That sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it? About time the administration rolled out with this decision! The nitty gritties are still being worked out. Metro commuters are keen to have the Wi-Fi facility not just at the station but also inside the trains. How cool does that sound! Somewhere in mid 2015, a MoU was signed between the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the RailTel Corporation.
The installation of the required equipment is still under works at five stations to begin with – Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Vishwavidyalaya, Central Secretariat and Hauz Khas. People, you still need to wait for a bit more to use Wi-Fi inside the trains. But do not fret, that day is not too far away! Cities like Paris, London and New York have already begun doing so.
Get this, according to a research firm called Informa, the number of Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide have reached to 5.8 million by the end of 2015, up from just 800,000 in 2010. Public Wi-Fi networks are already in existence in various places in Delhi like Connaught Place where the usage is free for a certain number of minutes, after which the user has to pay a sum of money to continue using it.
This progressive step is going to go a long way and will contribute to the country’s ‘Digital India’ dream. Have you given a thought to the advantages of having a Wi-Fi enabled metro station? Imagine – You do not belong to Delhi and you happen to be visiting the city for business or for pleasure, some kind soul has already guided you to take the metro from a certain station. But when you have to change trains to reach your destination, it can be quite a pain. However, it’s the rush hour and everyone is in such a hurry that you find yourself more confused than before because you still don’t know which train to catch. And you do not happen to have mobile internet. That is the exact moment when the Wi-fi service will come to your rescue and you will start Googling away. And that’s how order gets restored in the universe.
You’ve still got about 20-30 minutes to reach your destination. There are different kinds of people on board all time (referring to the creeps and pervs). But, with the Wi-fi, blocking such people out never got any easier!
It is going to be a boon for tourists when there is an absence of maps and proper visual guides to help them get from one part of the city to another. Also, you can catch up on your work if you are a professional or a student, whether you have just a few minutes to send an important email or have an important one waiting to be received.
Not everyone can afford to spend a large chunk of money on high speed mobile data but at the same time the work of so many people depends upon the internet and losing touch with it at crucial moments could even cost them their jobs.
The Wi-Fi service will definitely drive more people towards taking the metro rather than a bus or a three wheeler to commute to their respective destination (don’t lie to yourself, you would too, definitely).
On 1st January, 2016, the Metro-Fi began offering its service at the two busiest junctions of the Delhi metro network – Kashmere Gate and Rajiv Chowk. The first half hour is free of cost. After the lapse of this time, a certain amount will be charged to use Wi-Fi beyond this time. Until recently, only trains and stations of the 5.1 km long Rapid Metro Network in Gurgaon were Wi-Fi enabled.
A step-by-step guide which explains how you can avail free Wi-Fi services at Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate metro stations:
1. As soon as you enter the paid area (platform area) of these stations, you can connect to the available Wi-fi network named Metro-Fi.
2. Once this network is selected, the web page of Metro-Fi will appear on your device and it will ask you to register using your mobile number.
3. As soon as the mobile number is entered, you will get an SMS with login credentials.
4. After receiving the credentials, you need to go back to the web page and select “Already Registered”, and enter the password in the desired field.
5. You will then be connected to the network and free Wi-fi services will be available for 30 minutes.
6. In case you want to use the network beyond 30 minutes, you can again select the Metro-Fi network and can pay for usage using PayTM.
