The city of Osaka has announced the launch of Osaka Free Wi-Fi. It is a program that has the goal to bring free Wi-Fi to various locations throughout the city. The recent move has been made by the authorities in Osaka in an attempt to position itself as an international gateway to Tokyo, its main rival.
Tokyo – which is known to be technologically sound – was criticized when it came to free Wi-Fi hot spots. When the Japan Tourism Agency questioned tourists about difficulties they have experienced while travelling across Japan, a lack of free internet access was their number one answer. It has been revealed that users of the service have to provide a valid email address in order to use it.
The service offered in Osaka is compatible with Android, Apple and Windows devices. After logging in, users will get 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi and there is no limit to the number of times users can log in. On the other hand, there are some areas of the city which offer the ‘lite’ version of the service by providing only 15 minutes of Wi-Fi for up to an hour during the day.
The participants in the program are Kintetsu, Nankai and Keihan railways, as well as a few hotels, shops and restaurants which are easily accessible to average tourists.
Photo Credits: Japan Daily Press
