With the introduction of 5G to metropolises, public transportation companies, like Cyprus Public Transport, are aiming to modernize their transportation systems to support daily commuters. Other than enhancing the onboard experience, 5G technologies can better the monitoring and management of bus fleets.
Beginning operations not too long ago, Cyprus Public Transport now has a fleet of over 200 buses to serve everyday travels of Cypriots. In the start of 2022, they set in motion their plans to provide upgraded services, including Wi-Fi connectivity via 5G, for their buses.
The Challenge
The main objective of Cyprus Public Transport’s plan was to provide fast mobile internet service for buses and bus stations. They knew this would be difficult to implement due to their large fleet. The network would require a centralized management system for the transportation company to easily manage all devices.
Additionally, Cyprus Public Transport wanted to use this network to generate a marketing platform to increase customer engagement. On top of ensuring reliable connectivity, they needed to design a network that can support this idea.
It is evident that the transport industry has entered a new era of progress with major advancements happening at a fast pace. The rollout of 5G in Cyprus Public Transport has the dynamics to accelerate these very beneficial changes lending today’s transport solutions more viable than ever.
The Solution
Cyprus Public Transport worked closely with COMIT Solutions and NSS Corp. to bring their plans to fruition, especially as this is an early adaptation of 5G technologies in Cyprus. For their fleet of over 200 buses, they deployed MAX Transit 5G routers to each vehicle. The MAX Transit 5G enables onboard Wi-Fi connectivity through its 5G connection.
The MAX Transit 5G also comes with a customizable captive portal and supports external captive portals. InControl, Peplink’s cloud-based management platform was used to configure the 240 devices in buses.
It has been over a year since we have implemented a full fleet 5G project in Cyprus with great success. We are very happy with Peplink and their integration partner in Cyprus, COMIT Solution, they have assisted us in every step of the way from installation to rollout and ongoing support, their professionalism is reflected in the result.
The full fleet of the two cities Nicosia and Larnaca are in full use with a healthy consumption of data and going strong. It is notable to say this is the first implementation of a full fleet project in Europe. We are glad to be one of the first to bring fast Internet to public transportation making it more convenient for passengers. They now can work, enjoy music or video at very fast speeds on their commute to work.
Andreas Demetriades, IT Manager, CPT
The Result
With the MAX Transit 5G in each bus, its simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi reduces Wi-Fi congestion and interference, delivering reliable and uninterrupted internet to all passengers. The support for custom and external captive portals enables Cyprus Public Transport to connect to an advertising server and generate insightful reports on user demographics.
Pairing the MAX Transit 5G’s GPS capabilities with InControl makes fleet management possible, helping Cyprus Public Transport improve vehicle efficiencies. InControl itself eases deployment and management of devices across all buses for the transport company.
I use the bus daily to commute to work, the wifi service is really great, seems faster than my internet at home!“I feel more safe and secure using public transport knowing that I am always connected.”
“Knowing that our transport network works more efficiently, meaning better scheduling with less emissions, I feel great relief for the steps taken for the protection of the environment. I am proud to be part of it!”
Source: Peplink