Manly Ferry Introduces Free Wi-Fi

 title=I was going to be all snarky when I got this press release from Manly Ferries in Sydney saying that they’ve just launched a free Wi-Fi service across their fleet. I mean, what is this? 2003? But then I remembered that the Sydney public transport system is still kind of stuck in the dark ages, so getting free Wi-Fi is still a pretty big deal…

Sydney – AUSTRALIA, 17 May 2010, Manly Fast Ferry has announced that as of today, passengers will be offered free Wi-Fi internet access across their fleet, thanks to provider CafeScreen.

While Wi-Fi is offered in many restaurants in and around Sydney, Manly Fast Ferries will be the first ferry operator to offer this service to passengers who travel on the open sea.

“We’re not just about ferries”, said Will Ford Operations Director at Manly Fast Ferry. “We’re about convenience, value and innovation. Having trialled Wi-Fi over the past couple of weeks, we are delighted that CafeScreen has helped us to up the ante.

“In our quest to always put the passengers first, it was really important to us to bring the daily commute into the 21st century. To further enhance the commuter run, we are also providing tea and coffee to those who may not have had a chance to pick up their caffeine fix on their way to the wharf and we will continue to service ice cold beer on the run home. It’s really important to us that continue to be at the forefront of customer service and innovation and we challenge other ferry operators to follow our lead.”

CafeScreen CEO Ruwan Weerasooriya said, “As consumers increasingly invest in intelligent, mobile, Wi-Fi enabled devices, there is growing demand to take advantage of this new found convenience and mobility.

“The daily commute to and from work is a very natural time for consumers to expect free Wi-Fi services. Making the most of the journey while having a morning coffee go hand-in-hand for many busy or social people, so when we were approached by Manly Fast Ferry to deploy our solution we were delighted to participate.”
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Image Credit: tm-tm on Flickr