Transit as Wi-Fi Hotspots

Image credit: http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/using-public-transportation-for-wifi.html

A technology start-up from Silicon Valley plans to utilize public transit vehicles, taxis and municipal vehicles to create a moving Wi-Fi network. Already in use in Porto, Portugal, units that allow users to connect to Wi-Fi hubs placed throughout the city are installed onto these vehicles. The logic for the system blends stationary Wi-Fi hotspots with the moving bus, allowing transit users and people nearby to connect while the vehicle is in motion. Inventors of the system believe that the service can cut connection costs from nearly $15/gigabyte of data to around $0.85/gigabyte. Such a reduction in costs is seen as a cheaper way to provide internet access in developing countries, where cellular infrastructure may be lacking. In addition to providing accessible internet, the service could be used to collect real-time data on air pollution, traffic patterns, noise levels, fuel consumption and weather patterns to be used in planning and transportation efforts.

For more information about the transit Wi-Fi hot-spots, read the full article at http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/using-public-transportation-for-wifi.html