Here's some good news for your data plan: local taxi company Mai Linh is currently installing free WiFi in 1,000 of its vehicles.
According to Tuoi Tre, the company has been outfitting cabs in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang with WiFi routers as part of a new pilot program which runs until May 31. Mai Linh made the announcement Wednesday on its website, promising to launch the wireless mobile service within the month.
Mai Linh Group chairman Ho Huy believes the move is positive for all involved, as the new service affords passengers free WiFi while also adding new revenue streams for the taxi company via mobile advertising.
In Saigon, 600 cabs traveling around Districts 1 and 3 will be equipped with the WiFi devices, as well as 200 each in Hanoi and Da Nang.
As if complimentary WiFi wasn't enough to sell you on the project, there's also this: Takashi Morimoto, a representative of SoftBank Telecom Vietnam, one of the project's partners, told Tuoi Tre the WiFi devices are capable of tracking a vehicle's location and speed as well as traffic congestion around the city, alerting cab drivers to find optimal routes to a passenger's destination.
