Wi-fi plan so laptops could be used on buses

Bus passengers in the West Midlands will be able to surf the internet on laptop computers and smartphones under radical upgrades of the region's traffic control network.

As part of a £160,000-a-year plan to replace cables with wireless internet, council chiefs are considering proposals to open up the network to the public, meaning buses would be able to offer access.

Plans to use wi-fi could cut the annual costs of the network by up to £200,000 a year, transport chiefs said.

The main purpose of the wireless network will be for monitoring traffic, running the CCTV network and operating traffic lights. But there is also the opportunity to make it available to bus passengers.