Israel Matzav

Egged installing WiFi

Egged is installing WiFi on all of its inter-city buses.

Egged bus company is experimenting with WiFi internet infrastructure in an attempt to provide the service on all buses traveling between two cities or more.

Twenty buses belonging to lines between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Galilee, and the Golan Heights have already been equipped with the system, at a price of around $25,000.

Egged's passengers will be able to surf the internet for free, allowing anyone with a laptop computer or a cellular phone with WiFi connection to check up on news, watch movies, study, or work.

"The passengers will also be able to receive updated information on the rest of their journey or their destination, make reservations or receive other services at the location," says Eyal Yechiel, who heads Egged's advertising department.

The bus company plans to follow up on the use its customers make of the service and their level of satisfaction in order to plan for its installment in additional bus lines.

Egged currently plans to install the system in all 1,500 of its inter-city buses over the next few years, racking up costs of almost $2 million.

And since this is Israel, they will be providing the service for free - since otherwise someone would hack into it anyway - except on buses between Jerusalem and Bnei Brak and on Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) bus lines to other locations. No, that's me guessing - not the article.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:36 PM