About 20 Helsinki buses to get free wireless Internet access

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About 20 buses operating in Helsinki are to get wireless Internet access. According to the plan, Helsinki bus lines 58, 58B, and 59, and possibly the regional line 205 will offer passengers Internet access on their laptops and other portable devices.
      The costs of the project are estimated at about EUR 80,000 the Ministry of Transport and Communications is supporting the project with a grant of EUR 20,000.
      If the experiment proves successful, free wireless Internet access should expand to cover all buses and trams in the Helsinki region.
     
Helsinki City Transport planning chief Ville Lehmuskoski estimates that the buses could all be linked to the Internet by the end of 2009 if the Ministry of Transport takes on part of the costs.
      "At least now it looks like there would be no technical obstacles."
      The equipment for each bus costs EUR 200-400, and the monthly costs for each vehicle are estimated at between EUR 20 and EUR 40. Costs of the development and maintenance of a central system will be in the tens of thousands of euros.
      Users of laptops, communicators, and PDA devices will get information on public transport on the opening page, after which access to the whole Internet will open up.
      "I could do at least some of my work here with a laptop connected to the Internet", said Orvo Leskinen, a programming engineer travelling on bus number 58 on Thursday.
      "This is a nice extra, but I don’t think that it will attract many more laptop users onto buses."
     
A number of other applications will be available on buses with wireless broadband. For instance, the connection could make it easier for buses to interact with traffic lights, making for faster transport times.
      Currently all of Helsinki’s tramlines and nearly ten bus lines interact with traffic lights.
      There are also plans to expand and improve the electronic travelcard system. Broadband would offer an efficient positioning and data transfer channel for the travelcards.
      "The technology would allow us to save much money in the setting up of the travelcard system of the future", Ville Lehmuskoski says.
      The network could also be utilised for camera surveillance. Pictures from security cameras could be relayed to monitors at bus depots and if necessary, to the police and emergency response centres. The driver would also have a monitor to watch events on the bus.
      Lehmuskoski does not see the costs of installing cameras to be prohibitive.
      "As the feeling of insecurity in transport is common, this would be a good way to improve safety. However, it is no final solution, but it would certainly reduce violent behaviour, intimidation of drivers, and vandalism."


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  Helsinki City Transport

Helsingin Sanomat