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FEB 2008
LONDON, 21 Feb 2008, HIGH-tech broadband company Nomad Digital is taking its groundbreaking technology to Stockholm, bringing broadband internet connection to buses in the city.
The Newcastle-based company's world-beating technology will allow bus passengers in the Swedish capital to be connected to real-time travel information, breaking video news, and the internet while travelling. Passengers on the one-hour Stockholm to Norrtalje route 676 commuter bus will be offered a number of broadband enabled applications which have never before been brought together.
Nomad is working in partnership with Capgemini Sweden, Intel, MobileCity, Pilotfish and Solutrea in a pilot scheme for the city's public transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, SL. It will provide passengers with free WiFi broadband connection, covering the full route.
They will also be able to watch LCD screens on the buses, showing news and weather video clips from Swedish national broadcaster SVT. Real time journey information will also be displayed on LCD screens, including number of minutes to the next bus stop and time to destination. These will be constantly updated depending on traffic conditions, including roadworks.
Information on connections between route 676 bus stops and other SL metro and bus services will be displayed on-screen, noting real time disruptions to connecting SL services, thereby allowing passengers to plan their journeys and make any necessary adjustments.
For SL, depot staff will be able to monitor the pressure on all the bus tires while it is in service and at the bus depot with handheld devices, allowing them to improve bus maintenance turnaround times. Driver performance can be monitored in real time to optimise their braking and acceleration to reduce vehicle wear, fuel consumption and environmental impact. The system also has the potential to improve security, with CCTV cameras on buses monitoring incidents in real time and feeding back to central control centres, although only recorded demonstration images will be transmitted during the pilot. .
The Nomad system integrates network coverage from two 3G operators, WIMAX base stations and the Nordisk Mobiltelefon `digital NMT' CDMA2000 network. When coverage gaps in any individual network are encountered, the Nomad system instantly switches to an alternative network to ensure seamless broadband service. The pilot, which will last a minimum of six weeks, will be followed by extensive passenger consultation by SL, with a view to rolling it out onto the city's transport system.
Nomad chief executive Graeme Lowdon said: "Our system has been operating effectively on a number of train routes for nearly three years now and on the UK's West Coast Main Line we are building the largest WiMax rail network in the world. "We welcome this opportunity to show that it is equally effective on buses and offers not only an enhanced and more secure travel experience for passengers, but also considerable commercial benefits to operating companies.''
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Media: for further information contact Peter Jackson of Press Ahead on +44 (0) 191 516 6235
Notes to editors.
Nomad Digital is the world leader in the provision of high speed broadband communication (including WiMax), to and from trains, with more references than any other provider. Nomad has made a significant contribution to the evolution of WiMax in the transport sector with services ranging from total funding, designing, building, operation and life time maintenance of networks to the provision of our unique on-board multi-bearer switching technology. Its project references include the first ever train broadband service, the longest in-tunnel reference and the largest WiMax roll out for the rail sector, in the world.