Wi-Fi On Transit: Key Parameters for Defining Success (TNS150C)

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How to Develop a Wi-Fi System for your Transit Organization

Since the emergence of IP connectivity in transit, primarily through the gateway of passenger Wi-Fi as an amenity, early days were spent trying to evaluate technologies or waiting for a variety of backhaul technologies to evolve. In parallel, business models were being tested. Over time, several technologies and business models have emerged.

IP connectivity in motion is a game changer for transit and the industry is just learning to transition from the older siloed ways of managing their transit and providing amenities for their passengers. This presentation by James Allison will focus on the evolution of technology and business models for Wi-Fi on transit, examine empirical evidence if the “free” model pays off, and look at various types of transit systems around the world. He will give a guide as to which technologies and business models might be right for any particular type of transit service. In addition, James will cover the Wi-Fi system for applications in operations, which is now emerging as yet another compelling aspect of the business case for Wi-Fi in Transit.

In this presentation, James Allison will:

• Provide access to the academic research paper that shows that Free Wi-Fi can produce sufficient revenue to offset the cost of providing Wi-Fi service
• Cover the three core technologies providing backhaul for Wi-Fi
• Help transit organizations determine what is best for their vehicle/mode type
• Describe the results of changing business models without advance planning
• Explore the ways in which transit operators are trying to directly provide or provide for streaming content
• Explain when, how and why management of the customer's online experience has to be managed
• Provide a foundational Request for Qualifications for an On-Board Wireless Network where the concepts of on-train Wi-Fi were laid out and how that was a roadmap for the future

What will you learn:

• How  free Wi-Fi business model in transit can pay off
• The benefit of taking a comprehensive approach to building a Wi-Fi system for your transit organization
• Why you should leverage your organization's assets to connect your transit service to the back office
• How smart managers are taking advantage of IP connectivity in motion – from radio spectrum to customer service approaches
• How IP connectivity in transit will get your departments collaborating, and allow creativity to emerge from within your workforce

Who should attend

• Transit (rail, light rail, buses) managers in marketing, IT, operations, real estate and planning
• Private fleet managers that provide their fleets for public or dedicated private use
• Cellular providers who are interested in vertical markets
• Transportation researchers who are working on travel value research
• Bus, light rail, and passenger rail manufacturers
• IP hardware vendors in the mobile vehicle business
• Transportation engineering/ planning firms with transit as a business focus