Systems

Now, free Wi-Fi connectivity at Mumbai airport

At country's first international airport with a free wireless service, internet kiosks also being set up says Lekha Agarwal.

Next time you are at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai, four easy steps will help you surf the internet free of cost on your Wi-Fi enabled laptop or your smart phone.

Recently, Mumbai International Airport Private (MIAL) - the joint venture between the GVK-SA consortium and Airports Authority of India that is modernising CSIA - went live with an enterprise-class Wi-Fi service throughout the domestic (IA and IB) and international (2A and 2C) terminals, becoming the first international airport in India to launch free wireless network.

Until now, CSIA had a prepaid Wi-Fi service, as does Chennai airport. Delhi airport will have Wi-Fi connectivity from next month, a spokesperson has confirmed.

At Mumbai, with free access on all Wi-Fi enabled laptops now, CSIA is in the league of other international gateways like Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport, Las Vegas's McCarran Airport and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Mobile service provider Bharti Airtel is powering the service, with wall-to-wall accessibility throughout the airport's four terminals. That means only bonafide passengers inside the terminal building will be able to take advantage of the facility. Also, to prevent potential misuse, each session would be valid for about four hours.

The process to log in is very simple and does not require users to install or use proprietary software (see box). The facility is also available on other hand-held devices such as pocket PCs, smart phones, mobile phones, gaming devices and PDAs.

"Currently, the speed will vary between 64 kbps and 128 kbps, depending on the number of simultaneous users. However, it will never fall below 64 kbps," said a spokesperson for MIAL. While the service is offered free of charge for all passengers carrying Wi-Fi enabled laptops, a paid service for a bandwidth of 512 kbps and above, will be introduced shortly. Free internet kiosks will also be set up at all terminals, with each terminal having at least one kiosk with a minimum of four computers - similar to the setup seen at Singapore's Changi.

"We are pleased to be the first airport in India to provide wireless coverage of this nature to passengers. Wi-Fi connectivity and the free internet kiosks will facilitate better communication access for travellers to CSIA. This initiative would help us enhance passengers' experience and is in line with our commitment to making CSIA a world class airport," said G V Sanjay Reddy, managing director, MIAL.

"At Airtel, we have always been driven by a vision to offer futuristic products and to make mobility a way of life for all our customers. Our engagement with MIAL is a significant milestone in partnering to help passengers stay connected at India's busiest airport," added David Nishball, president, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel.