Airtel offers 4G services on luxury buses through Wi-Fi in Hyderabad

Bharti Airtel has begun offering high speed 4G data service through Wi-Fi on luxury buses in Hyderabad, where commuters will be able to access the internet for free.

The pilot, which is the first for the country's largest telecom company, was launched Tuesday, in partnership with Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), under which a fleet of 115 buses operating between busy routes in the city will be enabled with Wi-Fi hotspots offering speeds up to 10 Mbps.

"The launch of complimentary Wi-Fi services on-the-go is a real step forward in modernizing the lifestyle of our citizens, whether business, education or pleasure," said Venkatesh Vijayraghavan, Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Bharti Airtel.

"This remarkable partnership with the Government of Telangana's TSRTC is the largest in the country and will double the joy for travelers as it connects more Hyderabadi citizens than ever before," he added.

Users need a Indian Phone number to authenticate access to the service. The hotspots on the buses are named “Airtel 4G free Wi-Fi.” Users have to enter their phone numbers to connect to the service. On connecting, a four digit OTP will be sent to the phone number of the user. Access for 20 minutes will be enabled as soon as the OTP is entered, after which consumers buy data packs starting Rs 25 for 100 MB which will be cumulative.

The program, which begins today, will run for six months on a pilot basis, after which a call on scaling it up will be taken. Consumers will be able to purchase the data packs though debit or credit cards, while alternate online payment methods will be explored later on.