The internet access service through wireless LAN is available in Tokaido Shinkansen's N700 series cars and stations between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. JR Central said this service is opened up for FLET'S SPOT users from June 1, 2010.

As of June 1, 2010, passengers of using wireless LAN service shown below can gain access to the Internet in N700 trains and stations of Tokaido Shinkansen.

• HOT SPOT by NTT Communications
• mopera U and Mzone by NTT DoCoMo
• BB Mobile Point by SoftBank Telecom
• UQ Wi-Fi by UQ Communications
• FLET'S SPOT by NTT East

Also, in Eki LAN Spots of JR West, HOT SPOT, Mzone, BB Mobile Point and FLET'S SPOT users can access the Internet.

The internet access by wireless LAN service has been provided in the cabin of series N700 cars running on Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

Passengers having wireless LAN terminals like laptop and subscribing a Wi-Fi service can access the internet in the running Shinkansen trains with no influence of its speed or moving through tunnels.

The following providers provide the internet access service in N700 cabins.

• HOTSPOT by NTT Communications and its partner providers
• Mzone or mopera U (Wi-Fi option required) by NTT DoCoMo
• BB MobilePoint by SoftBank Telecom and its partner providers
• UQ Wi-Fi by UQ Communications (due to begin this autumn)
  

Passengers with HOTSPOT, Mzone, or BB MobilePoint are also provided the internet access at Station-LAN-SPOT (エキLANスポット) in major stations along Sanyo Shinkansen.

JR Central said that the maximum traffic speed is 2 Mbps per a train and it may deteriorate when some train runs in its proximity and shares a band of 2 Mbps with the others. GIGAZINE reported that the traffic speed was supposed to be limited to 110 kB (880 kbps) per a cabin or an access point. And they said the connection was hard-to-break even if the speed was considerably-degraded rarely while their travel.

Since the schedule revision for Shinkansen trains on March 14, 2009, 2 Nozomi trains of N700 run in an hour and the number of N700 trains will be increased continuously. It is nice for laptop computers to be free from being out of charge in series N700 cars, because all green-car seats and some standard-cabin seats are equipped outlets. And the wireless LAN internet access service at all 17 Shinkansen stations between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will be available by the end of this March. It will be easier to access the internet during the travel by Shinkansen.

By the way, this internet access service is provided by using LCX (leaky coaxial cable) along the rail track for the train radio system. With the radio system of Tokaido Shinkansen going digital, LCX was available for the internet access service in the cabin. Unfortunately, the internet access between Shin-Osaka and Hakata will not release for a while, because the train radio system of Sanyo Shinkansen will go on analog.

JR Central announced that they would start an internet-access service on Tokaido Shinkansen trains from March, 2009.

You will always be able to access the internet with your notebook on running series N700 trains of Tokaido Shinkansen. According to the announcement, you need to sign on with one of the following services previously.

The maximum line speed is 2 Mbps per a train. JR Central said it was enough high for reading and composing mails, but impossible to watch on-line videos. Though there is concern that the line speed is not enough for nice internet browsing, to be able to connect the internet may be major advantage against airplane.

• 
  Hot Spot (NTT Communications)
• 
  mopera U or M Zone (NTT DoCoMo)
• 
  BB Mobile Point (Softbank Telecom)
• 
  UQ Wi-Fi (UQ Communications)

Wi-Fi is available in only 6 stations of Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Shin-Osaka now. Until the end of March 2009, it will be expanded to every station between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.