Not all of Helsinki’s buses will be equipped with free wireless Internet connections (WLAN) next year after all.
According to Helsinki City Transport’s (HKL) original plan, announced last month, all of the city’s buses were supposed to be fitted with free Internet access to passengers by the year 2010. The free WLAN connections were meant to be supplied as a by-product in connection with the renewal process of the public transportation priority system for traffic lights.
At present, wireless Internet access is being tested on around 80 HKL trams and 30 buses. The presently-used broadband technology, however, is not compatible with an upcoming ticket and information system renewal for the Greater Helsinki Area and HKL is therefore planning to give up installing it into any further buses.
According to HKL planning chief Ville Lehmuskoski, the widening of the availability of free Internet access on the HKL buses will be realised in connection with the ticket and information system renewal, in other words in 2012 at the earliest.
All of the HKL trams, in turn, will be equipped with a free WLAN network service during the course of this year.
