Amtrak launch Passenger WiFi on Acela Express
Event Date: 03 March 2010
Amtrak this week launched its AmtrakConnect service on the prestigious high speed Acela Express running between Washington DC and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. AmtrakConnect will provide passenger WiFi using a technology platform provided by Nomad Digital, the global market leader in broadband data connectivity solutions to transport operators.
Amtrak determined that using a single 3G network would not be sufficient to provide the quality of connectivity that Acela passengers expect, and therefore a solution able to aggregate the capacity of multiple 3G networks would be essential. Nomad, in co-operation with GBS, was selected on the strength of its WiFi platform technology, and its extensive experience in delivering best-in-class WiFi solutions.
Nomad’s aggregation solution is optimised to provide seamless WiFi connectivity to passengers at Acela’s maximum operating speed of 150 miles/hour, even when the underlying 3G networks exhibit varying coverage. Preliminary feedback from passengers has been overwhelmingly positive.
Amtrak Acela is the only high speed train service in the United States and this deployment represents a major milestone for Nomad in North America. Nomad already provides WiFi on the UTA Frontrunner trains in Salt Lake City, and is providing its platform for the Amtrak Cascades service in Washington State. With the expansion of rail transport in the US, Nomad is actively growing its US base to service this market.
Nigel Wallbridge, Chairman of Nomad, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Amtrak. Nomad believes in making public transportation more attractive to passengers to reduce road and air traffic and help the environment. We look forward to working closely with Amtrak over the coming years and to continuing to develop our business in North America.”
Matt Hardison, Chief, Sales Distribution and Customer Service at Amtrak said “AmtrakConnect delivers the fast, reliable and consistent connectivity that our customers have been asking for.”
Lenetta McCampbell, Senior Director for On-board Systems at Amtrak said, “This is only the first step for our AmtrakConnect program. Amtrak will continually improve the service as Wi-Fi technology evolves, and we are evaluating opportunities to expand AmtrakConnect to additional routes and stations throughout the country.”
