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Indian Railways To Offer Broadband Internet, Unlimited Downloads In Kerala
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Years ago, when the hype about Optical Cables was on a high and everyone was laying thousands of kilometers of optical fiber cables (OFCs) across the length and breadth of the country, Railways decided to do the same, but on a much bigger scale. So, Railways OFC network, spread across some 38,000 kilometers was the biggest Optical Fiber Cable network in the country. I remember reading an exclusive story in BusinessWorld about the same at that time.
Indian Railway has turned around in terms of business. Of late, its revenues have been improving and it has been earning constant profits, too. The opening up of the API for the Indian Railways website was another very impressive step taken by the organization. Now, the Railways has decided to put all those miles of Optic Fiber Cable to good use by providing Internet access, through its Railtel brand, reports ET. Yes, Indian Railways will be going the ISP way in Kerala. IR has decided to provide internet broadband connection to the people in Kerala. What more, unlimited downloads are on the way for those using it for educational purposes. Railways has already tied up with seven IITs and the IISc for providing the lecture material for this.
A Seshagiri Rao, executive director (southern region) of Railtel, said,
“Our network is such that every railway station in the country can be turned into a source for education centers. But we have decided to provide broadband connectivity to the people through cable operators. The biggest advantage for those using our connectivity is that they would get unlimited download in matters regarding education. The downloading of education material will be at a speed ranging from 2 Mpbs to 30 Mpbs,”
The connections will be provided by cable operators.
The initiate by Railways is a welcome step in the endeavor to get all parts fo India connected. The availability of education material from the premier institutes and hat too at speeds of upto 30 Mbps is something that’s sure to gain wide usage of the service. Kerala, being one of the top states in India in terms of literacy (it was 100% at one time) , is expected to be a heavy user of such service. After their (hopefully) successful run in Kerala, I am sure the organization will take the initiative to the rest of the nation.
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This is very useful. I know a lot of people who go to work by train who carry their laptops with them. I hope that this is implemented and not just an empty promise.