RailTel to roll out WiFi/Wimax services

New Delhi, Sep 18: RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways with authorised capital of Rs 1,000 crore, said it will roll out WiFi/Wimax services at the railway stations of 43 cities in a year's time.

''We will start WiFi/Wimax services at the railway stations initially in 43 cities across the country,'' company General Manager (Marketing) Anshul Gupta told reporters here on the sidelines of First Telecom Service Providers' Conclave 2008, which was jointly organised by Assocham and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The company, set up in September 2000, has already started the services in three cities of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Mr Gupta said the company is looking for partners to roll out the services. The company also plans to increase the number of cities where the services will be available up to 155 cities in the coming years. ''But for rolling out the service in 155 cities, we require more spectrum, atleast 20 MHz,'' he said.

Presently, the company has only 6 MHz radio wave.

State-run RailTel was formed with the objectives to create nationwide broadband, telecom and multimedia network in all parts of the country, to modernise train control operation and safety system of Indian Railways and to significantly contribute to realisation of goals and objective of the National Telecom Policy 1999.

With extensive expertise in building telecom networks, RailTel draws its manpower from signal and telecom branch of the Indian Railway which has been in the business of construction, operation and maintenance of telecom systems for more than 50 years.

UNI