I never, ever thought I’d say this, but I want to move to Adelaide. Not for any practical reason, but for the free Wi-Fi on the Broadband Bus.
Launching today as part of a six month trial, the bus was developed and funded by a whole raft of tech companies, including MIMP Connecting Solutions (whose MD Allan Aitchison is pictured), transSpot, Cisco, Adam Internet, Podmo Mobile and Webshield Content Filtering.
Inside the bus there are two LCD screens which relay relevant information like ETA for the next stop, community news, national news from the ABC and some advertising. The ads can even be location based, showing ads relevant to stores at particular bus stops.
Adam Internet is supplying a free Wi-Fi connection to passengers, and there’s Bluetooth offering free games to commuters as well.
The bus itself cost about half a million dollars to create. And I really want one.
Anyone in Adelaide take a ride on it today? Impressions?
GGP
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 5:02 PMIf I knew where the bus was I’d jump on to check it out, maybe it’s the free beeline bus around the CBD?
Jason
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 5:38 PMThe bus looks to be the 720 line.
Southroad -> City.
Trevor Cologne
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 5:35 PMIt’s the 720 route all the way from Aldinga to Smithfield
matt
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 5:42 PMgoing by the quality of the bus driving in brisbane, I wouldn’t be introducing anything that could detract the passengers from holding on for dear life!
William Friesen
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 5:47 PMSo, it offers Wi-Fi, but where does the bus get it’s Internets from?
lauren
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 7:31 PMThe internet service is provided by Adam, it’s supposed to be funded by advertisements on the bus’s screens.
George
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 8:45 PMYeah, that’s what I want to know too. I know they wouldn’t be getting 3G reception all the way down to Aldinga.
I’d almost catch it down to Aldinga just to try it out :) If only we knew when that particular bus ran.
– George
Nick Chaplin
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 6:11 PMyea if i knew which bus it was id be keen to ride it just to check out the wifi
Jordan Comley
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 6:41 PMDitto
Trevor Cologne
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 7:37 PMIt’s a wireless connection to Adam Internet, Podmo provides huge content via bluetooth for people who don’t have a wi-fi connectable device.
Nurkleback
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 8:56 PMThe Wi-Fi would be cool, but the bluetooth is by Podmo, so that’ll be flakey and only half-working.
Che Metcalfe
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 9:50 PMhaha well you should give it at try Nurkleback and you can let us all know if it worked. You obviously know a lot about these things.
Trevor Cologne
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 10:12 PMHey @ Nurkleback, back up your comment I have found Podmo to not only be the only Bluetooth provider that delivers a network…oh did I say ONLY! (Patents Pending)It works and works well, in fact there is only Podmo that delivers this service.
SD
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 9:16 AMIn Brisbane the “free” 391 bus service between QUT GP and KG has had free wifi for ages!
http://www.its.qut.edu.au/oncampusaccess/mobilecomputing/wireless/coverage/
Trevor Cologne
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 9:55 AMYes, congrats to Brisbane, however this is the only bus in Oz that actually has travel and route information in real time, displayed on the screens, wi-fi is a by-product…
strik3r
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 10:55 AMwell done SD did Adelaide hit a nerve there
ecci
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 11:08 AMWhat about their new solar-powered free-in-city bus?
Jean
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 10:16 PMYawn. Look up Icomera, who recently bought out Moovera. They have had an end to end mobile ISP system operational for years on trains, buses and ferries in the UK and Europe for many years. A free 3 month trial on several buses was conducted by Star-Tech Communications over a year ago using Icomera/Moovera technology on Sydney’s Westbus fleet on the busy M2 route. Telstra 3G was used for the backhaul. It was taken away after the trial because no bus operators wanted it – near sighted idiots. The service was very well received, and ahead of its time, and only costs a few thousand end to end. This new trial is several years late.
Che Metcalfe
Friday, August 28, 2009 at 7:50 AMJean or John whoever you really are. You just wrote exactly the same thing here as John here:
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/316394/net_savvy_adelaide_bus_commuters_get_free_wi-fi#content
And here as Jean:
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/154019,adelaide-gets-an-internet-enabled-bus.aspx#comments
Perhaps you are staff at Icomera?
Perhaps you should fess up and disclose your real intention?
Anyway here is a copy of my response to your comment at computerworld and itnews.
Icomera does not do what Podmo, the mobile component of this project does.
Podmo is providing Bluetooth connectivity to mobile phones on the bus. The system detects devices as they enter the bus and sends the Podmo client to the passenger over Bluetooth. Once installed the Podmo client connects via Bluetooth and the user can browse/download all types of content and communicate for free.
SD
Friday, August 28, 2009 at 11:02 AMWho needs route information in real time? If you don’t ALREADY know where the bus is heading then my advice is get off!
lauren
Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:58 PMIf you’ve never randomly jumped on a bus having no idea where it’s going then just you’re not living life to the MAX! ;)
Real-time route information has lots of uses. It’ll tell passengers how far it is to the next stop, if it had integrated voice announcements it’d be handy for blind people, and I’m sure drunk people catching the bus on a Fri/Sat night would find it useful. :P