Uber – the US based ‘one tab to ride’ internet linked taxi provider has come up with another innovation. It has decided to provide Wi-Fi connection to all its customers (riders) free of charges while they are travelling across the city. Although the facility has initially been made available in Mumbai, the scheme will be rolled out in India’s other cities as well in a phased manner. At present, Uber is spread across 18 cities, including metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, etc.
Uber has entered into a commercial partnership with Airtel – the largest telecom operator in India - for providing high-speed 4-G internet to its passengers. It will give all its India drivers Airtel mobile devices that create 4G Wi-Fi hot spots in their cars. In view of the tie-up, Airtel will become Uber's official telecom partner across India and will be offering mobile, data and device plans to its driver-partners. As part of the deal, the company is also offering discounted cell-phone plans for drivers and accepting payments using Airtel’s mobile payment platform. The riders who book a car through Uber will receive a password from the driver to access the Internet. The company is however trying to devise means to keep a track of data usage for preventing misuse of the facility through rival apps.
|
|
|
Speaking about the competition with local rivals, Amit Jain, President of Uber in India said: “It’s a war of better products and convenience and features for riders,….the dwell times in [traffic in] India are one of the longest in the world and making constructive use of that time by people able to access emails, communicate with friends and family is a feature that is very beneficial to consumers.”
Compiler : Syed Zafar Ahmad
Designation: Executive Editor & Compilor
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
Bio: A freelancer with a flair for experimenting with innovative technology and electronic gadgets that could enrich the life of a modern common man, and a consultant in issues touching every-day life of a computer suave professional.
