Free Wi-Fi on the entire Metro Vancouver transit system!

You heard it here first!

TransLink and Shaw Communications Inc. are teaming up to deliver free Wi-Fi for transit customers across Metro Vancouver.

Starting in 2020, TransLink riders – whether or not they are Shaw customers – will be able to stay connected for free throughout their commute on bus, SkyTrain, or SeaBus.

The partnership between Shaw and TransLink will see these enhancements come at no cost to TransLink or to its customers. Under the agreement, Shaw will install and operate the Wi-Fi system. Since 2016, there has been free Wi-Fi at SeaBus terminals and on SeaBus ferries through an agreement with Shaw.

“We have half-a-million people ride our system every day and when we ask them what they’d like to see on transit, Wi-Fi is one of the most frequent requests,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. “We’re proud to be the first transit authority in Canada to offer this free Wi-Fi service and we’re doing it at no cost to customers or taxpayers.”

In May this year, we announced fast LTE service at at Waterfront, Burrard, Granville and Stadium–Chinatown stations, as well as in the Dunsmuir Tunnel for Freedom Mobile customers.

More and more people are using transit to go to work, to catch up with family and friends, and it is important for them to have continuous access to seamless connectivity. This partnership with Shaw now makes it possible for you, our customers, to have that.

Pictured here (L-R): Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink, Katherine Emberly, President, Business, Brand Marketing & Communications, Shaw Communications, and Guy Akester Director of Real Estate Programs and Partnerships, TransLink

Connectivity is equally important when you are planning your trip and need to know when the next bus will arrive, or meet your friend in a different part of town. You can now keep in touch, whether through email, or chatting via your social media channels and we will work to ensure we keep you connected to your family and friends as you travel across our system.

Together with Shaw, we will refine the system design and plan to run trials in 2019, with deployment starting in 2020. We expect the entire network to be completed by 2025. Wi-Fi rollout will begin with SkyTrain and buses.

TransLink intends to eventually provide Wi-Fi on all modes, including HandyDART, West Coast Express, and community shuttle buses.

To learn more, visit: TransLink Mobile Services

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Author: Chris Bryan and Tanushree Pillai