“The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has given In-Building Solutions an agreement to provide telecom infrastructure to Metro Line 3. The winning bidder was ACES India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Riyadh-based ACES Co. This will now provide continuous cell and internet access throughout Aqua Line commutes”, according to a report.
“The in-building solutions were installed by ACES India at Bangalore Airport and the Surat Diamond Bourse. The licence fee collected by each station is around 2.5 times that of any other metro line in India,” the report added.
Because the Mumbai Metro Line 3 is totally underground, with station concourses 10–14 m beneath ground and platforms 18–20 m beneath ground, mobile internet connection and network dispersion are now a considerable difficulty.
“MMRC was going to set up cellular coverage from mobile service providers such as Jio, Vodafone, Airtel, and MTNL to alleviate this issue and ensure commuters’ cellphone and internet connectivity during their travel. This will be accomplished by In-Building Solutions, which will include the installation of antennae and repeaters within underground stations and tunnels”, it was said.
“The non-fare box revenue generated by Metro Line 3 through this initiative is the highest in India,” said Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director of MMRC. This In-Building Solutions effort will ensure that passengers on the underground Metro Line 3 have continuous mobile and internet connectivity.”
R. Ramana, Director (Planning & Real Estate Development/NFBR), MMRC, conveyed his delight at receiving the nation’s highest annual premium for In-Building Solutions to date. He believes that this upgrade will considerably improve Metro Line-3 operations and the commuter experience in general.
Line 3 of the Mumbai Metro is the most significant recent addition to the city’s quickly expanding metro network. It is also known as the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Line as well as the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line. Metro Line 3 would include 27 stops on its 33.5-kilometre course between Cuffe Parade and Aarey Colony. The Mumbai-Metro Line 3 was made public as a 50:50 joint venture between the GOI (Government of India) and the GOM (Government of Maharashtra).
The MMRC would be in charge of it. The INR 23,136 crore metro line construction proposal was authorised in 2018.
“JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is funding the majority of the project, 57.2%, with an ODA loan of INR 13235 crores with a repayment period of 30 years, a project-specific interest rate of 1.15%, and a consultant service-specific interest rate of 0.01%,” a report said.
“The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), on the other hand, took a few critical actions related to Metro Line 4 and 4A, which connects Mumbai and Thane. It has hired a contractor to build the Mogharpada Depot in Thane,” further read.
It plans to link Wadala to Gaimukh with key stops in Ghatkopar, Mulund, and Thane, along with Kasarvadavli, easing Mumbai’s traffic.