Coming soon: ads on public transport WiFi?
Will we start seeing more ads on public transport Wi-Fi? Icomera, a vendor of cellular-to-WiFi gateways on buses, trains and ferries, has launched a service that brings advertising to mobile Wi-Fi hotspots. This will allow public transport operators make money, not from passengers, but from advertisers. MoovManage Ads, an optional component of Icomera’s MoovManage web-based hotspot management service, allows operators to create and manage advertising campaigns and track their success. Advertisements are presented to hotspot users during their online session. It is estimated that hotspot usage increased in 2009 by 47%, bringing total worldwide connections to 1.2 billion [source: In-Stat].
During the last holiday season, we saw advertisers (such as Google and Microsoft) rush in to sponsor free Wi-Fi on flights and in airports. However, public transport operators have to ensure that they do not annoy passengers with too many ads or irritating ads. We are already bombarded everyday with too much advertising.
In addition, Wi-Fi login screens must be configured with the iPhone or smartphone device owner in mind. Too many Wi-Fi operators don’t understand that navigating screens and having to click on little boxes, while appropriate for laptop owners, is nearly impossible for people who access Wi-Fi networks with handheld devices.
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What a great idea! I would gladly deal with a few ads for FREE Wi-Fi, especially on public transit.
This model already works for web sites, so why not with free wi-fi? If it helps public transit, then that is a win-win for everyone. I remember using an AT&T hot spot in an airport that was free (to me being at AT&T subscriber) and it had ads. It was easy to use, the ads weren’t intrusive, and did I mentioned it was free!