The battle for India’s end users is not just about coverage on streets and in homes. Continuing the trend of bringing wireless communications to public rail transport, two of the country’s big three operators have just announced new metro coverage achievements in two major cities.
In Mumbai, Vodafone idea (aka Vi) says it has successfully achieved network deployment on the Mumbai Metro 3 Underground Stretch from Bandra Kurla Complex to Aarey Colony. This is a new, 12.44 kilometre section of the city’s underground.
Vi has set up its network infrastructure across all ten stations on the route and assures customers of uninterrupted connectivity thanks to in-building solutions inside the underground metro tunnel. It says they can now stay connected, access important information, and enjoy uninterrupted entertainment throughout their journey on Phase 1 of Mumbai Metro Line 3.
Rival operator Bharti Airtel meanwhile, says it has become the first service provider to offer seamless connectivity along another new service: the recently inaugurated north-south corridor of the Pune metro, thus making Airtel the first operator to offer connectivity across the complete stretch.
Airtel has upgraded a significant number of sites along the 17.4 kilometre route to enhance 5G capabilities. The company has also deployed dedicated in-building solutions in the metro stations for consistent coverage within the six kilometre underground stretch of the route. As with the Vi offering, this will ensure that commuters can enjoy 5G speeds, uninterrupted voice calls and data transmission throughout their travel.
It's not just this route that is involved. Airtel says it is the only operator to the ensure connectivity on the entire metro route in the city.