Free Wi-Fi From Asahi Vending Machines In 2012

Asahi to test drink vender access points in Japan early next year

Emily Balistrieri
December 27, 2011 7:20am PST (12/27/11)

Pretty soon in certain parts of Japan you'll be able to get a free data boost from Wi-Fi equipped Asahi vending machines. The drink company announced today that the hotspot machines are in development and should be ready for a 1,000 location test early next year. 

 

 

The machines will offer completely free Wi-Fi through within a 50 meter radius via FreeMobile. Connection time is limited to 30 minutes, but it doesn't sound like there is a limit to how many times you can reconnect, and each machine can handle dozens of simultaneous users. It doesn't matter what carrier your phone is, or what kind device, so if you'd like to bust out your laptop, be Asahi's guest. 

 

Another nifty feature is that instead of just having a landing page that tells you about the service you are using, or the drinks you are buying (although it will do that too), when you connect they're hoping to eventually be able to offer localized information about news, shopping, and tourism.

 

Vending machines are all over the place in Japan. If at some point every machine were offering not only Wi-Fi, but also those fancy landing pages, it seems like it could be really helpful in the event of an emergency, whether that "emergency" is as simple as checking a map as a lost traveler, or something more grave.

 

via narinari, @jameskondo

Tags
asahi, wi-fi, japan
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22 Comments

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12/27/11 by alexx06
That's so cool!
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12/27/11 by tf777
wi-fi is dangerous. this shouldn't happen, especially not with all the radioactivity going on in japan...
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12/27/11 by nightbane112
Whada you mean wi-fi is dangerous?
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12/27/11 by kevadu
You have no idea what you're talking about.
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12/27/11 by CodyM2
Do you know what you are talking about? wi-fi is not dangerous. You have it confused with radiation and other partical emitting sources, ie, microwave towers.
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12/27/11 by tf777
it's just the same thing as the other parts you mentioned, but a different design. wi-fi is subtly making people into docile fools. if it wasn't dangerouse, i would not have had a problem with it. since the idea of it seems to be supposedly benificial, just like smoking cigarettes was way back in the day...
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12/28/11 by JORDAN4891
oh god a conspiracy theorist...
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12/27/11 by Timmi245
Japan is always creating innovated stuff, I wonder what Japan would be like in the year 2036..

Actually no..end that. Naruto might have ended and I don't want it too. D:
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12/27/11 by TheSkyIsUp
Interesting.
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12/27/11 by Aeriya
Bring them here!!! :D
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12/27/11 by grimmwold
Vending machine technology in the U.S. is lightyears behind Japan, beside the fact that there are so many in Japan competition is HOT(I made a funny). Some have sensors to play a greeting for you, a slotlike function might give you a free drink, there's a large touch screen machine in Shinagawi station(I tried it, it was cool and cleaner than a touchscreen had any right to be), and many have net connections to railway cards. They're such a part of Japanese life that the push to make more appealing machines has alot of social momentum behind it there.
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12/27/11 by grimmwold
I approve of this. I had so many problems finding free wifi in Japan. I'm not sure how this is going to work, but I think it'll be great. Didn't see many Asahi machines in train stationsin the Tokyo area(mostly Dydo), but considering WiMax is targetting train stations in Japan... It'd be great to just see one of their big blue machines and dig in next to it to get an annotated map of your surroundings on an ipad/ipod touch(The navi software on the phones seemed incredibly difficult. I didn't figure mine out after 2 years)
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12/27/11 by Rusoku
well there will be advantages and disadvantages to this
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12/27/11 by glitchedgod
it is pretty cool but WiFi in vending machines will probably cause people to loiter around with their devices and buy drinks (which is what they're probably going for anyways). I literally live next to a vending machine so if this was there i won't have to pay WiFi and WiFi companies will suffer in some way I'm sure.
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12/27/11 by grimmwold
Well, they already were going to loiter for 2-5 minutes due to the necessity of proper disposal of the beverage container.
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12/27/11 by dokudokugwo
This seems more so a likely scenario in which you could use that time to get a quick update on news, or figure out where you are, etc rather than actually planting yourself there for 30+ minutes.
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12/27/11 by grimmwold
Well, here's the thing. These vending machines are all over the place, and you might see them as "rest stops". You find them on the streets and people will stop and rest for a bit while having a drink. You'll find them in shopping areas near benches for waiting/resting. You'll find them in break rooms. I think the draw is that you'll be able to access the web during your rest stop/wait. I doubt you'll find the mooching present at free wi-fi areas in the U.S, as that isn't a very common attitude in Japan(or it is socially permissable, as for young people who are expected to be carefree and are given great latitude.)
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12/27/11 by Bladearmor
Very nice I love how Japan is creating new things! :D
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12/27/11 by deathlife123
that is pretty nice to have that
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12/27/11 by 20-9
Every vending machine is like its own Starbucks, now.
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12/27/11 by grimmwold
Don't underestimate Japanese coffee shops. They're all like the best coffee shops in the U.S. They have to be when you can buy canned coffee every couple blocks. Even Tully's and Starbucks are great. That's if you can't find a small family owned coffee/tea house(those are even better!)
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2/3/12 by Assassinx89
interesting business concept hope it works so it spreads to other areas like the US.
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