Researchers at the University of New South Wales are developing an intelligent wireless protocol for public transport networks, which will give passengers cheaper online access and lower power consumption.

Called OCEAN (On-board Communication Entertainment and Information), the protocol can be embedded in chips and placed on board buses and trains, allowing the vehicles to create a communication network.

Associate Professor Mahbub Hassan, of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, said the most similar technology that"s currently available is Cisco"s recently released general-purpose 3200 Series Wireless and Mobile Router that can be embedded in a vehicle.

"But it does not have all the intelligence that we are developing in the OCEAN project, and our project is not about designing a router, but an integrated solution for efficient information access on-board public transport," he said.

Hassan said the protocol is superior to other mobile wireless Internet services currently available in Australia, such as iBurst or Unwired, because it is based on an onboard mobile router, which acts as a gateway between the passengers and the global Internet, or passengers in other buses or trains.