Delhi Metro (DMRC): High-Density Public Wi-Fi Across 173 Metro Stations
Deploying carrier-grade UniBox VM controllers and 1+1 redundant Indio Cloud OSS/BSS to deliver seamless, TRAI-compliant Wi-Fi for over 1 billion annual transit riders.
About Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) is a state-owned enterprise with equal equity participation from the Government of India and the Government of Delhi, operating India's largest and most extensive rapid transit network.
Delhi Metro is the world's 12th longest metro system in length and 16th largest in ridership, spanning 231 kilometers and 173 stations across 6 color-coded lines plus the Airport Express. Operating over 3,000 trips daily with 1,290+ coaches, DMRC served 100 crore (1.0 billion) riders in FY 2016-17.
DMRC wanted to provide seamless public Wi-Fi access to 2.76 million daily commuters by leveraging their existing Cisco infrastructure and core MPLS network while complying strictly with mandatory TRAI/DoT cybersecurity regulations.
Project Profile
Overview, Requirements & Solution
A consolidated executive summary of DMRC's transit Wi-Fi transformation journey with Indio Networks.
Overview
DMRC required a carrier-grade Wi-Fi management and monetization architecture to support 2.76 million daily transit passengers across 173 elevated and underground metro stations in the National Capital Region.
Key Requirements
- Massive Concurrency: Handle tens of thousands of simultaneous commuter logins across moving platforms.
- TRAI Legal Compliance: Mandatory SMS/OTP 2-factor authentication and user URL/IPDR session audit trail.
- 1+1 High Availability: Carrier-grade redundancy with zero downtime and failover architecture.
- Digital Monetization: Targeted advertising, promotions, paid vouchers, and custom branded captive portals.
How We Helped
- Deployed UniBox controller arrays on virtual machines (VMs).
- Installed Indio Cloud OSS/BSS in 1+1 redundant configuration in the central data center.
- Enforced SMS/OTP authentication & comprehensive web access logging.
- Delivered fair-usage bandwidth throttling & digital ad monetization.
Operational Challenges & Technical Solutions
Addressing transit requirements with carrier-grade Indio Networks hardware, software controllers, and high availability OSS/BSS.
The Operational Challenges
Key constraints, bottlenecks & network hurdlesExtreme Data Center Window Constraints
DMRC granted only a 2-3 hour maintenance window after midnight for commissioning and testing in central facilities.
Sensitive Capital City Security & TRAI Compliance
Mandatory requirement to track each user, verify identities via SMS/OTP, and store browsing history without slowing down throughput.
Massive Scale & Rapid Commuter Churn
Millions of passengers moving between platforms requiring rapid connection, session handovers, and fair bandwidth distribution.
Advertising & Network Monetization
Need to monetize network infrastructure through dynamic digital advertising, sponsorship campaigns, and partner vouchers.
The Indio Solution
Tailored architecture, controller features & managementVM-Based UniBox Controller Array
Deployed an array of virtualized UniBox controllers connected over MPLS to manage captive portal rendering, user logins, and session tracking.
1+1 Redundant Indio Cloud OSS/BSS
Installed in central data center with high-availability failover to regulate bandwidth policies, store audit logs, and manage remote APs.
SMS/OTP Authentication & Web Logging
Strict two-factor authentication ensuring legal TRAI compliance, accompanied by automatic URL logging and content filtering.
Ad-Tech Monetization & Deep Analytics
Enabled online billing, voucher distribution, social media login, video ads, push promotions, and bandwidth utilization reporting.
Implementation Journey
Indio Networks completed installation within tight midnight data center windows, configuring virtualized controllers and central OSS/BSS over DMRC's core MPLS backbone.
Seamless & Turnkey
Engineered for high availability, zero disruption to ongoing operations, and centralized cloud monitoring.
Phase 1: VM Architecture & Core MPLS Integration
Configured virtualized UniBox controller instances and integrated with DMRC's core MPLS switching infrastructure.
Phase 2: 1+1 Redundant OSS/BSS Commissioning
Deployed Indio Cloud OSS/BSS in 1+1 high availability mode at the central data center during scheduled midnight windows.
Phase 3: TRAI SMS/OTP Gateway & Logging Pipeline
Integrated national SMS gateways for OTP delivery and enabled automated URL browsing audit log pipelines.
Phase 4: Station-Wise AP Rollout & Ad Monetization
Brought 173 stations online with fair-usage throttling and captive portal video ad injection engines.
Project Results & Business Value
The implementation of Indio Networks' solution delivered tangible performance gains, reduced operational overhead, and elevated user satisfaction.
Daily Passengers Served
Carrier-grade Wi-Fi connectivity supporting millions of commuters daily.
Stations Connected
Comprehensive coverage across all major lines and Airport Express route.
TRAI Regulatory Compliance
Validated SMS/OTP verification and automated user session audit trail.
Carrier-Grade Redundancy
Zero-downtime architecture handling high-density transit peaks.
"The system was designed to handle traffic requirements and scale of the project. UniBox and Indio Cloud provided an economical and reliable carrier-grade solution backed by deep Wi-Fi expertise."
DMRC Project Engineering
Delhi Metro Rail CorporationProducts & Technologies Deployed
Enterprise-grade Indio Networks hardware, software controllers, and cloud management solutions deployed for this project.
UniBox VM Access Controller
Virtualized high-concurrency controller array handling captive portals, user authentication, and live session tracking.
View ControllerIndio Cloud OSS/BSS
Carrier-grade OSS/BSS deployed in 1+1 redundant mode for policy enforcement, legal compliance logging, and monetization.
Explore CloudTransit Monetization Engine
Integrated module for captive portal digital ads, sponsor branding, paid voucher tiers, and push notifications.
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