Moovera Networks has announced that Swebus Express, a long-distance express bus service in Sweden, has picked the Moovbox M Series Mobile Broadband Gateway (News - Alert) to deliver Internet connectivity its fleet of more than eighty buses that serve over two million passengers each year. Network Expertise, Moovera’s Channel Partner (News - Alert) in Stockholm, designed and managed the deployment.

 

The mobile WiFi hotspot deployment will reportedly include routes with stops throughout southern and central Sweden as well as neighboring Norway and Denmark. The Moovbox will also be used by Swebus Express to connect ticket machines on each bus to the Internet, and provide GPS-based fleet location monitoring.

 

The Moovbox M Series can deliver Internet access on the Swebus Express vehicles at speeds up to 7.2 Mbps, according to Moovera officials. This is achieved by the creation of a bridge between the coach and a next-generation 3G HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) cellular broadband network from Hutchinson 3. The Moovbox also offers Ethernet connectivity for in-bus systems such as CCTV and telematics data, and includes built-in GPS for real-time fleet tracking.

 

Joakim Palmkvist, managing director of Swebus Express, said that due to the increased competition in the public transport sector, Swebus is driven to examine ways in which it can differentiate itself from other operators. He indicated that providing Internet connectivity to its entire fleet introduces a technology platform on which it can build new and innovative services that not only benefit passengers, but also improve the way the entire fleet operates. Moovbox from Moovera was selected primarily as it offered the widest range of features at the most cost-effective price.

 

Jim Baker, Moovera CEO and founder, commenting on Moovera’s selection for this landmark roll out of in-vehicle Internet. He believes that such a major commitment to this technology from Sweden’s largest player is clear evidence that public transport is the new major market for public WiFi (News - Alert) and the ancillary services that in-bus Internet connectivity enables.

 

Based in the UK, Moovera Networks is a manufacturer of industrial-grade fixed, mobile, and portable wireless products that bridge WiFi access with carrier-class networks, including 3G UMTS/HSPA, WiMAX, TD-CDMA, HC-SDMA and FLASH-OFDM.