Web on Wheels - Opera flags off a free wi-fi car

INDIA: Residents of many cities in India can enjoy exploring the web for free from their mobile phones, says Opera Software (makers of the popular Opera Mini mobile browser) that has launched Web on Wheels (WOW), featuring a specially-equipped WOW car that provides free Wi-Fi access to those in range.

Over the next 10 months, the WOW car will travel across India, covering 20 cities. Agra, the city of Taj Mahal was its first stop. The car was stationed at multiple locations, such as Raja Mundi, Paliwal Park, Sadar Bazar, St. John’s College, among other notable locations throughout the city.

The WOW car will hit the road in phases, first covering the northern belt of India. After Agra, the WOW car will travel around Lucknow. Its next stops are Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad.

To access the WOW car’s free internet, mobile users must take steps like switching their phone’s Wi-Fi setting to ON and select Opera Mini free Wi-Fi from their wireless network options; opening the Opera Mini browser (a sign-in screen will appear) and signing in by entering their details and a one-time password. After signing in, users will have a daily allotment of 20 minutes of free internet access on their mobile phones. There is no limit to the amount of data that can be used during this time or the websites and apps that can be used with this free internet service.

“Today, almost everyone has a mobile handset that is capable of accessing the internet. However, many users are reluctant to use the mobile internet due to a lack of awareness or the perceived high cost”, says Sunil Kamath, Vice President for South Asia & South East Asia at Opera Software. “We hope Web on Wheels can help in lowering the barriers for new users to come online.”

Opera’s core belief as highlighted in the announcement is that everyone should have a seamless internet experience, no matter what device they use, the language they prefer or the service provided by mobile operator. It adds that the technology behind the Opera Mini web browser addresses all these concerns and gives users a consistently smooth browsing experience from their mobile phones.

"At Opera, we strive to bring the web to everyone. This year marks our 20th anniversary. With Web on Wheels, we want to give something back to our users and hope to help more people see how fun and educational it is to be on the web,” adds Kamath. "More than 55 million users in India already use Opera web browsers. Opera Mini is a fast web browser that shrinks webpages by up to 90 per cent of their size, helping users save on mobile data. Opera is also taking the Web on Wheels initiative as an opportunity to engage with its millions of users from India’s Tier II and Tier III cities."