Wireless surfing from the back of a S'pore cab

Locally-based taxi company CityCab Pte Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Co and Ericsson Singapore today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement Project Escalade, a mobile solution that makes use of a personal area network (PAN) within a taxi, allowing passengers and drivers to wirelessly access the Internet.

As the PAN is linked to other public networks like GSM and GPRS, passengers would be able to access the Internet from their own personal digital assistants. Taxi drivers, too, would be able to accept e-payment options and process bookings using the mobile solution.

With a total investment of over S$15 million, the first trial of Project Escalade is expected to involve 500 CityCab taxis by year end. And there are hopes for a global rollout of the solution in a few years' time, the statement said.

Under the MOU, HP would be supplying the voice activation solution enabling CityCab to process passenger calls and send booking orders to the handheld PC in the taxis. Ericsson, meanwhile, would be developing the mobile services--including booking and settling fares--using technology like location-based services, Bluetooth, GPRS and 3G networks.

For CityCab, "the open standard platform will open the door to numerous other e-services and potential m-commerce opportunities, transforming our company into a service provider role in this Internet age", said CityCab CEO Lim Hung Siang.

The announcement was made at CommunicAsia 2001, one of Asia's premier telecommunications and IT events. Organized by Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd, CommunicAsia 2001 runs from June 19 to 22 at the Singapore Expo.