1. Taking Wireless Broadband to the
Public Transportation—and Beyond
Monica Paolini, Senza Fili Consulting
Strong synergies may bring wireless operators and public transportation operators to
collaborate and share their networks
W ireless broadband networks in public
transportation have been lagging behind in the
additional impetus to public transportation. Some
transit agencies are looking directly to funds that
will enable to expand their projects to reach the
US compared to Western Europe or Asia Pacific communities they reach. Others are establishing
regions. Over the last year, however, we have no‐ partnerships with service providers to share as‐
ticed a sharp change in attitudes, with virtually all sets and networks that can serve both under‐
public transit operators actively engaged in some served communities, and the transportation op‐
plan, trial or initial rollout of wireless broadband erators and their passengers. Finally, the trans‐
technologies, and, notably, with a new sense of portation agencies can act as anchor tenants and/
urgency. or provide support to wireless operators, includ‐
ing backhaul capacity or cell tower sites.
Several factors have contributed to the change.
First of all, wireless broadband in the The increase in ridership over the
public transportation sector is no last year mostly driven by high gas
longer equated with Wi‐Fi Internet prices and the increased awareness
access for passengers. While this re‐ of the environmental benefits of
mains still a key application, and the public transport have greatly im‐
one that often motivates the opera‐ proved the perception of public
tors to take their first steps, increas‐ transit, and have injected much
ingly transit operators look at the needed energy towards improving
bigger picture of how they can use the infrastructure. Along with the
their infrastructure for a wide range availability of financial stimulus
of applications, including surveil‐ funding, transportation agencies are
lance, remote monitoring and con‐ no longer fighting to survive, they
trol, mechanical diagnostics, and in‐ are striving to expand.
formation for staff and passengers.
Finally, as legacy narrowband networks become
A series of accidents and the planned introduc‐ increasingly expensive to operate and upgrade,
tion of more stringent safety requirements (e.g., and inadequate to meet the transit requirements,
with the planned introduction of Positive Train new standards‐based wireless solutions, often
Control, PTC) has heightened the awareness operating in newly available spectrum bands like
among operators that the transit infrastructure the 4.9 GHz and the 3.65 GHz band, provide much
has to (and can) become more secure, and easier improved performance and advanced features at
to monitor and control remotely. Transit opera‐ affordable price points.
tors have been more successful in obtaining pub‐
lic funding for their efforts and have increased Looking for a positive business case
their commitment to internally fund some of Still deploying a wireless broadband network re‐
these projects. quires a huge effort and deep pockets—and fun‐
The broadband stimulus program is providing damentally it is still a risky, unproven business
proposition. The initial attempts at providing

2. Wi‐Fi access to train passengers for a fee have not tional applications an integral part of their net‐
proven to be the revenue opportunity that some work to build a robust business case. These appli‐
initially expected. Few passengers are willing to cations do not typically generate revenues, but
pay for service, and those who do are often irri‐they can drive costs down by improving the func‐
tated by charges they find excessive. In this con‐ tionality and efficiency of their services, by mak‐
ing the customer service more responsive, and by
text, it has not been easy for train operators to
recoup the initial network deployment costs. In‐ reducing the incidence of delays and accidents, as
creasingly, Wi‐Fi access in trains, buses and fer‐ well as the costs associated with them. Enhanced
ries is free to all or some passengers, and this has security mechanisms, QoS, and the ability to sup‐
led to increased usage levels. port multiple virtual networks coupled with the
higher bandwidth available in the latest wireless
If Wi‐Fi access is free to passengers, how can broadband solutions make this approach not only
transit operators recoup their costs? At first sight, feasible, but also cost effective.
free Internet access makes the situation worse.
This is not the case however. Free Wi‐Fi access Sharing the resources: the highway model
drives up ridership and in turn this increases
ticket revenues. Free Wi‐Fi services cost less to The need to share a single network to run multi‐
provide than for‐fee access and give freedom to ple services and applications is not limited to the
transit operators to allocate the bandwidth transportation sector—or telecommunications
needed for safety and operational applications as for that matter. Building separate highway sys‐
needed. tems for different types of vehicles—trucks,
buses, cars—would strike most as highly ineffi‐
Making Internet access free to passengers is not cient. Similarly, the traditional approach of build‐
sufficient to get a profitable business case. Transit ing a telecom network for a specific service or ap‐
operators need to make these safety and opera‐ plication (e.g., cellular voice, laptop data access,

3. or SCADA) can be wasteful in networks that are face increasing congestion in their networks and
not severely constrained by capacity. As a result, as WiMAX operators build wider networks, we
we expect to see infrastructure sharing grow to expect the last two approaches (i.e., addition of
enable multiple opera‐ new equipment, and overlay
tors, devices, services, network) to become more
and applications. At the widespread. Transit opera‐
same time, we do not tors do not typically have
expect this evolution to access to sufficient licensed
happen overnight, as spectrum to support their
complex arrangements applications, and interfer‐
are required among different players. Technology ence makes them reluctant to use license‐exempt
is not the barrier to infrastructure sharing. Estab‐ bands in high‐density areas. Wireless operators
lishing robust business models and relationships are often the only partners that can provide ac‐
and agreements among partners represents the cess to licensed spectrum.
biggest challenge for transit operators, wireless
operators, and equipment vendors. Wireless operators stand to benefit from cooper‐
ating with transit operators as well—especially
Beyond public transport: exploring with rail operators that have access to right‐of‐
synergies with wireless operators way assets. Not only railways reach all metropoli‐
tan areas; they also reach many rural and under‐
The scope for sharing the wireless broadband in‐ served communities. In both cases, access to the
frastructure goes well beyond the ability to inte‐ right‐of‐way can give operators access to cell
grate Wi‐Fi passenger access with the safety and sites to serve neighboring communities. In most
security applications hosted by the transit opera‐ cases, fiber is available along the railway and can
tor. Synergies at multiple levels also exist be‐ provide backhaul for the wireless operators.
tween transit operators and wireless operators
using cellular, WiMAX or other wireless broad‐ Installing and maintaining equipment within the
band technologies that can lead to attractive in‐ railway right‐of‐way environment is undoubtedly
frastructure or asset sharing models that are mu‐ complex, but the upside can be substantial, espe‐
tually beneficial. cially for wireless operators trying to reach un‐
derserved communities or for greenfield opera‐
At the most basic level, wireless operators can de‐ tors building new networks. In the US, the timing
ploy, operate, and maintain broadband networks is also right. Financial stimulus initiatives target
for transit operators as part of their wider area both the railway industry and the wireless broad‐
network. They can leverage the shared core net‐ band providers, encouraging both sides to deploy
work infrastructure and operational organization the needed infrastructure, and creating the right
to offer a cost‐effective proposition to transit op‐ incentives to establish solid partnerships to effi‐
erators, which are invariably wary to run their ciently share resources and create sustainable
networks. business models.
Moving one step further, wireless operators may
host the transit networks over their licensed Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili
spectrum by either using the existing network in‐ Consulting and can be contacted at
monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com. Senza Fili
frastructure, or by adding new equipment to the Consulting (www.senzafiliconsulting.com ) provides advisory
existing infrastructure, or by deploying an inde‐ support on wireless data technologies and services financial
pendent overlay trackside or roadside network. modeling, market research, business plan support, business
The first approach is the one most currently used development, RFPs, due diligence, and white paper
preparation. Independent advice, a strong quantitative
by cellular operators hosting public transit appli‐ approach, and an international perspective are the hallmarks
cations over their networks. As cellular operators of our work.