Indian Railways has launched a satellite system expected to power on-board WiFi access in trains.
The state-owned firm inaugurated its own satellite-based VSAT hub system, according to a report from BWCS Consulting.
The Indian government expects the said system to power wireless communications and other services like remote ticketing.
The government is set to meet with satellite-based service providers about providing Internet access on trains.
On-board WiFi will be trialed on trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. After successful trials, the government plans to enter into a public / private partnership scheme to offer the service on major train routes across the country.
Indian Railways has been trying to use various technologies such as Wimax to enable access on its trains although not much progress has been achieved in this direction.
The VSAT network has been provided by US satellite technology provider Hughes Networks. With the commissioning of its own VSAT hub system, Indian Railways expects to be able to connect about 1,000 remote locations.