It should be market demand that decides whether the WiFi is offered on board trains or not.
Memory
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2016-03-17 18:24:12
Wang Mengshu, an expert at the Chinese Academyof Engineering, said at a panel discussion on thesidelines of the annual session of the NationalPeople's Congress that WiFi should not be providedon high-speed trains, as it might disturb onboardcommunication signals and would also cost a lot inmaintenance. He also encouraged passengers toenjoy the views, instead of fixing their eyes on thetiny screens of smartphones and laptops. However,on last Tuesday Beijing Youth Daily said it should bemarket demand that decides whether the WiFi isoffered on board trains or not.
An increasing number of residents, especially young white collar workers, are addicted to theirsmartphones rather than face-to-face interactions, thanks to the extensive WiFi coverageacross the country. That partly justifies Wang's opposition to the offering of WiFi on high-speed trains, because they are not supposed to be dependent on high-tech gadgets. It isalso evident that passengers on trains without free WiFi will use their smartphones and othermobile devices less.
However, whether the trains should provide a free WiFi service fundamentally depends oncustomer demand.
In other words, State-owned as it is, the China Railway Corp still has to abide by relevantmarket rules, and provide technologically feasible services to passengers if that is what theywant. It cannot turn a blind eye to customers' wants "for the sake of their well-being".
It requires properly tailored guidance, not a total ban on the use, to offset the negativeeffects of high-end technologies, such as people's increasing addiction to smartphones.