RAILTEL TESTS SUCCESSFULLY INTERNET IN MOVING TRAIN

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The RailTel Corporation of India (RailTel), a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, has tested successfully provision of Broadband Internet on running train between Tuglakabad and Faridabad Stations of Northern Railway from April 15, to 26, 2003. This is the first technological breakthrough of its kind in the world.

This would enable RailTel to utilize its large spare bandwidth at every station for commercial purposes after meeting the telecom requirements of Indian Railways. This will also provide Internet related facilities to the travelling public at the railway platforms and onboard the train to help the passengers remain connected all through to the outside world for their business and entertainment.

The Ministry of Railways will be soon nominating a train for introduction of onboard internet facilities by RailTel. With the introduction of Internet onboard the train, passengers will be able to download or chat away with their friends around the world.

The Internet onboard the trains will be operated through pre-paid cards. Such cards will be made available to the users. A fully equipped kiosks will be provided in train alternatively.

Rural areas in the hinterland of railway tracks all over the country will also get connectivity of Internet, net telephony and other telecom facilities in keeping with the National Telecom Policy designed to mitigate the digital divide between the urban and rural telecom accessibility.

The RailTel will be launching cyber cafes and kiosks at railway stations facilitating browsing, Internet telephony and video conferencing all over the country. To begin with, the first such cyber café will be operational at New Delhi Railway Station within next two months.