Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator, has announced free of cost services to Mumbai Metro on a trial basis. This is done solely by the telco with consumer interest in mind. The telco has said that it believes the commercial arrangement has to be fair and transparent, at a reasonable price. The mobile network of Vodafone Idea is now active for passengers travelling in the Mumbai Metro.
For some context, the Mumbai Metro has partnered with a third-party vendor for offering connectivity services to travellers. This has irked the telecom operators. It not only affects the business of the telcos negatively, but also affects the consumers as the Mumbai Metro can charge higher rates for staying connected from the consumers.
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Vodafone Idea is currently in talks with the Mumbai Metro to offer services commercially. The pricing talks are still going-on, and there's no timeline on when it would conclude.
In a statement, Vi's spokesperson said, "In the interest of consumer convenience and for uninterrupted connectivity for commuters, Vi ( Vodafone Idea) has activated mobile network services on the Mumbai Metro. Vi services are being provided on a trial basis and free of cost - as was the case earlier, pending finalisation of any formal commercial agreement."
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"We firmly believe that the commercial arrangement must be fair, transparent, and at a reasonable pricing. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to arrive at mutually agreeable terms, that not only serve the public interest, but are also commercially viable," the spokesperson added.
It won't be just Vodafone Idea, but also other telcos that would likely be in talks with the Mumbai Metro. Telcos are ready to incur capex and ensure that the passengers inside the metro trains are connected to high-speed networks.
