Commuters who use public transportation and yearn for one more spot to access their data on the go are in luck. Triangle Transit now offers free Wi-Fi to its bus passengers.

Currently, 42 TT buses have Wi-Fi on them. These buses display a “Wi-Fi Onboard” sign. Not all buses, which rotate through different routes as demand dictates, will have Wi-Fi available. As resources become available, other buses will be considered for Wi-Fi implementation, according to a press release.

Brad Shultz, in TT Communications & Public Affairs, said over the past few years TT has received survey feedback requesting a Wi-Fi service, and after a successful test of the system in February, TT is ready to open the full system.

“We want to know what our riders like and what will make things better for them,” Shultz said. “We want to know what will give their bus pass more value.”

The system has been under construction for the past couple years and cost approximately $112,000, 10 percent of which came from the state.

Shultz said the Wi-Fi service will help set an example for other transit systems in the Triangle and the service is especially needed for the TT buses.

“We’re different from other transit services in that our buses travel farther, for example, from Raleigh to Chapel Hill. If our passengers travel longer distances they could benefit more from mobile data access,” Shultz said.

The system has received positive feedback so far via social media like Facebook and Twitter, according to Shultz, who also said he’s excited about the prospect of people changing their commuting habits.

“The free Wi-Fi might encourage more people to take the bus instead of their car, similar to what you find with a rail system,” Shultz said.

TT has been working with other transit authorities in North Carolina in a cooperative effort called GoTriangle.org to improve their services, and other bus systems, such as the Wolfline and Capital Area Transit, are looking at their budgets to see if it can be implemented, Shultz said.

“As more and more people implement and embrace the technology, it’ll become more commonplace,” Shultz said. “By the end of the year, the entire [TT bus] fleet should be equipped with Wi-Fi.”

Christina Belville, a sophomore in English, said she thinks it makes sense for the Wolfline buses to adopt a similar Wi-Fi system.

“A lot of people I see on the Wolfline bring their computers with them, especially those who take the southeast loop all the way around campus,” said Belville. “I don’t personally carry my computer around a lot, but I know a lot of people who do.”

Triangle Transit does not guarantee the service, which uses standard 802.11g wireless technology, will be 100 percent reliable; as with all wireless networks, there are natural “dead spots” along different roads. Passengers are advised to sit as close to the front of the bus as possible for the best connection, as this is where the bus’ wireless access point is located.

Once riders accept TT’s terms and conditions online, they’re ready to surf.

Passengers are also advised to encrypt sensitive information when communicating over the wireless network. TT says it currently does not have any virus protection software running.

Shultz says he doesn’t yet know if students can access the Wi-Fi from outside the bus while it’s stationary.