RailTel, a PSU stated under the Ministry of Railways, has collaborated with a technology firm in a view to get funds for its Wi-Fi project spread across more than 6,100 railway stations over the country, the company averred on Tuesday. The rail PSU has opted for a five-year contract with a consortium by 3i Infotech Ltd, an IT company based in Mumbai, RailTel mentioned in a statement.
The other members of the consortium include Forensics Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies Private consortium comprise Forensics Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies Private Limited (FISST) and Yellow Inc.
Under the contract, the revenue will be generated by monetizing Wi-Fi footfalls in one of the world’s largest integrated public Wi-Fi networks through targeted advertisements and extending multimedia infotainment services for rail passengers.
The statement added that it is the country’s first ever multi-year commercial agreement that will be funding captive consumers of Wi-Fi network.
The 3i Infotech-led consortium will be settled with Rs 14 crore per year or 40% of revenue incurred to RailTel.
RailTel’s public Wi-Fi network is up for use at 6,108 railway stations in India and scales up to 1.1 million unique users per day. With this joint venture and efforts, station Wi-Fi will offer digital experience to the users by and large, the statement said.
