SAPPORO – Mobile communications services will be available from next March aboard Hokkaido Shinkansen Line trains traveling through the undersea Seikan Tunnel, the communications ministry, Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) and three major mobile phone carriers have announced. Currently, passengers cannot use smartphones or other communication devices for roughly 25 minutes while the shinkansen passes through the tunnel.
Mobile access is only provided at two evacuation areas within the 53.85-kilometer tunnel, which runs under the seabed in the Tsugaru Strait between the northern prefectures of Aomori and Hokkaido.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.