Starting April 1, free Wi-Fi will be available on all express buses nationwide. This means that passengers will be able to carry out mobile streaming and online work without restrictions while traveling on express buses.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport noted that starting in April, free Wi-Fi services will be provided on all routes (240 routes) operated by eight express bus companies nationwide and on 1,724 buses.
The service will be provided by major express bus companies, including Kumho Express, Dongbu Express, Tongyang Express, Samhwa Express, Soksan Express, Jungang Express, Chunil Express, and Hanil Express. It will apply to all vehicle classes, from standard to premium seating.
Passengers can connect to the company's exclusive Wi-Fi network upon boarding. For example, on Jungang Express vehicles, they can select 'Joongang_Bus_Wifi,' while on Dongbu Express vehicles, they should choose 'Dongbu_Bus_Wifi.' After connecting, they can use the Wi-Fi without entering a password after watching a brief advertisement.
The newly established Wi-Fi network is based on the KT communication network and offers a maximum speed of 400 Mbps. This speed is similar to that of existing public transportation Wi-Fi, allowing for a 1GB video file to be downloaded in about 20 seconds.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explained that this measure expands the provision of free Wi-Fi to include express buses, following previous implementations on KTX, SRT high-speed rail, subways, and city buses. In particular, given the nature of long-distance transportation that operates for several hours on highways, it is expected to significantly enhance passenger satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to promote the expansion of services in the intercity bus industry, where free Wi-Fi is currently operating only on select routes. They indicated that discussions will be held with local governments and intercity bus companies to facilitate this.
Um Jeong-hee, head of the transport logistics office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, 'With the opening of free Wi-Fi on express buses, we can now provide an uninterrupted online environment even during long journeys,' and added, 'We will continue to expand improvements to digital infrastructure to enhance passenger convenience.'