Passengers on most of the world’s large
underground systems can access the wireless Internet when they travel.
Access to the mobile Internet is an
essential component of the smart in ‘smart city’: this is how people connect to
one another and to the services they need. NCF chose to focus on commuting
because this is a significant part of most people’s day in big cities but one
where there is a clear divide between on and offline.
The highest availability of mobile data
services is in South Korea and China, where users can connect to the Internet
in 100 percent of major subway systems. Overall, Asian commuters can go online
in 84 percent of major subways, compared to 56 percent in the EU and 41 percent
in the US and Canada. The lowest rate is in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, at
25 percent.
“This study helps paint a new map of the
world, where technological divides are not where you think. For instance, it
says a lot that Asian commuters can check their email and read the news in more
than 80 percent of the region’s subway systems, compared to just half than in
North America,” said Mathieu Lefevre, executive director of the NCF.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@teleocomlead.com