Stay connected through wireless Internet at railway stations!

New Delhi, Jan 30 (UNI) Wireless Internet surfing, a facility currently available at a few upscale airports in the country, will soon become a reality at important stations like New Delhi, Mumbai Central, Chennai, Howrah, Sealdah, Dadar and Bangalore.

Computers can now be used without attaching them to a telephone or cable wires, and this will become possible with the help of WiMax technology.

Such a facility is now available at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the national Capital, Bangalore airport and and in some important cities.

A senior official of the Railway Ministry said Internet surfing on laptop and palmtop computers, dispensing with the need of a telephone or cable wires, will be provided at railway stations in metros and important cities in the next three-four months.

''Not only the stations, the facility can be availed of at residential houses, offices and shops located in a radius of 500 metres of a WiMax-enabled station,'' he pointed out.

This wireless Internet facility will be powered by WiMax technology, and infrastructure for it is being provided at some important stations.

WiMax is a standards-based wireless technology that provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances.

''The plan is being implemented under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model,'' the official said, adding that RailTel Corporation, a public sector enterprise of the Railway Ministry, had selected a leading American company for it.

The two entities are likely to enter into an agreement within next 10-15 days to provide this facility at railway stations.

Wireless Internet is likely to be provided at New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore stations in April-May. By this year-end, the Railways has set a target of extending it to some hundred stations.

The official said the Railways had initially planned to use Wi-Fi technology for wireless Internet surfing, but it later settled for WIMAX technique because of its ability to provide faster speed for net surfing.

In WiMax, the speed of Internet is 2.4 Giga hertz per second, but such a technology cannot be used in moving trains because its waves get scattered when placed within an object at a fast speed.

About the timeframe for introduction of Internet facility in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains through Wi-Fi technelogy, the official said work had begun on this project, and it would take over a year for its full implementation.

''We are first building the GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Radio Communications-Railway) infrastructure. Once this GSM-R becomes fully operational, it will become possible to provide Internet facility not only in Rajdhanis and Shatabdis but also in Jan Shatabdi, Sampark Kranti and some other important trains.'' He said tests have proved that passengers will experience seamless connectivity on running trains. ''Considering the revenue it will generate, the project is being accorded priority,'' he added.

RailTel is to provide Wi-Fi connectivity at 500 stations. In addition, it plans to set up 250 cyber cafes at railway stations across the country.

UNI