Wireless internet access on Japanese bullet trains
March 11th, 2009 by James
Starting March 14th, JR’s N700 shinkansen trains will have wireless internet access:
The maximum line speed is 2Mbps within the trains even when they run at full speed or through tunnels. Speed tops 54Mbps in the waiting loung areas. There are several mobile stations (access points) on the trains that are linked wirelessly with cables placed along the railroad lines.
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It’s currently being experimented in France as well, on some of the TGV lines. But it’s not a free-of-charge service (unless I’m mistaken), which makes it less interesting as it could be.
Some German ICE lines have this service as well, I think they had a few test runs some years ago and last year they started installing the equipment on the major lines. I think you can use them for free with a T-Mobile Data Service contract.
I guess it will also cost you to use the WLAN in the shinkansen.