South China intercity subway gets fast Wi-Fi connection

BEIJING - A Chinese company said it has acquired mature technology to provide stable and fast Wi-Fi service on subways.

The intercity subway between Guangzhou and Foshan in south China's Guangdong province began offering Wi-Fi service on a trial basis on April 24, the first intercity subway in China with Wi-Fi connections in both subway stations and on trains.

"We have acquired mature technology to provide stable and fast Wi-Fi connections on underground rapid transit vehicles," said Yang Wuwu, chief operating officer of the Beijing-based China Net Pro, provider of the free Wi-Fi service on the 32km-long intercity subway, on Tuesday.

Yang said feedback on trial operations of the service was encouraging.

The system recorded an average of nearly 10,000 users online at the same time, with Wi-Fi speed no less than 512kb/s, even at peak hours.

"Our Wi-Fi system is resilient. Even at peak hours and when the train is moving at 80 kilometers an hour, users have no difficulty browsing the Internet and watching films online," said Yang.

China Net Pro says it has clinched deals with several other cities to provide quality Wi-Fi connections on their subways.

The company sees big business potential in the large number of users. It estimates millions of passengers on the Guangzhou-Foshan subway will use the service each month.