UK Government behind wifi on the move in Edinburgh

The journey to work for millions of commuters across the UK has been improved thanks to free Wi-Fi having been installed on buses and trams as part of the Government’s SuperConnected cities initiative.

More than three million unique users are making regular use of the service, using the freely available Wi-Fi to grab the latest news headlines, check the weather, browse the Internet, send emails and use social media on their daily commute.

Hundreds of buses and trams in nine cities across the UK (Leeds, Bradford, Oxford, Manchester, Salford, York, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Newport) have been equipped with free public Wi-Fi. The latest usage figures, published today, highlight the scheme’s popularity.

A huge number of commuters and visitors have warmly welcomed the scheme, with free Wi-Fi now being offered by Transport for Edinburgh on 713 buses and 27 trams across Edinburgh. In total, more than 2,600,000 unique users have now made use of the service which is now approaching its one year anniversary.

Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “The rollout of free Wi-Fi on public transport has been a tremendous success in Edinburgh and I’m delighted that so many people are making use of it. Installing free Wi-Fi on public transport is one of the ways we’re boosting connectivity across our cities and making sure the UK is properly equipped to meet the increasing demands of the digital age.”

As well as providing free public Wi-Fi on public transport, the Superconnected Cities programme included free public Wi-Fi being installed in more than 1,000 buildings in 22 cities across the UK. The programme was designed to help cities develop the digital infrastructure they to remain internationally competitive and attractive places to invest, visit and do business.

Economy Convener, Frank Ross, said: “Free wifi on buses and trams has proved extremely popular amongst passengers, allowing them to make better use of their transport time and to keep connected on the go.

“This is central to our plans to improve access to information and the range of services available online, and is thanks to the Connected Capital Programme.”