Tags
wlan wireless networks wireless communications wireless wifi motorola solutions motorola bearcom
With help from our partner Motorola Solutions, wireless LAN is going down under. In this case, I don't mean Australia, but underground into the subway system in Toronto, Canada. There, ruggedized wireless access points and controllers using Motorola's Wireless Next Generation technology were chosen by BAI Canada to give Wi-Fi connectivity to Toronto's subway riders. TCConnect, as it's being called, was unveiled this week at two of the city's busiest subway stations, and it eventually will cover all 65 that are in place or planned. That's good news for 1.7 million people who use the system daily. They get the ability to use their wireless devices to access the Internet, social media, and e-mail. They also can get access to real-time alerts, arrival and departure information, and updates from the transit system. "It's a service that our customers want, and I'm just so thrilled that we're able to offer it," Karen Stintz, Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, told the Toronto Sun. "This is a service that we want our customers to enjoy." One rider, Jeremy Foran, told the paper, "The signal's actually very impressive. The kinds of connection speeds I'm getting are faster than the ones I experience at home." Who is paying for this? Advertisers. BAI Canada has partnered with a company that has launched a new mobile and content marketing initiative. The Huffington Post Canada will give riders on-the-go news stories and messaging from Mondelz Canada, a snack company that makes Stride and Dentyne gum, Oreo cookies, and Cadbury chocolate. BAI's CEO, Brian Jacks, was quoted as saying, "BAI Canada and Transit Wireless selected Motorola Solutions for its depth of expertise, including helping governments and enterprises deliver their best in the moments that matter. We look forward to working with Motorola to deliver its leading WLAN solution to help provide high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity for Toronto Transit Commission customers." In making its own announcement of the installation, Motorola Solutions quoted George Krausz, President of Motorola Solutions Canada. He said, "Motorola Solutions is eager to work with BAI Canada to launch the initial two-station network and bring much-needed Wi-Fi to the third most heavily used urban mass transit system in North America. The TTC is a transportation lifeline for Toronto, and Motorola has the expertise to provide it with the same reliable connectivity we have demonstrated with similar major transit deployments in the United States, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere." More proof that this was no run-of-the-mill installation: Motorola Solutions said the fiber optic cable used just for the two-station pilot program would run up Toronto's 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower, back down, and back up again. Now that's a lot of wire and a lot of wireless!