Ten trams offering free wi-fi started operating in St. Petersburg on Wednesday as the city boosted an effort to provide wider public access to the Internet.
The No. 43, 45 and 100 trams in high-traveled routes in central St. Petersburg will provide Internet access at 7.2 megabytes per second and may be upgraded if higher capacity is required, Interfax reported, citing the city's transportation committee.
The free wi-fi will be offered on a trial basis until late September and, if it proves popular, will be extended to other trams, it said.
The No. 100 tram route alone is used by 50,000 passengers daily, it said.
The tram upgrade comes after City Hall introduced free wi-fi on a number of public buses. The transportation committee said 100,000 people have logged onto the free wi-fi over the past three months.
Moscow does not offer free wi-fi on public transportation, although many restaurants and cafes and several stores have provided it at no cost to customers for years.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
