Much was written over the past couple of years about how we'd be able to access wireless networks while working away on a train. And while the performance differs from operator to operator, it's fair to say that it's a dream that's still just that for the majority of commuters.

However, those on the National Express East Coast Mainline have been among the lucky ones, and they have been able to get free wireless access from December of 2007 (previously a service that was only free in the posh bit of the train).

What's more, they've been using it too, with 100,000 people a month using the service in January (a more-than-trebling of numbers from previously). Whether this will kick some of the other operators into making such services available free of charge remains to be seen.

Tags: wireless network national express east coast wireless wi-fi data communications business wireless lan 802.11