Taiwan's first of its kind: 15 buses offer free 4G Wi-Fi   Launching officially in Tainan in mid-August

Reporter You t
ru / Comprehensive report

Following the installation of free USB charging ports on buses, the Tainan City Tourism Bureau has partnered with Chunghwa Telecom to launch Taiwan’s first 4G Wi-Fi service on public transportation. It is expected to be available by mid-August on 15 sightseeing buses operating on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes 88 Anping and 99 Taijiang.


▲ Taiwan’s first 4G Wi-Fi service on Tainan buses. (Photo / Provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)

The Tainan City Tourism Bureau stated that with the gradual rollout of 4G LTE mobile internet services starting in May this year, Chunghwa Telecom also plans to expand its 4G signal coverage to Tainan City by the end of July. In response, the Tourism Bureau has specially negotiated with Chunghwa Telecom to provide 4G services to passengers of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle in advance. Priority will be given to network deployment and trial operation in areas along the main routes of the 88 Anping and 99 Taijiang lines, including North, West Central, East, Anping, South, and Annan districts of Tainan City. Recent on-board testing results show that transmission speeds within the route areas are all quite good.

The free service utilizes wireless routers installed on sightseeing buses to extend 4G internet access to public transport. In the future, passengers riding the Tainan City Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes 88 Anping and 99 Taijiang will only need to enable the Wi-Fi function on their smartphones or tablets to find the free “Tainan Tourism” wireless network signal. This allows travelers to conveniently and quickly browse tourist attraction information, local delicacies, as well as bus schedules and other travel-related information for free while on the move.

 
▲ In the future, passengers just need to enable the Wi-Fi function on their smartphones or tablets to find the “Tainan Tourism” network. (Photo / Provided by Tainan City Tourism Bureau)

After the installation and testing of the 4G Wi-Fi service is completed, the Tourism Bureau will affix “Tainan Tourism-WiFi” logo stickers on the buses to help passengers easily identify and use the service. This marks an important milestone in enhancing the quality of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service and opens a new chapter in bus-based travel experiences in Tainan. It is expected to benefit at least 350,000 passengers annually.