In the US, bus and rail systems’ Wi-Fi can be spotty or even non-existent

ON HER daily commute from Baltimore to Philadelphia via Amtrak, Uschi Symmons depends on a stable internet connection to begin the workday during the 7am ride. That means responding to emails, analysing data and preparing for her lab work as an experimental scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.

The problem is that the onboard Wi-Fi isn’t always reliable.

“If you cannot open a Google doc, it’s bad,” said Symmons, 34, who recently upgraded her data plan and added a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to manage the commute. “When I did it, I was, like, ‘I can’t believe I’m paying over a thousand bucks and I have to upgrade my data plan.’ “

It’s maddening for not only the travellers along the Northeast Corridor - who are otherwise satisfied with Amtrak and welcome the included Wi-Fi service - but the countless more travelling across the country on intercity bus systems such as Megabus, Bolt Bus and Greyhound.

The systems tout amenities such as Wi-Fi and power outlets but some passengers and advocates complain that those promised perks are spotty at best. “That’s kind of the annoying part, right? That they’re marketing this thing and then it never works or doesn’t exist at all,” said Jonathan Weidman, 29, of Atlanta, a frequent Megabus traveller who works in transportation. “One of the draws we market to (people) is they can get other things done instead of driving a car. When that’s not feasible, it just makes my industry a little more challenging.”

Amtrak, Megabus, Bolt Bus and Greyhound declined to say whether they measure their WiFi reliability, though developers and publications have tested the networks - with disappointing results. Megabus touted statistics gathered through passenger surveys, however, concluding that “88 per cent of passengers shared that they were satisfied with the Wi-Fi capabilities during their Megabus trip,” said Sean Hughes, a spokesman for the bus service.

Weidman was on a Megabuscontracted coach from San Francisco to Sacramento when he was interviewed on a recent Friday after attempting to connect to the internet. A regular bus user, he found the provided statistic laughable.

“There is none,” he said of the onboard Wi-Fi. “I already checked.”

Weidman, who paid US$28 (RM117.60) for a one-way trip, said he recently sprung for a mobile hotspot and unlimited data plan to make up for the gaps.

“If it was a Delta flight, then, yes, you can probably complain, but this is Megabus,” he said.

Services like Amtrak and Megabus provide free Wi-Fi by working with mobile carriers to tap into cellphone networks along their routes, meaning signals are often at the mercy of available cell towers. There’s also the problem of bandwidth on crowded buses and trains. For that reason, Megabus and Amtrak limit access to streaming music and video - though Megabus, for example, lets riders pick from a limited set of movies and TV shows through its app.

Meanwhile, savvy entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the shortcomings in the companies’ networks. Alex Gizis, CEO of Connectify, a technology company that developed the Speedify app, said he most often hears from customers on Amtrak and Megabus. The app patches weak internet signals by tapping into Wi-Fi and mobile networks at the same time.

“We have a lot of users on Amtrak - we certainly get love notes,” he said. “The nicest notes that show up in customer support are always, ‘I’m on Amtrak and I’m finally getting work done.’ “

With Megabus, the complaints of patchy service are even worse.

“Megabus - mostly the complaints are the Wi-Fi just doesn’t work on it,” Gizis said. — Washington Post.