India launches free Wi-Fi on Delhi Metro with help from Russian telecoms firm

Free high-speed Wi-Fi has been launched on the underground metro system in India’s capital, Delhi, with key technology for the project provided by the Russian company that developed Wi-Fi for Moscow’s subway.

The Delhi Metro is a massive urban transport system spanning 325 kilometers, and linking the Indian capital to its satellite towns. The sheer size of the transport network, used by almost three million commuters every day, sets it firmly among the largest metro systems in the world, including those in London, Shanghai, Beijing, and New York.

Now, with the help of Russian telecoms expertise, the city’s underground network has also joined the ranks of metro systems offering free Wi-Fi to its passengers. It’s on just one line so far, the link from the city’s commercial district to Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The Wi-Fi service, the first of its kind in south Asia, was launched on Thursday by Delhi Metro Managing Director Mangu Singh. Russian firm MaximaTelecom was the project’s primary contractor and technology provider, although the internet facilities themselves were built by a number of Indian companies.

MaximaTelecom has notable experience in developing such networks, having already built similar Wi-Fi systems for both the Moscow and St Petersburg metros. It also launched free Wi-Fi at almost 60 metro stations in Delhi in late 2018.

Launching free Wi-Fi on one line of the New Delhi subway seems an ideal first step in the telecom company’s ambitious plans in India. The company has already announced its aim to expand the project to two more lines in the near future, providing half of all commuters using the city’s metro with high-speed Wi-Fi.

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