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Wi-Fi Bus Connecting the Streets of San Francisco

by Thomas Houston on February 22, 2008 at 06:07 PM


We've seen Wi-Fi installed in planes, trains and automobiles, but San Francisco will soon be launching the first Wi-Fi bus. Developed by Cisco Systems and Muni, the local transportation authority, the city's new "Connected Bus" is outfitted with free Wi-Fi for riders, as well as touch screens displaying wait times and useful map information. Muni CEO Nathaniel Ford explains, "This is definitely not your grandmother's bus in terms of technology and capability."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, some local citizens think the program is an unnecessary waste of resources, while others think the bus, debuting this upcoming Monday, will be a big hit and draw new riders to the system. If the Wi-Fi capability proves popular, then it can be implemented into new buses for as little as $10,000 a pop.

Laptop use on the bus would probably be awkward, but it seems great for checking e-mail and quickly finding directions to local restaurants on smartphones and other Wi-Fi mobile devices. We can't wait for the Connected Trolley.

From San Francisco Chronicle (via Engadget)

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Tags: Wi-Fi

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