WiFi Rail, a company that designs and deploys Wi-Fi networks in public transport, has signed a 20-year agreement with BART to roll out Wi-Fi service on all BART trains. Passengers already have Wi-Fi access in four downtown SF stations (I’ve logged onto the network with with my iPod Touch and it was quite fast), as well as in Hayward. According to WiFi Rail, “during the year of testing, more than 15,000 consumers registered and used the system more than 85,000 times, including live streaming video from the trains, proving the utility of the network. Tests on trains moving at over 81 MPH have consistently demonstrated upload and download speeds in excess of 15Mbps. . . . The WiFi Rail network utilizes standards-based technologies which include a collapsed fiber-optic backbone, Cisco wireless Access Points, Routers, and Switches, and Apple OS-X servers.” BART employees will use the network for transit operations and applications such as rail telemetry, safety and maintenance management.
BART and WiFi Rail plan to complete installation in all BART stations by the end of 2010.
What surprises me about the deal is the term of the contract, 20 years, which is a very long time (an eternity in the technology world). Why did BART tie itself down to such a long-term commitment? This does not make sense. The pricing also makes no sense. $30 a month, which isn’t too bad if you ride BART all the time and live out in the suburbs. But the other prices, $9 a day and $6 for two hours, is too much. There is a free subscription but it’s only for 3.5 minutes and you have to watch a 30 second ad. Meanwhile, in the Europe, especially the UK, public transport companies such as bus and train lines, offer free Wi-Fi to passengers.
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Public transport Wi-Fi is hot not only in the US, but in Europe and Asia. Indeed, in the last Devicescape survey, 91 percent of respondents said that they expect Wi-Fi to be available in airports, train stations, bus depots and ferries.
Related stories:
Survey shows 84 percent want citywide Wi-Fi, 91 percent expect it when traveling
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I decided to set up an account with WiFi Rail and give it a try during try free trial period. I also found that Devicescape has a listing for it, so I added it to my account. This will make signing on easy.
The pricing that they propose is just plain nuts! I’ll settle for 3G rather then their service especially since I’m already paying through the nose to AT&T. Subsidizing one crook at a time is enough! 3G is good enough for most things that I do when I’m on BART.
I do a lot of BART travel these days coming up to SF. They really need to find a different biz model. This is another MetroFi in the making. Their ad based free access model is just stupid. The ratios of ads to service just aren’t reasonable.
As for that 20 yr contract, someone ought to ask the BART Board of Directors what they were smoking when they signed it.