Perhaps, though, all this talk of going wireless means nothing to you? If that's the case, Ma has your number, too. The city government, by drawing on the computerized resources and facilities of the government, schools, local communities and the private sector, hopes to make Taipei more Web-literate by offering all Taipei citizens a complimentary three-hour course on using the Internet as well as a free lifetime e-mail account.
More information on each of thes plans can be read in English at the city hall Web site at http://english.taipei.gov.tw/index.jsp. More detailed information in Chinese is available at the city government's Information Center, the department responsible for implementing the plans, at http://www.ic.taipei.gov.tw/.
Finally, for those ready to go wireless but not willing to wait for Ma to get out of the gate, there are a number of places in the city already wired. There are currently three companies offering wireless access, with Chunghwa and Yam offering the broadest coverage. Go to http://pwlan.hinet.net/where_search.php
In addition to city hall, all Dante Cafes and Kentucky Fried Chickens are wired, as is Sungshan Airport and the Taipei City Convention Center, and shopping districts such as Breeze Center and the New York New York Department Store.
Chunghwa currently charges NT$1 per minute of wireless access through the use of pre-paid cards that work, the same as pre-paid phone or cell phone cards. Subscribers to Chunghwa's dial-up or ADSL can use the service without application. Check out their English-language site listed above for more information.
Online out on the town
All Dante Cafes now offer wireless Web access, as do Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. All the instructions for access, however, are provided in Chinese.
One of the first locations for wireless Web access in the capital, fittingly, was Taipei City Hall, where visitors can surf the Web or check e-mail from anywhere in the building, including the cafes and eateries inside.
While it's not there yet, a plan is on track to install WLAN networks in all MRT stations by the end of this year. More information on that will be provided as the project nears completion.
Most ambitious is a plan to wire the whole of Xinyi District by renting traffic lights, bus stops and street lights to wireless service providers.
Chunghwa Telecom currently offers access in a number of locations, including Taipei International Convention Center, Sungshan Airport, New York New York Shopping Mall and the Breeze Center.
For a constantly updated listing of other locations Chunghwa Telecom services, check out http://pwlan.hinet.net/where_search.php http://pwlan.hinet.net/where_search.php . The search feature is in Chinese only but Chunghwa provides English-language information for setting up your service at http://pwlan.hinet.net/eng/index.html.
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