Shanghai cab firm sets pace with free Wi-Fi

A Shanghai taxi company has become the first in China to install free Wi-Fi.

Passengers can access the Internet in 10 cabs operated by the Shanghai Jinjiang Taxi Company as part of a pilot project.

Shanghai was the first among several cities to announce plans to introduce Wi-Fi services. Other cities included Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chongqing.

The company, which has 4,000 cabs, is routing a high-speed 3G network through the vehicles' GPS terminals, said Ni Zhongwei, who works in its IT department.

Ni said the service does not require a log-on password. "It's very easy to access. If you know how to use WI-Fi, you won't find it difficult," Ni said.

The company said that in test runs, passengers were able to browse the Web and even watch videos online without interruption.

If successful, the program will be expanded to more vehicles next year.

Last year, Shanghai launched a move in partnership with China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom to install WLAN (wireless local area network) services in hundreds of public places.

Logging onto i-Shanghai gives wireless Internet access at railway stations, ports, hospitals, exhibition centers and popular scenic spots such as Xintiandi and Yuyuan Garden.