However, other lines on the French network are expected to follow suit in the near future, especially those most popular with business travellers. The only certainty so far is that Guillaume Pépy, CEO of the SNCF, has announced that WiFi will under no circumstances be free on his network, due to the cost of equipping trains to provide satellite and ground connections. For the TGV Est alone, the bill came to €1 million per train, for a total of €20 million. So SNCF is a long way from wanting to equip its entire fleet of 488 high-speed trains...
"Everyone wants WiFi to be free and unlimited, but that's not possible. If people agree to pay a few euros, there may be a technical and economic model that is possible".he said recently. At Thalys, while WiFi is included in the price of a Comfort 1 ticket, it costs 6.50 euros for one hour's use and 13 euros for the entire Comfort 2 journey. This pricing model could be adopted if the service is extended to the French network.
