Tim Harrington sits aboard the express bus from Mason, Ohio, to Cincinnati, his computer propped in his lap. He logs on, picks through his e-mail and begins his workday during the 30-to-40-minute rush-hour trip.

His commuter bus and buses in more than 20 other cities now offer wireless Internet, according to an informal survey by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

The service surfaced about four years ago. Mountain Metropolitan Transit in Colorado Springs first offered WiFi on buses in 2004, the APTA says. It is now available across the USA in cities such as San Francisco, Reno, Austin and Seattle.

Outfitting a bus with wireless capability costs about $1,000 to $2,000, transportation officials said.

Looking at this idea for the UK I already see London buses trialling this service and National Express offers this service as well as private companies.

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