A few years ago the idea of WiFi on trains was a dream of many a commuter. Here in jolly old London, it’s a reality.
The Heathrow Express that makes the journey into Central London from the main airport serving the UK takes all of 15 minutes. The folks at T-Mobile rigged up Hotspot access on the train and literally as we roll into town, I’m staying connected.
What does this mean? Well for me it means not quite yet having to switch on my unlocked HSDPA broadband card. It also means that everything I need to have is here. Solid connectivity. Access to the web and a quick sync of Entourage. It means when I get to London I’m free to enjoy the city, not have to worry about what’s piling up at the virtual office.
As a roamer there’s a small upcharge, but staying connected on the go is where’s it at for those of us who believe in Working Anywhere.
It gets better – The GNER service between London and Edinburgh has Wifi all the way, and in first class (The luxury seats) it’s entirely free. In fact, if you go to first class to login, then move back to standard class, it’s still free.
From December, the new franchise holders will be making it free for everyone anyway:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39288547,00.htm
For people that think British Railways are poor, you are basically right. However with Wifi available, a delayed train or two is all the easier to cope with!
Ian
Skype on trains
Andy Abramson delights in the fact that Wi-fi is available on the Heathrow Express, and commenter Ian Wild points out that its also available on GNERs services between London and Scotland. But theres one more — and heres a s…