It works a bit, and then it stops. It starts very fast, but after a few minutes it slows down. After half an hour, it does not work at all… On Friday, some 60 trams and 58 buses started offering free wireless internet access, and in the next three to four months the free internet service should expand to all newer trams and 213 buses. So, does Wi-Fi in Zagreb public transport work, asks Večernji List on November 21, 2018.
On the no. 6 tram from Ban Josip Jelačić Square to Črnomerec and back, the user experience was mixed. At the start, the connection is great, but as the time goes by, it stops, restarts stops again and eventually dies altogether.
Getting connected to the WiFi internet is fast and easy. You just need to press the network connection option on your iPhone or Android smartphone, after which the phone automatically redirects to the ZET (company managing trams and buses) server. One tap and the connection is established, with the warning that after half an hour you will need to reconnect so that the internet connection would continue.
At first, the connection works flawlessly, and you can use Facebook, YouTube, Viber, Instagram and websites without any delays. But the happiness lasts for just fifteen minutes when the first problems begin. Videos on Instagram start to falter, and you have to wait for a second, two or three, while browsers and social networks need a little bit longer to refresh. After that, the connection quality continues to deteriorate, and after half an hour, when it is time to reconnect to the system, it might take up to 30 seconds for a website to open, while videos on YouTube can hardly be played.
Reconnecting after half an hour becomes a challenge in itself because the wireless signal is so bad that the phone can barely recognize the ZET network. Even when the connection is finally established, that does not help at all because the internet has already become so slow that it is completely unusable.
“I use my private internet connection, I am not in the mood to deal with these problems,” said Andrea Jukić, who tried the new service on Saturday. Since it stopped working after just ten minutes, she decided to rely on her internet provider.
“ZET’s internet is fine if you have no more room on your data plan and you need to check an e-mail or an important message. Otherwise, it makes no sense to connect to their Wi-Fi,” said Stjepan Višić.
The pilot project for the introduction of the Wi-Fi internet in trams and buses began earlier this year when the free internet access was provided in three trams and three buses. The project proved to be a success, so 19.8 million kuna has been allocated for the introduction of wireless internet in other buses and trams.
For more on local issues in Zagreb, click here.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Hana Ivković).
