Paytm has also joined the league of internet service providers. It has launched PayTM Wi-Fi free wi-fi hotspot service. It has already started testing its free Wi-Fi service at Noida sector 18 metro station as a part of pilot programme.
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder, and CEO of Paytm also shared a screenshot of Wi-FI network in mobile network search to show the name of this Wi-Fi network.
He also noted that this Wi-Fi will be free and open to access any service. So you can not just use Paytm, but access anything on The Internet using this Paytm Wi-Fi. Initially, people thought that this service was only for accessing Paytm wallet. So,Sharma later clarified this on Twitter.
Extra information : Paytm WiFi will be equal internet for every app. Not free for Paytm app only.
— Vijay Shekhar (@vijayshekhar) April 15, 2016
Vijay Shekhar Sharma told the ET, “We are building avenues for our merchants and consumers who do not have access to The Internet at all times to stay connected with Paytm. Initially, we are looking at metros because they are key locations for our consumers and our merchants, especially the auto-rickshaw walas.”
“This is in its beta version, so we are still learning. After a point, we can expect our consumers to buy these services,” said Sharma.
In this service, Paytm will offer 15-minute free Wi-Fi at metro stations. As of now, it is available in just 1 metro stations but soon it will be available across the Delhi NCR region.
Paytm is already trying to make Paytm as a primary payment service even for offline shops. So, this free Wi-Fi service sense. People can use this Wi-Fi service to pay even on offline shops. This will surely help Paytm in pushing itself as a primary payment service for offline shops and cabs.
Free Wi-Fi demand of consumers to stay connected if they want to better use the smartphone apps. In Delhi-NCR, there are already few free W-iFi hotspot zones offering free public WiFi. These zones include Khan Market and CP by Vodafone and Tata Docomo. Ozone offers free wifi at coffee shops and railway stations. MTS offers free Wi-Fi in Rapid Metro Gurgaon. Delhi Government also promised for free Wi-Fi zones but that is still pending. Google and Microsoft are also working on their mega projects to offer free wifi.
Last year Ola and Uber also started offering free Wi-FI to their customers in cabs. Ola is currently offering free Wi-Fi only in Ola Prime. Uber also partnered with Airtel to offer free 4G Wifi in Mumbai. It will also expand this service to other cities in coming months.
If you are around Noida sector 18, don’t forget to try this free Wi-fi network to check what they are offering.