More than three million users across nine cities in the UK are enjoying free Wi-Fi on buses, trams and trains as part of the UK Government’s SuperConnected cities scheme. More than 2,600,000 unique users have so far made use of the service in Edinburgh alone.
In addition to Edinburgh, the other cities benefiting from the Wi-Fi initiative include York, Salford, Leeds, Bradford, Oxford, Manchester, Cardiff and Newport.
SNP Councillor and Economy Convener, Frank Ross, said: “Free Wi-Fi 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.”
The Wi-Fi initiative is just one of the elements of the SuperConnected cities scheme. Last year, the Government announced plans to create over 1000 new Wi-Fi hotspots in public buildings, such as hospitals and libraries. The Connection Voucher scheme was also launched, aiming to provide businesses in many cities across the UK with grants for superfast broadband.
Ed Vaizey, Digital Economy Minister, said: “The rollout of free Wi-Fi on public transport has been a tremendous success 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.”