東京都地下鉄等地方可以免費上網

Last week the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

都営・メトロ１４３駅に無料ＷｉＦｉ　１２月１日から

2014年11月25日20時53分

　東京都交通局と東京メトロは１２月１日から、外国人利用者が多い地下鉄計１４３駅で無料の公衆無線ＬＡＮ「ＷｉＦｉ」サービスの提供を始める。メールアドレスを登録すれば、都営、メトロの両地下鉄の駅で誰でもＷｉＦｉが使えるようになる。

　サービス対象は都営地下鉄（全１０６駅）が全４線の新宿、都庁前、築地市場、大門など３５駅。東京メトロ（全１７９駅）は全９線の銀座、渋谷、池袋、上野など１０８駅。訪日外国人を中心に、ネットに接続できる場所が限られ不便との指摘が寄せられていた。

　１回の接続時間は最長３時間で、何回でも接続できる。都営とメトロで無線ＬＡＮを識別するＩＤが異なるため、利用開始時にそれぞれメールアドレスを入力して登録する必要があるが、認証アプリ「Japan Connected―free Wi―Fi」で登録すれば、１回の登録で、両地下鉄や先行導入している都営バス、主要空港など約９万カ所でも利用できるようになる。

(試譯文)

The Tokyo Metropolitan transportation authority and the Tokyo Metro would, beginning from December first, offer free public wireless LAN "Wi-Fi" service at the subways of totaling143 stations that had a lot of foreign users. Everyone could use Wi-Fi at the stations of the two subways of Metro and Metropolitan when his mail address was registered.

The service targets were the Tokyo Metropolitan subway (total 106 stations) in all the four lines: Shinjuku, Tochomae, Tsukiji Market and Daimon etc. 35 stations; and the Tokyo Metro (total 179 stations) in all 9 lines: Ginza, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Ueno etc. 108 stations. Centering on the foreign visitors in Japan, the locations where they could connect to the Net was limited, and comments about the inconvenience were well taken.

The connecting time for each connection would be 3 hours at the maximum, and one could make unlimited number of connections. But as Metropolitan and Metro wireless LAN ID were different, it was necessary to input and register a mail address separately at the beginning of using them. But if to register using the certified App the "Japan Connected-free Wi-Fi", once registered one could use it in the about 90,000 locations in the two subways, the metropolitan buses with pilot installation introduced, and in the major airports.

It is nice to note that the Wi-Fi service is available in the two subways, the metropolitan buses with pilot installation introduced, and in the major airports.