In a global first, Ola brings ‘Auto-Connect Wi-Fi’ experience to millions on the go

• Proprietary Wi-Fi experience from Ola’s Innovation Labs, first of its kind innovation globally
• Auto-Connect ‘Ola Wi-Fi’ experience is just like connecting to home and office networks, while in a cab

Bangalore, March 31, 2016: Ola, India’s most popular mobile app for transportation, today announced the launch of Ola Wi-Fi, a proprietary experience from the company’s innovation labs, that allows users to auto connect to Wi-Fi in an Ola cab without having to enter credentials every single time. Users with a one-time authentication on their phones, can use Ola Wi-Fi on their devices without having to key in login credentials and passwords in subsequent rides, staying connected with Ola’s secure network whenever they take a ride. Auto-Connect Wi-Fi is currently available for free on Ola Prime and will soon be available across all categories including Micro, Mini and Auto-rickshaws available on the Ola app.

Wi-Fi hotspots that are available publicly today, are cumbersome to use with login credentials and unique passwords to be input every single time, making for a broken connectivity experience on the move. Also, the need for seamless connectivity is extremely important in a local market like India which is seeing a massive growth in the user base of smartphones that is upward of 40% year on year. Over 200TB of data was consumed on a monthly basis by users of Ola Prime, which was earlier making available high speed Wi-Fi in-cab with a standard authentication process. 65% customers who chose Ola Prime, connected to the in-cab Wi-Fi. With auto-connect Wi-Fi innovation, Ola foresees a massive surge in adoption, given the unmatched customer experience for users while on the move.

Raghuvesh Sarup, Head of Categories & Chief Marketing Officer said, “Ola Wi-Fi addresses the need for consumers to be connected to the internet while on the go, without the hassles of having to use unique credentials every single time. With over 40 minutes spent on an average cab ride in Indian cities, an auto-connect Wi-Fi experience can make every Ola, the ‘third place’ for consumers, beyond their home interiors and workplace. We are ushering in a digital revolution in the country that has the potential to transform the experience of mobility for a billion Indians in the time to come.”

The Auto-Connect Wi-Fi experience from Ola is built on the foundations of key Government initiatives including Digital India and Smart Cities. Globally respected technology companies like Google, have also come forward to set up innovative projects that can connect public spaces. This first of its kind innovation for India, can in the long run, help connect large communities of users, improving the quality of time spent while on the move.

Ankit Bhati, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer at Ola added, “We are thrilled to bring our proprietary Ola Wi-Fi experience to users, changing the way they will stay connected on the move. As part of Ola’s Innovation Labs, this first of its kind experience is in line with the Government’s initiatives of Digital India and owes inspiration to large projects like free Wi-Fi in railway stations. We also see this as the beginning of connected cities, with hundreds of thousands of vehicles connecting millions of users on the go!”

Ola’s Innovation Labs have constantly built technology that solves for local market and consumer needs that the company is in a unique position to understand. In the past, Ola has enabled 2G optimization for its app, allowing for a lightning fast experience for users even on slower networks; a problem that is commonly encountered in many parts of the country. Ola has also made available its app for auto-rickshaw drivers in over 9 local languages and enabled turn by turn navigation features for driver-partners registered on the Ola app.