Telecom operators have said they are ready with the infrastructure to provide uninterrupted voice and data services to subscribers while crossing the river Hooghly, as part of the country’s first under-river Metro rail service connecting Kolkata and Howrah.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the East-West Metro corridor, a section of which runs under the river. The service in this corridor is expected to be opened to the public soon and a Metro trains will take around 45 seconds to cross the river separating the twin cities.
Vodafone Idea which owns the Vi brand on Wednesday announced the successful completion of its network across the entire underground East-West Metro corridor route, including the 520-metre under-river stretch. Another telecom player Airtel has also announced the same. Jio officials cannot be reached for feedback on their network in the underground East-West Metro corridor.
Vodafone Idea said the major factor that differentiates the East-West Metro corridor is the under-river tunnel, which is located 13 meters below the Hooghly riverbed and 33 meters below the surface level.
“To enable customers to experience a superior network, Vi has deployed IBS (in-building solutions) inside the tunnel under the river as well as the underground Metro tunnel,” the company said. Naveen Singhvi, Cluster Business Head (East) Vodafone Idea, said, “As a leading telecom operator, we are delighted to share that our network deployment across this underwater rail route will offer an uninterrupted, seamless, and superior network experience to our Vi customers.”
Of the total 16.6 km of the East-West Metro corridor, 10.8 km are underground, including the tunnel beneath the river. The underground stations consist of 6 stations — Phool Bagan, Sealdah, Esplanade, Mahakaran, Howrah Station and Howrah Maidan — while another six are elevated between Salt Lake Stadium to Sector V.
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