RailTel ties up with tech firm to monetise Wi-Fi project covering over 6,100 stations

(Representative image)

RailTel, a PSU under the Ministry of Railways, has tied up with a technology firm in a bid to monetise its Wi-Fi project at more than 6,100 railway stations across the country, the company said on Tuesday.

The rail PSU has signed a five-year contract with a consortium led by 3i Infotech Ltd, a global information technology company based at Mumbai, RailTel said in a statement.

The other members of the consortium are Forensics Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies Private Limited (FISST) and Yellow Inc.

Under the contract, the revenue will be generated by monetizing Wi-Fi footfalls in one of the world's largest integrated public Wi-Fi networks through targeted advertisements and extending multimedia infotainment services for rail passengers.

This is India's first multi-year commercial agreement to monetize captive customers of public Wi-Fi network through collaborative efforts, the statement said.

As per the contract, 3i Infotech-led consortium will pay Rs 14 crore per year or 40% of the revenue earned (whichever is higher) to RailTel.

The revenue will be largely led by advertising and supported by content/services-based revenue and the consolidated revenue potential from the project is expected to be upwards of Rs 250 crore over a five-year period, as per 3i Infotech's estimate.

RailTel's public Wi-Fi network is now available at 6,108 railway stations across India and records more than 1.1 million unique users per day. With this collaborative deal, station Wi-Fi is set to evolve the digital experience to users, the statement said.