Google partners with BSNL, launches free Wi-Fi in villages

Google partners with BSNL, launches free Wi-Fi in villages over Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bihar

HIGHLIGHTS

• Google hosted Google for India event today.
• Google expanded its Google Station initiative.
• Google will  offer  Wi-Fi in Indian villages.

Google India has partnered with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to provide public Wi-Fi services to villages in Gujarat, Bihar and Maharashtra.Under the partnership, Google would provide high-speed, reliable and secure public Wi-Fi connections to places that lack Wi-Fi connections.untimely, Google had partnered RailTel to provide public Wi-Fi  at railway stations in India and has the services at several stations across the country.

Google, four years ago announced that it would provide fast and free public Wi-Fi across railway stations in India. Now, Google is taking its Google Station program a step further and expanding its reach to other parts of the country.Google on the sidelines of its fifth Google for India event announced that it was expanding its free Wi-Fi program to villages of three Indian states. The company today announced a partnership with BSNL as a part of which it would provide high-speed public WiFi to villages in Gujarat, Bihar and Maharashtra that are now to get Wi-Fi connectivity.

"With Google's dedication to improve access far away  train stations to villages across India, we have partnered with BSNL to bring fast, reliable and secure public WiFi to villages in Gujarat, Bihar and Maharashtra," Caesar Sen Gupta, Vice-President, Next Billion Users Initiative and Payments said at the Google for India event while making the announcement.

Apart from announcing a new public Wi-Fi initiative, the Google VP of Next Billion Users Initiative also announced setting up of a new artificial intelligence (AI) focussed research lab in India. 

 California based The Mountain View,  is set  the Google Research India in  Bengaluru, which will be led by Dr Manish Gupta, who is a leading scientist. This lab would focus on the development Technology of computer science research in India. In addition to that it would also focus on solving problems concern to healthcare, agriculture, and education.

 Google announced a partnership with Vodafone-Idea that would provide access to people in the areas with connectivity issues. A  call on a toll free number will give Vodafone users access to Google Assistant on their 2G phones.