[Information] Taipei Inaugurates the City Free Wi-Fi Service

[Information] Taipei Inaugurates the City Free Wi-Fi Service (Chinese Version)

The China Post & China Times E-paper (2011/07/02) On July 1, more than 400,000 Taipei citizens applied for free user accounts after Taipei Mayor Long-bin HAU inaugurated the city's free Wi-Fi Internet access in a press conference, making the city Taiwan's first to offer such a service to its citizenry.

The service is first available in “indoor” public facilities, such as MRT stations and most hospitals and libraries run by the Taipei city government, for a three-month trial period lasting from July 1 till October 1.

Taipei has become the first “smart city with free Internet access” among the world's international cities, HAU said, calling Taipei a new Internet metropolis with the “largest network coverage.”

People living in other parts of the country can apply for user accounts online, while mainland Chinese and foreign visitors may apply with their passports and identity papers on their arrival at Songshan Airport or at the city's travelers' service centers, according to the Taipei mayor.

Users of smart phones, notebook computers and tablet computers with Wi-Fi capabilities also can log on to “Taipei Free” and access the Internet in the underground shopping malls and at the city's 12 administrative centers at a 512k transmission speed, provided they have the user accounts granted by the city.

The 512k transmission speed may not be enough for people who want to play online games or download large files, but should be good enough for YouTube video streaming, said a city official, who added the Wi-Fi network system covering all the access points will be continually fine-tuned and optimized in order to provide steady, high-quality service.

From October 1 on, crowded public places, the city's trunk roads, and its main residential and commercial districts also will come under the network's coverage. The service also will be available on the city's 800 public buses.

To apply, users of such devices as smart phones, notebook computers and tablet computers must first turn on their devices' Wi-Fi function and click on the “TPE-Free” button and apply for free accounts online at www.TPE-Free.taipei.gov.tw. A free inquiry service is available at 0900-179179.


Further Information:
The China Post 2011/07/02
China Times E-paper 2011/07/02 (Chinese)

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National Science Council International Cooperation Sci-Tech Newsbrief
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