer
67. Jodhpur
68. Bharatpur

Tamil Nadu

69. Chennai Central
70. Chennai Egmore
71. Tambaram – Chennai
72. Coimbatore
73. Vellore
74. Madurai
75. Salem

Uttaranchal

76. Dehradun
77. Haridwar
78. Rishikesh

Uttar Pradesh

79. Agra Cantt.
80. Allahabad
81. Bareilly
82. Ghaziabad
83. Gorakhpur
84. Kanpur
85. Lucknow
86. Mathura
87. Moradabad
88. Varanasi

West Bengal

89. Bandel
90. Durgapur
91. Barddhaman
92. Kharagpur
93. Howarah – Kolkata
94. Sealdah- Kolkata
95. New Jalpaiguri

Taj Mahal & Other Tourist Spots To Get Wi-Fi Facility Soon

Internet has now become a way of life and no one understands this better than our very own selfie addict Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. In a step to make all major tourist destinations of India more attractive, the Government of India is all set to make these tourist Spots fully Wi-Fi as a part of the Modi Sarkar's (government's)Digital India initiative.

Taj Mahal, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya are some of the tourist places that are being considered for the Wi-Fi Facility.

According to Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's statement to a leading daily, Taj Mahal, Sarnath, Bodh Gaya are some of the places that will get a Wi-Fi facility soon. We have already started providing free Wi-Fi service at Varanasi ghats. The government has also started the facility of providing e-visa to tourists."

India currently provides the facility of e-tourist visas to 76 countries but the government is keen on extending this facility to about 150 countries by the end of this financial year.
The information ministry is also working on a new policy that would develop tier II and III cities as IT hubs.

According to Prasad, the ecommerce sector has huge scope in India.

"E-commerce is a big opportunity and we are roping in the Department of Posts to deliver goods to small towns and villages. Postal department has become a reliable partner for big e-commerce companies to deliver their goods," said Prasad.

In order to take the IT revolution to smaller towns, We are setting up call centres and BPOs at small towns and creating 48,000 jobs in the first phase.

Under Modi's $18 billion Digital India initiative, the government plans to lay government plans to lay 7,00,000km (434,960 miles) of broadband cable connecting 2,50,000 village clusters in the period of next three years and has plans of constructing some 100 new "Smart Cities" by the year 2020.

We are connecting 2.5 lakh village panchayats with broadband and opening common service centres at remote locations to provide services and government facilities at the doorsteps of citizens," he said.

This comes as a.welcome change for the rural areas of India as according to a g a report by McKinsey and Co.report, Rural population of the.country is the largest non-Internet user population globally, with about 1.1 billion remaining offline.

What Countries Have The Best Public WiFi?

The number of public hotspots in the world is growing very fast as a lot of cafes, bars, restaurants, etc. can offer you not only a nice cup of coffee or a snack, but also provide with free WiFi. Such public WiFi access is extremely useful for business and leisure travellers, as they do not have to pay for international mobile data.

Lately public hotspots pop up everywhere – in cities' squares, parks, downtown areas, just name it. Open outdoor WiFi networks create unique conditions for Internet addicted 21-st century travellers that want to update their social networks, share photos, stream videos, check e-mails or simply get directions right. But when it comes to connectivity and the quality of public WiFi networks – not all spots can brag about that. Besides, the situation of one or another city’s public WiFi does not reflect the whole country's context. So if you had to choose a COUNTRY, judging by the quality of public WiFi, what would it be?

Rotten WiFi - a public WiFi and 3G/4G watchdog can help you out! Its users have measured and evaluated the quality of public hotspots in 172 countries worldwide, testing hundreds of networks. The collected data revealed Top 20 countries with best public WiFi.

The majority of countries in the Top 20 are located in Europe, only couple in America and one in Asia. Leading position is taken by Lithuania with the avg. download speed of 15,4 Mbps and upload – 14,17Mbps, not far behind Croatia with avg. download of 14,05 Mbps and upload speed of 11,21 Mbps, followed by Estonia with recorded avg. download speed of 13,75 Mbps and upload of 12,04 Mbps.

Regarding clients’ satisfaction rank, it is 4 or 5 points out of 10, based on NPS (Net Promoter Score) method. Although the fastest and slowest avg. download speeds differ almost 3 times, users’ evaluations vary only by one point, showing that public WiFi needs in every country are diverse.