The government-owned bus vannin company in the Isle of Man is rolling out free Passenger Wi-Fi on all its services.
In line with the Isle of Man Government’s Digital Strategy, the majority of bus vannin buses will have the service by the summer. The Isle of Man is a UK self-governing Crown dependency in the Irish Sea.
So far, 42 vehicles of its 65-strong fleet have been fitted with industry-leading Icomera routers to provide unlimited broadband browsing by passengers. In February, bus vannin saw 994 passengers enjoy 2,622 sessions, spending an average of 26 minutes online.
In the project managed by the Cabinet Office’s Government Technology Service, the bus garage at Banks Circus is fitting the routers on Island buses in conjunction with Sure Isle of Man. Built by Icomera, the routers use a 4G signal, provided by Sure, to distribute broadband.
Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: “Fitting free Wi-Fi has been an ambition of ours for some time and we know it will be a welcome enhancement of our bus services. We have clean, efficient and regular bus services, and with the addition of free Wi-Fi, Isle of Man public transport is now demonstrably a great alternative for business commuters across the Island and for those travelling to and from the airport.”
Mike Phillips, CEO of Sure Isle of Man, said: “Opportunities for businesses and the government to work together on exciting strategic projects like this should be embraced, as they facilitate the exchange of skills and knowledge for the benefit of all islanders. We hope that bus users enjoy the free Wi-Fi facilities and make the most of this fantastic addition to the bus fleet.”
Director of Government Technology Services Mark Lewin added: “There is a clear and growing need for Government’s information and services to be available online and increasing the places where the general public can safely access essential information was outlined in the strategy as one of the digital principles. Since then we’ve been extending the availability of Wi-Fi across a number of areas including Government buildings and local GP surgeries and this launch of a free to all WiFi service in public transport is already being extensively used by the public on daily basis and is part of the broader strategy.”
Photo – representatives of Public Transport, GTS and Sure Isle of Man using their devices on the free bus Wi-Fi. Front row (left to right): Ian Longworth, Director of Public Transport, Phil Gawne MHK, Minister for Infrastructure, Laura Morgan, Network Architect with GTS and bus Wi-Fi Project Lead, and Mike Phillips, CEO of Sure IoM
See more at: http://www.manx.net/isle-of-man-news/77445/free-wifi-on-buses#sthash.heudgvUs.dpuf
