Advertisement
Promo

Mobile working Toolkit in association with http://marketing.ianywhere.com/forms/EMEA09SUPSybaseMobilityLeadership-IDC

Wi-Fi gets onboard Asia's trains

Isabelle Chan ZDNet Asia

Published: 22 Jun 2007 11:07 BST

  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendly
  • Post Comment

Wireless internet services, currently available on Japan's Tsukuba Express, are slowly making their way onto other public train networks in Asia.

Chris Koeneman, senior vice president of wireless technology provider Colubris Networks, said that his company has clinched a deal to provide Wi-Fi services to commuters in the waiting and boarding areas of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system.

Koeneman said MTR, which serves more than 2.4 million passengers daily, will be looking at, firstly, providing its commuters with an onboard internet connection and, subsequently, the implementation of wireless video surveillance. Colubris wireless LAN (WLAN) access points will be deployed in all 51 MTR subway stations by the end of the year.

Singapore's public trains could also be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities. Early this year, the Land Transport Authority of Singapore issued a request for information (RFI) for a train-borne surveillance system.

VIDEO

Dialogue Box
Dialogue Box 7.4: The expanding digital universe

How much data will be created and stored in 50 years' time? Rupert and Charles make some extrapolations and come to a startling conclusion

View full video+

Koeneman said it is still too early to say what Singapore's plans are, since the government has only called for an RFI.

According to Colubris Networks, train operators typically build a business case for Wi-Fi based on five applications: video surveillance, "infotainment", passenger internet connectivity, voice communications for employees, and train maintenance.

While different train operators would have different motivations to implement Wi-Fi, Koeneman said, video surveillance would probably be the key reason, especially for countries like Singapore which are "very security conscious".

Koeneman also said that, of the five applications, "security is the one that gets the budget".

Howard Kim, managing director for Asia-Pacific and Japan at Colubris Networks, said other potential markets include Korea, China and Malaysia.

Colubris Networks announced this week, at the CommunicAsia conference, a tri-radio access point where one radio is fully dedicated to continuous radio frequency security, leaving the other two to provide support for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.

According to Koeneman, the Colubris MultiService Access Point 630 helps ensure users have reliable performance for high-bandwidth business applications, as well as full-time network security.

  • Email
  • Trackback
  • Clip Link
  • Print friendlyPrint with EPSON

Did you find this article useful?
1 out of 3 people found this useful


Full Talkback thread

0 comments

Company/Topic Alerts

Create a new alert from the list below:




Enterprise Smartphones Special Report Special Report

Nokia E63

Nokia E63

Review Although it's missing some features (chiefly HSDPA and GPS), Nokia's E63 is a well-thought-out, ergonomic and affordable smartphone.

More Special Reports

Video icon

Video

On The Road Blog

Lenovo repurchases mobile phone arm

Lenovo has bought back the mobile phone arm that it sold to a private equity firm at the start of 2008, the company said on Friday. The manufacturer sold Lenovo Mobile to the Hony... More

Post a comment

Jabra Stone Bluetooth headset

I don’t get on very well with Bluetooth headsets. But it is not a prejudice against them. I don’t get on well with those flat, saucer-like in-ear headphones either. My ears are just... More

Post a comment

Ion pleases the eye and kills off the...

The netbook has been a rapidly evolving beast. The idea was initially unveiled about four years ago by the OLPC initiative, who wanted to bring out a cheap educational tool for the... More

1 comment


Skip Sub Navigation Links to CNET Brand Links

Help

Become part of the ZDNet community.

Newsletters