MuniWireless

Moovera Networks and Vodafone UK are launching free high-speed Internet access on Europe’s most frequent express coach service, the Oxford Tube. The service is quite popular and a number of commuters have transferred from the railways and from rival coach operators due to the popularity of the free Wi-Fi service.
Moovera Networks and Vodafone UK are launching free high-speed Internet access on Europe’s most frequent express coach service, the Oxford Tube. According to Moovera, passengers traveling on the Stagecoach Group plc service between Central London and Oxford now have email and web access on the move at speeds up to 1.4Mbps thanks to the combination of Moovera’s mobile Wi-Fi equipment and Vodafone UK’s 3G broadband network, which now covers 80% of the UK population.

After a three-month trial by Stagecoach Group across the 25-vehicle fleet, over 7,000 passengers have used the free service more than 32,000 times with an average session duration of 41 minutes. Oxford Tube, which runs a 24-hour service every day of the year with coaches leaving up to every 10 minutes at peak times, has revealed that a number of commuters have transferred from the railways and from rival coach operators due to the popularity of the free Wi-Fi service.

“The success of the Stagecoach Wi-Fi service clearly demonstrates the demand for high-speed Internet connectivity on public transport”, said Jim Baker, CEO and founder of Moovera Networks. “Providing free always-on broadband access on routes frequented by commuters, students and tourists is a significant way for bus, coach and train operators to distinguish their service from others and increase passenger footfall.”

Internet connectivity is provided by Moovera’s Moovbox M Series, a small ruggedised device that creates a Wi-Fi network throughout a vehicle, allowing passengers to connect with any Wi-Fi enabled laptop, PDA or mobile phone.

The Moovbox bridges the Wi-Fi network with Vodafone UK’s 3G broadband service that uses HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) technology to deliver download speeds of around 1.4Mbps. The Moovbox also provides a secure Internet link for in-vehicle applications including CCTV for remote camera monitoring, and features built-in GPS tracking so that fleet operators know where their vehicles are at any time of day or night.

“Moovera’s Moovbox is an excellent example of how Vodafone’s 3G broadband services can be extended to reach even more potential users with a wide variety of applications,” said Kyle Whitehill, Director of Vodafone UK’s Enterprise Business Unit. “By offering Wi-Fi, vehicle tracking, video security and support for a host of other transport telematics applications, the Moovbox fully leverages the high speed capability of our 3G broadband network.”

The Moovbox M Series has been deployed by transport operators including National Express and Stagecoach Group, and local authorities including Reading Borough Council and Coventry City Council, and is available via a network of distributors and resellers worldwide.

Using mobile network to backhaul metro Wi-Fi

Jim Baker (who was the CEO and founder of Telabria) says that the ability to use carrier networks to backhaul metro Wi-Fi is often overlooked. HSDPA is a great way to get multi-megabit connectivity to Wi-Fi access point where mesh can’t reach. The Moovera boxes support multiple carriers so they can seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi mesh and HSDPA as a
vehicle moves out of the urban core.