>Citation bot at 05:00, 23 March 2021

2021-03-23T05:00:12Z

New page

{{Infobox website
| name = Google Station
| logo = Google Station logo.svg
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| screenshot =
| background = 
| screenshot_size =
| screenshot_alt =
| caption =
| url = {{URL|station.google.com}}
| area_served = [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Mexico]], [[Thailand]], [[Nigeria]], [[Philippines]], [[Brazil]], [[Vietnam]], [[South Africa]]
| offices =
| commercial = 
| type =
| registration =
| language =
| num_users =
| content_license = 
| programming_language =
| owner = [[Google]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2016|01}}
| revenue =
| alexa = 
| current_status =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Google Station''' was a [[Google]] service that allowed partners to roll out [[Wi-Fi]] [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)|hotspots]] in public places by providing software and advice on hardware to turn [[Fiber-optic communication|fiber connections]] into Wi-Fi.<ref name=making/> It was only implemented in [[India]] and [[Indonesia]] but in March 2018, the service was launched in [[Mexico]],.<ref>http://www.celularactual.mx/2018/03/13/google-station-mexico/</ref><ref>https://station.google.com/</ref><ref>https://www.blog.google/topics/next-billion-users/google-station-brings-better-faster-wi-fi-more-people-mexico/</ref> In February 2020, Google announced the service would be discontinued.<ref name="techcrunch.com">{{cite web|title=Google ends its free Wi-Fi program Station|url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/17/google-ends-its-free-wi-fi-program-station/|website=TechCrunch|access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> The service went offline on September 30, 2020.<ref name="Google Station">{{cite web|title=Google Station|url=https://station.google.com/|website=Google Station|access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> [[RailTel Corporation of India|RailTel]] took over the service in India and continues to offer free WiFi at railway stations.<ref name="techcrunch.com"/>

== Overview ==

Google Station seeks to provide "fast Wi-Fi for everyone". It also highlights that data will be "safe and protected" on Google's network. As it envisions expanding the offering, potential partners include "large venues and organizations, [[Mobile network operator|network operators]], [[Fiber to the x|fiber providers]], system integrators, and infrastructure companies".<ref name="about">{{cite web|title=Google Station|url=https://station.google.com/|website=Google Station|access-date=20 February 2018}}</ref> Google Station's advantages include being a simple, easy-to-use solution (both for users as well as partners) that also offers monetization opportunities through advertising (Google Station calls itself "an advertising platform, backed by a world-class advertising sales team and network").<ref name="partners">{{cite web|title=Partners|url=https://station.google.com/partners/|website=Google Station|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106191815/https://station.google.com/partners/|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== History ==
The program was first announced in September 2015, when [[Indian Prime Minister]] [[Narendra Modi]] visited Google's headquarters in [[Mountain View, California]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Guynn|first1=Jessica|title=Facebook, Silicon Valley like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi|url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/09/27/narendra-modi-india-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-google-sundar-pichai-silicon-valley/72936544 |access-date= 20 February 2018| work=USA Today|date=27 September 2015}}</ref> Google CEO [[Sundar Pichai]] further detailed the plan in a blog post on the Official Google Blog, noting that it would be the "largest public Wi-Fi project in India, and among the largest in the world, by number of potential users".<ref name="blog">{{cite news|last1=Pichai|first1=Sundar|title=Bringing the Internet to more Indians—starting with 10 million rail passengers a day|url= https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/09/bringing-the-internet-to-more-indians.html|access-date=19 February 2018|work=Official Google Blog|date=27 September 2015}}</ref>

In January 2016, Google launched the program at the [[Mumbai Central railway station]] in [[India]] in partnership with [[Indian Railways]] and [[RailTel Corporation of India|RailTel]].<ref name="kulk">{{cite news|last1=Kulkarni|first1=Nitish|title=Google's WiFi for Indian Train Stations Launches At Mumbai Central Railway Station Tomorrow|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/21/googles-wifi-for-indian-train-stations-launches-tomorrow/|access-date=19 February 2018|work=TechCrunch|date=21 January 2016}}</ref> RailTel, a [[state-owned enterprise]], provides Internet services as RailWire via its extensive [[Fiber-optic communication|fiber network]] alongside many of these railway lines. In September 2016, the project was christened "Google Station".<ref name=making>{{cite news|last1=Sengupta|first1=Caesar|title=Google for India: Making our products work better for everyone|url=https://india.googleblog.com/2016/09/google-for-india-making-our-products.html|access-date=19 February 2018|work=Google India Blog|date=27 September 2016}}</ref> In December 2016, Google announced that it had rolled out Google Station at the 100th railway station in India.<ref name="azad">{{cite news|last1=Azad|first1=Gulzar|title=High-speed Wi-Fi rolls into 100th railway station in India|url=https://blog.google/topics/google-asia/high-speed-wi-fi-rolls-100th-railway-station-india/|access-date=19 February 2018|work=Google Blog|date=22 December 2016}}</ref>

Google announced that it was bringing Google Station to [[Indonesia]] in partnership with FiberStar and CBN, two Indonesian telecommunications companies that plan on rolling out Wi-Fi hotspots at hundreds of venues across the islands of [[Java]] and [[Bali]] over the next year.<ref name="tony">{{cite news|last1 =Keusgen |first1 =Tony | title=11 announcements from Google for Indonesia|url=https://blog.google/topics/google-asia/11-announcements-google-indonesia |access-date=19 February 2018|work=Google Blog|date=24 August 2017}}</ref>

In January 2018, [[NDTV]] reported that Google had started testing a paid model of Google Station, which is slated to reach as many as 400 railway stations in 2018.<ref name="ndtv">{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Jagmeet|title=Google Station Wi-Fi Goes Paid at Select Rail Stations With Free High-Speed Access Restricted to 30 Minutes|url=https://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/google-station-public-wi-fi-railway-stations-india-paid-option-1796679|access-date=19 February 2018|work=Gadgets 360|publisher = NDTV|date=6 January 2018}}</ref> Later that month, Google announced that for the first time the Google Station projected had expanded beyond railway stations by launching 150 hotspots in [[Pune]]. It worked with [[Larsen & Toubro]], India's largest engineering and construction company, and the project is a part of [[Smart City Pune]], a part of India's [[Smart Cities Mission]].<ref name="n18">{{cite news|title=Google Launches 150 Google Station WiFi Hotspots In Pune|url=http://www.news18.com/news/tech/google-wi-fi-150-google-station-hotspots-go-live-in-pune-1646823.html|access-date=20 February 2018|work=News18|date=31 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="abrar">{{cite news|last1=Abrar|first1=Peerzada|title=Google Station expands Wi-Fi service to smart cities|url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/google-station-expands-wi-fi-service-to-smart-cities/article22609791.ece|access-date=20 February 2018|work=The Hindu|date=31 January 2018}}</ref>

In March 2018 it announced expansion into Mexico,<ref>{{cite web|title=Google Station brings better, faster Wi-Fi to more people in Mexico|url=https://www.blog.google/topics/next-billion-users/google-station-brings-better-faster-wi-fi-more-people-mexico/|website=Google|access-date=14 March 2018|date=13 March 2018}}</ref> in partnership with the existing SitWifi network.<ref>http://sitwifi.com/</ref>

In July 2018, at the "Google for Nigeria" event, Google station was launched in Lagos with the promise of expanding to 200 locations in 5 cities in the country by 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalbarker.com/2019/05/google-plans-200-free-wifi-hotspot-locations-across-5-cities-in-nigeria.html|title=Google plans 200 free WiFi hotspot locations across 5 cities in Nigeria|date=2019-05-29|website=Digital Barker|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-29}}</ref>

In February 2019, Google Station was launched in the Philippines, in partnership with [[Smart Communications|Smart]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Google, Smart establish free WiFi stations|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/15/1893840/google-smart-establish-free-wifi-stations|website=Philstar|access-date=29 April 2019|date=15 February 2019}}</ref>

In June 2019, Google Station was made available in the city of [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]], with expansion to other Brazilian cities planned. The program in Brazil involves America Net and Linktel as partners, and [[Itaú Unibanco|Itaú]] as a sponsor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Google for Brazil: expanding access to technology and information|url=https://blog.google/technology/next-billion-users/google-for-brazil|website=Google Blog|access-date=7 June 2019|date=6 June 2019}}</ref>

In November 2019, Google Station was launched in 125 locations around [[Cape Town]], [[South Africa]] in partnership with Think WiFi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Free Wi-Fi Service Google Station Launched In Cape Town|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tobyshapshak/2019/11/07/free-wi-fi-service-google-station-launched-in-cape-town|website=Forbes|access-date=8 November 2019|date=8 November 2019}}</ref>

In February 2020, Google announced the service would be discontinued, saying that it was "no longer necessary," and "it had become difficult for Google to find a sustainable business model to scale the program."<ref name="techcrunch.com"/> The service went offline on September 30, 2020.<ref name="Google Station"/> In India, RailTel took over the service and continues to offer free WiFi without Google branding.<ref name="techcrunch.com"/>

== See also ==
* [[Internet in India]]
* [[Internet in Indonesia]]
* [[List of Google products]]
* [[Tez (software)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Google Inc.}}

[[Category:Google|Station]]
[[Category:Google software|Station]]
[[Category:Google services|Station]]
[[Category:Urban planning in India]]

Google Station - Revision history

>Citation bot at 05:00, 23 March 2021