Local mobile operator 8ta has announced that it is offering free Wi-Fi connectivity on a number of Nissan Lavina taxi cabs across South Africa. According to the Telkom-owned company, there are 150 8ta Wi-Fi enabled cabs that operate across Johannesburg, Cape Town as well as Durban.

The Wi-Fi functionality in the cabs is compatible with all Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks, and passengers have full internet connectivity including web-browsing, e-mail as well as access to social networks.

To enable Wi-Fi use in the cabs 8ta has installed a Huawei E5331 Wi-Fi modem in each of the cabs; using 8ta’s network infrastructure to supply the Wi-Fi service in these taxis.

Connecting to the Wi-Fi in the cab is an easy process, with passengers only required to check their device settings to ensure that their Wi-Fi is enabled and then select the “8ta Wi-Fi hotspot”. Up to eight different devices can be connected at the same time.

8ta stated that each cab does an average of 230 km’s per day, translating to 1 200 hours of driving time and a monthly distance travelled of 6 255 km’s per cab. This equates to around two return trips from Johannesburg to Cape Town per month, as they transport passengers to sporting events, OR Tambo International, King Shaka International or Cape Town International airports amongst other destinations. Each cab does an average of between 15 and 20 trips per day with two unique users per trip.

Amith Maharaj, 8ta’s senior managing executive said that the firm is capable of bringing products to the market that shape the industry because of their innovative nature. The 8ta Wi-Fi cabs is only one example of this, and 8ta remains a strong competitor in the data space with its various value added data offers to consumers, Maharaj added.

In related news, 8ta also recently launched its free LTE (4G) trial, which will be available to 8ta customers within the operator’s LTE coverage areas across the Gauteng region, and will run from 1 November 2012 until 31 March 2013.