Taxicabs to Surf the Web

Taxicabs may soon be driving the information superhighway. Hewlett-Packard and L.M. Ericsson Telephone on Tuesday announced plans to take the World Wide Web to the back seats of taxicabs, initially in Singapore and later around the world.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding with one of Singapore's largest taxi fleet operators here Tuesday morning as the Communicasia trade show opened its doors. The agreement calls on Ericsson to work on the mobile data portion of the project, dubbed Project Escalade, while HP is to design and implement a voice activation system that will handle customer calls and dispatch booking information to taxis.

The announcement was slim on details. The private network, termed a "personal area network" by the two companies, will be linked to public networks, such as the local Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks, they say in a statement.

The system will give taxi drivers access to route-planning information and payment-processing systems, they say.

In addition, the partners say the system will allow customers to use the Web and other information services from their own wireless devices thanks to a private network installed in the taxi. Such applications could include the ability to send e-mail, check stock prices, read local news, or print out information such as distance traveled and fare paid.

Expansion of the system to China, the United States, the UK, and Australia is expected as part of a global rollout over the "next few years," the two companies say.