In September last year, we had reported that Google will set up free WiFi hotspots across India at major railway stations. Google had been working on this project since then.
Today, Google has launched the first free WiFi hotspot in the country. The first public place to get the free internet service is the Mumbai central station in Maharashtra. MCT is one of the most famous locations in the state. With a total of 9 tracks, it is located in the heart of Mumbai city.
The good thing about this service is that there’s no limitation on the data usage. According to Google, the speed is fast enough to watch HD resolution videos online. However, if the user uses the free WiFi for more than 59 minutes, he may experience a drop in network speed.
If you’re using the internet for reading articles on Wikipedia, Khan Academy, and other educational websites or if you want to send messages using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp or Hike, this shouldn’t bother you.
How to use the free internet at Mumbai Central railway station?
The first thing that you should do after entering the station is to activate the WIFi utility of your mobile device or laptop.
Your device will search for the available hotspots and WiFI networks. When it finds a network with the name Railwire, tap on the name to establish a connection. Now open the browser app on your phone (make sure it is allowed to use the Internet connection) and enter Railwire.co.in in the address field. Tap on the enter key on the keyboard or the go button on the browser.
Now you’ll see an interface that prompts you to enter a phone number. Enter the number and tap on the receive SMS link. Google will now send you a text message with a one-time login password. Enter the password and the browser will display a confirmation message.
Open your favorite website and start browsing it.
Reliance has set up its hotspots at several stadiums and public places in many cities, but you can use its internet only for a 10 to 15 minutes. The Railwire is a good initiative from Google. It will be useful for the students, professionals as well other for the other people who travel by train.
Suppose the train is late for an hour and the user has some unfinished online work to complete. If he’s at the Mumbai Central station, the user will be able to connect his laptop to the internet without a dongle or mobile data plan. Railwire will also bring a lot of people online for the 1st time.
