I had even brought along a book and my iPod just in case it became too tedious and frustrating to log on to the Internet connection.

Instead, surfing from one website to another on my mobile phone turned out to be a breeze.

Each Nokia WiFi Zone bus is installed with a wireless broadband modem and router that transmits the high-speed Internet signals for free. This allows commuters on the bus to surf the Internet using their mobile phones and laptops.

Connecting to the wireless service aboard the bus took a simple click of my Nokia N95 8GB phone and soon I had access to the daily news online.

I braced myself for the start of a slew of frustrating Internet disconnects or a page-loading speed comparable to a snail's pace.

But The Straits Times website, complete with the day's news pictures and headlines, loaded without a hitch.

With news so accessible, I would be able to keep in touch with the latest updates and not seem ignorant if somebody asked me about the latest scandal.

Facebook was next. I was certain that loading my homepage, which is full of applications and pictures, would be enough to cause the Internet connection on the bus to have a seizure.

The page took about three minutes to load - at least three times longer than it would have taken if I had used a home broadband Internet connection.

But for a Facebook addict like myself, the quick fix on the bus was worth the wait.

I was impressed that although I was on a moving bus weaving its way through traffic from Pasir Ris to Toa Payoh, the connection was stable enough that I did not have to keep hitting the refresh button just so that I could 'SuperPoke!' a friend.

I was also able to smoothly download a 5MB PDF attachment that I had to read before a project discussion later from my e-mail into my mobile phone.

That took me a quick three minutes.

Time seemed to fly on the bus ride as I busied myself chatting with friends on MSN Messenger.

I soon realised how many text messages I would save just from being able to chat with friends online.

I was so engrossed in surfing the Internet on my phone that I hardly even noticed that I had already passed through Hougang, Ang Mo Kio and Bishan.

In this time, I had not only cleared my e-mail and read the latest news, but also caught up with some friends.

Which was definitely better than staring blankly into space as the bus trundled its way towards my destination.

I found the convenience of having access to information such as movie and bus arrival timings a big plus.

Now I could check how many minutes I had before my bus arrived at the next bus stop and whether I would be able to make it in time for a movie.

Nearing the Toa Payoh Bus Interchange, I visited SBS Transit's Ask Iris service online, which told me how many minutes I had before my connecting bus arrived at the interchange.

The Nokia bus reached just in time, ending a 1 1/2-hour journey from Pasir Ris.

I was reluctant to alight as I was only halfway through surfing the latest entertainment news.

With my eyes still glued to my phone, I stepped off the bus, and that was when the website stopped loading. My Internet access had been cut off.

It is possible that the stability and strong connection speed in the Nokia WiFi Zone on the bus might have been because I logged on during off-peak hours. Yet the overall experience had been surprisingly pleasant.

It is a pity that the service is available on only 12 buses on different routes, identifiable by the bright blue Nokia WiFi Zone decals on the buses.

Nokia chooses these routes because they run across the island and would be able to provide free Internet access to more consumers.

The trial service, launched in November last year, is aimed at allowing consumers, especially students, to access the Internet without the hassles of having to register and log on.

According to Nokia, plans to extend the service to other bus and train services - it is currently also available at Outram, Harbourfront and Sengkang MRT stations - depend on how well the trial service takes off.

For hardcore Internet users who are willing to pay, service providers M1, SingTel and StarHub all offer mobile broadband packages which allow access to the Web 24/7 on the go, wherever they are, as long as there is mobile coverage.

The unlimited Internet usage islandwide that is being marketed by the telcos seems to make the Nokia WiFi Zone almost redundant.

But the advantage of the Nokia WiFi Zone is that it is free, whereas customers have to pay between $3.21 and $69.30 per month to the telcos.

However, connection is lost once I step off the bus. This means that if I had been in the midst of downloading a file at the time I reached my stop, I would either have to miss my stop or cancel the download.

In other words, I would have to go offline before I could obtain the information I wanted.

rylcher85@gmail.com