UK Trains Take WiFi Route To Connectivity

Randy Sparks writes "The BBC is reporting that one of the UK's largest train operators, GNER, is to offer Wi-Fi net access on its trains. What's interesting is how this net connection will be achieved - by a combination of networks provided by multiple mobile phone connections or even digital TV Internet, provided from ground stations the train passes by. It'll cost UKP4.95 per hour for train goers, although First Class Travellers will get it free..."

Comments

Cheap WiFi

[prat393]

Make sure you sit next to the first class car! You just might get free access. "Warsitting", perhaps?

Re:Cheap WiFi

[VertigoAce]

That'd be great if these systems were encrypted, but they generally aren't. I know the Dallas/Fort Worth airport has two wireless internet access services (T-Mobile and something else). You can pull out your laptop and connect to them immediately, but any requests bring you to an info page. One of the services let you find out tourist information along with airport info (flight info, services, etc) for free. To get access to the rest of the net you have to pay. It probably uses some sort of software firewall that keeps track of your IP and mac addresses. Normal WiFi hacking isn't going to do you much good in this case.

Its GBP!

[Krik Johnson]

Why do people keep giving us the wrong currency symbol? GBP is the international standard code for pounds, not UKP! For another thing, slashdot dosen't allow pound signs either. Stupid stuck in 1997 website deisgn that dosen't even have valid HTML 3.2!

Re:Its GBP!

[rikkus-x]

Official ISO standard for what? Great Britain is an island. The United Kingdom is a country. Northern Ireland is a province, England and Scotland are Kingdoms, Wales is a principality.

People usually talk in terms of countries, so what are the ISO people using Great Britain for, I wonder?

Rik

Re:Its GBP!

[NickFitz]

'Great Britain' is a geographical area including some (but not others) of the islands that are near the main island on which England sits.

Not quite.

Great Britain is, as you say, a geographical term, but it refers to the largest island of the British Isles - the one comprising the majority of the landmass of England, Wales and Scotland. The British Isles also include Ireland, containing Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as all the smaller places like the Isle of Man, the Shetlands, and so forth . The name of the country (i.e. the political entity, or state) often referred to as Great Britain is actually called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Personally, I usually refer to my homeland as Britain, as even though it's the greatest country in the world, that isn't saying very much when you consider the competition in this hellhole of a human-vermin-infested planet. Damned by faint praise about sums it up.

This seems better than GPRS

[karikasper]

Here in Estonia we have GPRS-based connection in trains. Haven't tried it myself, but I've been told it's quite slow and sluggish.

Re:Dupe

[linuxci]

I posted that original article, that was when the GNER service was a trial, now it appears the trial was successful and will be rolled out in the entire fleet.

GNER is the only decent train company in the UK, it's the only one that still offers a smoking carriage, it gives regular travellers a loyalty card like many airlines do, in has a proper restaurant service and I've not had too many problems with their timekeeping.

The only thing I can say bad about them is that they used to sell bottled real ales in the buffet car, but they stopped doing those October last year, now you've got only canned mainstream beers which ain't the same. GNER are usually good at listening to feedback so if you're a regular traveller and miss the guest ales then email them and let them know. Vist www.gner.co.uk and click on the 'contact us' link, then select customer relations.

Re:Cool, Spammers now have rolling hide outs :)

[Wacky_Wookie]

GNER don't operate in Bristol, or Manchester... Bristol is on the West Coast line which is Virgin Trains territory.

Ya, I know, I live in London.

But the BBC commented on the fact that other Operators were going to interduce the same survice soon. If Branson fails to get the same thing added to Virgin's trains with-in six months of GNER doing it, I'll send my e-mail address to the top five spammers :)

I was not intending for my comment to be Moded funny anyway, I was hoping that the idea of moblie offices would actualy spark some interest, but it looks like most people took it as mobile SPAM offices, and i only ment that to be a humerious title.

Brand Communications

[AndIWonderIfIWonder]

At the WLAN event in London on the 6-7 April, this is exactly what Brand Communications said they are going to be doing. In fact a quick look around their website turned up this press release from 1st December giving some details.

The press release states "The latest trials were held on route between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross and achieved realistic data rates and speeds, with over 18 GigaBytes of data being sent to and from the train."

I got the impression from the people on the stand that they will be using WiMax to get the signal to the train passengers, and then standard 802.11b inside the carriages.

If it all works out it should make train journeys a bit more interesting, but there goes my excuse to get out of doing any work.

Review of the experience

[TonkaTown]

Martin Little took the WiFi train and reviewed the journey for Mobitopia back in December 2003.

Not altogether positive, GPRS may well be quicker for many people.

WiFi on trains in North America

[Anonymous Coward]

There are several rail providers in Canada and the US that are trialling WiFi access. VIA Rail is currently offering it for free on the Toronto to Montreal run. There are trials running down in California as well as other places. Check out PointShot Wireless for more. (No, I dont work there.)