在无线城市上网冲浪

Smartphones have brought the internet to our fingertips. Many cities in China are developing free public wifi services, with Guangzhou taking its one step further.

Wifi hot-spots are springing up all over shopping centers and public transportation. But as a compromise between privacy and convenience, internet users are constantly asked to acquire passwords and log in. But now, people in Guangzhou can enjoy a more "personal" public wifi.

Whether you are going out to a new restaurant, or returning from a shopping trip, you can upload tons of photos to keep your friends updated.

The wifi service in this taxi allows you unlimited surfing; it is your own private hotspot on the go.

Chen Yuexin, taxi driver, said, "We have been offering wifi service in taxis for 2 months now. Many passengers are amazed by this new service and enjoy the convenience."

A passenger in Guangzhou said, "I read about the new wifi service in taxis before, it is very convenient for smartphone users like me."

This new wifi service is in the trial stage and available in about 100 taxis. But we can soon expect that more of these wifi spots on wheels will appear in the city. With increasing number of internet users on mobile devices, the need for more convenient mobile networks is also growing.

Ye Zhao, Internet operation engineer in South China University of Technology, said, "The 3G data service and public wifi are now in parallel development, even with cheaper or unlimited data plans, they are aiming for different users, and in the near future they will still not be able to replace one another."

As a supplement to mobile network, public wifi still faces several obstacles, but it is one large step towards a completely wireless city.