Free Wi-Fi services are now available on all New Taipei City-registered public buses, making the northern Taiwan municipality the first in the country to offer such services, the city government announced Sept. 12.
According to local authorities, all 2,500 city buses have been equipped with free Wi-Fi that does not require passengers to create an account or connect via a third party service such as Facebook or Google. In addition, there are no usage restrictions based on time or frequency.
At the launch ceremony for the new service, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu touted the local government’s efforts to transform the municipality into a smart city, adding that he is grateful to bus operators for helping bring the project to fruition.
Buses are the main mode of transportation for most commuters in New Taipei City, with the city’s fleet carrying as many as 800,000 passengers a day.
Passengers will see a “WiFi New Taipei Bus” sticker on buses that offer free internet services. They can use their smartphones or other devices to connect to the “NewTaipeiBusWiFi” network.
Currently, free Wi-Fi is available on Taiwan public transportation systems including the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit system, the Taoyuan Airport MRT and the High Speed Rail, in addition to many bus and Taiwan Railways stations. The most popular service is the iTaiwan free Wi-Fi platform, which features hotspots in public spaces, at government agencies and on transportation networks.
Launched in December 2013 by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the iTaiwan service boasts over 10,000 hotspots nationwide and with more than 4 million registered accounts. (KWS-E)
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